Bloc News

Not all coding bootcampers are job-seekers; some have already landed a job as a developer and want to expand their skillset. This was the case for Devan, who was working as a front-end developer, and wanted to grow his back-end knowledge. He enrolled in online coding bootcamp Bloc, matched with a mentor, and during the course, was actually promoted to a Senior developer position! Devan sat down...

While the majority of coding bootcamp students are motivated by the prospect of a job as a developer at graduation, about 8% of bootcampers reported taking the class in order to start their own business or become a technical cofounder. Starting with a killer idea and learning the coding skills needed to launch a minimum viable product (MVP) can result in a winning combination, and can save a to...

Whether Nikki Woelk was working in Drupal and PHP or in non-profit fundraising, her goals have always aligned with meaningful companies working to make the world a happier place. When she decided to transition back into a technical role, Nikki was sold on online bootcamp Bloc because of the chance to work 1-on-1 with a mentor and update her skills at her own pace. While she learned Rails with h...

Coding Bootcamps are expensive. The average full-time programming bootcamp in the US costs $9,900, with some bootcamps charging up to $20,000 in tuition. We'll talk about how to calculate your ROI, available scholarships, when to use financing or payment plans, and unique payment models. We'll also explore the nitty gritty details about bootcamp loans with Zander Rafael of Climb Credit. And Hac...

The July News Roundup is your monthly news digest full of the most interesting articles and announcements in the coding bootcamp space. Want your bootcamp's news to be included in the next News Roundup? Submit announcements of new courses, scholarships, or open jobs at your school! This Week's Student Spotlights Rose Kohn on her first month at Turing School. Fehim Hatipoglu on his real-world pr...

With an influx of career conscious students attracted to the convenience and flexibility offered by online learning, online coding bootcamps are on our radar. One of the final obstacles for students eager to enroll in career-building coding bootcamps is the cost of tuition. For many, this barrier has now been removed. Bloc, one of the leading online coding bootcamps, has partnered with Affirm, ...

So you've decided to switch careers and jump into tech. Congrats! Now, you're probably wondering which programming language you should learn first! Join Course Report and Bloc as we tackle all of your questions about two of the most popular languages taught at coding bootcamps: Ruby vs. Python. With Bloc mentor Ben Neely, we learn which language is best for beginners, which will help you land y...

To pursue a career in web development (without quitting his full-time job), Harry Levine enrolled in the Fullstack Web Development Bootcamp at Bloc, the online, mentored bootcamp. We talk with Harry about his mentor experience, how he continues to learn after graduating, and his new career as a contract Rails developer. What were you up to before you started at Bloc? I went to college at the Un...

Abdullah Alger, a Professor of English in Egypt who recently completed the Frontend Web Development Course at Bloc. He explained why he picked Bloc over other online options, walked us through two of the projects he made during Bloc, and described his goals for the future. What is your professional background? I’m an English professor, and have worked in Egypt, England, and Saudi Arabia. Why di...

Course Report gets a lot of questions about online, mentored bootcamps and how far you can really take your education online. In this live Q&A, we are joined by Kervins Valcourt, who will answer questions about his experience at Bloc, learning with a mentor. Kervins is now an iOS developer at Hearst, so we’re really excited to hear about his story. He’s also going to take us through a project t...

So you want to develop apps for iOS, but you're not sure whether to start learning Objective-C or Swift. We've been there, but luckily we had Bloc iOS mentor Steve Schauer to guide our decision. In this webinar, you'll learn: The differences between Objective-C and Swift Which language is easier to learn and use to develop awesome apps. Exactly what you need to know to get started building for ...

Google’s Android OS is the most used mobile operating system in the world, and the little green robot has been winning hearts and minds for years now thanks to its high customizability and flexible open source developing options. Android programmers work in the Android Studio and develop Android apps using SDK manager, earning up to $155,000 per year. It’s no surprise that you would want to lea...

Phil Spitler got his start in web development through an apprenticeship with a system administrator at his company, who guided Phil as he learned Perl. When he saw the Lead Mentor position open at Bloc, Phil was impressed by the software craftsmanship approach at the online coding bootcamp. We talk with Phil about his role as a Lead Mentor, the feedback loop between mentors and students, and wh...

We recently sat down with Chris Beck, the head of mentorship at Bloc. With over 20 years of experience in software development under his belt, Chris was previously VP of Engineering at Privia Health, a DC health-tech company before joining Bloc. Chris has been a Bloc mentor for years, and joined full-time following Bloc's Series A funding announcement, to strengthen and grow Bloc's mentor commu...

Midnight Express is an "Uber-for-busses" service that offers late-night bus service from San Francisco to Silicon Valley. And get this: it was developed and launched in less than TEN DAYS by Bloc UX Design student Michael Horton. Are you interested in launching your own business or website? Or maybe strengthening your UX Design skills with a mentor? Learn how by talking to Michael about his exp...

Aaron Brager is a seasoned iOS Developer who gained notoriety by contributing extensively to the Stack Overflow community. Now, he's the iOS Course Director at Bloc, an online, mentored bootcamp with courses in web and mobile development. We talk to Aaron about his role writing and developing the curriculum, how he finds excellent mentors for Bloc students, and his passion for accessibility fea...

Jared Rader was working on a startup when he decided to enroll in Bloc to deepen his understanding of Ruby on Rails. ​​We talk to Jared about his mentor experience, the projects he's most proud of, and how he's continued his education after graduation. Remember, the Course Report community is eligible for a $100 scholarship to Bloc! What were you doing before you started at Bloc? Before Bloc, I...

When Jay Ottenstein decided to learn to program, he knew he needed a flexible training schedule that still facilitated his love of learning. So he signed up for Bloc, chose his mentor, and got to work. We chat with Jay about his experience at Bloc, how the online program has managed to create a sense of community, and how he's continued learning after graduation! Remember, the Course Report com...

Online, mentored coding bootcamps offer convenience and structure without forcing you to quit your job or move to a new city. But not all online programs were created equally, so which one is right for you? We'll learn from alumni at each online coding bootcamp, ready to answer your questions about their experience during class, how they found mentorship and community online, and how their care...

Apple released their new programming language, Swift, for Cocoa and Cocoa Touch this month. The language is meant to be interactive, fun, and works side-by-side with Objective-C so developers can use it with their current apps. So how can you learn Swift quickly? Check out these programming bootcamps that are already offering classes in the language and get started on your next iOS project! Mob...