Finding the Perfect Coding Bootcamp Fit for Me

By Marcella MunterI looked at Codeup for 2 years before I finally made the decision to apply. As a requirement for my Math degree, I took an Intro to Java class. I enjoyed it so much and was tempted to switch majors. However, I was a semester away from graduation and decided not to. Coding was still something I wanted to do so I tried some online courses. The online classes were satisfactory, but it made me realize two things: 1) I didn’t know what I needed to be learning and 2) whatever I did learn, I needed to be in a classroom setting to learn it. I heard about Codeup and other coding bootcamps and added myself to Codeup’s mailing list. However, both the price and the thought of having to quit my job scared me from ever applying. I found a cheaper coding school and attended one of their coding workshops, but didn’t like the way the workshop was run. The instructors only gave us lines of code to write with little theory behind it. That combined with poor organization in general made me realize that was not the place for me. I went back to Codeup’s website and read about their curriculum. I liked how theory as well as practical usage was taught. I was also liked seeing how much help was available to students from instructors and student fellows. However, the biggest question still on my mind was, “Will I get a job afterwards?”I learned that the curriculum at Codeup is developed with input from tech companies, which means that Codeup is teaching important skills that employers are actually looking for. Incidentally, the curriculum changed a bit a few months before I started due to employers’ requests. An added bonus on the job front was an in-house liaison between students and employers. Codeup’s Director of Product, Stephen Salas, has connections with several companies and he always know which ones are looking for developers fresh out of school. I decided to take a chance and applied even though I was still worried about the financial part of it. When I got accepted, I found out that there are many scholarships and programs to help ease the financial burden. I qualified for some of these even though I thought I wouldn’t. Many more scholarships and grants have been added since I left Codeup thus lowering the barrier to attend. I graduated in May 2018 and am currently working as a developer specializing in data extraction and transformation. I love what I’m doing now. My only regret is that I didn’t do this sooner.[rev_slider alias="footer"][/rev_slider]