LearningFuze

There is a myriad of technologies, languages, and libraries out there so much so that it would take a lifetime of learning. However, they all share commonalities and the ability to decipher them, break them down into their components, and comprehend the underlying principles is what is taught here at LFZ. This approach is not only applied to learning technologies but every other aspect of the job application process and working environment. From prepping us for technical and behavioral interviews, reducing anxiety and making the best out of meetups, to teaching us how to succeed in an agile team environment. The staff has somehow caught lightning in a bottle and shared it with the rest of us. The best and most telling thing to me is the continued support the staff gives you from the moment you join to perpetuity. They are truly invested in your success and are willing to help you in any way shape or form even if that means giving constructive feedback. 

TLDR: I highly recommend it, you won't regret it

     To say that choosing to attend LearningFuze was a great decision would be a major understatement. I can confidently say that coming here was one one of the best decisions of my life. I come from a humanities background and was an English teacher just weeks before I came here. Aside from a few short online tutorials, I really had no programming experience. Although I was apprehensive at first about the idea of attending a coding bootcamp, when I spoke to TJ and Bill during the application process and talked to them about the learning environment and how successful previous students had been, I got a great feeling about the program and decided to enroll. 

    The whole time leading up to the course, though, I was incredibly nervous. Could I actually do this? Were those online courses deceptively easy? When I finally arrived at the school, I felt immediately at home in this environment. I had expected to be intimidated by the knowledge of these longtime programmers, but I really wasn’t. All of the teachers were very relatable, and while they knew more than I could imagine, they always reminded us that they also started where we were, and that they also struggled and got stuck and confused in the beginning. They make the learning environment not only approachable but also fun, with lots of interesting and useful activities everyday (and lots of great dad jokes to explain programming concepts).

    Since the beginning of the course I have learned so much, not only about programming, but about myself and what people are capable of. Everything that seems insurmountable at first has turned out to be doable. We’ve had two hackathons, in which we completed two entirely different applications in under 48 hours, which prior to these hackathons sounded completely impossible. React and OOP seemed difficult for me to wrap my head around at first, and now I use them both daily. I’ve realized over the last few months, thanks to LearningFuze, that programming is not limited to the chosen few geniuses who have the gift of mastering this complex skill, it’s about patience and the drive to spend hours a day problem solving, and to keep trying things until they work.

    I am still in the last few weeks of the program, and I am genuinely sad that the program is coming to an end because I’ve enjoyed coming here everyday so much. If you are hesitant because you don’t come from a programming background and think programming is going to be too hard, please don’t let that stop you. I can confidently recommend this course to anyone who is determined to learn to code. You will not regret it!

​Whether you are looking for technical training so you can become a better manager or are hoping to become a world class coder, LearningFuze is a great option. 

I completed the full immersion program a few weeks ago and feel well equiped to work in the web development field. LearningFuze has fantastic instructors who have a lot of real world experience, a well thought out and executed curriculum, a great career coaching program, and a class structure that encourages you to learn from and bond with your classmates. 

I tried an introductory course at another highly touted bootcamp before settling on LearningFuze. LearningFuze is better at everything from instruction to career planning and support.
 

As soon as I entered the LearningFuze office, I was certain it would be the right place for me to start my web development career. The staff, curriculum, and my peers made my time at LFZ an unforgettable and rewarding experience. 

The staff is composed of incredible people. They are always willing to drop what they are working on to answer your questions and ensure you understand the material. Additionally, the LFZ culture balances being light-hearted and fun, while being focused on the task at helping the students become web developers. A great balance! 

I thought the cirriculum was well-structured and refined. The subject material is tough, but you're given the tools you need to find success. To get the most out of the program, I recommend trusting the process and attempting your best work every day. 

Finally, I'd like to share that the whole experience was made even better thanks to the people in my cohort. Together, we fostered an environment that valued providing support and having fun and I am thankful I was able to build relationships with such wonderful people. 

I graduated from LearningFuze 6 weeks ago.

I enrolled in the full-immersion course.

Please let me share you with you what I think is special about this Bootcamp.

1. Career service: LearningFuze has a magical event called demo-day. After your portfolios get approved, you are qualified to it. It is an event that Lfz helps you connect directly to employers. As the oldest and the most successful Bootcamp in SoCal, lfz has a very strong connection to local tech companies. At demo day, local companies come to you, talk to you, and check out your projects. You can see it as an express line to an offer, which is much better than applying online. TJ Kinion puts so much effort to keep demo-day ongoing. Many many students, include me, got their first offer through this event.
2. Post-graduation time: You signed the contract with them that you will be a student there for 3 months. But after you graduate, you are more than welcomed staying in. LearningFuze set up an alumni room for graduates, where you can continue work on your portfolio and projects. You can still access all the instructors. They will help you just like they always did during the course.
3. Cohort: After 3 months, friendship among cohort mates developed deeply. More than that, I get close with my previous, next cohort and even some alumni graduated a long time ago. I have to say, students in lfz just have class. Learning code is hard. But it is fun when you are with persons that have the same passion and goal as you. You won't feel lonely or lost when intelligent students are around you and grow together with you. You will make some life-long friends in this school.
4. Course curriculum: they know what local tech company needs, and they design the course adapting that requirements. You learn what the industry is looking for. Besides that, they take feedback and update in each cohort. For example, my previous cohort didn't have enough time to dive deep into Redux, so they didn't cover that in my cohort, instead, they focus more on core React. For my cohort, students showed great interest in Node.js, so my next cohort, they support students to build the final project in Node. They do listen to students and change their content to make us happier. Tim.D, one of the lead instructors there, he creates his own materials, which is pure awesome. He knows what you know, you don't know and your think pattern. He doesn't only deliver knowledge but teach you competency to think like a programmer.

My overall experience is amazing. Actually, it turned out than I expected. It is a high-quality program that you won't be regretted to enroll in.

Coming from a background as an elementary school teacher and no formal coding exposure or experience, I had plenty of apprehensions about learning any kind of web development in such a short period of time.  I am in now in week 9 of the 12 week full immersion program. Looking back at the last 8 weeks of the program, I am in awe of what I have been able to learn and create. It has been quite a unique learning experience.

Some of the exceptional aspects:

1)Instructors

The instructors are what make Learning Fuze so exceptional.  As a student who was struggling to understand some of the most foundational concepts in the beginning, I found immense support during class time, on the weekend (whether it be through a Google Hangout or during the open hours on Saturday), and after class time during the week.  They are extremely knowledgeable and supportive and have been a vital resource in navigating my way into becoming a web developer. 

2)Materials/Information/Access

Prior to the program, Learning Fuze provides a comprehensive guide to materials you should reference, read, and/or utilize before beginning the program. Their prep courses are a great introduction to the foundational concepts needed for web development and also give a small glimpse into what the full time program will be like, as well. In retrospect, it is easy for me to see that they have thoughtfully designed this to help students prepare for the full immersion program (particularly those of us who have no previous coding background). Additionally, the curriculum during the program is extremely comprehensive considering the short timeline.  

Another great resource provided is job search support.  Starting from the first week, we have been provided with tips on creating our resume, LinkedIn profiles, interviewing practice, and hearing guest speakers from the industry. This aspect has been extremely beneficial and educational as I pursue this career change.

Some of the challenges:

1)Pace

When I first began researching bootcamps, I kept reading about the fast pace associated with an accelerated web development program but didn’t fully comprehend what that meant until I was a part of it.  The pace of the Learning Fuze bootcamp is faster than any educational environment I have experienced. The same day that you learn about a topic (or multiple topics), you are also coding a project to apply those skills.  This definitely could feel daunting and overwhelming at times but with the support of the instructors, it was manageable...still challenging, but manageable.

2)Workload/Time

While the technical class hours are Monday -Friday from 10:00 a.m.-6:00 p.m., the studying time, practice exercises, and projects that need to be completed will easily require your focus and a time commitment of  7 days a week and about 12-14 hours a day (including the 10-6 time on Monday-Friday).

Overall, I am extremely pleased with my decision to choose Learning Fuze bootcamp as my school of choice to pursue a career in web development. As challenging as it has been, I have seen my abilities improve more than I could’ve imagined and I have grown even more passionate about building my coding abilities than before starting the program. Learning Fuze has been a great place to learn.

I recently graduated from LearningFuze's full immersion program (June 2019) and absolutely, 100% recommend making LearningFuze the place where you begin your journey into development.

I had been working in non-profit for the past 9 years with no prior experience of coding and wanted to be sure that I'd be at a place that would help build a strong foundation. I did a lot of research through many review sites and saw so many alumni of LearningFuze consistently write about how passionate the instructors are and how they foster a positive (yet, challenging) environment for growth. I went to an evening info session to get a feel for the culture and made my decision to sign up when I saw just how much the staff really cares for each individual student.

The instruction is fast-paced and challenging because there's a lot of content to go through, but the instructors always put a premium on understanding the content rather than just dumping information. I found it incredibly helpful that every time we received new content during lecture, that there was always a prototype/exercise that we would immediately work on to be sure that we understood what we learned. Plus, we had two, 48-hour hackathons where we would have to complete different projects that simulated a team-environment with an AGILE process and real-time Git/GitHub that really helped put into practice everything we had been learning.

During the second half of the program, we dove deeper into server-side topics so that we could complete a 3-week, full stack final project. I can't say it enough, but the emphasis on project-based learning pushed me from just knowledge to practical understanding and execution of the myriad of concepts we learned.

I love how LearningFuze fosters an environment for growth with driven and motivated peers and many of us would regularly stay after hours to cement our learning together and instructors would be present to help us. On top of that, the staff are constantly up-to-date to be sure you're getting the most relevant content and tech that will prepare you best for the job search.

I'm thankful for the staff at LearningFuze because undertake an honest and transparent process where they strive to be sure each student has great competency and character that makes a great web developer, great.

I am currently in my 7th of 12 weeks in the full immersion program at Learningfuze. This was my 4th or 5th bootcamp that I had checked out and applied to, and ultimately the decision was down to Hack Reactor or LearningFuze. I think the experience that made me ultimately decide to come here was during my first visit to the campus; this bootcamp felt different compared to the mega bootcamps like App Academy and Hack Reactor. While the latter are not wrong in their methodology or approach, LearningFuze just had this atmosphere that the instructors were there because of their passion for teaching code and not to "ladder up" or to have a comfy job. It didn't take long for me to decide after my initial meeting with the instructors, TJ (who is in charge of making sure students get jobs), and Bill (who runs the entire operation side). 

After passing the halfway mark in my curriculum, I can confidently say I have no regrets in my decision. The instructors are available at basically any time that you need them, they are very knowledgeable in the industry's current practices, and will answer any questions that you may have during the learning process. The overall culture is possibly my favorite aspect of the camp - while the instructors encourage their students to work hard, they make an effort to make all the lectures interesting and interactive. Best decision of my life!

I recently graduated from the Full Immersion program, and I would 100% recommend LearningFuze to any prospective students.  Over a year ago, I started considering my career pivot from digital marketing into web development, and LearningFuze was one of the schools that stood out to me while researching online.  I read a bunch of reviews, started to teach myself with free tutorials, and finally attended an info session in January.  I got to see for myself how honest, genuine, and dedicated the LFZ staff are towards visitors, students, and alumni alike!  I felt no pressure to choose them, but they are wholly there for you in your decision making process and beyond.  I joined the two prep classes to get a feel for their teaching style and to gauge my own readiness for the full immersion program, and I dove in shortly after that!

The following 12 weeks brought a tidal wave of new material, constant challenge, and personal growth.  Going into the program, I knew I wanted an efficient/fast-paced learning environment, mentorship, and like-minded peers, and that's what I got from day 1.  Every week ramps up in intensity, building on the knowledge and practice from the previous week.  In lectures, we were encouraged to engage with the instructor and discover our blind spots as quickly as possible.  In solo projects, we applied that week's core concepts while given opportunities to stretch our toolset a bit more each time.  We also had two exhilarating 48-hour hackathons for practicing real-world skills around Git/GitHub workflows, working in a team, and planning/tracking project tasks.  And in the final 3 weeks of the program, we were split into teams to build full stack applications--with one instructor assigned to each one as project manager.  The job hunt is also emphasized throughout the program with lectures on networking, proper use of LinkedIn, and resume prep, as well as practice whiteboards and mock interviews.  Every step of the way, you are surrounded by classmates to struggle (and celebrate!) with and can laugh together about the growing pains we all experience as beginners. 

All that being said, it's really true that you get what you put in.  I can see why people say that a strong foundation is critical, because it is on that foundation that we will continue to hone our skills and pick up new technologies more quickly.  Review core concepts regularly, don't neglect the practice problems, and ask questions often!  Programming really takes persistence and a willingness to be frustrated over and over again, but those happy moments when you finally understand a concept or successfully debug your code are so worth it!

If you are still on the fence, I'd recommend visiting the campus for an info session and voicing any concerns with the staff and current students/alumni.  I guarantee that at the very least, you'll come away with more clarity, and maybe like me, you'll discover that LFZ is exactly where you want to begin your programming journey.

Theres a lot of things I can say about this program. Coming almost straight from attaining my Marketing degree from Cal State Fullerton, I had high expectations for what a bootcamp was suppossed to provide. I knew that the material was suppossed to thorough and the time and effort could be rigorous, but everyone at the LearningFuze facility made the process as smooth and seamless as humanly possible. Any time I had a question about anything, from the bare bone basics of coding (HTML, CSS and primitive JS for lack of a better description) or to more complecated topics of algorithms and recursive async await functions, there was always someone to help break down the ideas into bite size pieces. The best part about the program is how they stay with you through the job search to help guide you through the application/interview process. They helped me learn from my mistakes and refine how I could present myself in the best way possible. Definitely one of the best decisions I've made for my career.