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Coding Bootcamps -What are they Like?

My personal experience attending a coding bootcam

What I experienced when I attended one

Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash
Photo by Marvin Meyer on Unsplash

After graduation, I transitioned from an aimless college student to an aimless college grad. A career with my degree wasn’t what I idealized. But I decided to finish up my undergrad rather than switch to a less than interesting major for myself. More than a year passes by and suddenly I find something I didn’t even imagine I would enjoy – programming! After learning and practicing, I decided I wanted to enter the tech industry to become a full-time programmer.

But even after learning on my own and watching lessons online, I still didn’t feel like I was prepared. After much research, I discovered something that would change the direction of my career for the foreseeable future – coding bootcamps.

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A Coding Bootcamp?

For those of you who don’t know, a Coding bootcamp is an institution or school where aspiring programmers attend in order to learn from experienced individuals within the industry. They are taught the valued skills and expertise needed to find a job within the field. Its main focus is on teaching programming concepts for high level understanding and practical application. In other words – students are taught how to code for the job.

Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash
Photo by Austin Distel on Unsplash

At the time, I had never really known about them and they were still relatively new (even though they’ve been around for probably nine years). Yet, the concept immediately captivated me. Right away, I began researching reviews, experiences, and outcomes of a coding bootcamp.

Based on my research, these bootcamps were not cheap. Several bootcamps I found had terrible reviews and experiences, which made me wary. However, I did find a few reputable ones with great accolades. They were still quite expensive and you might have to take out a student loan just to attend one, but to me it was worth it.


Before the Bootcamp

In my case, I decided to attend the Data Science program of a decently well-known one in NYC that also had a "money-back guarantee". This "money-back guarantee" did have a few conditions in order to qualify for it. They ranged from coding consistently to networking obligations and everything in between. In my opinion, the conditions were tough but reasonable.

Application and Interview

Once I knew which bootcamp to attend, I sent in an application. The application itself involved entering some basic info and scheduling a video interview with a staff member. The interview was mostly just to gauge my interest in the data science program and why I wanted to attend. It was very basic and casual – they just wanted to learn more about me. Afterwards, they decided to move me forward with the admission process.

Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash
Photo by LinkedIn Sales Solutions on Unsplash

Finalizing my Admission

The next step was a second interview with one of the bootcamp’s instructors. This interview involved a coding assessment designed to measure my programming skills. It was a little nerve-wracking at first but I was given a few programming resources to warm up with beforehand. The interview itself was very straightforward and the coding challenge itself was simple. The instructor was satisfied with my performance and went ahead with fully admitting me to the data science program in the summer.

After putting down a deposit to secure my spot, I was given access to the school’s online platform where I was required to read through and "code-along" with several introductory lessons. I was also given more resources on what I should expect and how I can be prepared for my first day. After reviewing it thoroughly, I was ready…


The First Day of School

On my first day, I met dozens of other aspiring programmers from the various programs offered. We were split into our selected bootcamp programs and directed to different sections of the building. The different sections and rooms of the building accommodated each of the programs’ attendees. About 25 people were in attendance in my data science class or cohort as it was called.

When we got to the data science area, each of us were assigned a personal desk where we would do most of our work. After quickly settling in, we were informed to gather into the lecture room to formally meet one another.

The Teachers

Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash
Photo by NeONBRAND on Unsplash

Our cohort was provided with a main lecturer with real world data science experience who loved to teach. We also had two data science coaches who were former students of the program. These coaches would help us throughout the duration of the program whenever we needed.

As the day went on, we were all introduced to each other through several ice-breaking games. Afterwards, we were given a short lecture on what to expect our curriculum and day-to-day activities would mostly be like.

The Curriculum

Our Learning throughout the program was to be done mostly on our own computers with numerous lectures and group projects thrown in. The bootcamp had a robust and thorough online platform that contained all the lessons we needed to learn. However, we weren’t allowed to pick and choose which one we wanted to learn. A few lessons were unlocked each week as we progressed together as a cohort. This was done so that we were all on the same page and learning together.

The Location

The bootcamp’s campus was located in the Financial District of Manhattan. It was a great area with a ton of places to eat for lunch breaks and located near the water. The bootcamp itself was very sleek and clean. It had an open layout with various lecture rooms and private booths. I would say it had that modern, start-up, tech company feel. I felt like it was a great place to learn data science.


A Normal Day at School

Every morning we were randomly paired off for something called "pair-Programming". This is where my partner and I were given a coding challenge and told to solve it within 30 minutes or so. These challenges reflected real world coding interview challenges. As the weeks progressed, the pair-programming challenges would increase in difficulty.

After pair-programming, we would gather in the lecture room to learn the day’s lesson. The lesson would set the focus of the day or week and was given to us by the main lecturer. This lesson would soon be unlocked for us on the online platform, which we were instructed to complete.

The Learning Process

Our learning on the platform was done mostly on our own while sitting next to each other. Most lessons followed this simple pattern:

  1. Read and study the lesson.
  2. Do a code-along based on the lesson.
  3. Do a mini coding project related to the lesson.
Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash
Photo by Wes Hicks on Unsplash

And if we ever found ourselves stuck on a problem, we were encouraged to reach out to our fellow classmates or coaches.

There were also a couple lectures throughout the day as well. These lectures were related to the current lesson of the day or week. For data science, it usually concerned statistics or programming.

This learning process played out like this during most of my time at the bootcamp.

Group Projects

Outside of the learning aspect, many times we were brought together to engage in group projects. Usually in groups of three or fewer. Its purpose was to familiarize us with collaboration and cooperation in a programming and data science context. The projects themselves would also build up our future portfolios for potential employers.

We were instructed to develop a project related to the current data science topic we were studying and left to our own devices on deciding how we would operate together. The length of time dedicated to the group projects ranged from a few days to a whole week.

And Group Presentations

Many times these projects were accompanied with group presentations. These presentations were based on slideshows about our project. We were taught to keep the focus on the project’s business applications to better simulate real world expectations.

These group projects provided real insights into the distinct coding styles each of us had. It was fun and rewarding to learn how to collaborate with one another and see how we each approached the various problems throughout.

Special Events

Photo by Jakob Dalbjörn on Unsplash
Photo by Jakob Dalbjörn on Unsplash

Many times throughout the duration of the program we would have special events. These ranged from post-work Friday parties held at the bootcamp to catered food with guest speakers within the tech field. Exactly when these special events occurred varied. Sometimes it would be during lunch or sometimes after 6pm.

Other times there were weekly events where we would get together at the end of week to discuss how we felt about the week. Sometimes there would be team building games all of us could participate in. There were also networking opportunities held off campus at many locations throughout NYC, which we were encouraged to attend.


The Final Project

In the last few weeks of the data science program, we were tasked a final project. It was designed to be our greatest project from the program. The one we would proudly show in job interviews.

We could choose any topic for our project as long as we applied our newly learned data science tools and knowledge. No more group projects – this one would be done individually. We could still ask for advice on certain aspects but the rest of the project was up to you.

New Surroundings

To accommodate us in our last few weeks, we were moved to a different building in a co-working space. We were to use this new space to build our projects. The new space was also much nicer albeit we shared the floor with other companies. The other companies had their own rooms but we shared the common area and kitchen. If the bootcamp had a tech startup feel, this place had a tech company feel.

A Final Presentation Too

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

We were given our last three weeks in the program to dedicate to the final project. But more like two and half. In the middle of the final week we were to present our final project to the rest of the school’s students and anyone else that wished to see. The presentation was done in a science fair type of way, with the audience wandering to each our projects to observe our work.

Working on the Final Project

Each of us went to work quickly. Brainstorming ideas and asking for advice. Our coaches and instructor would occasionally check in on us to see how we were doing and make sure we were on the right track. Even with the two and a half weeks dedicated to the project, many of us still felt like it was not enough time. Often times some of us would find ourselves staying overnight just to get one thing done. In my case, I almost always stayed till 8pm.

I want to say that working on my project was a smooth process but no. I pivoted half way through to fix a self-inflicted error. I also came to various realizations throughout the project that caused me to backtrack what I had done. In the end, I still finished on time and I am proud of what I accomplished.

My Final Project

If you are curious, one of my previous articles actually dealt with a specific feature from my final project:

I Built a Machine Learning Model to Trade Stocks like Warren Buffett (Part 1)

The final presentation for my project also involved a couple of other machine learning features as well. I had a set up where people can analyze any company’s stock using numerous machine learning algorithms. I also built a front end to my project to make it more attractive, which I spent the last couple of days coding.

Overall, my time spent building the project was extremely challenging and fulfilling. I was glad I could finish my project on time even with a couple of obstacles that forced me stay late.


After the Bootcamp

When we were about a week or two away from graduating from the program, we were assigned a career coach. This coach would help us find a job after graduation by giving us advice and insights into the job search process.

If you want to know more about my time after the bootcamp, feel free to read my other article:

From Coding Bootcamp to Coding Job

The graduation process was very nonchalant. No big ceremony like college but more private for our class. After the graduation we went out for drinks and move towards the next step.


My Advice for Newcomers

If you are looking to attend a coding bootcamp, here’s some advice:

  • Look for well established coding bootcamps.
  • You will code a lot so practice a little before attending so you don’t feel overwhelmed.
  • Take your time and don’t be afraid to stay long after everyone else has gone home.
  • Attend as many events as you can and bring along your classmates.
  • Be prepared to learn independently but it’s okay to ask questions and seek advice from your peers, coaches, and instructor.
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash
Photo by Helena Lopes on Unsplash

Should you do it?

I don’t suggest you attend a coding bootcamp unless you enjoy coding in one way or another. The experience was definitely one of a kind and I enjoyed each moment deeply. I loved my time there and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to break into the tech industry!

Note: My experience was pre-Covid, so it may not accurately reflect the state of coding bootcamps today.


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