Should I Take A Gap Year to Enroll at a Coding Bootcamp?

Table of Contents

• Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year After High School
• College or Coding Bootcamp? 
• The Difference Between Career Counseling at Colleges vs Coding Bootcamps
• What kinds of high-school students are accepted to Sabio?

As an Admissions Counselor at Sabio, I work with prospective students through the admissions process, answering questions and guiding them through enrollment. But before Sabio, I spent many years in admissions at traditional universities. Recently, I’ve been flooded with questions about gap years and weighing the choice between a college degree vs a coding bootcamp. Let’s dive into the pros and cons of taking a gap year after high school to attend a coding bootcamp!

Pros and Cons of Taking a Gap Year After High School

The Pros: Gap years provide the opportunity for young adults to develop valuable skills and experience that can't be learned in a classroom setting. If you’re going to take a gap year, then be sure that you’re getting some type of hands-on or real-world experience. For example, at Sabio (where I am an Admissions Counselor), students get valuable hands-on experience working for a real startup company as part of the program, which allows them to develop skills that set them apart. A gap year at Sabio is also a great way for students to step out of their comfort zone and feel confident to tackle any challenge.

The Cons: It really depends on the student. If someone is sure of their goal to become a software engineer, then Sabio can help them do that faster and for much less compared to the cost of higher education.

However, if a student is unsure of their path, then the traditional college path can be an excellent time for them to discover who they are and what they're passionate about. 

College or Coding Bootcamp? 

Graduates leave Sabio with the certification, tools, and skillset from our program to jumpstart their career immediately! After a high-school graduate attends a coding bootcamp like Sabio, they're more than welcome to continue their education with higher ed like college, but it's not necessary. Completing a bootcamp will give students viable coding skills and real-world experience, which will give them a leg up if they continue into their college degree. 

A coding bootcamp like Sabio is going to offer tangible, hands-on experience building out a platform through an apprenticeship program with a real startup company they can add to their resume. It will also help them look more employable because they’ve had that apprenticeship. A lot of computer science degrees don't necessarily have that hands-on experience unless a student does an internship. 

With a college degree, students will be able to study other areas outside of coding that may interest them. Usually, students will have general education requirements like English history, science, and more, making them well-rounded.

The Difference Between Career Counseling at Colleges vs Coding Bootcamps

Career counseling at a college tends to be more generalized, since they’re often working with hundreds of students, giving them the basic tools to find employment. Sabio’s career services is focused on helping students establish their careers in tech. Career services provide so many resources to help students find employment -- from alumni mentor coaching sessions to resume and interview prep study sessions, data structure, workshops, and so much more! There's also 1:1 mentorship and guidance to help students achieve their goals. Overall, career services are more extensive and personalized at a bootcamp compared to college. 

What kinds of high-school students are accepted to Sabio?

We're looking for students who are motivated and dedicated when it comes to achieving their goals. It is an immersive program and we want students who are really ready to jump-start their careers or who are just passionate about developing their skills before going on to the next thing, whether that be higher education or something else. They should be focused and have some overarching career coal. They’ll also have to have a level of maturity that enables them to work alongside other adult learners. 

My advice to recent high school graduates to make the most of their bootcamp experience? Ask questions! Students get access to instructors for 50 hours per week here at Sabio, which is amazing. Take advantage of that when you're stuck or need further guidance -- it's perfectly okay to not have all the answers.

Find out more and read Sabio reviews on Course Report. This article was produced by the Course Report team in partnership with Sabio.