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Bloc is now Thinkful
As of 2/4/21, Bloc is now Thinkful; the curriculum and community will not change.
If you graduated from Bloc prior to Feb 4, 2021, please leave your review for Bloc. Otherwise, please leave your review for Thinkful.
To view updated and accurate information, please visit the Thinkful Course Report page.
Bloc is an online coding bootcamp that incorporates 1-on-1 mentorship to prepare each student for a career as a professional software engineer or UX/UI designer. Bloc's apprenticeship approach is tailored specifically to each student's learning needs. In the Web Developer Bootcamp, the curriculum is centered around frontend JavaScript and students can choose whether to learn Ruby on Rails or server-side JavaScript with Node. Bloc’s project-based curriculum is written by expert curriculum developers and vetted by their advisory board comprised of hiring managers. Students work with mentors 1-on-1 to clarify concepts, pair program, and build a portfolio of sites that will demonstrate job readiness as a professional software engineer. Not everyone can quit their job or move to a new city for a bootcamp, so Bloc has designed a comprehensive bootcamp with this in mind. Students can enroll full-time, or complete the program at a part-time pace. Bloc also offers 80 hours per week of real-time access to an experienced developer to answer any questions students may have.
No prior development experience is required to enroll in Bloc, but a strong desire to learn and take on challenges will be important in each student's success! Bloc has a 100% acceptance rate, but is looking for students who are driven, hard-working, and ready to learn.
Career readiness is important to Bloc- their flagship Track programs include job preparation material and career prep workshops. Mentors will help students put together a portfolio and prepare technical interview questions. When ready, students work with the Career Support team to navigate the job search process with an individualized game plan and exposure to Bloc's Employer Network.
Hello There!
I'm currently a student with Bloc and finishing up the last leg of my assignment/apprenticeship with the UX Design program and I must say that it has been quite a ride.
The amount of support you get in the program is on point - the slack channel is a large community on a global scale all pushing each other to finish, the technical coaches are almost always a key stroke away from getting you "unstuck" from a problem, the recorded and live class sessions are...
Hello There!
I'm currently a student with Bloc and finishing up the last leg of my assignment/apprenticeship with the UX Design program and I must say that it has been quite a ride.
The amount of support you get in the program is on point - the slack channel is a large community on a global scale all pushing each other to finish, the technical coaches are almost always a key stroke away from getting you "unstuck" from a problem, the recorded and live class sessions are an extremely helpful resource, the student success team constantly check on your progress to ensure you are getting the best out of the program, and the mentors you meet have years of experience behind them to help you unlock your potential into a career you will break into at the conclusion of the program.
When I was researching a program to enroll with, I came across a TON of them online, but ended up narrowing down my options to two:
1. Bloc
2. Thinkful
And at the end of it all, Thinkful ended up acquiring Bloc, so that in itself speaks great volumes as to what Bloc has been achieving alongside the reputation it has built throughout the years since its inception. I'm glad I chose Bloc!
I have enjoyed my experience with Bloc so far! I am a little over 5 months into my program in the Web developer track. It has been VERY challenging (they aren't kidding when they say it is hard!) but very rewarding and I have enjoyed learning a new skill. I haven't began applying for jobs but am eager to start that soon. The career team has been fantastic in prepping me for this, as they have helped me review my resume, conducted mock interviews, etc.
My favorite aspect of the p...
I have enjoyed my experience with Bloc so far! I am a little over 5 months into my program in the Web developer track. It has been VERY challenging (they aren't kidding when they say it is hard!) but very rewarding and I have enjoyed learning a new skill. I haven't began applying for jobs but am eager to start that soon. The career team has been fantastic in prepping me for this, as they have helped me review my resume, conducted mock interviews, etc.
My favorite aspect of the program has been that they have pushed me to network. I didn't think an online school would be able to do that, but they REALLY pushed my bounderies which was able to connect me with a great coding support group as well as make other great industry connections. Additionally, there is always tech support available as well as mentors, who have been great to work with as well.
I am excited for next steps and look forward to the job application process soon!
This was a great investment! This gave me an edge with my existing skillset and was such a great value when compared to other bootcamps. I had great help from the student success team and my mentor. This was a perfect fit because I was able to keep my job and work on it part-time and work as fast as I wanted.
Definitely worth it!!
I have so enjoyed my experience at Bloc. They really put their money where their mouth is and support people who don't usually find a place in this male-dominated industry. My mentors have helped me find my niche and allowed me to tailor the program to best suit my needs. The program is mastery-based, so you don't simply get pushed and passed through. Very impressed and glad I went with this option.
My background is in knitwear design. After a few years of learning to code as a side hobby I decided that programming is something that I really enjoy and want to delve deeper into. I spent a couple years working through Code Acadamy, Skillcrush, Udemy, and LinkedIn courses. I was comfortable writing HTML, CSS, and creating static websites. I decided to make a career change and knew that I would need a mentor moving forward.
I contacted Bloc, explained that I would like t...
My background is in knitwear design. After a few years of learning to code as a side hobby I decided that programming is something that I really enjoy and want to delve deeper into. I spent a couple years working through Code Acadamy, Skillcrush, Udemy, and LinkedIn courses. I was comfortable writing HTML, CSS, and creating static websites. I decided to make a career change and knew that I would need a mentor moving forward.
I contacted Bloc, explained that I would like to pursue frontend development and that I had an idea that I would like to develop. I was guided towards the Design track and ensured that the Design Track offered enough frontend skills to qualify me as a frontend developer while teaching me the design skills I would need to bring my idea to life.
I registered and cleared my calendar so that I could be fully invested in my learning. I was extremely dedicated and excited and saw the program through until the end.
Mentorship:
The experience with my mentor was great. We had weekly meetings where he answered questions, shared resources, and gave me feedback on my designs. I definitely picked up a few design skills and have gained a sharper eye for design.
Bloc:
The student dashboard is misleading. There are three modules to work through 1.Design Fundamentals, 2.Design Foundations, 3.Frontend Foundations. After you complete the modules there are 7 projects that are shown as disabled. As you complete each step of a project it is highlighted and checked. The final student portfolio counting as 1 of the 7 projects. The reality is that I only completed 3 projects (one being my portfolio). This was not because I fell behind, I was ahead of time throughout the course. There just simply is not time to complete the projects that are shown in the dashboard. I never did have time to even start my Capstone project (the initial reason for signing up for Bloc).
Curriculum:
My biggest take away after completing the Design Track is the Design Process. Bloc has taught me how to breakdown the steps of the design process for any project as well as how to present the problem and solution that my design is solving. The resource links for each lesson were often outdated and linked to non-proprietary content. I managed to develop my portfolio by taking Udemy courses and using the time with my mentor to answer questions.
Develpment:
The actual frontend development portion of the Design Track was a complete waste of time. To pass this section students are required to build a Bloc Jams music app. It was extremely difficult to learn as most of the code is given to you to copy and paste and you lose context as to how and why things are working. If students were instead reqired to use one of their own designs and write the code to get their own design functioning, so much could be gained from this portion of the course. sadly, that was not the case.
Structure:
There was a lot of change taking place during my time with Bloc. The way that students communicate and post questions was changed midway through the course causing a lot of confusion and students posting questions in the wrong place. We started the design program learning Sketch and midway through the program switched to Figma.
Career Support:
The career support team is very on point. They were quick to follow up and always available to share tips and resources. The problem is that I simply do not have the job skills necessary for frontend development. Bloc has since been aquired by Thinkful. A Thinkful representative reached out to me to address my concerns. I was given a $10 Amazon gift card and offered 4 sessions with a Bloc dev mentor.
After speaking with the dev mentor and sharing my goals I have been instructed to go and learn Vue.js and get back in touch. So I am once again taking Udemy courses trying to learn the frontend foundations that I need for an entry level job.
During my sign off meeting with Bloc I was told that my portfolio is alright - not great- but alright.
My honest review of my experience with Bloc:
Meh, it's alright - Not great - just alright.
Definitely not worth the time I invested or the $9k+ pricetag. Not even close.
My experience so far with Bloc has been fantastic. I am coming from a background in Mechanical engineering and robotics, so I was really hoping that the curriculum would go in depth about concepts and not just scratch the surface. It did this incredibly well. Between having access to a very qualified mentor, an beautifuly designed curriculum, and excellent resources for whatever you need, Bloc sets you up to become a junior developer as quickly as possible.
I would absolutely re...
My experience so far with Bloc has been fantastic. I am coming from a background in Mechanical engineering and robotics, so I was really hoping that the curriculum would go in depth about concepts and not just scratch the surface. It did this incredibly well. Between having access to a very qualified mentor, an beautifuly designed curriculum, and excellent resources for whatever you need, Bloc sets you up to become a junior developer as quickly as possible.
I would absolutely recommend them to anyone who is interested in learning the skills to become a software developer.
After taking off the training wheels after codecademy I was eager to jump into more challenging courses for web development. Most of the other on-prem bootcamps ask for upwards of 12k for 10-12 weeks of dev school. Bloc was a great alternative. It cost less than 5k (it cost me like 2.7k because of a scholarship they had available at the time).
The weekly pairing sessions and office hours are invaluable when coding by faith. Starting off with a big project that runs the gamu...
After taking off the training wheels after codecademy I was eager to jump into more challenging courses for web development. Most of the other on-prem bootcamps ask for upwards of 12k for 10-12 weeks of dev school. Bloc was a great alternative. It cost less than 5k (it cost me like 2.7k because of a scholarship they had available at the time).
The weekly pairing sessions and office hours are invaluable when coding by faith. Starting off with a big project that runs the gamut off rails apps was another plus.
One of my drawbacks was that there was not a lot of emphasis on JS. One lesson was devoted to it when truthfully JS is one of the most important aspects of modern day web dev. So maybe there should be an onus to have students learn more of it by the time the second project rolls around?
All in all, there are only so many things you can fit into 12 weeks and they all rival each other in terms of importance. It was a great launhing pad but the most important thing is in the desire of the student.
I have been at Bloc for a year and have waited to write a review but I am at my wits end. Since my first day, I had a mentor who was a former Bloc student. They gave me very little support and always cancelled our meetings. Looking back they really offerend any "mentoring" and was not qualified in my opinion to be a mentor yet. Luckily now I have a great mentor but honestly he is the only positive part of my Bloc expierence. The hours they say it takes to complete are not feasable. I work ...
I have been at Bloc for a year and have waited to write a review but I am at my wits end. Since my first day, I had a mentor who was a former Bloc student. They gave me very little support and always cancelled our meetings. Looking back they really offerend any "mentoring" and was not qualified in my opinion to be a mentor yet. Luckily now I have a great mentor but honestly he is the only positive part of my Bloc expierence. The hours they say it takes to complete are not feasable. I work full time and it takes hours to finish projects, not to mention the revisions. Hey I totally get that things need revisions but its not realistic to say 1 project takes 4 hours! try more 10-15 hours realistically from start to finish. Now the grading....we are being timed to complete the program. Again, some of us have full time jobs and they are suppose to take 48 hours to grade. Well it actually takes 4-5 days...and you have to wait to continue to the next project depending on the material. I have also asked for someone to call me from the support team multiple times and yet nobody has.....luckily I have UX designers who are friends & they have taught me more than Bloc. Do not waste your money. I regret it in hindsight. I am sure there are better programs out there with more supportive staff.
Emily Pfister of Bloc
Student Success Counselor
Jan 11, 2019
I was enrolled in their Software Developer Track for 3.5 months, and I completed the entire frontend programming portion, including the projects. My experience was the the actual course material that bloc was providing was hardly professional or thorough. Each "checkpoint" consists of a small section of information, which covers maybe 10% of what you need to know. Additionally, they link you to external resources that are all free (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/). All of the actu...
I was enrolled in their Software Developer Track for 3.5 months, and I completed the entire frontend programming portion, including the projects. My experience was the the actual course material that bloc was providing was hardly professional or thorough. Each "checkpoint" consists of a small section of information, which covers maybe 10% of what you need to know. Additionally, they link you to external resources that are all free (https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/). All of the actual "educational" material that bloc provides are also just links to Code School, which you can do for free on your own. The entire 1st module uses Code School's material: https://www.codeschool.com/learn/html-css
As for my mentor, they were really cool and eager to help me, but I honestly felt like I didn't need them.
Additionally, bloc's student advisors/student success team is extremely disorganized and unhelpful. It actually took 3 weeks for them to respond to one of my emails.
Megan of Bloc
Community Growth Associate
Nov 06, 2017
Employed in-field | 75.0% |
Full-time employee | 52.5% |
Full-time apprenticeship, internship or contract position | 22.5% |
Short-term contract, part-time, or freelance | 0.0% |
Started a new company or venture after graduation | 0.0% |
Not seeking in-field employment | 0.0% |
Employed out-of-field | 0.0% |
Continuing to higher education | 0.0% |
Not seeking a job for health, family, or personal reasons | 0.0% |
Still seeking job in-field | 25.0% |
Could not contact | 0.0% |
How much does Bloc cost?
Bloc costs around $9,600. On the lower end, some Bloc courses like Web Developer Track cost $8,500.
What courses does Bloc teach?
Bloc offers courses like Design Track, Web Developer Track.
Where does Bloc have campuses?
Bloc teaches students Online in a remote classroom.
Is Bloc worth it?
The data says yes! In 2019, Bloc reported a 0% graduation rate, a median salary of $62,400, and 75% of Bloc alumni are employed. The data says yes! In 2016, Bloc reported a 41% graduation rate, a median salary of $65,411, and 80% of Bloc alumni are employed.
Is Bloc legit?
We let alumni answer that question. 477 Bloc alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Bloc and rate their overall experience a 4.61 out of 5.
Does Bloc offer scholarships or accept the GI Bill?
Right now, it doesn't look like Bloc offers scholarships or accepts the GI Bill. We're always adding to the list of schools that do offer Exclusive Course Report Scholarships and a list of the bootcamps that accept the GI Bill.
Can I read Bloc reviews?
You can read 477 reviews of Bloc on Course Report! Bloc alumni, students, and applicants have reviewed Bloc and rate their overall experience a 4.61 out of 5.
Is Bloc accredited?
While bootcamps must be approved to operate, accreditation is relatively rare. Bloc doesn't yet share information about their accreditation status.
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