Bloom Institute of Technology

I am 45, 46. About a year ago, I lost my job. I had a mountain of debt, I hated my career track, I had no retirement savings, etc. And I wasn't sure where to turn.    I knew I liked computers and believed that I could get a career going in computers if I could only get the right chance.    I got on unemployment. They had a program to train for CompTIA A+ certification. My friends with previous work in the IT industry said I would get bored with that though. And I wouldn't make as much money as I would if I became a developer.      I had written HTML for websites when I was in college, but that was 20 years ago. I started finding some free online courses for JavaScript. I'm not great at self-discipline, so I knew that self-paced would mean I would have the skills in about 10 years.   I wouldn't be able to afford to go back to college for 4 years at my age. I needed a new career launch ... NOW. So I started looking at coding bootcamps.   There was no way I could afford an upfront payment for a bootcamp that was $9,000.00 for 12 weeks. Besides, like I said, I was in debt to my eyeballs already, so I could not qualify for a loan anyway.   Let's talk about the 12 weeks thing too. I was starting from scratch. I had a master's degree in the humanities and tons of life experience and I could find my way around an HTML doc.   What would 12 weeks get me? I could learn to write some JavaScript, and some Front end frameworks. This would give me the bare bones to get a very specific job. This would not prepare me for a software engineering career.   So then I found lambda school. Here it is almost a year later and I have launched my software engineering career. I'm making the kind of money I could never have made in my previous career.   And I got here without paying a penny. I am paying them now, but I can afford it now, and there is no interest or debt. They invested in me and it turned out to be a worthwhile investment.   Besides that, I have a new joy and passion for my career. I have learned so much at Lambda school. Sure I got the full MERN stack (Mongo, Express, React Node) training. But I also got a solid foundation in tons of computer science principles. I know operating systems, algorithms, data structures, computer architecture. I even have a decent intro to assembly language. I have learned so much more about what is going on under the hood.   The most important thing I learned at lambda school was HOW to learn and confidence I CAN learn. Whatever hot frameworks and trending languages are today will not be the languages and frameworks they're going to want you to know in 5 years.   I learned to program at a basic level in C, and also picked up Python in a matter of weeks. I am a full stack engineer now thanks to Lambda ready not just for a job, but a career.

I was lucky to be accepted to the second cohort of Lambda School’s computer science program.  Before I joined I spent months researching coding bootcamps and none of them were feasible for me at the time.  In addition, many of them appeared to lack core fundamental principles of programming and were bolstered up by inflated statistics.  When I found out about Lambda School it seemed too good to be true, but with the school taking on much of the risk I decided to take a leap of faith.  Now, I can tell you firsthand that Lambda School is 100% the real deal.  I graduated in February and began a full-time position as a React developer in March.  I’ve been amazed at the amount of information I’ve retained from the school and how well I was actually prepared for the job.  Within 3 months on the job I’ve already been promoted and am leading my own team.  I have Lambda School to thank for that.  There are a few reasons on why this program works for me and can work for anyone with the drive to make it in this industry:

 

1. Curriculum is top notch.  I think it may be the best Web Development curriculum out there and why I was so willing to take that initial leap.
    
2. They hire the best instructors in the industry.  I don’t think I need to explain this more all you have to do is look at their credentials.
    
3. Community.  While being online can be a disadvantage it also allows more students to access the program.  One of the things that many online schools lack is a sense of community.  That’s not happening at Lambda School.  There’s a sense of togetherness here.
    
4. Feedback loop.  This school is one that actually listens to it’s students and makes adjustments in realtime.
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5. You spend everyday working with people that are hungry.  People that were never given a chance before ceasing on this opportunity.  It’s truly inspiring and an environment that will bring the best out of you.  To me this is the real magic of Lambda School.

  So, if you’re thinking about joining Lambda School it’s a no brainer.  It’s what education should be.  You have little to lose and everything to gain.

I took a chance on a school that promised a lot and delivered more than I ever thought possible.

I graduated in the first Lambda School Cohort back in January of 2018. I was quickly set up with a job at a startup company in SF. I was worried about what would be expect of me from a small company and most of my knowledge coming from a 6-month boot camp. What I didn't realize at the time was that not only was I taught the fundamentals of what a software developer needs to code but how to continue to learn and grow.

I thought what they were promising was too good to be true but I ended up receiving more than I could have imagined.

Best decision I've ever made.

As a graduate of one of Lambda School's earlier cohorts, I still have access to the school's internal messaging platform with all the current students and teachers. Lambda School continues to get better, and for me, it was already the best. Today I am a Senior Software Engineer earning the highest salary I've ever earned in my life, and Lambda School is the only Computer Science education I've ever had.

Before I applied to Lambda School, I looked into another program local to me. That program didn't do much to alleviate my initial hesitations, and when I was introduced to Lambda School I was still hesitant. But Lambda School made it easy to consider them because they provided the best answer to the one question at the center of my doubts, will this work?

Before committing months of my life to a program, I wanted to know that it would be worth it.

Lambda School's teachers are talented professionals from some of the best companies. Their curriculum was developed with input from the companies I wanted to work for. And the daily schedule is structured to keep students engaged and moving forward. They commit their full arsenal to every student free of charge until that student is able to secure a high paying job.

What makes it even better, after graduation, they help the students to get that job.

I had been a student many times before becoming one at Lambda School. Lambda has been my favorite learning experience by far. It is not self-paced, but you do feel some sense of independence. Only later did I realize how valuable that was. As a Software Engineer, you are expected to be able to find answers on your own. At its core, Lambda’s curriculum instills this in its students.

Lambda School is worth it. I would definitely make the same decision again today. If you’re trying to decide whether you should apply or not, do it. Focus instead on getting admitted.

I graduated from Lambda School’s first full-time computer science class back in January.  I didn’t have much coding experience when I started and it was really hard but I enjoyed the program and feel that I learned a lot.  There are were a few things that I did not like about it, though.  I was in the first class, however, and I know that things have changed since I started in July 2017, but I can only speak to my experience. 

Pros:

- Their free mini bootcamps are great (these are how I found out about Lambda School).

- It’s 100% online.

- They have an income share model so I don’t have to pay for the education until I find a job in the field (and I feel like they’re invested in helping me find a job, otherwise, they won’t get paid).

- They have great TAs who were really supportive and helped me understand the material whenever I would reach out to them.  There were mostly 2 TAs when I was in the program, but they have many more now.

- Their instructors are very enthusiastic about the subjects they were teaching.  That kind of enthusiasm is pretty contagious (for me, anyway).  They’re also willing to help me understand any concepts that I struggled with whenever I reached out to them.

- The first half of their curriculum was great.  It was pretty organized and well put-together.  They knew what topics they wanted to cover and went over those topics.  They changed the format of how they were teaching those lessons a few weeks into the program based on our suggestions/complaints, but they still went over the topics in the syllabus.

- They were really responsive to feedback.  I’m not sure if it was because we were the first class, but we saw a lot of changes.  They really request a lot of feedback and are open to improving their teaching model as needed.  I think that things have stabilized for the more recent cohorts, but I’m pretty sure they still request feedback every week and take that feedback into consideration.

- They have career coaches who are supposedly very good, however, I’ve only had one session with my career coach due to personal circumstances that are delaying my job search.

Cons:

- The second half of their curriculum was a bit of a mess.  They seemed to be flying by the seat of their pants and had some things on their syllabus that they didn’t seem to cover and other things that they covered that weren’t on the syllabus.  I was in the first cohort, though, so I think they’ve fixed this portion of their curriculum.

- They didn’t really have windows support.  All the instructors I had were either using Mac or Linux and couldn’t help me troubleshoot my Windows problems (e.g. installing mongodb).  It’s also little annoying when every lecturer is using the Terminal with Mac commands and I had to adjust some of the commands to work on a Windows Command Prompt, but I got used to it.  I think they’ve since hired someone who knows Windows.

- They were a little disorganized towards the end of the program.  They had stopped updating our class calendar and had a hard time setting some important dates, but when we actually complained to them, they set up a meeting to answer all of our questions and updated our calendar.

All in all, I had a great experience with Lambda School.  I really feel like this school is invested in helping me learn the skills to become a programmer and get a job.  Even now, I feel that I could go to anyone in the school for help and they would gladly help me.  I would highly recommend Lambda School for anyone looking to learn to code.

In my previous field, I was a top performer, but having bills and kids, my 18/hour job wasn't cutting it. I wasn't living very happilly when every paycheck was taken away for bills. I never quite had enough to do anything for myself. I had been programming since my teens as a hobby, and I decided it was time to persue my passion.

After being accepted to 3 other coding bootcamps, but unable to afford the outrageous down payment of up to $15,000, I came across Lambda School. I was sceptical at first that Lambda was offering a complete 7 month CS course for 0 upfront, but after speaking directly to Austen Allred on the phone, I was reassured. I decided that since there was nothing to lose, to why not give it a shot! 

Like I said, I joined with some hobby level experience, which definitely helped. Although there are prerequisets to joining, I would definitely recommend to get the basics down of html, css, and javascript before starting. The classes are very fast paced, and learning curve is high, but Lambda wont let you fail. Instructors did stop frequently and take the time to make sure everyone was keeping up. Any student who was having a hard time learning, would be given extra help or be moved to another class behind to gain more experience. But overall as long as you have the motivation to succeed, Lambda School will not let you fail!

I just graduated with CS4 in April 2018, and I've gotta say that everything Lambda has promised has so far came true. What really amazed me is how I started getting offers and recruiters contacting me only based off of the Lambda School work. I am currently heavily focusing on landing that job, but with the skills and career development that Lambda provided, I don't think it will take very long at all!

I completed 6-month full-time computer Science course at Lambda School in April 2018. It has been my best decision so far! Lambda School is not easy, that is for sure! Before joining this school, I had some programing experience which made my life little easy. Joining Lambda School didn't just teach me web development and other computer science courses but also made me confident and most importantly independent! Instructors here are very knowledgeable. Some have industry experience of more than a decade while some have even published their own books on computer science! They all are very kind and generous. No question is a silly question according to them and they all were so helpful all the time! (I know its too much of positive feedback but that's what I felt for them)!

6-months I was there were very busy. Other than the official class hours (8am - 5pm PST) I had to find couple of hours everyday to have more grasp on the topic we learned. I stopped all my outings for those 6-months and focused only on my studies. After graduating I feel so confident about my knowledge on full stack web development. I keep improving my knowledge day by day by continuous learning.  I am looking for job opportunities right now, hoping to get one very soon! Lambda School is the best! No one can go wrong with this school!

PS: Lambda School sounds fishy.. or too good to be true. I know! That's what even I thought before joining this school. But you'll know the truth only after joining this school :)

It feels wrong to even call Lambda School a "bootcamp." It is so much more than that. It was a huge leap of faith for me to drop everything and dedicate 6 months full time to nothing but learning, but it was absolutely worth it. Lambda School's curriculum covers everything you need to know to get started as a software developer. The instructors are world class and are able to teach and guide students through challenging subjects with ease. My only regret is not finding out about Lambda School sooner. It sounds too good to be true, but it's not! 

I was initially nervous about Lambda School. It seemed kind of too good to be true, in terms of the income share agreement. However, as soon as the course started it was apparent that everyone was focused on helping us develop.

Being able to still experience live lectures and interact with other students and instructors, while still being able to stay in my home, and not necessarily having to have childcare for my kids was a huge bonus and one of the main reasons I was able to enroll. Despite not being in a classroom setting, students are able to access project managers and instructors for video or text chat every day. Overall, there is a supportive and cooperative atmosphere. 

The instructors are all professional and obviously passionate about the success of the students. They are open and supportive. The school responds quickly to critique and frequently seeks feedback from students. This feedback is put into place quickly. 

 

I found out about Lambda School from an ad on Facebook. What caught my eye was the no money down AND you didn't have to pay until you have a job paying at least 50k. I thought it was too good to be true because you see bootcamps or other institutions charging 20k-30k minimum to teach you CS and Web Dev. I also thought that there was some super specific criteria that you had to qualify for that would apply to me. Even still I filled out the application just because...who knows?

Two days later I get an email from the CEO Austen saying that I've been accepted and sent me a link to the pre-course work. I am beyond happy at this point because not only do I have a chance to learn specifically what I need to get in the field that I want to, but also I wont have to add to the debt that I already had from college.

I attended Lambda School while working full time which probably wasn't ideal, but I still did it because there were really no other options for me. I worked 10 hours a day so I didn't have time for college and if I didn't work, I couldn't support myself, so online was the way to go.

All of the instructors are amazing, but I think Ryan was my favorite. He teaches like his students are his children, and he is very passionate about what he teaches. 

Lambda School is different because its not just the teach you how to use a framework or a library, they teach you so that not only do you know how to use it, but also you know what is going on under the hood and teach you how to do it yourself. They also tell you why they are teaching you by giving real world scenarios and examples backing what we would see in the field.

One of the biggest things to me is that before your capstones, LS gives you the option of becoming a Project Manager for the cohorts behind you as an in house internship. This gives you experience managing other students and it reinforces what you learned when you went through the curriculum. Just seeing students go through what you did and then seeing them figure it out and get that same joy that you did after trying to figure something out after sometimes many hours of struggling with it, is one of the best feelings especially when they can count on you to help them out. It also shows me how far I’ve come. I went from not even knowing anything about Javascript, to knowing how to create pretty much anything I wanted and how to show someone else to do it as well.

10/10 would recommend

I graduated from college with a non-STEM degree and realized that I did not want to pursue a career in my field. I searched for awhile to find a coding bootcamp to attend, and didn't feel confident that the education I would receive would justify the cost. I finally found Lambda School and realized that their model did not match that of coding bootcamps.

I applied for their full time Computer Science Academy, and got accepted with no upfront cost, only an ISA promising to share my income for two years once I get a job paying more than $50k/year.

The curriculum is very modern and teaches you the fundamentals of CS, and software development. You have the opportunity to work on personal projects and and they are constantly updating the course so that they are teaching you the most effective way possible. I will say that the work is not easy, though. You are taught to troubleshoot difficult problems and become self-sufficient. The instructors are very accessible, though, and will make sure that nobody is falling behind.

Also, there is a full career development team whose job it is to find the students job after graduation. There are many resources to do so, and the job listings are constantly being updated.

After graduating from Lambda School, I realized that I have learned an incredible amount that I could never have learned on my own. I was offered an internship position as a TA, and that gives me the opportunity to review the curriculum and solidify my understanding, while, at the same time, assisting students who are learning it for the first time. It is a huge commitment to make, but the experience is one that I would do all over again.