Bloc Reviews
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Sergio Ghibellini Steixner Verified via LinkedIn
Great experience so far!
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The seventh week into the Designer's track program. This program has been a dream course ever since I found about it. The support received from Slack, the community, and the mentors are on the spot.
Just put the effort and hours you need to succeed, but the Bloc team is always looking forward to helping you, on whatever problem you have.
The curriculum is the right amount of information you need. The course builds on it, so you don't have to worry about looking for more info. I say this because in today fast paced world and living you get overwhelmed with all the information you receive, especially in your email and your smartphone, its an issue Bloc has foreseen and embedded into their program.
I highly recommend this program! -
Paul Verified via LinkedIn
Full Stack Web Development Student
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This program has already exceeded my expectations and I'm only 1 month into the program! What's incredible about Bloc is that they give you the flexibility and affordability unlike many other bootcamps. I am planning to complete the program in approximately 5 months, so I will only pay ($1250 x #months enrolled). This pro-rated concept within the framework of a bootcamp is very empowering! Not only to influence you to finish within the time frame you'd like, but to save a lot of money as compared to other programs that force you into a set number of months for a set amount of many thousands more than this programs' average rate. Highly recommend this program!
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Jedediah Arnold Verified via LinkedIn
Web Developement Track Student
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The Bloc course has been awesome so far! I am 6 weeks enrolled in the Web Developer Track. It has done a great job of building community, mentorship, career preparation, and knowledge. I would definitely suggest this to anyone who has 20-25hrs/week to learn. The reason 'cirriculum' was given a 4star was because I do not feel like each concept is given enough required practice to learn. This is where the instructors and community had a huge impact on me in getting me more resources to truly learn the concepts that I needed to progress.
I will try to post another update as I progress further in the course!
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Brooke Verified via LinkedIn
Student at Bloc
Having a bit of a technical background ( Tech Support/Community Manager) I was thrilled to be awarded a Diversity scholarship from Bloc - which was the only thing that enabled me to attend a coding bootcamp! I am now leveling up my skill set and already interviewing for Jr. Dev jobs - my mentor is really great and the curriculum is interesting so far!
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John Morandarte Verified via GitHubStudent
Hi all! I am currently a student with bloc for two months now for web developing. I am a complete beginner when I started and I dont even know how to write a single line of code. But now, I am learning a lot and writing all these complicated codes in just a short period of time while working in a full time job. Its really amazing and I highly recommend bloc!
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Shelby B Verified via LinkedIn
Very Helpful Support Staff
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I've been enrolled in the Design Track at Bloc for about 4 months now, and I am so happy I did. I shopped around for a design bootcamp for months, but the fact that I held a full-time job I couldn't take a break from and that I didn't live in a massive metropolitan area was really limiting my options. The only thing available locally required a lot of money up front and total M-F, 8-5 commitment.
Bloc lets me pace my curriculum in a way that allows me to work my full-time job while still letting me work towards my future. They also offer payment plans and scholarships - which seemed pretty rare when I was researching similar programs.
I won't lie, you will work hard! There's a lot of commitment even at the slowest pace. And be aware of any changes to your coursework. They're constantly updating and that can sometimes tweak an assignment. However, there's a large community available to help you. As long as you communicate with your mentor and the student success team, they will do as much as they can to help you reach the finish line!
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Jazz Bohgal Software Developer Track Verified via GitHubSoftware Developer Student
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I've had a slow start with Bloc thus far, but the knowledeg I've gain has been tremedous witht the time I've deciated to studying. The enrollment process is and straight forward. Mentors are great uplifting peole that keep you motivated and focuese, and also exmaples of software engineers you'd inpsire to become very soon. I'd recommend Bloc tp anyone with a busy schedule, but still enough time to dedicate at least 20 hours a week to help advance your create your start a new career.
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Stephanie Verified via LinkedIn
UX Design Student
I deeply recommend Bloc. I am in their UX Design program after owning my own business for 14 years and was nervous to start over at 40. You get from the program what you are willing to put into it. The challenge level is high but not unattainable. The informations is pecied into succinct digestible chunks. I am super excited to get started in my new career!
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Livia I Verified via GitHubWeb Development Track Student
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I majored in Finance and was working in Finance for a couple of years with ZERO experience in coding. I realized that I need to move to a different direction. I want to work in the Web Development field because I love problem solving, the challenge, and I can be creative on my technical skills! I was rigorously researching for bootcamp programs that's best suited for me and that's when I stumbled upon Bloc. What makes Bloc different than any other Bootcamps is that you can still keep your full time job while on the program. Right now, I'm at 50% of the curriculum and learned so much already. It is very fast paced and challenging. You have to put in the time, work hard and don't give up if you're stuck. Bloc provides the tools and teach the materials that you will be seeing in a real work environment. The mentors are great and very flexible. If you are stuck on the exercises or have general questions about the material, the technical support team on Slack responds within minutes. Bloc also provides different online group sessions. If you have zero experience in coding and want to pursue this field, definitely try Bloc. Put the time and your maximum effort! :)
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Rico Pananganan Verified via LinkedIn
Designer Track Student
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I'm currently enrolled in Bloc's Designer Track and have been going at it almost full-time since starting it 6-weeks ago. I'll say this... I've first started teaching myself how to code (on and off) for the past year before deciding to double down and take it seriously. I've researched a bunch of coding bootcamps and narrowed it down to a finalist panel of two - Bloc and #@$ (don't want to name drop because each choice or selection is different from one prospective student to another). I chose Bloc. And I'm glad I did.
The one item that really differentiated itself from the competition was the mentorship benefit, which I take it to be more of an apprenticeship style. Having those one-to-one meetings are really beneficial (in my opinion) as you can pick their brain about the various projects you are undertaking; these mentors have been in your shoes before and the information they share is invaluable, not to mention, they hold you accountable for the work set before you and push your limits.
Bloc is really invested in its students' success throughout the program. I make it a habit of reading through a handful of conversations in the student Slack channel and what goes on there is really motivating. I see a number of current students helping each other push through the projects, not to mention alumni jumping in to assist as well. It's as if the Bloc Community has taken on a culture of its own - no developer gets left behind.
I'm really excited and optimistic about this journey with Bloc and cannot wait to pay it forward.
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Theo Joyce Verified via LinkedIn
Web Development Track Student
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So far I'm a little over 1/3 of the way through the course at Bloc. I've been interested in technology, computers, and programming for a long time and when deciding on where I wanted to go for an education I came across Bloc. I decided on Bloc at first because of how many different ways they help, and they had a good history of students and success. After joining not only was that confirmed but even more than I expected! There is a very strong aura of support and an endless amount of resources to help anyone through the course. My mentor has been very helpful and I have found out many things I did not know before. Having weekly 1-on-1 meetings from someone actually in the industry definitely helps give perspective and knowledge required for getting a job. Finally, one thing I like about Bloc is that they stay modern and that what you learn is actually actively used in the industry, so that you're not learning outdated techniques and software.
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Andrea Verified via LinkedIn
Web Developer Track Completed
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Let me start by saying that I come from a science background (Bachelors of Science in Chemistry) and was interested in coding as a skill to help me expand my career options and to prepare me for a more tech oriented future job market. I originally started learning how to code on my own back in October 2016, but after months of trying to get myself motivated everyday after work (day job in the Oil and Gas industry) I realized I was not doing as much as I wanted. So I decided to get serious and look for a coding bootcamp that would give me the structure and motivation to start and finish coding projects. I looked at a lot of the conventional bootcamps that require full time attendance and realized that not only did they have high price tags but they also would force me to quit my day job and as a recent college grad with debt that was not an option. Thats when a friend recommended Bloc to me and I was immediately sold on the idea of one-on-one time with a mentor, a custom schedule, and on top of that the price was right! So I started my Bloc program in February 2017 and had an amazing experience all the way through. My mentor was amazing and super flexible with me. During my time with Bloc I traveled twice a month for work and my mentor was able to make it work for me. I learned so much and it was so much better than being on online forums scrolling through questions, I actually had someone there who I could ask and get a response within hours. Not only that but concepts in coding I didnt understand beforehand became crystal clear. I also liked that Bloc starts off slow but quickly picks up steam in terms of curriculum. Three weeks in and I was feeling very challenged by the Web Developer Track. I can't really speak to job support as my intention was just to gain a skill not to change careers, but I thought that at least during the program my mentor was very helpful in guiding me and helping me make choices about what I wanted to do. I am now 6 months out from Bloc and in that time I have gain recognition at my job for coding tools to make data analysis easier, completed freelance web development jobs for small business, and even learned C and Python. I think at the end of it all the real value of the Bloc Web Developer Track is that it gives you a foundation that you can easily build upon and take in any direction you choose to go.
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Chris Taylor Verified via LinkedIn
Great Experience
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I'm currently enrolled in Bloc's Design program and my experience has been great! My pursuit of Software Design represents a complete career switch, so I entered this program very green with a steep learning curve ahead. Bloc's been a great place to embark on this journey, as it offers straightforward material combined with access to both excellent resources and a strong support system. And my favorite component of the program is the mentorship, where you get 1-on-1 access to individuals from the design industry who bring their real-word experience and insights to the table. I'd recommend this program to anyone who's looking to pursue a career in Software in a way that fits within their busy lifestyles.
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Ashley N. Verified via LinkedIn
Career Change Gold
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After deciding that teaching was not my calling, I decided to get back into a hobby of mine- web development. I was into it when I was a teenager but felt as though it wasn't a feasible career path because it seemed too difficult/risky. After trying out a few other paths and being stuck in teaching, I decided to see if there would be a way to learn web development quickly and efficiently and change careers asap. I found Bloc after doing a web search for coding bootcamps and loved their website and the fact that they seemed to seek out/support women coders. After being in this course for a little over a month, I've learned HTML, CSS, Javascript and am about to start working on some projects to showcase my skills. The curriculum is easy to follow, and when you get stuck, there is always someone there to help you. Additionally, my mentor felt like a coding friend to me who I could ask anything and get help with whatever problem presented itself to me between meetings with her. I'm so happy I chose Bloc because I'm learning a lot at my own pace and still feel like I will be equipped for a job come this summer! -
erica mitchell Verified via LinkedIn
Best decision I ever made
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I love Bloc! I wish I had found Bloc months ago. I have wanted to become a Web Developer for many years but couldnt find a course that would allow me to continue to live my life (i.e. work a job like a responsble adult). Bloc has been awesome. It fits around my schedule so I can continue to work and volunteer my time. The coursework is not easy at all, in fact, at times it can be quite challenging which is what the work will be like so it gives you a reasonable expectation of the future. The best part by far is the support you receive from the mentors, the graders and the other students. No matter when you are working there is someone available to help you if you need it. Bloc is the best decision I have made in a long time.
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Jessica Roque Verified via GitHubSoftware Development Student
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Bloc is the tour guide that Alice must have wished she had when she first jumped down the rabbit hole.
The world of software and web development is big and full of intimidating jargon. If you try to learn on your own like I did, you might spend a large majority of your time researching all the names of languages, tools, and companies that you don't actually ever end up making much progress because you get distracted by all the shiny articles that claim you must learn this thing and that thing and this thing and that thing... It's easy to get overwhelmed.
Bloc keeps you focused and productive.
They started me off with the fundamentals that I hadn't even thought to think about and research on my own. The things like the Command Line and GitHub, tools that are essential to working like a real professional. And then we moved through the basics of HTML, CSS, Javascript, jQuery, and then for me AngularJS but for new students React, then into the backend. They did the work of deciding how much knowledge is enough to be successful for now in each subject so that you know when to move on. Over time, the pieces start to fit together and all of the sudden you're building projects with your own backend in Rails and then you know how to call an external API, and all of the sudden words like "asynchronous" and "dependency injection" that once sounded like words from a scary horror movie of All the Things You Will Never Understand have become commonplace in your vocabulary. Then you have that Aha! moment, where you discover that after the initial handholding you've become independent and can create projects largely on your own.
When you decide that you want to be a software developer, your friends and family may or may not be the kinds of people that want to talk about the future of Bitcoin and what awesome browser extenstions and Atom plugins will change your life, and they may or may not understand what you're going through when you're contemplating dropping your laptop off a balcony and quitting professional life to go join the circus. Your mentor definitely will, and the Bloc Slack community too. You can still be your old self and and love all the people that were apart of old self's activities, but you gain new people along the way that can relate to what your new self is up to.
The Bloc team is constantly iterating on their curriculum and the structure of the program, which to me is a sign of a good program. They take the feedback from their students, analyze it, and implement changes. Recently, they've added group video calls where you can opt to listen in to a mentor talk about topics like debugging, the browser, the interview STAR method, and how to job search. And though I've yet to get to this part, it seems like their Career Services team is quite helpful. They're very active on Slack by posting new job opportunities, helping with interview questions, providing feedback on email responses, and sharing insight into what's common in the interview process.
While you certainly have to put in the time and the effort in order to be successful (you are changing your entire life, after all), Bloc is the fast track to knowing how to do life as a developer.
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Meytal Verified via LinkedIn
Love it so far!
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I've been a student at Bloc for 2 months now. I'm in the Design Track, part time. So far I feel like the course has been very well presented. The classes are structured logically and progress in difficulty. Since I've joined Bloc, they have made some improvements to their system, which I think is good, because it shows that they are striving to do better all the time. I have a mentor that I like and has been very helpful. They also have a Slack community with mentors on duty to answer any questions you might have while working on projects. This has been a very pleasant experience and I highly recommend the school!
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Alisa Matthews Verified via LinkedIn
Designer Track Grad
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I'd always wanted a career where I could utilize my creative talents. At first, I looked into becoming a software developer, as it's a career that doesn't require a college degree (which I don't have), and there seemed to be plenty of those online courses I could do, and not have to quit working at my full-time job. I chose Bloc because of their great ratings, mentorship program, and the successful results it produced with its graduates. To get more information on the program (and to make sure I really wanted to do this), I spoke with Susannah at Bloc. After learning more about my background and the career I wanted to transition into, Susannah recommended that I would be a great fit for the Design course at Bloc. And so, my design journey at Bloc began! Throughout the course, I developed the necessary skills I needed to become a successful UX Designer, under the guidance of a Senior UX/UI & Product Designer. I saw this mentorship as a valuable experience, a Design Apprenticeship, that college/university students didn't have in their curriculum, without having to go outside of their institution. I completed the Designer Track at their medium pace. On top of a full-time job, this was extremely challenging, but I REALLY wanted a career in design. So, I made temporary sacrifices (bye bye social life!) and dedicated myself to the course from January-October. There were many days where I showed up to work looking like I hadn't slept in months, but I knew at that time it'd eventually be worth it. I'm incredibly grateful to Bloc! I've made a successful career change into Design, something I truly love, and without having any prior design experience. I've also landed my dream UX Design job! I highly recommend Boc's Design course to anyone wanting to make a career change.
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Taylor Verified via LinkedIn
Month 2 and going strong
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Bloc's Design Track has been a wonderful program for me thus far. After working in the EdTech industry for over 3 years, and more directly, at Coding Bootcamps, I've seen the ups and downs of these Bootcamps overall. A lot of them are about the "numbers", and although may be well reveered, give little attention or personalization to each student. This is where Bloc shines. Even with the "flipped model" of education (pro tip: pretty much all Bootcamps operate this way) you can see how hard the staff works to give you every tool you need to succeed. The mentorship aspect is a really wonderful resource, because that 1:1 time is precious. Many other Bootcamps can only do this in group settings, which takes away from the individual.
I searched for a couple of years to find the right Design program for me, because quitting my job to attend a Full-Time, onsite program wasn't feasible... But I'm extremely glad that it happened this way. Even with the delay in starting my career, I'm thankful that I came across Bloc and am confident that my education is in great hands (me + Bloc's model!) Cheers.
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Kolby Verified via GitHub6 Weeks In - Beyond Expectations
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First off, I attended a community college prior to Bloc for computer security and forensics. I only went for 1 year before deciding to look into Bloc. So far, the learning approach at Bloc blows the learning approach of a traditional college out of the water.
I love that I can go through the checkpoints at my own pace. If there's a day that I'm busy then I don't have to do any work but best of all in my opinion is that I can go ahead of the curriculum as far as I want. There's never a time that I don't have work to do which is great because the curriculum and learning style is fun.
My mentor is awesome and it's nice to meet with him twice per week. Throughout the week, I'll write down any questions that I have and I get to have them all answered by my mentor during those meetings. If it's a question that is preventing me from moving forward in the checkpoints, I can shoot my mentor a message on Bloc and he always answers within hours.
Overall, I'm extremely happy with Bloc and have learned so much. I think I learned more in the first day at Bloc than I did in an entire year of college. I think that says a lot.
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Roxanne Verified via GitHubGreat experience so far
I’m about 1/3 into the course and am having a really good experience so far. I work full time and have odd hours sometimes and Bloc is able to accommodate my needs. The curriculum seems really good. I love that I’ll have a portfolio in the end. The job guarantee is awesome... it serves as a check on the program to provide good resources!
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Jo Verified via GitHub1.5 months and counting
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I'm just over 6 weeks into my Part time Web Developer course and thus far I'm enjoying it. My mentors and connects through Slack have been awesome in guiding and assisting me though some challenging code. This course is definitely stretching my brain muscle but I'm determined to push through and put in the time and focus so that I make the most of my time here. Since I'm not that far into the program yet I can't give a full review but I'm excited about what's in store in the coming weeks.
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Ildiko Toth Verified via LinkedIn
Apprenticeship Model - Love it
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Bloc is based on the mentor-mentee model where you work once to thrice a week with a mentor who is out there in the industry doing the exact things you are studying. This is the best thing about the program. Otherwise, I also like their projects and reading assignments which are all short and to the point. They also provide references to other sites with more information should you need help. The course is all online which could be a negative to some, but I find it liberating in terms of being able to plan my time as I want, finding mentors and other students to help out via their Slack community, as well as an awesome mentor who is able to help via messages outside of our meeting times. I haven't had job assistance yet from them but that will be later down the line, thus I can't comment on that aspect. In terms of curriculum, they are always updating it as technology progresses.
I had experience and education in designing and coding before jumping onboard, but even then, the amount of effort and time it takes to really hone in those skills and get better is not an easy task. Studying at Bloc requires a lot of self-motivation and drive, which they do tell you up-front. It is like be like being a full-time student and then some. Overall I highly recommend the program - the number of hours you spend on projects and working compares to a full year of study, and compared to college prices, it's a steal for what you get.
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Joel Tennant Verified via GitHubGreat Experience with Bloc
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Bloc is a great place to learn to code. If you put in the effort and time you can get a job in tech. Its not easy and it won’t work for complainers. Hopefully this review will help someone who is looking to join a bootcamp and get into tech. I am about 70% through the web developer track and already have a job as a software developer.
Being completely online, there is obviously a bit of flexibility in completing the course. Even though I am in the web developer, the software developer and web dev track are very similar. The only difference is where the web developer track ends, the software developer track goes on for quite a bit. The web developer, or WDT for short, can be done in 6 months or a year. I started doing the 6 month plan, but part way through I switched to the year plan. With the year plan, you get one meeting a week and only have half the weekly requirements. However, the best part is that there is no restriction on turning in work. You can work ahead as much as you and your mentor want.
Having a mentor is the biggest selling point. Most allow you to message throughout the week to a reasonable amount. Then you have your weekly meetings, 2 a week for the 6 month plan and 1 a week for the year plan. With that being said, there is a slack team that all students, regardless of track, are apart of. Mentors and other students are incredibly active on slack, making it a great place to get help or to help other students.
Coding in and of itself it tough. If you are new to programming, it won’t be easy to learn. Bootcamps kind of need to be treated like college courses. You need to be disciplined to get things done, study, and research.
Bloc’s materials are thorough and they are project oriented. Early on you build projects by following along course materials, very similar to following instructions in a textbook. But, the most fun comes out of the projects where there is no hand holding. This is the part that helps get you work. You build a portfolio of projects that you build from start to finish.
Overall, I highly recommend Bloc. If you have the dream and the drive, Bloc can help you get there.
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Steven Verified via GitHubMentorship + Curriculum = SUCCESS!
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I'm almost two months into the software developer track and have loved every second of it. Bloc's mentors and student advisors provide comfort and advice whenever needed and their curriculum is top notch. The most sought-after programming trends and technologies in today's software job market are covered or at least touched upon throughout Bloc's curriculum.
Every day on Bloc is another tough but rewarding step on my journey to become a software developer.
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Samuel B Verified via GitHubThe Best
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I am 3 months into the Web-Development Track with Bloc.
I considered many different 'bootcamp' courses and i'm so relieved i ended up with Bloc.1. The flexibility - i live in London, i teach part-time, i have a family. Bloc allows me to manage all this as a human-being, yes i have to commit hours each day but i can work these within my schedule and get it done from anywhere in the world!
2.The mentors - not only is my mentor highly skilled in coding, this would amount to nothing without the ability to break things down to me on my level and also help me to keep my energy and motivation levels up.
3.The curriculum - i am learning and absoribing great stuff each day.
Highly Recommended!! -
Erica Hernandez Verified via GitHubMentorship is invaluable.
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I am a current student in the Software Developer track. I think coming in with some knowledge of coding, even if it's very basic, like one Codecademy course, will make things easier. My mentor is extremely knowledgeable and he's quick to answer any questions I have. I went into the program thinking the mentor meetings were going to be annoying or awkward, but they're neither. They're incredibly informative and it's the best part about Bloc. I can't recommend this program enough to anyone that's very serious about making Software Development a career.
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Maria Verified via GitHubDesigner track
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Everyone will have a different experience, what you get out of the program strongly depends on what you put in and what your background is. For me, It had worked out as good as I was hoping for. I am over 40, a non-native speaker with a graphic design degree and 10+ years of print design experience. Adding desktop/mobile app design and coding knowledge to my skill set helped me to immediately nail a corporate contract-to-hire ux/ui position and doubled my salary from my last position as a senior graphic designer.
The design track curriculum is pretty good and constantly being updated based on student’s reviews and industry demands. Students get a lot of hands on experience and all the basics are well presented but diligent research in addition to all the provided materials helps understanding, since the curriculum can only cover so much. Significant time of the program is dedicated to working on projects and designing a portfolio. My mentor Chris Gillis was very knowledgable and supportive, I could not wish for a better mentor. Outside of the mentor sessions, there is a Slack group for all students to interact and experts in the field are fully dedicated to answer questions and help students “get unstuck”.
In conclusion, it is a great program and the more knowledge you have beforehand, the more successful you will be. To make things less overwhelming during the program, review intro courses to hml/css, javascript, github, basic design principles. It will not be easy but persistency is the key to overcoming obstacles. Things become easier and understandable if you give yourself the opportunity to reach this point in time.
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Ben Riegel Verified via GitHubreview of Bloc part-time web developer program
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I have finished five weeks of the 54-week part-time web developer track at Bloc, and so far it's been great. I'm learning a lot and enjoying what I'm doing. Here are some thoughts about the program so far. Things that I like about Bloc:
- The flexibility: I like that I have the choice of a faster (27wk) and slower pace (54wk). I chose the slower pace because it best fits my schedule. I also learn a lot better if the same material is spread over a longer amount of time.
- The fact that it's online: At first, I wasn't sure if this would be a good thing or bad thing, but so far, I haven't thought there's any downside. I like not having to commute to some classroom somewhere.
- The curriculum: so far, I trust that everything I'm learning is current and in demand in the industry. The assignments are challenging but doable. The oral assessments are a little stressful but are valuable because it helps you develop the skills necessary to do well in job interviews.
- The support, both from my mentor and the bloc community: Despite being on-line, you have a lot of resourses to help you get unstuck if necessary. Talking to my mentor every week is a great way to get inspired and motivated.
Thus far, I can't really think of anything that I don't like. I would definitely recommend Bloc to a friend. I'm really glad that I'm doing it.
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Alexis Verified via GitHubPart Time Web Developer - One Month In
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I started the Bloc program a little less than two months ago and it's rigorous and a little overwhelming and fantastic. I was worried because I'm not a great student, I usually get really excited within the first two weeks or so and then completely burn out by the end, usually doing the bare minimum until the last big assignment and then self-sabotaging at the very end. I told my mentor this in the first email and she's been really great at keeping me on track. Aside from that, even before I officially started the program, the welcome packet offered a lot of important information that helped me switch from a way too accelerated (for me) course to a more manageable one before it was too late.
One of the best things about Bloc is their transparency. They tell you from the start that this is going to be difficult, that you'll probably experience anger and hopelessness, and all kinds of not great emotions, but what makes the difference is that they don't leave you hanging. There's a full community of students, mentors, and directors ready to remind you that you can do this and give you little steps that make the impossible, possible. Bloc breaks down the gargantuan goal of becoming a web developer into manageable tasks and even on days where I'm beyond frustrated and want to give up (as I have many times in other post-secondary institutions), Bloc is the only program that I haven't given up on and actually cannot see myself leaving before I finish. It's an extraordinary program, especially if it's not reasonable to up and change your life for the possibility of something so different and new.
You get a lot for what you pay here and I love that everything is up to date. In high school, we learned that by the time you get to the second year of your computer science degree, most of the information you've learned is obsolete or outdated. I know with Bloc, I'm constantly learning about the best, from the best, and that I will be able to step out of this program confident and accomplished. Not only are the educational tools accessible and useful, the community through Slack offers up-to-date information on a daily basis. It's all the best parts of learning and I highly recommend this program.
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Ann Verified via GitHubIncredible Value
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I am in the second month of the PT web development program at Bloc and so far really loving it. They've curated quality content so that your learning is optimized, the checkpoints along the way are useful and challenging, and you have support every step of the way ehen you get stuck. I have never so far felt like I was lost - you always have a helping hand from your mentor or from other teachers via the slack chats. I feel super productive, and am excited to continue on this journey at a pace that I am comfortable with. Some weeks are easy, others are incredibly challenging - but the challenge is worth it.
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Pankhil Mistry Verified via LinkedIn
Designer Track, one month through
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Hey reader, here's some quick review of the course.
I started the Designer Track program on 10th July, 2017 with the 25-30 hrs & 2 mentor meetings a week (Moderate pace) schedule.
About to complete the first module ie. Design Foundations ( a bit behind on the pace since I was working full-time)
- Highly structured & curated content (more external resources can be added but then it can seem overwhelming to some, hence it's sufficient enough in the first module)
- My mentor does his job (mentoring, of course) so well that it makes the learning experience more fun and challenging (You get to choose your mentor prior to starting your course).
- The Bloc team is extremely helpful and cooperative in terms of payment procedure and adjusting your pace/ mentor sessions / any other difficulty you may face during the course.
- Bloc Slack channel is where the real fun and cross learning happens (you can get feedback of your assignments, projects, clear your doubts, discuss topics etc with your fellow classmates & other mentors) (although it can get overwhelming and slow your pace if you spend too much time on it, use it wisely).
- The curriculum is regularly updated (even in between your time through your course).
- It's AWESOME and better than other coding bootcamps (I read a lot of reviews of all online course providers and thoroughly evaluated and compared them; BLOC seemed legit).
Will post more reviews as and when it seems like posting one. Have a great day!
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Beth Cummings Verified via GitHubNearly finished, my time at Bloc
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I was at a party a few weeks ago and something really amazing happened. I got everyone’s least favorite opening question, “What do you do for a living?” and without thinking I said “I am a web developer.” I’d didn’t caveat it with “want to be” or tell them I was in school or give some long winded answer about changing careers. I simply told them what I was, I’m a web developer. And it was in that moment that I believed it for the first time.
I started my first week at Bloc with equal measure of hope and fear. It’s a big crazy unknown and I had the same three questions as everyone else does. Am I smart enough? Will it be too hard? Will Bloc accept my carefully cultivated selection of cat gifs in lieu of payment? (FYI: No, they won’t.) I quickly came to realize the best part of learning to be a developer in this day and age is that no matter what your problem is someone else has had it already. Google, Stackoverflow and Chrome Dev Tools became my new best friends. And like human best friends I cry on them and tell them all my problems and they give me advice (unlike human best friends they don’t take my side and tell me that I’m too good for Ruby anyway and it's her loss and feed me cookies). Of all the things I’ve learned from Bloc the most important is to be a better problem solver. How can I break down the problem? What can I do to isolate it? Test it? It is an absolute necessity to be able to critically evaluate the problem, though like most problems eating cookies really does help.
Take a penny, leave a penny. That’s how I feel about Slack. Since everyone starts at different times there is always someone ahead of you in the program and someone behind you. There is a beautiful symmetry in that. Both someone to ask for help when a checkpoint is tricky (I’m looking at you Bloc Chat!) and someone to offer a hand to. That is our responsibility as a community. It’s also a win win, it has also given me leagues of practice in parsing and debugging code that isn’t mine, an invaluable skill to have.
I was so excited to start my first projects and to make them my own, it made me realize really early on how passionate I am about crafting beautiful front ends. I’ve always been the teacher’s pet and am certainly no different as an adult. So I began digging into more front end principles like accessible design, responsiveness and playing with CSS preprocessors like Sass and LESS that aren’t covered in the curriculum. One of the many things I love about Bloc and my mentor, Caila Blanton, is the freedom and encouragement to explore interests that will only further my professional development and make me a more well rounded developer.
My capstone has been an amazing learning experience. It’s the first time the training wheels really come off and it’s all you, steering into a parked car (true story, I definitely did that as a kid). With all the freedom in the world I settled on the challenge of taking on a real client for the first time. A local boutique owner here in Chicago I’ve known for ages was in desperate need of a new site. The old one was outdated, bland and not nearly graphic enough to show off the 100+ artists that she carries. We worked together to design a site that served her needs, not just in a final product but in terms of maintainability. A real client comes with the added pressure of needing to get it right. This isn’t hypothetical anymore, a real person, a real business is now relying on you. I wanted to push myself so I decided on building a custom CMS with Ruby on Rails, postgres and AWS S3. Starting out I had more questions than answers, which was a great sign as far as I was concerned, that I would learn a lot. This was, after all, a chance to try as many new things as I could. The finished project is beyond my expectations, clean, modern and easy to use and navigate. And most importantly my client couldn’t be happier!
“Mommy, look! I am coding just like you!” my son sits on the floor next to me with a laptop he made out of cardboard, merrily tapping on the drawn on keys. I’m teaching him by example that intellectual curiosity never ends. And that no, I will not buy you a real laptop, you are five years old. There is a certainty we instill in children from such an early age that they can be anything they want to be. If you ask my son he is a coder, an engineer and a paleontologist (and sometimes a tiger). At some point that certainty in who and what we are goes away and the nagging feeling of imposter syndrome becomes real. But when I look back at all progress I’ve made since starting Bloc, the skills I’ve developed and the fully fleshed out projects I’ve created I know in that moment who and what I am. I’m a web developer and I’m ready for the next challenge.
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Cody Verified via LinkedIn
UX Designer
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I am two months into the Designer Track course at Bloc. I started Bloc on the 15 hours a week pace, but a month in I switched to 25-30 hours a week. I am currently working a full-time job while completing the Bloc course work.
I graduated with a BFA in illustration in 2015 and two of the reasons I chose Bloc to study UX Design was because the curriculum seemed robust, structured, and intense. To become good at anything requires a significant amount of time and dedication. Committing to a thousand hours at Bloc is a great start. The fact that it is remote is a huge plus for me because I need to work full-time. One of the downsides of an online course is it can lack a sense of community, however, the designer slack channel has been great to resolve that. A huge part of any creative discipline is getting feedback and iterating. The slack channel is always active and the feedback you receive from fellow students and other mentors is great. In addition, the mentor sessions (1-3 depending on pace) are extremely useful. My mentor, Chris Gillis, has over fifteen years of experience in the field and has provided me with great advice and feedback each session along with directing me towards great UX content to help me grow.
With all that said, I think a common perception of any bootcamp is it's seen as a quick way to get hired. My college instructors used to tell us that you can learn a discipline/field on your own if you truly put in the work. They saw a lot of students go into debt to get their masters degree simply because they needed structure. With Bloc, I think the curriculum and price is a fantastic middle ground between learning on your own and having a formal education.
As far as the job guarantee, I see it this way. If you dedicated yourself, supplemented your learning, networked, gave 100% the entire course, and still can't find a job after six months you get the $9,800 tuition back and you keep the knowledge and connections.
As I go through the course I'll update my review and give some real feedback on the job process.
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Aaron Stewart Verified via GitHubGood Curriculum, Good Mentor.
I'm a couple months into the software engineer program now, and it has been great. Even with as much information and technical jargon that there is. The Bloc curriculum has broken everything down very well, so it's easy to pick up all the basics, even while studying on your own. And my bloc Mentor is legit.
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Martin Soler Verified via LinkedIn
Excellent Virtual Training Program
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I highly recommend the Bloc virtual Rails Web Development program if you are interested in jumpstarting a career in web development. It was perfect for me, especially given that I live on a small island wherein access to high quality technical training programs are virtually unavailable. The curriculum was developed in such a way that each lesson builds upon the previous lesson, almost guaranteeing that each lesson's goals are attainable, provided you are willing to put in the effort. Along with the curriculum, one of the greatest strengths of the program is the mentorship. Take full advantage of the mentor that you've picked, and you can accelerate your learning. Just make sure that it's the right fit. Read the mentor reviews, that goes a long way. Hint, Brittany Martin!
It's a lot of work and requires a lot of discipline, things that every developer should have.
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Joe Pascale Verified via GitHubWorth it if you are dedicated
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I join Bloc in February 2017 & am at about the 1/3 mark of the longest track (Software Development). I would assume like any other school or bootcamp, there is some risk associated with attending if you don't fully commit yourself, make the time, apply the concepts, and read supplementary material that furthers your learning (software development requires CONSTANT referencing to Google/Stack Overflow/language docs, etc.).
I came in with 3 goals in mind: to make a change in my career (move from sales to something more tech-savvy), to further my knowledge of coding & engineering that made me more attractive to employers no matter what position I landed in, and also to start my own business some day and not have to rely on others to build my website, etc. With that said, my goals may be more ambiguous/flexible than most and I will probably still consider the program a success regardless of if I actually land a job as a developer, per se.
That leads me to what I've noticed from other students...the ones that have a great time and do very well are the ones that are flexible, understand that it takes a LOT of hard work to reach their goals, but also don't get disappointed if they don't see results immediately. If you ONLY want to be a well-paid developer right out of school, you might be disappointed in Bloc...but that means you will probably be disappointed in any bootcamp and/or 4yr school. It doesn't happen overnight, but I promise you will come out of this program with the skills necessary to be a developer some day soon. Full disclosure: I have also seen people who only get about 1/5 through the program and land a job as a developer, but I think there are a lot of variables in play to make that happen and it isn't common. But at the end of the day, if you had told me 6 months ago that I would know (reasonably well) HTML, CSS, Javascript, jQuery, AngularJS, Ruby, Rails, Rspec, Git, Bash, SQL, & many other concepts or languages, I would have told you that you are insane.
As far as the curriculum goes, the "checkpoint" modules do a lot to introduce and reinforce knowledge, while keeping you on track to finishing apps in a reasonable amount of time. A lot of bootcamp "haters" make it clear that there are a lot of free ways to learn out there, but there is no way I could have done it without somebody pointing me in the right direction like Bloc does. The early Javascript material leaves something to be desired at times, but is mostly ok & I've been told Bloc has updated a lot of the material as of late. The Ruby material is fantastic and at that point in the program, I started to hit my stride and learn at a much faster pace. I cannot speak for the later software engineering material yet, but I hear it is good.
I think Bloc's recommended "time commitments" per week are pretty aggressively stated bordering on unrealistic and if you did my track (software development) and aren't in a huge rush to graduate, I would highly recommend doing the slowest pace or the middle pace at most. The fastest pace is grueling and I would only recommend if you don't work at all and have a huge amount of free time.
Mentor meetings are where Bloc really shines. You meet 1-3 times/wk with mentors who specialize in whatever module you are currently in, and they walk you through processes to get you past your struggles. Most of them also do a great job of pointing you to other materials to read and identifying weaknesses in your code that will help you learn faster. I would definitely talk to other students about which mentors are most helpful for your style of learning, but in my experience Etan Berkowitz, Charlie Gaines, & Tim Barnes have been fantastic for me (Tim hasn't been my mentor, but has graciously taken time to help me many times).
Overall this has been a great program. There have definitely been times where I wanted to bash my head against the computer, but if you are patient, clear about your goals to both yourself and Bloc, document and explain questions that you have, and remain active in the Slack groups, I think the program is well worth the money.
Happy coding :)
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Marta Fieweger Verified via LinkedIn
Happy UX Designer
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I completed bloc wayyyyy back in 2015 before any of the recent (and substantial) curriculum changes. Even though I think the curriculum now is probably a lot more advanced and robust (as it's gone though several iterations - design, amirite?), it still pushed me to be successful in a lot of ways. Design is hard, and I'm by nature a both insecure and highly motivated person which makes for an odd combination. My mentor worked with me through my struggles, ups, downs, design blocks, etc., and ultimately propelled me toward landing a job in New York City about two months after I finished the 3 month full-time track. While I do not yet have my dream UX job, I''ve got my foot in the door in a fascinating and growing industry in a highly competitive city. It's up to me to grow and learn from here, but Bloc certainly put me at a good starting place. I only wish I had my mentor (Chris Courtney) to guide me through life at all times :)
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Gianpietro Lavado Verified via GitHubThe Rails Program changed my life!
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I decided for Bloc after trying the self-paced approach, and I have to say it was the key decision that transformed my coding from a hobby to a tool for building production-ready web applications and other kind of coding projects.
The content is of very high quality, it's constantly being updated and you get to access it even after the course is over. The approach has the right level of demand and resources needed to get you going.
In particular, I had a project I wanted to built, and spent a couple of years trying to launch it with a self-paced learning approach. Once I started with Bloc, I was able to build it from scratch, in parallel to the learning path and with my mentor's assistance, and finally launched it before my graduation. Since then, and with the confidence I gained, I have launched a number of other projects myself. So for me this was the tool for taking my ideas to real things.
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A. Byrd Verified via GitHubGreat Breadth of Learning
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The course work covers a great breadth of languages and libraries, including some of the most relevant to the field currently: JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, jQuery, Angular, and more. Part way through the program, I began to question the overall value of it, considering that much of the material is available online for free. But the fact is, without the structure of Bloc, I would have had no idea in what order to learn the endless amount of material out there, nor which topics are the most relevant to the field.
Bloc's curriculum updates regularly, which shows that they are keeping pace with the ever-changing industry. The great benefit of the online format (other than the obvious convenience of working from home) is the structured meetings with your personal mentor. Your mentor will help keep you accountable to do the work, as well as illuminating some of the more vague concepts and processes that don't come so easily by just reading material online.
The software engineering track lasts about 36 weeks, which gives time to cover a wide range of material. Ultimately, your portfolio, which by the end of the program will have at least 6-8 robust projects, is what will sell you as a potential employee. I still think the price is a bit high, but it is still comparable with most of the other bootcamps out there. I can recommend Bloc to the aspiring coder.