The Best Alpharetta Coding Bootcamps Of 2023

This is not a cheap school, you definitely get what you pay for. I wish I knew about the basics of programming and using terminals before starting class. Youtube, linkedin, github, and Google all have basic training courses you can use to better understand what is happening in class. I recommend learning github, visual studio code and basic programming via googling before starting class so you can be ahead of the learning curve and ready for the complex parts of coding. If you are like me and choose not to learn that stuff before class no worries Digital Crafts has the best teachers and will get you job ready before the end of your bootcamp.

In my experience as a Fullstack developer and student of Georgia Tech University coding Boot Camp, I've learned exceptional skills that have prepared me for the workforce. The program will prepare you to code and grasp a deep understanding of the latest technology within the IT industry. Learning to code goes beyond putting fingers to the keyboard, it is about utilizing your current skills, building a network with others, applying what you know, and beating the imposter syndrome. The program has submerged me with industry knowledge and provided an excellent network of people that believe in me and want to see me succeed. It will challenge you to step outside your shell and acknowledge your strengths and weaknesses. Prior to joining the program, I worked in healthcare for the past four years, my specialty was in supply chain management and I used to think I couldn't code. As a minority, I felt that I was inadequate or underserving of having access to building apps and machines. When I first got into the program, I would sometimes doubt my abilities but after connecting with mentors, and having my instructor who also believed in me I feel confident to go into the workforce and get any job I desire. I believe in myself more; I was able to meet others that also didn't have a lot of experience in coding and I felt right at home. If I could give anyone advice it would be to not focus on what you don't know, only focus on what you can learn and the opportunities that will be available after you complete the cohort. I would've believed in myself a long time ago had I known there were support systems out there such as the Georgia Tech Fullstack web development program. My wish is that my testimony inspires others to start believing in themselves and not to ever doubt what you can do. You won't know what you can do until you try, and I look forward to utilizing my new skill to advance in life. I do not regret taking this course. I believe in order to do something big you have to do something you've never done before. I encourage others to sign up for a Boot Camp that aligns with their life goals, when you close your eyes what do you see? If you can conceive it in your mind, you can achieve it physically. This is only the beginning and one of the greatest feelings about learning to code is you don't need to know everything so come with your notebook, computer, and with an open mindset and ready to ask questions because you will be learning as long as you're working in the Tech industry. 

What led me to enroll in Nucamp was a recommendation for a bootcamp from a friend that's been a programmer for decades, after trying out and not enjoying college and trade school for programming. I felt that I wasn't being set on a path to help in a career that I wanted to do. I would learn the basics of Python, JavaScript, and Java, and it took me into learning JavaScript with HTML and CSS for me to discover that I might really enjoy front end development.

I saw Nucamp having a front-end development course and felt that was direction I needed to take for myself. The course in itself is a lot of work, having to learn a whole bunch of new concepts and coding practices, new libraries and how they function, and exercises and challenges to help understand the course material. Every Saturday you meet with your instructor and go over the course with them, before doing a workshop assignment with your peers to help put what you learned to the test. The instructors are also very honest on what to expect in the field, and has given me a bunch of resources to help hone my skills even after finishing the bootcamp.

The work I've done from Nucamp has paid off. I was always interesting in coding, but I have never felt this confident like I do now with JavaScript. I really enjoy this type of work, and feel its a lot easier for me now to help figure out problems I may have with my code, because I now have a much clearer understanding of troubleshooting code and how to implement the features I would like. I have learned a lot with Nucamp, and although there's still so much for me to learn master, I believe I have fundamentals needed to get started in my career.

This is a long review, but I know how intense this process can be for those of you looking at attending a bootcamp. It has now been about a year since I decided to attend a bootcamp to change careers. I looked everywhere online when I settled on going to a bootcamp; I read every review, I watched every video on Youtube, I even messaged alumni of different bootcamps on LinkedIn, and eventually, I found my way to Codesmith. For the last 3 months since the program, I’ve considered myself lucky everyday I made the choice I did.
 
 Codesmith is without question, the best educational environment I’ve had the privilege to learn in. I’ve been lucky enough to go to good schools in the past, but I’m really proud, frankly, to say that this online bootcamp has really left them in the dust in key ways. I’ll make a note here that I was hired as a fellow by the program after my time in the immersive program, so if you need a grain of salt to start, there could be one. 
 
 - Admissions: It is worth making a comment right away that getting into Codesmith is not easy, but it is NOT an unjust process like I experienced in other programs. I speak from experience as someone who applied elsewhere, tried to go through admission processes at other places (everyone should have options), and eventually conducted the literal technical interviews for Codesmith myself, the admissions process is doing its job well. I won’t get too lost in the details, but I will say that if you can pass the Codesmith technical interview, you have what it takes to become a software engineer. They test on every quality and detail that I was tested on in a real technical interview for the job I have now. That all said, don’t rush into this process. It is possible, having seen both sides of admissions, to brute force your way through, with time. Do NOT throw $20k into something before you are ready. If you understand, for example, how to add methods to a prototype so they can be inherited by other objects, you could be ready. If you have no idea what I mean by that, do not stress even a little bit; just take your time to learn is my point (:
 
 - Curriculum: The curriculum is fantastic. You will touch all the technologies you need to get a full-stack developer position: Javascript (you’ll be a pro), React, Node.js, Git/Github, etc. However, what you come to appreciate and feel confident in by the end of the program is that you could see any tech, any framework, even any new language, and given realistic timelines / expectations by your team “in the wild” could learn what is needed to solve a problem in whatever tech stack. This is really because — Codesmith doesn’t create cookie-cutter engineers; Codesmith creates first-class problem solvers who communicate empathetically and technically like senior engineers. If you want to understand why outcomes seem so high for this program compared to others, the answer begins with these 2 qualities above all the rest.
 
 - Portfolio: Not a ton to say here, although a ton could be said. It is worth noting that you will have a better time job hunting when you have real open-source products on the resumé. And Codesmith focuses on making you build real, open-source projects before you leave. You don’t want to pay for a program that is tutorial style really, because why not just spend $2k (at most) in Udemy courses and be done with it? Codesmith makes you build in small teams of engineers (like in the real world), on projects that are technically impressive and that are REALLY challenging. You’ll hear “hard learning” thrown around a lot in and out of the program, and there is no form of better learning than solving a bug you’ve been stuck on for 6 hours with a team; this makes a good portfolio for sure.

- Hiring Support: I have so much love for the hiring support team answering every ridiculous, anxious question I ever hit them with, day or night. Codesmith really points you in a direction at the end of the program and teaches you how to carry yourself in interviews in the tech industry. Tech interviews and getting hired generally as a software engineer is honestly very formulaic. It’s almost entirely behavioral / very ceremonial, which was somewhat surprising to me. Codesmith guides you through all of these processes and really do their best to ensure you have support networks (during and after the program) to guide you through the idiosyncrasies of the tech industry. I would NOT have gotten a job as smoothly as I did if it wasn’t for their mentorship.

- Management/Team: This part could be a never-ending rant. I think what you will find, even will find just by attending the free workshops, is that Codesmith is a community of really passionate people that are putting in the work for the right reasons. I truly believe Codesmith only works because the instructors and the management of the organization are people who are passionate about seeing people change their lives. Will Sentance is the founder and owner, and not only will he give your cohort a lecture at the end, but you will get several chances to hear from him throughout the program; could not be any more apparent this person cares about fostering a space for people to change their lives. Eric Kirsten is a senior board advisor that will lead you through the hiring program. Eric is another huge element of the “secret sauce” of success at Codesmith. Takes a certain level of tailored mentorship to get an engineer to negotiate $15k in base salary after only 8-12 months of studying the industry, and Eric will take a hands-on approach to make sure you get that. Phillip Troutman, he’s the chief academic officer, is another key player you’ll hear from often. Let me tell you, part of the secret of Codesmith is convincing students every day they can do everything and anything so that they actually go out and attempt insane feats of engineering; Phillip is the key to that happening. Every program has different instructors, but in the central remote program — Katrina Villanueva and Jared Lewis are *the* reason students understand the core curriculum so well. Their compassion and attention towards student success is without question what makes the CTRI immersive so effective. For the sake of not making this piece of the review endless, I’ll stop here, but yes, there are that many incredible people in this organization.

 - School / Life Balance: There is very little balance. This is my very real, very difficult con for the program that I would not hide from anyone. You will eat, sleep, and breathe Codesmith, which at times will be a lot to handle. This program is hard. You will watch your cohort go lows and highs of imposter syndrome almost daily. It can even feel a bit cult-like, I suppose, at times. But what can I say — you get a room of intelligent people together every day who want to change careers in a (seemingly) impossible time frame into a field that is really challenging and competitive. It isn't crazy to assume that process will be hard, but if you put the work in you’ll be so glad you did it one day. It took me about 10-11 months, from start to finish, from the day I decided to attend Codesmith, to the day I got a job offer.
 
 There are other great programs out there for sure, but if I was to do this all over again, I’d be right back at Codesmith.