BrainStation

I recently completed a Software Engineering bootcamp at BrainStation, and I cannot speak highly enough about the experience. It was an incredibly transformative journey that exceeded all my expectations.
The curriculum of the bootcamp was well thought through, covering a wide range of topics essential for a successful career in software engineering. Mainly of note was the focus on full stack development which sets you up for success. The tech stack is considered industry standard and makes it much easier to find jobs where you can apply your new skills. The instructors were great and had industry experience which they were able to draw from.
The bootcamp was very hands on and is great for people that learn through applying things they've just been taught. This worked great for me and I found the project-based approach allowed me to apply what I learned in real-world scenarios, fostering a deeper understanding of the concepts. The instructors and teaching assistants were always available to provide guidance and support whenever I faced challenges and at no point did I feel like I was on my own.

The learning environment at BrainStation was nothing short of inspiring. The collaborative and inclusive atmosphere encouraged open discussions and allowed for the exchange of ideas among classmates. The diversity of backgrounds and experiences of my fellow students added a unique dimension to the learning process, further enriching the overall experience.

BrainStation's commitment to fostering a strong network of industry professionals was evident through various networking events and guest speaker sessions. These opportunities provided valuable insights into the industry and helped me establish connections that will undoubtedly benefit my future career.
Additionally, the career support provided by BrainStation was exceptional. Even after the bootcamp they continue to offer personalized career coaching, resume and portfolio reviews, and interview preparation workshops. 

In conclusion, completing the Software Engineering bootcamp at BrainStation was an incredible experience that has really helped me feel confident within myself and my ability to navigate this career transition.

Thank you, BrainStation, for an unforgettable journey!

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Throughout my Data Analytics course with Brainstation, I was enthused and encouraged by the level of detail and care my instructors put into each class. 

The subject matter was engaging and ultimately approachable - crucial as I was completely new to the field of study. While some topics will always be more intriguing or exciting than others, I found that each was presented in a way whereby nuances and intricacies could be addressed and understood from multiple viewpoints and levels. Each class was broken down and structured in a way that allowed follow-up from the previous subject matter, allowing our knowledge and recently acquired skills to be further honed and sharpened. 

Overall, I am incredibly satisfied with my experience at Brainstation, and I'm eager to keep learning and building upon this new skillset.  Read less

I recently completed Software Engineering bootcamp at BrainStation and enjoyed every moment of it. From the knowledge gained to the outstanding educators, team and learning journey, this was an unforgettable experience.

Educators deliver new information very clearly, support you and answer all of your questions. I was able to pick up new topics fast due to learning approach with continuous practice and working on projects. The course was indeed intensive and I had to put much time and effort into it, but it is definitely worth it, as the amount of knowledge and practical experience you get by the end of the 3 months is incredible.

Without a doubt, attending this bootcamp was one of the best decisions I've made for my professional development! Read less

I decided to drop out of the pre-course after just 1 class as I realized that this $2,700 course is not nearly as rigorous and comprehensive as the $50 per month certificate course by Google on Coursera. Moreover, I and other classmates struggled to understand the tasks and questions posted by the instructor, who was going to be of the main instructors for the whole boot camp later on. 

Many trustworthy and prestigious boot camps in the US don't accept applicants before they are eligible to work in the US so that they don't go through the whole thing spending all their resources on something while harvesting no rewards. In contrast, BrainStation takes it all. As a result, as I have noticed in my class, they attract immigrants who are in vulnerable situations and in desperate need of finding a foothold in a foreign country upon graduation. And the school offers no refund, at least not for the reason of false advertisement or dissatisfying experience. 

How the school functions seemed to be somewhat non-benevolent to me. Overall, the level of miscommunication really shouldn't exist for a course this expensive, which does make me wonder if proper regulations are in place for this kind of product.

P.S.
I hate writing bad reviews and I rarely do. However, thinking about my classmates and their high hopes propels me to share my experience with anyone that's far away from home and trying to find a place for themselves in a foreign land, or simply someone that's trying to provide a better life for their family after living a life without tech for some time. Read less

Knowing nothing about Digital Marketing going into this course I have been pleasantly surprised with what I have learned from the course. I also appreciate the real world experiences the professors bring to the class and how they suggest to tackle different problems.  Read less

My experience at Brainstation has been very positive! I recently graduated from the course and feel in a much stronger position to get into Product Management now. I feel this course is particularly strong if you are new to Product Management as it really builds your knowledge from the ground up and teaches you industry standard approaches to classic product management problems. The instructors were super friendly, always happy to help and made the 3 hour lessons go by quickly! Read less

My experience at BrainStation was exceptional! The program provided me with the necessary resources to excel as a Data Analyst, and the knowledgeable tutors were instrumental in my learning journey. The intellectually stimulating environment and comprehensive curriculum make it an ideal choice for professional development. I highly recommend BrainStation to anyone looking to acquire digital skills.  Read less

I want to start by saying prior to this bootcamp, I've had no experience with regards to Software Engineering. I knew someone that went to a different bootcamp and was successfully working as a Software Engineer, watched a couple of youtube videos to see what coding was and decided that I was interested enough to learn more and do this as a full-time career. I had an underlining motivation to start a career that was more challenging with potential for growth both mentally and in the job field because I understand that in life you get paid based off the size of the problems you are able to solve. Is money my motivator? I'd say no because as you go through the bootcamp, you'll realize that you need to have a deeper reason why you're there to finish. In the beginning for me it was new and fun but there were times throughout where I needed to remind myself of why I started to stay motivated and continue to work. 

My bootcamp experience was a BIG mental game. Once you can master your mind, you can work through any problem, and ultimately achieve anything you want whether it's success in this bootcamp or in life. My TA's and instructors made this very clear in the beginning and also made sure to continue to not only let me know, but show me they are there to answer any question I have and that no question is a dumb question. Learning is a process and something that doesn't end - you never know everything you need to know about coding, because the industry is always changing. The great news is, BrainStation is always following the trend and structures their curriculum to teach the most up-to-date information to set you up for success. 

Some of the problems I've had to overcome are:
1. Getting unstuck when coding
2. My reaction when I expect a piece of code to work but it doesn't work (often because of something as minor as forgetting a ;)
3. Knowing when you need to take a break and when you need to keep working (sometimes the solution came while doing something else)
4. Consistently putting time into learning/coding - Even when I feel like doing something else
5. Understanding how I handle distractions can make or break me with regards to my success in this bootcamp and limiting all distractions

Both the instructors and my TA's were there a lot of the time to help with getting unstuck but I recognized that the more you develop the skill of getting yourself unstuck, the better things will be. They were sure to offer a lot of advice on how to get myself unstuck like testing code to see when it works and when it doesn't as well as what makes it work. Also, console.log everything until you find where the code isn't working and google the specific problem, for some examples.

My TA's took the full-time bootcamp, I took the part-time, but the concept basically remains the same. Once the bootcamp starts, all of your free time, and in my case, scheduled time needs to be used to learn concepts related to coding or coding to complete your assignments - nothing else. I realized very early on that it isn't just called a bootcamp to sound nice. There's a lot of work that has to be done, new concepts to learn, with deadlines and for me, while working a job. At first, I was lost but my instructors told me as long as I kept learning and being consistent I'll be fine and they were 100% correct. This was another mental hurdle I had to get over - being lost a lot at the beginning when a new concept is introduced. Now it doesn't phase me because I know I'll figure it out. 

Overall my experience has been great and I'd recommend BrainStation to anyone interested in breaking into the Software Engineering field, the instructors are extremely knowledgable (there isn't a question I've asked that they weren't able to answer, even if it wasn't directly related to the content). They are excellent and efficient communicators that break concepts down into simple terms. I had an option to leave feedback throughout the course about the instructor/TA's and they, even as coaches are still coachable - they listen, and apply your advice in an effort to ensure your success and provide a positive experience. They are entertaining, keep me engaged consistently throughout the bootcamp, and explain the realities of what you will experience throughout the bootcamp, as well as while working as a Software Engineer so you are aware ahead of time.

I look forward to graduating soon and the next steps involved to officially break in to the tech field as a Software Engineer! Read less

Thoroughly enjoyed the course with Fran and Tori. They were very clear on all aspects of the course. Learned a good amount of strategy that I can now imply into my daily work routine. Will definitely help me in the field of work I am in. The course was laid out very well and all aspects were covered to a good time and standard. Read less

I highly recommend the digital marketing course I attended. It was an excellent learning experience that equipped me with a wealth of knowledge. The instructors were exceptional, providing real-time examples based on their extensive professional experiences, which greatly enhanced the learning process. Read less

Why I chose BrainStation

9 months ago, I began my career transition into software engineering and before that, knew basically nothing about coding, bootcamps or getting a job in tech. I chose to attend BrainStation because they had an in-person campus in New York City and was really impressed with their facility and their brand image / presentation. I had attended a few of their free and open to the public panel discussions about breaking into tech and was impressed. I noticed the friendly staff there to greet me, the cleanliness of the bathrooms and facilities, the aesthetics and design layout of the classrooms (big open space, high ceilings, exposed brick, cool books and sitting areas scattered around, big windows with great views of the city ) the professionalism of the event to start on time, quality of panelists and questions asked by the moderator.  In addition, I was relieved that BrainStation did not have a very difficult entry exam or 'cut throat' coding challenges like Codesmith and App Academy. Although BrainStation does require a passing grade, I believed their grading metrics to be based on project completion rather than on the spot, timed algorithm tests. 

The Pros
I got along really well with everyone in my cohort and only had 9 people in our class! It was great to have a lot of open classroom ours each day and week to have ample time to sit one on one with my TA or instructor to ask questions and get help putting the lessons and homework into action. I really liked that the learning is project based, meaning each week we had either a new project or a revision of an existing project to apply what we learning in lectures and labs.

I also really loved all the professional speakers they brought in to speak to our class. I got to listen to some great presentation from developers who were bootcamp grads or passionate about giving back to emerging devs. BrainStation puts a lot of emphasis on the networking and professional development aspect of getting a job in tech, which I see now more than before, as super crucial!  I wish I had understood earlier that getting a job is more about being confident and who you know vs. being proficient in a technical skill. I really appreciate the career development workshops that we got through out our program, for example, on LinkedIn branding, resume building and learning how to talk about transferable skills confidently and clearly. 

We also as students had a great opportunity to do a hackathon, for my cohort it was Spotify. Because BrainStation has a Data Science and UX/UI design program in the same campus, we got to collaborate for this hackathon, so it was great to work closer with them and learn about other tech disciplines.

Since I graduated several months ago, I have been happy with the support from the career services team and also being able to connect with other Brain Station alumni and get feedback on resume, LinkedIn messages and more general guidance

The cost of BrainStation was comparable or even a little less than other bootcamps I was looking at.

Since its my only bootcamp experience, I can't say if others do better at placing graduates in jobs, but I believe beyond any bootcamp it takes a lot of being proactive to network, being confident, learning interview skills, etc to get a job. I am glad BrainStation emphasis these things a lot through out 

The cons 
I feel like the program is more of a front end developer or React.js program. I think it is hard to learn so much in 3 months no matter what bootcamp it is or what skill sets, although we spent less time on back end technologies compared to front end. We also barely touched on things like data structures, testing, deployment and didn't touch at all mobile development, UX/UI design or other languages. Perhaps if there were more prerequisites for enrolling, we could have started in with more advanced topics rather than basic HTML, CSS and JavaScript.  If you already have an understanding of web development or javascript, the first several weeks or month, may just be a review for you, as their program is intended for people with almost no prior experience.   

I would have liked to have more projects for my portfolio when graduating. Although we worked on projects throughout to learn, other than the final project, they are not really portfolio worthy or unique. I also was disappointed that the first two weeks of school are remote, learning HTML and CSS on zoom with lots of other students, so only 10 weeks in person. Read less

I thoroughly enjoyed the Marketing Leadership course at Brainstation. It was exactly what I needed at this point in my business, where I am ready to scale but could use a little professional development help to get me there. Everything we covered was relevant to my industry and we covered a wide breadth of information. I enjoyed my classmates and the instructor was engaging, helpful, and kept us moving at a great pace. I would definitely recommend this course for anyone looking for some help scaling their career or company.  Read less

My experience was positive and I felt that I have taken the right step studying here. The curriculum was somehow fast paced but that meant that I needed to dedicate more time towards self-learning, practicing and improving my skills, and when I did give more time, I felt the improvement in my comprehension of topics that I have not thought I will be able to have proficiency at. I recommend this bootcamp for everyone who loves to learn and challenge themselves and who can dedicate time and effort towards their learning and self-improvement. Want to learn and have the will power to work hard, then look no further. Instructors are knowledgeable and supportive, the individual and collaborative projects are great, and the curriculum is good. Read less

The time I spent with my cohort and course tutors at Brainstation, as well as the content covered, was top drawer. I'm already implementing aspects of what I learned in my own role/organisation with great success. 
The course exceeded my expectations - and they were already high, as I have several colleagues who have completed bootcamps at BrainStation in the past.

I highly recommend Brainstation for anyone looking for an engaging, and broad, crash course into product management. Read less

This course introduced me to the world of Design Leadership and how to become a leader. To be able to take the course at my own pace was an amazing experience. I directly applied the concepts and skills I learned from my design leadership course to all my projects.  It has also encouraged me to explore more in this field and challenge my design thinking on how it affects business goals. The tutors were good design leaders with so much design experience, which was helpful throughout this course.  Read less

I had scheduled call for specific time. After 15 min waiting for learning advisor he messaged me that he will be ready in 5 min and after waiting additional 10 min he did not show up. I scheduled a call for next day and he was late for 30min! Then he rescheduled call for another 15 min and started to call me and drop the call. After 50 min we finally connected and he behaved like nothing happened and it was normal. After telling him that he behaved unprofessionally he dropped the call. That my experience with BrainStation. If they do not have punctual customer-oriented personal I can only guess what is that company about. Read less

I approached the class with doubts since it had been a while since my last time in a classroom. Fortunately, the class was super dynamic and full of real-life examples, keeping me engaged. The opportunity to view different points of view from fellow students from different areas of expertise was a bonus. I'm already looking forward to my next class and hope to have another instructor as fun and knowledgeable as the one from this class. Read less