At the beginning of 2017 I made a promise to myself to learn how to program; the world is tech crazy, and I believe coding will be vital for me to know in the future. So I began a self study programme. I started with freecodecamp.com and really enjoyed it. However, as time went by, I realised I was lacking the direction that would enable me to gain the skills I needed to get hired.
I spoke with various people within the coding industry to figure out how they worked their way into their careers. Most were university grads, some were self taught and the others mentioned bootcamps. At the time, I didn’t know much about bootcamps, so, I decided to do some research and find out more.
After looking into it, I really liked the concept of bootcamps, and could see some huge benefits in attending one. A friend told me that he had recently read in a magazine about a software company that had created a coding course – Mayden Academy. After doing some research on the company, I got in touch with them to see whether I could get a place on the upcoming course. I attended an interview, was offered a place, and haven’t looked back!
Here are three advantages I’ve found of a coding bootcamp over self study…
Time
At a bootcamp you are there to learn, which means you can dedicate eight solid hours a day to learning. During self study I was putting in one, maybe two hours a day, so I’m already being eight times more productive than I was alone. As you can imagine, this has had a huge impact on my learning curve.
Teachers
Having guidance is key. A good teacher is always willing to lend a hand when you are stuck, and to help you to understanding what you are doing and why you are doing it. Having help on demand is honestly like a dream come true and I recommend it to anyone that asks. Remember, no one can take on the world alone. Don’t be afraid to ask for help.
Syllabus
Software applications are complicated systems comprised of lots of interlinked parts: frontend, backend, database, web server, network… that’s why you must first learn about what we call the ‘stack’. It’s a good start to know about algorithms and data-structures, high-level programming, object oriented programming, system administration, and networking. With this knowledge, you’ll be able to navigate pretty much any system, and will be able to make good engineering decisions.
A good bootcamp has a set curriculum that ensures you study (or are at least aware of) all these things, and ensures you learn everything you need to go ahead and get hired straight away. It trims the less important parts, making the information easier to digest.
Curious to find out more? We are now accepting applications to our course beginning in February 2018. Get in touch to talk with academy lead, Mike.
