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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.
**Quick note about this review: I wrote quite a bit about myself. If you do not care for this and just want the points about Bloc feel free to skip down to the eighth paragraph (entitled Bloc Review) (Yikes, did I really write that much?).
#### Background
The reason I wrote so much about me is that while doing my own research I found that the most helpful reviews were the ones of this nature. If someone wrote, "Bloc is great. It fit my lifestyle" well that may be true.....
**Quick note about this review: I wrote quite a bit about myself. If you do not care for this and just want the points about Bloc feel free to skip down to the eighth paragraph (entitled Bloc Review) (Yikes, did I really write that much?).
#### Background
The reason I wrote so much about me is that while doing my own research I found that the most helpful reviews were the ones of this nature. If someone wrote, "Bloc is great. It fit my lifestyle" well that may be true... but I'm left with questions such as, "What is their lifestyle? Is it similar to my life situation? Are they working full-time? Part-time? Are they able to spend time away from the computer?" My hope in providing this context is to provide possible similarities and connection points that may help you decide which direction you wish to go. Making decisions like these can be stressful, I know, I just made mine recently! Just remember that it's never, ever too late to start something new or change directions once you do (Whew, that takes a lot of the pressure off, doesn't it?).
Currently I am enrolled in Bloc's Full Stack Web-Developer track (I believe it's now called the Part-Time Web Developer Track) and am about 1/3 of the way through the program. I'm having the time of my life.
I have always loved the idea of coding, but for various reasons never decided to give it my full attention. Very recently I took deeper look at it while taking an online classes and it sparked such an interest I decided to make a career switch and go for it.
Having gone through periods of attempting to learn C++ through Stanford lectures on YouTube and programming books, basic HTML via online tutorials, Codecademy for various languages, self-paced courses from Udemy for web development, and an online course for Python, I never found a path that _gave me direction_. I learned things from them, but it all felt very basic and narrow (hurray, I can make a very specific set of games using Python using a specific browser-based tool made to run Python code). I was never given any context as to where and when I could use these skills. Yes, I understand a large part of being a developer is honing the skill of being able to self-teach and come up with solutions, but everyone learns a little differently and personally I need to be given a little direction and context in order to build a solid foundation to be free upon. During my time going through the self-paced, online web dev course from Udemy, I learned many great skills through it, but I always had this nagging feeling of, "is this going to get me where I want to go?" This is when I looked into programming bootcamps.
I was extremely hesitant at first. I talked to many, many people and read many, many sources and articles about the pros and cons of bootcamp versus traditional college. I'm 24 and graduated with a BA in Psychology (Why not computer science? Because... well, I don't know. Life changes.) not too long ago and recently paid off my loans, so the idea of going back for another X amount of years and acquiring more debt wasn't too appealing. Also it meant potentially moving and probably classroom/commute time, so it was either that or finding something solely internet-based. For this reason I wanted the bootcamp to be the better of the two options (though in my head I still felt like college is the "official" way to go). After more discussions with various individuals and hiring managers it sounded like the majority of companies are more concerned with what you can do than how many years you've been to school for (save for a few exceptions regarding higher positions and specializes roles). Sweet. Bootcamp is a go.
Now... Which one? Well, that was actually a really easy decision. Not only was Bloc mentioned to me by a friend, but after comparison it seemed like a no-brainer (for my situation). The other bootcamps were extremely expensive, required in-person classes, which meant moving to extremely expensive places regarding housing- this is separate from the tuition cost (Bloc is very affordable, by the way), and were for many, many, many hours per week; this meant that I wouldn't be able to work and that my brain would be overloaded. I know what a "bootcamp" is and I know there is value in being able to persevere through it. However, I know myself and my beliefs. I know that I would get burnt out being in a classroom staring at a computer for 70 hours a week. I know that I often solidify information in my head and things start to click when I take breaks. For my own happiness and sanity I believe in balance for all things. Yes, I'm positive I could have succeeded doing an insane amount of hours per week, but why do that when I can work part-time to keep a steady flow of income, have a day or two here and there to still visit with friends and relax over dinner, and still be on my way to becoming a web developer? Bloc makes this possible? How? Well, I'm glad you asked. Let me tell you!
#### Bloc Review
Bloc is truly phenomenal in that it provides everything I wanted, had been looking for, and need. I like being shown exactly what I need to do: They have a set curriculum you go through that takes you step-by-step through what you need to know and do for building web applications. However, I also learn better by struggling through it myself: Each checkpoint has an assignment that you work through on your own and builds off of what you learned. It doesn't stop at just the lessons though. They teach you the necessary and usable resources. Whereas my Python class taught me Python and only that (what if I wanted to use a different GUI than the simple one they provided? Too bad. So sad. Go search for that other GUI on your own that you don't even know the name of.), Bloc integrates Git/GitHub for version control, Heroku for deployment of your projects and websites, various Ruby/Rails gems, and so much more while simultaneously mentioning and encouraging you to find your own resources to use; to be creative. What if the curriculum doesn't go over it? Ask your mentor!
Yes, you get a mentor. You even get to choose who you want (don't worry, you can switch if it's not working out)! As so many people have said this is invaluable. What does having a mentor do? Well, for me having a mentor means accountability! Some days I'm on fire and others... I just want to watch Netflix all day. Knowing I have a meeting with my mentor, personally, keeps me motivated and on-track out of respect for not wanting to waste his time. I'm also relieved at the idea of having someone extremely experienced (Bloc has a high standard for their mentors) looking over my code _and_ practices. Someone who is working in the field and knows what is and is not expected. It's also a great opportunity to ask questions that you may have from your checkpoint or assignment and dive deeper into a particular area. Also, they're just fun. I really enjoy my meetings with Matt.
Bloc is online and at your own pace. Ten hours a week? Forty hours a week? Yes. It's whatever you choose and whatever works for you. This is perfect for me. I'm currently at 25-30 hours a week. It means that, as I said earlier, I am able to balance having a part-time job, being out and away from the computer for a bit, and also continue on my path to becoming a web developer. I get the best of all worlds. Also did I mention that it's _entirely_ online? Which means, save for meetings with your mentor (which you can work out a time that works best for both of you), you can do it wherever, whenever. I've had days where my focus has been completely shot and I completed nothing I should have, and still others where I didn't move for the entire day because I was on a roll. This also makes it easy to fit your life. Bloc accounts for life. They allow you to "freeze" your program for a while if you have a family emergency, are sick, or just need a vacation. This extends your estimated finish date without shorting you any meetings with your mentor or putting you behind. They also let you change paces if you decide you want to put on more hours or take on fewer. Even if you do pick a pace, you're free to rush ahead as well. It's up to you.
Direction and career services. As I mentioned earlier one of my biggest struggles with typical online courses or other resources was the isolated learning. I had no path and no direction with them. Once I completed whatever I was going through I only felt slightly accomplished as the knowledge I had slowly died out due to inuse. Bloc has career services (even a tuition guarantee if you take the Software Engineer Track- which you can 'upgrade' to if you're already in the Web Dev track, which I really appreciate) that help you out after you're done. I can't speak too much to this as I'm currently in the program and have not yet taken full advantage of it, but I plan to! They have extensive resources that include teaching you how to build your resume and portfolio, how to present them once you have them, what to expect in interviews, and so much more. They also are constantly hosting webinars and other talks about web development, careers, and again -so much more- that they welcome you to attend.
It's for everyone. Another of my concerns was if I would succeed with what I had, which was very little programming knowledge. I felt very intimidated and outmatched by going into a bootcamp. Spoiler alert; you'll be just fine. I'm roughly three months into the program and have learned far more than I could have ever thought possible in such short amount of time! Regardless of your background, given that you are attentive to your work, you will succeed.
#### Conclusion and My Experience
My time at Bloc has been absolutely incredible. It has been challenging, fun, rewarding, and I have not regretted my decision in the least to go with the program and track that I chose. My goal of being a web developer and having a programming job as a career has seemed much more obtainable and realistic since joining Bloc and looking back I can see the progress I have made in such a short amount of time. The other students have been extremely encouraging and going through this with the Bloc community has truly made my experience great.
Okay. That's quite a bit. If you stuck with me; congratulations, I'm impressed and thanks for reading! I hope it helped you. If not, well, I don't blame you! It's a lot to read. I know there's quite a about Bloc that I missed and resources that I didn't expound upon (like their awesome Slack community- super awesome and helpful, full of students going through the same track as you. Heck, we may even cross paths if you join!), but as you've already discovered for yourself the Bloc employees and advisors themselves are invaluable! They are extremely pleasant to talk with and love answering your questions. My student advisor, Andy, was incredible and always replied to my emails and questions within mere hours, helping me make my decision and informing me of helpful tools and resources.
Bloc provides so many options, opportunities, and (yes, this word yet again) resources, both for those considering their program and those currently enrolled; use them all!
This program has many positive aspects to it, but there are some realities that I wish I knew before signing up.
Pros: I am very excited with my portfolio. The effort that you put into work, definitely reflects the final outcome of your portfolio. When I addressed my concerns and frustrations, the program coordinators were very accomodating extending my schedule. The curriculum is constantly being updated and is accessible for students after they are finished with the program....
This program has many positive aspects to it, but there are some realities that I wish I knew before signing up.
Pros: I am very excited with my portfolio. The effort that you put into work, definitely reflects the final outcome of your portfolio. When I addressed my concerns and frustrations, the program coordinators were very accomodating extending my schedule. The curriculum is constantly being updated and is accessible for students after they are finished with the program.
Cons: I went through many different mentors and grading team members and the quality varies. Some are excellent and very professional - others had much less to offer in terms of experience and suggestions. Since the program is online, it seems that the coordination is not in sync between the grading team, the mentor, and the slack coaches - so it feels very disjointed and confusing at times. The checkpoints are often set-up in a way where you need to finish one before moving on to the next one. The grading team is supposed to give feedback within 48 hours, but many times for me this extended up to 4-5 days! This was frustrating for me to keep the momentum going, especially since the grading team usually asks for at least 2-3 revisions. I am a good student and always tried my best, so I found this scenario to be extremely frustrating. With a goal of 3 checkpoints per week (while working and studying), this situation was not maintainable when I was waiting so long for feedback.
Final thoughts: I know the program has grown big quickly and it feels to be increasingly disconnected (especially with recent changes). I was feelling lost in a series of checkpoint revisions between mentors, grading team, and coaches, who would say conflicting things then leave me lost until the next meeting or checkpoint revision feedback. I didn't feel like they were fully there and available for me, but rather waiting for the time to be up. Even the slack coaches who were supposed to be available immediately, usually had a whole queue of other students to help and half the time responded with things like "i'm about to clock out! will forward to next coach." - and very often I just left the question.
These are just some things that I wish I knew going into the program because I could have better prepared myself for the experience. I am certainly surprised by all the solid 5 star reviews - and I do recall being asked to leave feedback about 1 week into the program before I had the full experience of it - so take the other reviews with a grain of salt! I suggest researching deeply into the various programs before choosing, so you make sure that you join a bootcamp with the cirriculum and support system that you can thrive in.
I'm surprised to see that there are so many straight-up positive reviews of Bloc. I'm a graduate of the Designer program, I can say they got some things right and some things still need work. I'll start with the not-so-great. The curriculum around front end dev felt piecemeal and choppy. I had to slow down a lot during those sections to seek out other resources because their lessons were confusing. The self-paced program made it easy to get more time to slow down when I needed to.
...I'm surprised to see that there are so many straight-up positive reviews of Bloc. I'm a graduate of the Designer program, I can say they got some things right and some things still need work. I'll start with the not-so-great. The curriculum around front end dev felt piecemeal and choppy. I had to slow down a lot during those sections to seek out other resources because their lessons were confusing. The self-paced program made it easy to get more time to slow down when I needed to.
I had different 5 mentors in the 14 months it took me to complete the program. Some gave constructive criticism but others just patted me on the head and said "good job". That was frustrating at points, however, it was very easy to change mentors when I wasn't satisfied, and I recommend changing if you're not getting what you want out of your mentor sessions.
I'm the kind of person who likes to collaborate, so I felt pretty lonely in my work for most of the time I was in Bloc. I recommend engaging as much as possible with the social channels on Slack and going to events/meetups early on to connect with other designers.
I appreciated how much emphasis there was on career prep and how much support I got in my job search. Job searching is the worst kind of boring work you'll ever have to do and it takes a lot of energy to stay motivated. My career coach was very supportive and helped me get to the point where I felt confident sending out my portfolio, resume, LinkedIn profile, etc.
I supplemented a lot of the curriculum with my own reading list. Bloc, for example, might just say "make a user survey", but not address how to approach it or what makes a good survey question. There are plenty of books and articles on the subject, so I would suggest building in some time for non-required reading and research.
UX is an emerging field that is changing all the time and Bloc is making an effort to remain flexible and change with it. I appreciate that they are really good about asking for feedback and constantly making changes to improve the program.
Overall, I would say this program is challenging and you have to bring a lot of intention, motivation, and curiosity to be successful. You will probably be frustrated with it at some points, but the people are great and it's a good value for the price point.
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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