Bloc Reviews
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Isaac P Verified via LinkedIn
Great for Remote and Part Time
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I live and work full time in a very remote location (rural Alaska) so I had some very specific criteria when selecting a bootcamp. I was looking for something remote and part time. Bloc handily met both criteria. The program is entirely online so it can be done from anywhere, and I am able to complete the curriculum at a part-time pace. The timeframe can be quite long (mine is two years for the Software Developer Track) so I can do a little bit of work while not at my full time job and still learn a ton of new information. On the other hand, the work is independent enough that I can work ahead at a faster pace when I am able, which I love.
The curriculum is a mix of outside-created online tutorials and projects crafted by Bloc. The one minor drawback is that during the projects, which are the heart of the program, one is expected to do quite a bit of independent learning, but this is fine with me for two reasons. For one, the project-based approach simply works for learning new skills; and for the other, there is a mentor to guide you through the process.
I love learning new skills independently online, but this approach often leaves me frustrated by the lack of human touch and interaction within the process. Sometimes it's nice to talk through the things one is learning. Bloc provides the best of both worlds by allowing students to go through the bootcamp remotely, but having a mentor to work with. The presence of a mentor was the number one reason I chose Bloc from among the online boot camps, and I am not disappointed. I enjoy working with my mentor and had a difficult time choosing from among the many qualified candidates.
I can't speak to the final quality of the job assistance because I am not quite to that phase of the program, but the job prep I have done so far has been insightful and seems to be preparing me well. Overall, I would recommend Bloc to anyone who is able to accept the price tag of an online bootcamp and who is willing to put in the independent work.
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Drew Verified via LinkedIn
Experience and Familiarity with Coding? Choose Bloc.
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If you're looking for an online learning experience for coding, you should definitely consider the Bloc approach. But, before you even click accept, make sure you have done your homework and worked through as many free/cheap tutorials as possible.
Your time in the course is a WAVE of information. You'll be in a much better place psychologically and economically if you understand the basic concepts of what you are about to get into. Plus, if you work one-on-one with a mentor (pretty sweet) you're not wasting his/her time by having to walk you through a ton of basics.
Learning to code is a challenge. Don't make the decision lightly about who helps elevate you closer to a level of mastery. Stay cool and remember that if you do choose Bloc, you always have somebody at your back.
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Jared T Verified via GitHubBloc star
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Before selecting Bloc I reviewed several programs and their respective preview courses. I found that every online boot camp had one thing that they excelled at. But these boot camps also seemed to focus so vehemently on that one thing, that other areas of the program suffered. That is not to say that these other programs were bad, but for me, they didn't strike a good balance of affordability, support, education, and potential results.
My biggest reason for choosing Bloc was the overall balance of their program. Everything is executed well with a great blend of all the elements that were important to me. Not only that, but the frequency of one on one meetings with my mentor is awesome. I could write substantially more about how great this program is, but let’s face it, you don’t want to read a five page review, and I’ve still got a ton of code to write; this code’s not gonna’ ship itself (totally stole that line from my mentor). Do yourself a solid: If you're serious about a code school, check out Bloc, you'll be happy you did.-- This post was written while enrolled in the program, although I have seen great support from their job assitance team already, I chose to give a score of "N/A" as I have had little need to use all the support they provide.
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Jose Torres Verified via LinkedIn
Bloc was my turning point.
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I can seriously say that Bloc helped me get out of a job and gain a career. After going to college for two years wasting money on courses I was never going to use in real life situations. I decided to seek a better alternative. I researched boot camps and landed on Bloc's site. Being able to learn from home and having a mentor with years of experience in the real world of UX/UI Design, was awesome. My mentor was always available for any concerns or help I needed. Creating work that I could actually put on my resume was the key in getting my foot in the door and being considered for job opportunities, above other graduates with just a degree to show. My mentor helped me understand that companies and recruiters want to see actual work that you've done that will speak for itself about what you're knowledge of UX/UI Design is. Natalie Hatter was my Bloc Mentor and I recommend not on her as a mentor but also Bloc as the perfect fit for those looking to gain not just a job but a career. After I finished Bloc I immediately had interviews. 3 months later got my first job at Unikey Technologies where I learned a lot before moving onto a more stable role at FanHero where I just celebrated my 1year anniversary. Hope my review/testimony will help those needing guidance on their decision to join Bloc and become a Bloc alumni.
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Tara Briggs Verified via LinkedIn
Bloc is a great bootcamp!
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As a 54 year old female with a computer science degree programming in Cobol, I was ready to learn new skills and learn about web development. I thought the Bloc online program was perfect for me as I am self-motivated and have good time management skills. The program was perfect. I have almost completed the program and would highly recommend it to anyone interested in web developement. Not only did I learn front-end and back-end programming, Bloc also helped me with career development. I learned how to network, how best ro apply to jobs and was given guidance with my resume and cover letter. I had a terrific mentor who helped me along the way. My success in the program is directly linked to my mentor.
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JN Verified via LinkedIn
Satisfied student
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I completed Bloc's UX/UI Design Course. I took roughly 9 months while still working fulltime, and had weekly calls with a mentor. I feel my mentor was more a guide to keep me on track and not feel alone while doing this online program than someone who helped me level up with my skillset, but you don't get to have everything in life and what I did get from the program I am beyond satisfied with.
My four star rating is because I struggled with learning HTML, CSS, github stuff alone on my couch, and found the online bootcamp with once per week 30 min calls with a mentor format impossible for my learning style when you don't have the words to be able to describe the problems you're having to get help.
Through what I learned at Bloc, networking with Bloc grads, networking like it was my job in my hometown going to 2-3 meetups most weeks for 5 months, and capitalizing on my soft skills, professional strengths, and experience in digital marketing and communications from previous jobs, I now work as a UX Architect at my dream company and couldn't like what I do or the organization I spend all my time at more. My success is due to leveraging past work experiences, committing myself to learning everything I could with Bloc, networking hustle, and good timing.
I found the people at Bloc I interacted with genuinely interested in answering my questions, helping me, and in my being successful after the program. Like most things in life, what you get out of it depends on what you put into it. I was able to change careers and am happy where I am at. For that I am thankful I invested in Bloc and in myself.
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Liz Verified via GitHubHad high expectations
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When I first decided to enroll at Bloc in 2015, there were a few things that convinced me to do so. Some of them were:
- Flexibility (online and could chose a slower pace)
- Course content
- Price
However, sometime during the course, I felt a bit of bait-and-switch. When I enrolled, my course was called Full Stack Web Development Apprenticeship, and I was led to believe that I would learn both backend and frontend. And that by the end of the course I would receive assistance with my job search. I think at some point, there was some rebranding done at Bloc, and they changed things around. My course became the Rails Web Development course, now showcased as one of those courses you might take to learn new skills, not necessarily to switch careers.
But let's leave that aside for now. The curriculum was actually pretty wide, and I genuinely learned a lot about Rails. There was quite a bit of handholding at first, but I genuinely felt that I learned by doing. My first mentor was fantastic, but at some point he was moved to a different position, and I had to change my mentor. My second one was still helpful, but lacked a bit in mentorship.
Once the course was done, I started applying to multiple jobs and apprenticeships. I quickly realized that I was very unprepared for the real world, and then I realized there was no way I could land a job after just taking this course. I reached out to Bloc, and I have to give credit where credit is due. Prachi from Bloc called me and she listened to what I had to say. They extended my course a few weeks to meet a few more times with my mentor. Courtland also did a couple mock interviews with me, and I think he realized that I had many weak spots. He also sent me a book for free to help me out with algorithms.
At the end, I landed the best job I ever had, but it is not in web dev and it has nothing to do with taking Bloc's course. All I can say that the stars sort of lined up for me, and all in all, I'm glad I took a year off to study because it led me to where I'm at now.
Alex of Bloc
Product Marketing Manager
Jul 10, 2017
Hi Liz,
I'm Alex, Bloc's product marketing manager. Thank you so much for your review! We rely on data, both quantitative and qualitative, to improve the student experience, so whenever we receive feedback like this we are sure to discuss it as a team and incorporate it into the following program improvements.
While I'm disappointed to read you didn't have the best experience at Bloc, I can certainly understand why. Back in 2015, we did not have all the information we do today around how to best update programs to minimize disruption to our students. However, since then, we've updated our release process to ensure any new improvements we make to the curriculum are made within the same program so all students benefit from it (as opposed to launching a new program, as you experienced).
Finally, I'm so glad to know you're in a job you love. If you are still interested in pursuing a career in development, our Career Services team is always happy to help alumni in their search. Please feel free to reach out to our team at career-services [at] bloc [dot] io anytime for career help or to give us any additional feedback you have!
Thank you again,
Alex -
Tim Schmidt Verified via LinkedIn
I Highly Recommend Bloc
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After months of researching coding bootcamps, I chose Bloc for the 1 to 1 mentorship, commitment to job placement, and because it’s remote (I knew I would move to a new city during the program). I'm 3 weeks away from completing the Part Time Web Developer Track and I can say that I'm very happy with my experience at Bloc.
Mentors: I meet with a mentor twice a week for about 30 minutes. I have had 3 different mentors and each one has taught me a lot about programming and what it's like to work as a developer. Because of the curriculum and my mentors, I have learned more in 6 months than I have over the last 4 years of trying to learn on my own.Curriculum: Bloc's curriculum starts by holding your hand and showing you how to make a working thing from thin air. It's very exciting to publish the first project. As time goes one, the curriculum gives you some guidance but it's up to you to solve the problems. I was very impressed with the curriculum.
Job Placement: Because of Bloc’s tuition reimbursement guarantee, I knew they had a vested interested in me getting a role as a developer. I just started applying for jobs so I can’t comment on receiving a developer role but, because of the career preparation sprinkled throughout the entire program, I feel prepared to apply and interview. More importantly, I feel confident that I can actively and passively look for developer jobs throughout my career.
Time Commitment: Bloc suggests to dedicate 12-20 hrs per week. In order to dedicate 20 hours a week and keep my current job, I cut down on many social engagements. I was okay doing this but it is something to think about before enrolling in any bootcamp.
Portfolio and Projects: By the end of the program, I’ll have a rockin’ personal website and 9 projects to show off my skills in HTML, CSS, JavaScript, jQuery, AngularJS, Firebase, a couple other minor libraries, Ruby on Rails, and a whole lot of Ruby gems.
Remote Bootcamp: Working with a remote mentor was great. We shared screens, communicated face to face, and took control of each other’s mouse when necessary. Bloc does encourage you to attend meetups and conferences in person to network and learn from others in person.
Because of Bloc, I have learned more about programming than any other method I tried on my own and I feel prepared to search for developer roles. I recommend enrolling in Bloc’s Part Time Developer Track to anyone who wants to learn how to program and work as a developer in a relatively short period.
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Stewart McCoy Verified via GitHubFinally learned JavaScript and a framework to build apps
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I had been trying to learn JavaScript since 2009 before I enrolled in Bloc in 2015. I attemped to learn from books, blogs, both written and video tutorials, and pairing with professional engineers, but all lead to a steep learning curve with no measurable results. I had learned Rails during 10 weeks of project-based pairing in 2013, so I was looking for a similar experience to learn JavaScript (and Angular.js), and found exactly what I needed with Bloc. The program exceeded my expectations, and I still use all the skills I learned during that program in my job today as a product designer and front-end developer. I don't code full-time, but I regularly review PRs to our various code bases, can understand technical tradeoffs during implementation discussions, can debug code on my own, and can even branch features and make my own small contributions for UI updates. Upon finishing Bloc, I even had a full-time job offer as an Angular developer, although in the end I decided I didn't want to switch from Design to Engineering. That said, I would have never had the choice if it wasn't for Bloc.
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Thanya Moolmuang Verified via LinkedIn
Part-time Web Developer Track
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I have just completed the part-time Web Developer track at Bloc. Overall I really love the curriculum. It has moved at the perfect pace for me. Not too fast and not too slow. It has covered a great deal of AngularJS and Ruby on Rails. Mentors are friendly, knowledgeable, and resourceful. I worked with Kevin Lee on my front-end curriculum. And I worked with Alex Spencer for my back-end projects. Highly recommend both of them.
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Sergio G. Verified via GitHubExactly what I was looking for
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My company had a need for a custom application that would tie directly to our existing Accounting software. We researched using outside developers and determined that it would be less expensive and faster for me to learn the technologies required than it would be to teach the outside developers the intricacies of our industry. Being able to work with my Mentor to develop my application as part of my capstone requirement for my course meant that I had a seasoned developer helping me develop the app my company required while I learned the languages cutting down the overall time of development even more. All in all I was able to develop a working application and learn new skills with this course. Couldn't have worked out better for me.
I also took the Android developers course and used this course to develop a mobile version of our custom application.
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Shane W. Verified via LinkedIn
One of the Best Decisions I've Made
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I started the Designer Track Apprenticeship back in January. It has been an incredible journey so far and I would recommend anyone interested in an online design program give Bloc serious consideration. Choosing to join a bootcamp program should not be taken lightly and I encourage anyone who is thinking about doing so really weigh their options carefully to make sure A) This is something they are serious about pursuing and B) Whatever option they pick best suits their needs. It may be Bloc, it may be something else do right by yourself all I can say is that I have had a fantastic experience thus far.
To try and keep this brief by highlighting two of key examples as to why I am so impressed with Bloc:
1. Mentorship/Support-My mentor is NOT 24/7. BUT my mentor has been invaluable in walking me through every stage of the program and when I couldn't reach him for an immediate answer on something I've been able get questions answered and feedback via the program director, other mentors and fellow students in the Slack/FB Community.
When I was getting crushed by the demands of the 9-month pace (They say it is 25-hours a week of work but it was closer to 40 for me) and my current job or when I had a medical issue that I thought was going to force me to drop out the Student Success team went above and beyond in accommodating me. Bloc is a thriving and supportive community beyond being a program.
Heck, when I was considering between Bloc and another program I reached out to a Bloc alum on my own and she was so giving and so positive and candid about her experience that it really sealed the deal.2. Bloc is a Work in Progress- The curriculum has changed noticeably since I started back in January. There've been additions, and some major changes in the order of sections. There is one section that is being updated just because the tools changed a month or so ago. So things are constantly shifting and I appreciate that to no end. The team at Bloc is constantly assessing feedback from current students and alums and making changes and adjustments. So no, the program is not perfect. The curriculum is not perfect. But it is constantly evolving and improving and we are a major part in that.
TL;DR - Do your due diligence on if the field is right for you. Spend the time researching all your options and find the right one for you. If you decide on Bloc, know it is challenging but know that you are supported by a great staff and community who will go out of their way for you.
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Brandon Welsh Verified via GitHubSo Far So Good
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Bloc has a great course for web development, and i have really learned alot since joining the program. I went in already knowing c++ which made the course even easier to learn, but i think their teaching method is great. They have you do projects while teaching you the materal, so that you know how to implement and try out the information taught which makes it stick to my brain. They also provide many refrence material for eveything new they teach so that i can look up and learn more about what is being taught if i choose to have a better understanding on the material. Bloc also provides a mentor to help with any problems and qustions needing answers. All in all, i have no problems at Bloc, and staying on track isnt all that difficult. I can't wait for more to come.
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Erin Leck Verified via GitHubSo far, so good!
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I am in my second month of the part time Software Developer Track program (20-25 hrs/week).
At this pace, I meet with a mentor twice a week for about 1/2 hour via Screenhero (an app where you can make phone calls and also share your screen with the person you are connected with).
So far I am very happy with the Bloc Curriculum. They split up the program into Modules. Throughout each module there are quizzes to test your knowledge, and at the end of each module you have to pass an assessment (which is like a mock interview via google video chat) to make sure you have a good enough understanding of the content to move onto the next module.
The first module is basically online tutorials to learn the very basic concepts of HTML, CSS, Javascript, Git, and GitHub (great for someone like me who had close to zero experience with coding!) It is understandable why they would have you go through these tutorials on your own to learn the very basics. You still meet with your mentor during this time, take quizzes, and take the assessment at the end.
I have a great mentor that is consistent and helpful. The mentor piece of Bloc's curriculum is a huge part of why I feel like I am learning so well. If I am stuck, he helps me by guiding me with questions to help me solve a problem, and doesn't just give me the answer.
Your mentor has a good understanding of Bloc's curriculum, how it all works, etc. So they are a great help to getting everything set up, and beyond that, knowing how you are doing. They should have a good idea of your strengths and weaknesses and get you prepared for your assessments so you can feel confident going into them.
Overall I am very happy with Bloc! It is a big time commitment, so make sure you actually have the time and motivation to work on it for the time you need to, sometimes more.
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Rachel Page Verified via LinkedIn
Learning so much already!
I started the Designer track pretty recently. I already feel like I have acquired more useful skills in these past few months than I did throughout my whole experience in college. My mentor is really helpful and motivating. The staff is very responsive and friendly. Highly recommended for creative types who want to get into the tech industry without having to do back-end work.
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Casey B. Verified via LinkedIn
Could have been a lot better
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My previous full-time job was completely unrelated to programming. I had a few hobbies that surrounded computers (gaming, computer building) and I had spent some previous time with self study using free online resources and taking a couple community college CS courses. I had tried teaching myself C++ as a young teen and quickly realized how difficult that was, thus abandoning my early CS career. My current job was very stressful with long hours and no appreciation and little to show for it. So I can to the conclusion something had to be done and decided to look back at something that had interested me enough to attempt self learning with C++.
The Course:
I spent 12 months in the Full Stack Web Developer course. The material was broad and deep. Their curriculum spans a huge range of topics and they push you in their projects to dig deeper. They help you develop a foundation and ensure you cover the basics, but very soon you will move past that as you attempt to put together real projects. It is in those projects where most of the learning takes place. Problem solving, debugging, and just trying stuff out. These projects were great in that they were advanced enough to showcase to potential employers and to push you to learn new things, but not so advanced that it was too challenging to complete in the necessary time frame. Most of the resources were developed in house and would only sometimes refer to outside resources for their course content.To really excel in this course, you must have great discipline and self motivation. It is an online bootcamp with only occasional meetings with a mentor to push you along. You must come with the desire to move forward and persevere or you will not make it a success. I felt that I was pretty close to where I needed to be to land a job after completion. I only required a little bit longer in the job prep area to hone my interview skills and touch up on topics I was lacking.
Mentors:
The course was broken into two sections, front end and back end. I had a different mentor for each section. For the back end section I had a ruby expert that had spent a large portion of his career in ruby and was very proficient. When it came to being a mentor however, I felt that I was spending too much money for the valuing I was receiving. He did not come to meetings with anything prepared and relied on me asking questions. This was not a good thing as I did not know what I did not know and was relying on him to help guide me along, which is one of the biggest advantages of having a mentor. He would also be unable to answer some questions where I wanted to do something in Rails that was, I guess, uncommon. I felt that it was a little weird for him to not have any idea about SQL for example. I did end up complaining about him after that section finished and Bloc offered me attention time in the course as a form of compensation. This was not sufficient but it was at least something.For the second portion of the course, front end, I was matched with a more design oriented mentor. She was very much the opposite of my first mentor and probably the best mentor I’ve had. She came to all meetings with her own agenda before getting to any questions I had. I learned a great deal from her and she was always available to assist with questions or general advice. She was much younger and less experienced than my previous mentors, but she seemed to care more and be more in touch with the general industry. Her advice was much more meaningful in my eventual job search and employment than my previous mentors. She was also very involved, or at least had the knowledge, of how Bloc was structured and was able to keep me in tuned to the course and how the projects were designed to be approached. This helped ensure I was on topic and learning the things I should to make myself the most employable I could. Having the right mentor for you is key for these types of programs.
Job assistance:
Bloc heavily advertises their career assistance before you join, however, overall I felt this to be lacking at the time of taking the course. I will say that they were in the process of changing a few things as I finished so I did not get the full benefit, though the items that were advertised at the beginning were still lacking. My assistance amounted to a couple technical mock interviews. While super helpful, I did not receive much more than this. I was anticipating a portfolio review, Linkedin review, other online presence reviews, and other tangible guidance. They did have written course guidance on the steps to prepping yourself for the job hunt, but that was all solo work with no overview from a trained professional as was advertised. This was a huge disappointment. Also, there was no follow up after I finished my mentor sessions. They did not check on me, offer me any help, or even respond with the promised T-shirt after I completed their exit survey. It was almost like, ‘OK, you’re done, c-ya’. This was absolutely terrible customer service as this is now the last thing I remember from them.Overall:
This course was decent. It is very expensive and the content is pretty good. I would say that if you get a great mentor and connect with them, then it could be worth the cost, however, if you do not or even just get a mediocre mentor, it is completely not worth it. I would recommend taking freecodecamp and if you feel you need a mentor, there is a website that offer paid time with a professional where you can get that mentor-ship help, but only as you need it and save a huge amount of money. As described above, my lasting impressions of Bloc are sub-par in consideration of the cost and promises, with the except of my second mentor. -
Chris Jones Verified via GitHubBloc On!
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I am now a couple of months in to my Part-Time Web Developer Track and it is incredible how much I have already learned. The way the course is structured makes it very easy to learn the basics and then implement what you have learnt as you move through each section. As you progress they take what you have already learnt and expand that knowledge with great tutorials and coding examples. The mentors I have been allocated have been fantastic and such a great help when you inevitably find yourself struggling with some of the checkpoints. They have always been able to guide me in the right direction and give great further explanation of any topics I am having issues with.
Overall I am very pleased with the progress I have made and am looking forward to learning so much more as the course continues. I highly recommend you considering Bloc if you are thinking of learning any aspects of coding. -
Amy D. Verified via LinkedIn
Top UX Design Course
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I did a lot of research before choosing BLOC, and can say with certainty (3 months in) that I made the right decision. The content is approachable, yet challenging. I’m refreshing my existing knowledge base as a lapsed designer, and I’m learning entirely new concepts and applications. The ability to go at my own pace really works for me, and the course has fit into my work/life balance very well. The curriculum includes a heavy dose of career preparedness work, something I frankly never received as an undergraduate or graduate student, and quite a value unto itself. Meet-ups organized by fellow students have been enabled connections, while mentors and fellow students (not to mention the CTO/Cofounder) are a constant helpful and informative presence on Slack, which functions as the school’s virtual campus.
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Sarah Sanders Verified via GitHubReal world expertise
Bloc has been a fantastic experience so far. I find the content very thorough and challenging with ample, friendly support. The flexibility is fantastic for mybusy lifestyle while I am trying to switch careers.
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Heather Jackson Verified via GitHubEffective and Supportive
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I have been with Bloc as a UX Design and Development student for a few months now. The coursework is in-depth and pretty easy to follow. My only slightly lame experience was with the student advisors lack of communication, but that was only at the very beginning of the process of starting school. My mentor has been an amazing support system, and a source of real-world knowledge. My meetings with him always provide nuggets of wisdom and extra information that is invaluable to my learning process at that time and for the future. I was nervous about doing an online bootcamp since it means very little contact and feedback from others. But between my mentor, the Slack channel for other students, the Facebook group, and local meetups for Bloc students I have felt like my work can be effectively critiqued and I get plenty of participants for the assigments that require user feedback. The head of the design program even comments on the Slack channel everyday. It's pretty great how involved the school is in your learning process. And becuase I got a scholarship, my program will cost me a fraction of what the other mentor based programs I was looking at would have, which was a huge factor for me. I am really happy I chose Bloc.
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Courtney Verified via GitHubGreat experience so far!
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I'm about a quarter of the way through my part-time web dev program with Bloc. It's been awesome! I'm a massage therapist with no prior background in coding, so it's definitely been challenging me to use my brain in new ways - but the pacing and flexibility of the program along with the personal support from my mentor has helped me to feel confident in my ability to learn the material at every step along the way. My favorite aspect of the program has got to be the personal mentorship - my mentor is GREAT at helping me to understand difficult concepts and giving me pointers when I get stuck. Bloc does a really good job of presenting the material in a straightforward way, and the pacing of the program feels pretty spot on to me.
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David C. Verified via GitHubBloc Software Developer Track
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I am currently 9 weeks in and almost done with the second module.
The Bloc Software Developer Track so far has done not only what I had expected but more so. It encourages you to do research on your own as well as side learning which helps you in the long run to solve ideas on your own. Not to mention it allows learning within Bloc much more easy because you're used to researching what you don't know.
It has its own methods of teaching as well as outside teaching. It has a great way to start with fundamentals, going to hands-on, and you doing it mostly on your own.
Each checkpoint and assignment you do; allows you to get a review of it. I think this is great because it means they are always looking for ways to improve.
Bloc seems to be able to keep it entertaining because I have yet to get bored, I feel confident in what I am learning so it keeps me hungry to do more.
In addition to the curriculum, you get a mentor. Now, you may not always need the mentor for the coding but your mentor will be an invaluable tool through out your learning journey. My mentor has told me much more about how life will be during your job as well as hiring and even looking for a job. Keeps me confident in what I'm doing and motivated to learn more.
As your doing the checkpoints and assignments, if you happen to get stuck, the mentors will always do their best to reply to you in a timely fashion to get you un-stuck. It usually doesn't take long and you can use that time to either keep on trying different ideas and researching or using that time to learn up from other websites.
In conclusion, in my search for a coding bootcamp (as well as trying some such as coursera), I decided upon Bloc and have not been disappointed. I have done other certificate courses such as for personal training through NASM but have never been so sure of myself as I am now doing Bloc. Great opportunity.
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Robert Verified via GitHubBest Software Developer Program
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At this point, I have completed the first two modules of the Software Developer Program, which consisted mainly of Front-end material. So far I have been extremely pleased with the content, the program, and especially my mentor. This is not my first experience with front-end material so how the material was delivered to aid in my learning experience was extremely important to me. Before Bloc, I tried to learn on my own, as well as took some basic classes provided from other sites. Unfortunately, I was not satisfied with my progress or the content and felt that I would not be prepared to not only look for a job, but to be successful in the field. Bloc has completely changed that for me in the few months that I have been in the program. I now feel that I am being prepared to be able to successfully find a job and be successful in that job, once I complete the program. If I could have had this experience a few years ago, I believe that I would already by in the profession. However, the Software Developer Program is a newer program that is offered by Bloc, so I am lucky to get that kind of experience that will increase my skills for the job market. Also, I have felt that Bloc actually cares about my progress, that I am not on my own, and provides skilled mentors that also care about my progress. This program is not like others that I have looked into or taken, it is truly an apprenticeship and I completely have the confidence that the program will prepare me to enter the world of software engineering. If you are looking for a program, more than a just bootcamp (that just crams all the information in a short time), then I completely recommend Bloc.
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J M Verified via GitHubBloc ROCKS!
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I am about 8 weeks into the Software Engineering Track and I have nothing but good things to say about Bloc. I have a technical background with 5+ yrs experience in System Administration and I have also tried other bootcamp style courses (Udacity, Coursera, Udemy, Safari Learning Paths, etc.).
I can say without hesitation that Bloc blows them out of the water. The curriculum is effective and challenging but also extremely well thought out so as not to overwhelm students. Building on that foundation is a fantastic mentor experience which is what really sets this program apart.
If you are thinking about a career change (or starting a career) in software development, consider Bloc. It is worth every penny!
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Ted Bell Verified via GitHubHaving a great time with Bloc
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I have thoroughly enjoyed my time at Bloc so far. I am about nine weeks in and it has taught me more about Web Development than I knew in my three years of trying to learn it by myself. My mentor has helped me understand abstract concepts that had always eluded me. Their curriculum is done is such a way that keeps you challenged but is always broken down so it’s easy to understand. Bloc is the best decision I have ever made since deciding to learn how to develop.
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Allison Philips Verified via GitHubOn my way to a new career
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After a successful career in print production, I decided to completely change my track and become a Full Stack Web Developer. I spent weeks researching different boot camps and made the decision to enrollin BLOC. I'm really happy with my decision, the curriculum is very thorough and makes you work. Like anyone learning something new, I have had some struggles, but my mentor Tessa is amazing and helping me through any of the tough spots. I am halfway through and now working on some really cool projects that will build a great portfolio. I'm confident that when I am finished with the course, and with Bloc's help with career planning and interviewing I'll have an amazing new career. If you're dedicated, and willing to put in the time and effort, you will be successful at Bloc!
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Destinee V
UX/UI Program
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I joined the bloc.io UI/UX path in 2020. Personally, I would not recommend this specific program. I would highly suggest you try your best to learn on your own if you can. Spoiler Alert: I did NOT complete the program. During my time in the program, they apparently were making a lot of changes and updates due to recent feedback. Apparently I got stuck in a block that had to deal with all of the errors that eventually (hopefully) were getting addressed in the next group. I feel like I was duped out of my money, and I had a really bad first experience with a bootcamp.
- The mentor aspect: My mentor was very nice and knowledgeable in UX/UI. However, in the program you do have a good chunk of coding involved (which I was very interested in). Unfortunately, my mentor did not know ANY coding and could not help me at all anytime I was stuck (which was a lot). It is an accelerated program so you have a limited amount of time to work on each module before you end up behind. At that time, they only had people helping with problems on their slack channel and most of the time the people were overwhelmed with questions and it would take a very long time, and back and forth in a comment thread, to get any real significant help. It would have completely changed things for me if I had a mentor that was proficient in coding. This factor alone sent me way behind (and was very frustrating). My Mentor had tried to pass me along to a coding mentor just for the coding modules, but they would not let her. She said this was an issue they were all dealing with, as with UX/UI in the real world they don't do a lot of coding so it was a problem a lot of other mentors had. Most did not know enough code to help a student get through a problem. My Mentor told me later that Bloc was addressing those concerns and in the following cohort the next year, they were going to change things so that during the coding modules, the students can have a mentor proficient in coding, and then go back to their normal mentor in the UX/UI modules. I would have absolutely LOVED to have that option. But since I signed up the year prior, I was basically cheated out of that option.
- The grading was very all over the place. If you submitted an assignment, you would have several different graders giving feedback and approving, or denying the passing of an assignment. On one hand, it was nice to get feedback from different people, but it became very frustrating to be get feedback from one, correct the feedback, but then be graded by another on the re-submit, and then that grader had a different idea on what was missing/needed to be done. It was all very relative to the graders preference on design aesthetic.
- I mentioned above, the questions we had were address on slack, and it was very disorganized because of the back and forth you would have on a comment thread. They would have different shifts, so if you caught someone on a shift change, you would have to re explain to the new person all of the issues you were having (despite the comment thread still being available to view). Another great thing for future cohorts, but no good for me, is that towards the end of the program they changed this so that you can ask the questions directly from the website in the exact module you were having issues with. I really loved this, but honestly, it came too late.
Another downside, is that I had an advisor that I would message on slack about my concerns/deadlines. During that time, she apparently quit, which is why I was never getting a response. Someone eventually reached out to me weeks later, and rectified that issue so I was happy how they handled that.
All in all, I am still paying back on a skillsfund loan, on a program I never completed. I take responsibility for my actions, however, I would be lying if I said I wish I had waited a year so that I can actually benefit from these changes. I feel really let down that I was part of the experimental phase.
If Bloc/Thinkful gave me another chance to complete the program with all of the new updates, I totally would (since I have already paid them). I doubt that would happen.
I can't say if any of these changes have actually been implemented yet, but this is what my mentors told me when I was exiting the program.
Hope this helps anyone :) -
Brittany Heng
UX/UI Design Track
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I took the UX/UI Design program offered by Bloc (Thinkful) and had an amazing experience learning the skills I needed to transition into the field of UX Design. I previously earned my Bachelor's in Psychology and realized I wanted to pursue a career with a more creative outlet. I learned all the skills needed in order to become a successful UX Designer as well as had projects I could showcase on my online portfolio! -
Shokoh Hashemizad
UX/UI Design Track
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The program was very rich and well planned out. I specially enjoyed the links to extra resources for further information. I was able to create an awesome portfolio with the assignments I completed throughout the program. I received so many compliments from recruiters and hiring managers regarding the case studies in my portfolio. I had an amazing mentor who was available and flexible to answer my questions and help out with my course work and assignments. The only comment I have to improve the program is to increase the 30 min weekly mentor meetings to an hour, especially towards the end of the program as students work on their portfolios and their projects. The best part of all, I accepted a job offer 2 weeks after graduation. Thank you Thinkful/Bloc team!! -
Eni
Ui designer
Bloc was a great experience. I came In with not understanding of ui/ux & left with all the tools i needed To enter the design scene ! -
Adam L
Would recommend to anybody.
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My experience with Bloc's Web Developer Track was outstanding. The curriculum focused on learning HTML, CSS, JavaScript, React, Node, Express, and more.
On top of that, the support is what I believe really makes this program shine. From day one I was assigned a mentor that I had weekly meetings with. If needed I could reach out to my mentor between our weekly meetings as well. Mentor meetings were one on one and the discussion was always led by me and what I wanted to discuss. In addition to my mentor, there is also a chat service that I could access directly from the curriculum. If I was confused about a certain area I could open a chat session and receive assistance immediately. There were also workshops throughout the week where I could meet with an instructor as well as other students to get help.
Mock interviews throughout the course was another reason I picked this program. I feel that seeing how interviews involving technical questions and live coding challenges was vital. The more practice the better.
I've just graduated and am now receiving assistance from a career coach to find employment with my new skills. I would recommend this program to anybody. -
Recently Withdrawn
Buyer Beware!
In my opinion, this program is an absolute scam. I withdrew after 2 1/2 weeks. Their curriculum is terrible, and there is absolutely no student support. There are free, or nearly free, resources available that are 100 times better for helping one learn to become a developer. -
Erin
Designer Track
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My overall experience at Bloc was good! I really enjoyed my mentor and thought she was super helpful as I navigated through the course. The only complaint I had throughout my time was the grading system. I often got inconsistent feedback from the graders in my projects. But again, my mentor was a great help in figuring out which pieces of feedback I should take, and which were not necessarily accurate. I thought the curriculum was easy to understand and keep up with. I also enjoyed that assessments are mock interviews meant to prepare you for the job world. I have not started my job search yet but I imagine that is going to be very helpful as I start interviewing. -
Reese A.
Overall a Solid Option
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Bottom line: I picked Bloc because I needed a flexible program that I could do on my own time that didn’t require ALL of my time. This ended up being a great option for me. The program pushed me to learn a lot more than I would have if I were just learning things on my own using free or cheaper resources, and the support is great. They have chat-based technical coaches who are available most of the day in mainland US timezones, they have video-based Q&A sessions scheduled at various times just about every day of the week, and you’re assigned an industry veteran mentor, possibly an academic success manager, and a career coach upon graduation.
A few words on the curriculum: So, yes, the vast majority of the curriculum is text-based, not video lectures or in-browser IDEs. You will need to read documentation as part of the assignments and also when you are trying to figure things out on your own. Keep in mind that once you graduate, you will also need to read documentation to learn new things, either in a work setting or trying to complete side projects on your own. In my opinion, the Bloc/Thinkful bootcamps are helping you by keeping the curriculum simple.
A couple of tips:
Tip #1: Learn beforehand if you want to get the most value for your money. You can go into the program knowing pretty much nothing beforehand, but you will face a much steeper learning curve and it will take you longer to understand the material. There are a ton of free resources out there that you can start with, even if you are absolutely certain that you want to do a coding bootcamp. Committing 10-15 hours a week for 3+ months to study will likely be an immense help to you during the program because 1. You’ll have seen a lot more things and the material won’t feel so unfamiliar and 2. You’ll already have the discipline to sit down and learn. Also, if you end up finishing earlier than they expect, you’ll get money back/pay less tuition. Again, totally optional, but I wish someone had given me this advice 18 months ago.
Tip #2: Make a plan for finishing, and a contingency plan in case you don’t finish on time. They offer a pacing plan so you know where you should be in the curriculum in order to graduate on time, but I don’t think it takes the extra pause time that you’re given into account. Make goals for yourself, and try to get ahead on the early assignments, before things start getting difficult. If you get 1-2 months behind and don’t finish by the end date (which is fine, you’re not stupid for taking longer to learn, I promise), what’s the plan? Can you afford to pay for an extension or two? One way or the other, be realistic going into the program, and I think that will greatly increase your chances of being successful.
Overall, I’m happy I picked Bloc and while it got tough and there were times I totally wanted to quit or I wondered why I didn’t pick a different program, I’m so glad that I didn’t. -
Pierce Hicks
Full Stack Development
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Great platform but the material is too dated to be chosen as a bootcamp in 2020. Bloc was bought by Thinkful and you should just apply there. Thinkful has more name cache and more up to date material. During my time at Bloc in 2019, I ran into numerous issues where there was outdated code particularly in the " WDT Server-Side JS with Node.js " section but also old-school ways of using React. This is slightly cheaper than most online courses but it's not worth it. The instructors are knowledgeable and the help staff is active but 40% of the time the issue involved outdated course content, particularly in the final sections. Also, there were more than a few times where they were short staffed and getting cleared to the next section took days and the success team email was silent. This bootcamp would be worth it if all they did was update the course material. -
Ailsa
Web developer track led to a six-figure salary job
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I came into this course with experience in software engineering already and, through this course, was primarily aiming to flesh out my front-end development skills, having done very little of this in the past. What I found was an amazingly structured curriculum with a focus on best practices and industry standards, great testing methods and lots of support, both during and after the course. I was also surprised by how approachable it was, both for people with prior coding experience, and those without it. I completed the track in about 3.5 months and ended up with a six-figure front-end software engineering job at my dream company about 5 weeks after graduating! What's more, I got in touch with this company directly through Bloc/Thinkful's careers team who gave us our initial introduction. I can whole-heartedly say that I would not have landed this job had it not been for the amazing careers team and all of their hard work, as well as everything the course taught me. The curriculum's in-depth review of many different relevant topics and technologies, as well as the continuous mock interviews, had me well prepared and well equipped for my job search after graduation. Before signing up with Bloc, I did a lot of research into schools (including Flatiron and General Assembly) and have zero regrets about my decision. Bloc/Thinkful is a top-notch school with a fantastic curriculum and I could not recommend this course more highly for anyone, regardless of coding experience. -
Sunny
Bloc Graduate!
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I just graduated from the Bloc Web Developer Track and must say I really loved it! I really feel like I learned and a lot and I had lots of encouraging people along the way. The program has mini-interviews to take that test your knowledge and the people who interview them are very helpful and knowledgeable about the material. I got very lucky and had an awesome mentor named Tom who was really encouraging along the way. He was also very smart and knowledgeable and he was the master at debugging! He was also very patient and spent extra time as needed at times. I do have some background on programming and must say if you have no experience this will be challenging. I do recommend perhaps taking other side lessons to enhance what you are learning if you have no experience at all. Also, the curriculum does contain a lot of reading which sometimes does get boring at times, but if you are more of the reading type and follow along and pay attention to detail (good developer qualities) you should do fine in this program. I really feel the curriculum does have a lot of best practices and does provide better techniques than searching for solutions on Google or stack overflow. The backend stuff was towards the end of the program and I felt was more rushed but great to learn! There were office hours that are great for troubleshooting or just asking questions when the material gets tough but sometimes they were crowded and it was hard to get some time in. I found my mentor to be the best source of help so if you feel you do not have a good one, I would perhaps ask to change mentors. They created a new chat system towards the end of my time there and I think it's a great idea if it works well, I cannot say because I, unfortunately, did not get a chance to use it before graduating. They already have a slack group which is great and has many peers that follow and help. There are a few career/job finding tasks along the way, and you develop your portfolio on the way (which is great!). After finishing all the coursework, and graduating you meet with career services. I am waiting to take the next step with career services so will see how that goes. So far, it seems the response is a bit slower than at the beginning of the program. From my experience, they would respond immediately at the beginning, sometimes within a few hours or the next day, but towards the end, it has been 2 or 3 days, but that could also be because they are getting a bit busier due to the pandemic. Overall I learned a lot from this program and loved the experience, would highly recommend if you are the type that wants to learn new skills, hardworking, detail-oriented, and are looking for some encouragement! -
Caleigh McLaughlin
Designer Track
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I had a great overall experience with Bloc. I completed the Designer Track from. May 2019- February 2020. I loved the structure of the curriculum - first learn about something, then practice doing it. The practice reinforced concepts and having checkpoints graded without pressure to get it right the first time made it easier to take risks. My only complaint would be that toward the end of my time it seemed like Bloc was under-staffed and sometimes grading took a while. I also underestimated how long the course would take me - it took me 9 months working at it full time and I thought it would take half that. Don't get me wrong, I loved that it was self-paced. My mentor was extremely helpful and empowered me to improve my design skills throughout the course. After graduation, my career coach gave me the confidence to embrace going into the working world as a junior designer. I am proud to say that I got a job after four months of looking (and COVID probably lengthened this). Just 13 months after starting Bloc, I officially became a UX Designer! -
Stephanie LeBlond
Web Developer Track - Remote Learning
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- I learned industry best practices and practical software development standards during an intense 8 month program while juggling my full-time job
- I created and deployed mobile-first applications while learning new languages and frameworks
- The program helped me evolve my career to a senior program manager dream job that leverages my prior work experience as a digital marketer and the full stack foundation I acquired
- This is a very, very challenging program that requires tenacity but the outcome is incredibly rewarding. The Bloc team is passionate about student success and provides a robust range of resources to support students beyond the online curriculum: this includes a dedicated mentor, online technical support, numerous live Q&A session options with instructors, meticulous assignment grading and feedback and highly effective career coaching
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Katy
Designer track- A Big Success
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I just finished my 8 month experience on the designer track at Bloc. I took this course while being a full time teacher and I had a wonderful experience. The best thing about this course for me was that I really could make it work with my schedule. I currently have a job as a designer and my process through the Bloc program prepared me very well for it. Past reviews may mention issues with the grading team not getting feedback to you early enough which I could tell Bloc worked hard to address as it was not an issue for me. The technical coaching was also always very prompt in helping me and my mentors were awesome, kind, and really wanted me to succeed. Every person is different in what they need from a bootcamp but as a person who needs to be ablet o juggle a career and courses, this is a great choice.