Coding bootcamps are intensive programs of software development.
– Wikipedia
After graduating Arizona Western College, I didn’t know what the next steps would be to actually become a software engineer or any kind of programmer. I spent forever googling what I should do next not believing I had enough experience nor expertise to get a job as a junior programmer of any kind.
Then I found out about coding bootcamps, and I started comparing and applying and looking into all of them. There are so many options and they all seem so good. It was kind of scary applying for them and the pressure of choosing the right one. I am currently doing App Academy, which is amazing. I am loving it and learning so much.
Applying to App Academy was smooth. It was kind of scary thinking about going into a bootcamp, something I never thought I’d do again. Going through the pre-work, made me unsure of whether I was ready or not. I passed and got in, thankfully. The acceptance is so exciting, but also scary, because you know you’re going to start, and being just 6 months, it’s fast. I didn’t think I could keep up, all this programming knowledge thrown at you a million miles an hour. Reading the contract before starting, too, was overwhelming. It was the scariest decision to commit to it.
But the first day… It was so amazing. The instructors are so nice and supportive. The people I’ve met so far during my time at App Academy are so amazing, and I don’t think I would have been able to get even this far without any of them. The first day, though, is scary for everyone. Getting to know the people in your cohort and the instructors helps so much, though. The people I have met are just incredible. I’m in week 11 of 24. We started the curriculum, and everyone is so helpful when you don’t get something.
The material comes fast, but so does the knowledge. We do a lot of pair programming and get an in depth understanding of programming. Being paired every day with someone who is going through the bootcamp is so helpful. You collaborate and learn together. When you don’t get something, you and your pair figure it out. You work together and learn so much from each other. We have learned more about development in these first 11 weeks than I did in 2 years of college. It’s focused on development and how to build things from start to finish and how to collaborate with others as you would in an actual work environment.
I truly recommend the coding bootcamps to everyone. App Academy is amazing, I would highly recommend it to anyone. I’ve also checked out Wallbreakers, which is also amazing. It’s quite a bit different, though. Wallbreakers is so much like what I believe to be a real work environment for a software engineer. They give you so much useful information to prepare you, and explain what it is like to work in the industry. They also prepare you for the process of getting into a software engineering role. I haven’t made it through, yet, but I’m not going to let it get me down. It’s intense and I still have a lot to learn, but there are so many supportive people in the App Academy and Wallbreakers communities, and I am eager to try again when I am ready.
Each day going through is even more inspiring than the last. When you take a break from a specific topic for a bit, and then revisit it in a later project, you see how far you’ve come. It’s exhilarating! These are not the only coding bootcamps, there are plenty out there, so you can find ones that fit your goals. I highly recommend these two, though, because I have had such an amazing experience with both so far. More to come closer to graduating both! Don’t get discouraged, it’s not as scary as the word bootcamp makes it seem! 🙂
