Actualize

I chose Actualize after a friend recommended it and after reading about the emphasis that Actualize puts on EDUCATION and putting understanding first. I wanted a personal touch and what I got was just that. My class was small and I got to talk 1 on 1 with career coaches, my instructor, my classmates, and even the dean of students, who personally called me when I was having second thoughts. Something I was really impressed by was the FORMAT of the class. We had several daily routines, lectures followed by exercises, and weekly job hacking sessions which really put me ahead when beginning to apply for jobs. We also had 2 Teaching Assistants, which meant office hours twice a week (super helpful and consistent) and at least one of them in class to help with questions every day. You begin with a month of pre-work which is at your own pace with a class once a week to go over that weeks assignments. It prepares you well for when you begin class full-time. My instructor Amanda cares about her students and even went out of her way one day to spend a full hour talking to me about her experience as a woman coming up in the industry. I was extremely grateful to have her as a role model both as a software engineer and as a woman in tech. I'm on my last day to class now, and I've accumulated: a great portfolio via GitHub, a personal website that I created myself, a fully loaded LinkedIn with over 600 connections, a professional resume, tons of resources, and a completed capstone project. Also the understanding of what those things even mean. I've already applied to 20 jobs and have 2 interviews lined up. 

I think the most important thing to me about Actualize is that you learn a lot but maintain great mental and work-life balance. A lot of code bootcamps have crazy hours per day but Actualize was consistently 11 am - 4 pm every day with an hour or two of homework per day--very manageable. As someone who struggles with mental health challenges, this was crucial to me. Amanda was a fantastic instructor and explained things well but also encouraged me to take breaks when I needed them. We learned primarily Ruby on Rails and VueJS, which I feel is a good foundation for full stack web dev.

I came to actualize looking to transition careers from a chemistry background to something in Web Development (I had no prior coding experience). I decided to go with actualize because I was able to still work full time and take their night class online. In 12 weeks I was able to learn how to build both a front end and back end for web apps. It takes a lot of work and you need to come to class wanting to learn. I had Brian as my instructor and he was amazing. I would recommend his to anyone he was the best.

Having done a prep course for a different bootcamp that left me uninspired and unmotivated, I stumbled upon Actualize. From day one they were super transparent and communicative about their program and any questions I had. Learning that my teacher was not only a developer but also an actual teacher was the selling point for me. Brian was my instructor, not only did he create a friendly and relaxed environment to learn, but he laid the curriculum out in a way that was very easily absorbed. My all around experience at Actualize was great, I looked forward to class everyday and I came away from it learning and grasping way more than I thought I was going to be able to. If you thrive in a structured environment with a laid back atmosphere I would highly recommend Actualize to you.

I was directed to this Bootcamp from a friend who graduated here. He had nothing but good things to say about the instructors and curriculum. This made it easy for me to pick Actualize when I decided to make a career switch. I would highly recommend Actualize Coding Bootcamp! Their staff is very knowledgeable, helpful and want to see you succeed. The course is in depth and teaches you not only how to code from the ground up but also integrates ways to find a job when the course is over. 

I have zero regrets. NONE. 
Here's a little background on me - 40 year old student, with essentially no tech experience prior to taking this class, diverse career experiences completely unrelated to tech. Around February of 2020, I started paying closer attention to my internal voice pulling me toward tech. So, I did the wise thing...I turned to YouTube. My heart began to thump in my chest and an excitement I hadn't felt for a long time began to rise up as my eyes opened to possibilities.  I bought a $18 online course for SQL. Something not too intimidating. I liked it. I attended a virtual conference, connected with folks on LinkedIn, bought another online course that cost a bit more, python.  It was then that I realized as a complete newbie, who barely even knew the lingo associated with tech, was fumbling through GitHub etc. I needed a Bootcamp, I needed peers. And here is where Actualize comes in.

Actualize provided  structure, direction (cause I could sense myself teetering on the edge of a rabbit hole), accountability and very importantly, I wanted to talk to my instructor & classmates in real time, like see their faces. For me I needed feedback immediately as I learned these complex problems. Kevin, the pre-work instructor, provided feedback and eased the transition into the intense live-teaching portion of the program. Peter, my instructor, was funny, smart, super encouraging. Megan & Sarah, the T.A.'s were patient, supportive and helpful.  Lisa & Sarah, the career specialists are with us during the entire job hunting process until we land that job and after! The team at Actualize truly have our backs. I feel it. 

Actualize equipped me with the tools, resources and community I needed.

So, I mentioned my age earlier because I want the person reading this to understand that you can do this!  Don't let doubt and fear creep in.  Don't talk yourself out of it.

Actualize, thanks a bunch!

I have been working in creative fields for roughly fifteen years. After my last position, which exposed me to scripting in 3ds Max and in Cygwin, I felt that I had finally reached a terminal career point. I could have gotten comfortable and settled-in, possibly for life, but I wanted more challenge, so I made the decision to switch careers to coding.

After researching multiple bootcamps, their curriculums and poring over reviews of instructors, I made the decision to go with Actualize. A strong draw for me was not necessarily the technologies covered, but how well the instructors were reviewed and how well the information is presented. 

Ruby/Rails, Javascript, SQL, Bootstrap and Vue.js are definitely solid technologies to know, and are very accessible, but they are not necessarily the current meta for "what's hot." The mission of Actualize, to not necessarily teach students whatever languages and frameworks are the current fad, but rather teach the frameworks for self-learning that will empower students to switch to any other language or framework, allows me to not only appreciate what I have learned in my short time in the class, but also appreciate what I am about to start learning on my own, and at a future employer.

I went in to this bootcamp with virtually no coding experience and by the end I had made a web application from the ground up and presented it to a panel. Very pleased with how much I learned here and the support I received from the instructor and TAs. 

The job hacking portion of the class was a major help to me. I would not have been able to advertise myself this well to employers without it.

I look forward to my new brighter future as well as seeing where my fellow classmates end up. The community of our class was fun and always willing to lend a hand.