App Academy

I was asked to leave App Academy after on Week Five Day Three, but I’m still leaving a four star review. Is it true that “Students from all backgrounds find success” at aA? Yes, I believe this is true. But please, heed this warning: if you don’t already understand computer science concepts, you will need to be a *very* quick learner.  I’m not talking about Honor’s Society in high school, deans list in college quick-learner/smart. That’s me, and that’s not smart enough. If you don’t already understand computer science concepts, you need to be the kind of smart where the only reason you finished your BC Calculus final in 45 min instead of 40 was how your hand cramped holding your pencil.

If you’re not that smart, that’s also fine, you just have to be *prepared*. Breadth first search algorithm? Depth first? It's not rocket science, but don’t let aA be the first place you’ve ever heard those words strung together. If you don’t have a clear understanding of sorting/searching algorithms, what restful routes and APIs are, how to build a CRUD web application, how object oriented programming works and why it is useful - STOP and just study those concepts before you get there. I thought that it was okay that I didn’t know these things because App Academy would teach me.

But it’s important to remember App Academy uses a peer learning model. Like in Montessori, the teacher sets up the classroom and the students learn from each other. You aren’t really "taught" exactly - you teach yourself, which in the end is much more powerful. You get so much more out the experience by actively explaining concepts to other students, which is not going to happen if you just found out what authentication is five minutes ago. The power of peer learning is incredible, and I learned *so much * at aA that I can’t say I regret attending, despite being “dismissed for academic reasons” after one month.

Guys, don’t get dismissed. There were 63 people in our cohort, I think 13 were dismissed. I don’t wish it on anybody. To give up everything, quit your job and move cities, to make friends with incredibly kind and intelligent and hardworking people, and have to leave because your brain couldn’t apply this new information fast enough - it is really a bummer. Avoid it at all costs. In the end, I didn’t want my money back, I wanted to stay.

My preparation strategy was if I knew the alpha prep course, I would do fine. This is not enough. If you can, build a CRUD rails app before you get there. (Masher Hossian has a good tutorial on Udemy. Pay attention to how database associations work.) Understand every big concept in those games in the prep course. Yes, the prep course is terrible, everything is out of order and you’ll spend hours trying to understand confusing code that isn’t explained. But building a game with specs is the second test, and don’t waste your one free fail on that one, like so many people did. If you can, go through the Khan Academy Computer Science course. What’s an algorithm, what are time/space complexity, what is a data structure? Yes, these concepts will be covered, and once you know them, it’s like a whole new world has been opened up to you.

It’s fine to be new to these things - everyone was at one point! Just remember the day you decided to become a software engineer is the day you committed to practicing everyday and relentlessly studying everything you don’t understand, regardless of whether you choose to attend aA as part of that journey.

When compared to the theoritical lessons taught in most of my classes while in the UC system, I loved how hands-on and immersed this experience was. The curriculum taught practical skills that's used almost everyday on the job, and the learning experience made the transition into the real-world quite seamless.

It was intense - looking at 90+ hrs of work per week - and challenging, but it was necessary and shone a light on whether or not I was capable or if this career was fitting. Their tuition model is definitely attractive; it's low risk, since you don't owe tuition until you're hired post-graduation.

I've dabbled in programming before and enjoyed it, but I was never sure enough to go through with it in a 4-year system. The bootcamp essentially let me test the waters and learn something new in just 3 months time, with very little to lose. I finally have a full-time career in something I love doing, and if you're at all curious if this is right for you, I'd recommend App Academy.

App Academy was my first choice,  because:
— it's tuition model
— great reviews and overall rating
— greatest TA's
— it's curriculum
— supportive classmates
Although it's pretty hard to keep the pace for the whole course, it pays back, once you start working on your final project, you'll realize that you know a lot, even if you thought you don't.
Greatest experience.

Here's an interview with the founder of App Academy - Kush Patel

There's a handful of coding bootcamps out there, but App Academy stands alone (for a good reason). What differentiates this program from all others out there is THE PEOPLE. The way they achieve an incredibly diverse and hard working group of people is through the deferred tuition model coupled with the selective process to get in. This creates an assemblage of some of the most intelligent, kind, and hardest working people I have ever met. The curriculum is perfectly planned out and constantly adapting to the coding environment out in the wild. The teachers know the material inside and out, questions are encouraged and a habit of collaboration is instilled. I can't thank this school enough. They made me realize that it's true that anyone can code and as a bonus, its REALLY FUN.

Apply Now. It's worth it.

I started a/A for the summer cohort 2017. Below I'll discuss some of the pros and cons of my experience. But first a little insight in to my background as a software developer before app Academy...there is none. I went into to app academy with no knowledge other than what was required from their prep course and now I can produce quality full stack apps. Pros: -The curriculum is good -The curriculum is gold -They want you to succeed -Everyone is extremely supportive at every step -Geared towards developing both technical and interpersonal skills Cons: -Fast pace is an understatement; it's a good thing and a somewhat negative trait -You literally have no life for 3+ months -The prep course didn't prepare you enough for the intensity of the material you will be facing. You do get there though... eventually.

The curriculum has been top-notch so far. I am constantly amazed at how much I have learned in the last 2 months. I have friends who spent four years at an undergraduate institute who have confirmed that the work we have been doing will definitely be useful for the future job search. Furthermore, all of the TA's and instructors are incredibly invested in my learning, which is something that I appreciate. Especially with something like coding, having an expert be able to provide support when I run into a difficult bug has really helped the learning process. I would say that the boot camp is worth it, especially with their business model. 

Overall I had a very good experience at App Academy. The instructors are incredibly knowledgeable and helpful, and for the most part my fellow students were as well. I do wish there was more focus on JavaScript over Ruby but don't feel that I can't hit the ground running after completing the js portion of the curriculum. My one and only suggestion for a/A would be to incorporate more solo time over pair programming. Of course I understand the benefits of pair programming but in a course that is so packed with material that NEEDS to be learned and absorbed daily, for those of us that don't learn as well in a pair situation this can be a hinderance. All in all though, if you are hesitant about a/A or wondering if it is the right fit for you I would definitely say do it. I certainly don't regret my decision. 

(I haven't rated the job support because I am going through it now)

Pros: 
- Classmates are an awesome bunch and are what kept me motivated during stressful situations. They're really supportive, hard working, and knowledgeable. 
- Pair programming was an effective way to learn, and coding curriculum is well put together and informative. 
- TAs are very helpful, friendly, and supportive.

Cons: 
- Expect to spend 70-100 hours per week. 
- 2 failed assessments and you are out of the program. 
- Lack of hardware equipment (i.e. monitors, stands, and cords/cables)

Writing this review 12 weeks into the full-time course I can honestly say that I was able to find a great deal of value from attending the course. Coming into App Academy with little programming experience, I've noticed my skillset improve week by week in a tangible way. My experience in interacting with the staff has been largely positive as well. The TA's are all very knowledgeable and are great at leading you to develop a full understanding of the material that you are working on. My favorite part of attending the program has been making connections with the other individuals going through the course.

This program is definitely a full time commitment, and the workload estimate of 90+ hours a week is accurate. To anyone looking to attend the full time course, I highly recommend the program, with the caveat that you are ready to dedicate 3+ months of your life (not including the time spent job searching full time after the course), eating, sleeping and breathing code.