BrainStation

I took the User Interface Design 5-week long course (part-time, online) at Brainstation during summer 2020 - and I really enjoyed it! It's an excellent opportunity to learn the basics of UI design in a short period of time and build on that knowledge later on. Our teachers, Gerard Dolan and Rose Matsa, taught us about a range of topics, from colour theory to prototyping, and almost every class included some kind of design demonstration to help us grasp the ways to use design tools (e.g. Sketch, InVision). I feel that after sitting through the classes and practicing while preparing my final project, I gained an understanding of the UI design process and principles which is really useful when I'm working with product teams and designers.

It's funny, because when I had my enrollment interview, the person speaking with me made me aware that this was a 'pretty demanding course', and honestly, I shrugged it off a bit. Don't do that. As much fun as this program was, it was equally if not more difficult. It starts off fairly simple with some HTML and CSS -but after those first few weeks, buckle up. They refer to it as the 'off ramp' on the highway that takes you to the core of your learning experience, which is pretty accurate. With a program like this, you need to be realistic and understand that you will not be able to grasp everything that you're taught all at once, and as frustrating as that is, it's the nature of the beast. Personally, most of the concepts that I struggled with made sense to me a few days after. The educators of my cohort did an AMAZING job with their content delivery, and they were committed to helping us succeed and very approachable. There will be ups and downs -you will be happy, you will be confused, you will be mad, you will be sad, and then it repeats. But if you push yourself, show everyone that you want to be there, and ask questions when you don't understand, it will be an experience that no one can take a way from you. After your 12 weeks are finished, it's amazing to know that you have what it takes to succeed in such an agile environment. Pressure makes diamonds.

This was my third course at Brainstation, this time all online via zoom! 

Design Thinking was a two-day intensive course where we learned the methodologies and framework of Design Thinking, completed exercises that felt true to the real world, and learned how to model sprints. As a designer, this was a really great opportunity to level up my skills and apply a structure to loose concepts floating around my brain. The course itself accommodated students from all levels of experiences and backgrounds, and I found the entire experience to be extremely collaborative and insightful. 

Our instructor has been a facilitator of all things design (UX/UI/Design Thinking) for some time, and really showed domain expertise when we asked questions that applied to the real world. He was clear, detail oriented, and made the learning environment safe and collaborative. We got a lot of real world examples from him, and all the little details he shared made this entire course special, and more than simply reading a textbook. 

Overall, I'm a big advocate for Brainstation's courses - they've proved to be extremely valuable in my career.

You should definitely take this class if you are looking for an affordable entry point into the UI/UX design world. The teachers (I had Ashish and Adrian) are incredible at what they do. Ashish was really good at going over the material, and both were amazing at going back and filling in any blanks missed in material, and they were incredibly proactive about helping students on their projects both in and outside of class time. I can now say I have a new skill to confidently display on my resume and in my portfolio, and I highly recommend to anyone who is looking for a way to get into UI design. 

I took a 10-week (10 classes) User Experience Design course at Brainstation.
While I’m a designer and have been practicing design for a while, the course really helped me understand some of the theories and best practices a lot better. It’s always nice to connect a lot of the course content back to my day-to-day work as a designer. While I am quite familiar with the overall design process, there were many learnings I’ve picked up in the course.
The course content accommodated various levels of design experience. Whether you have a background in design or not, the learnings you gain are relevant and valuable.

The instructor that we had demonstrated great knowledge in UX design and was always very clear in the way she explained each theory or principle of UX design. She gave great examples from her personal work experience for each principle in detail, making it much easier to follow. 

What to Expect:
A 10-week course with 3-hour lectures is not a lot of time so each UX topic that is covered is rather high-level and not super in-depth, but enough to understand what it is and a little bit on how to approach it. 

Overall, I am very satisfied and happy with the content of the course and the way the instructor ran the lectures.

The brainstation Digital Marketing course was a great way for me to step up my digital marketing career. It covered all the key factors to get your start in a digital marketing career or to help you bring your digital skills from before back to life. 
It was my first time doing an online course and was very impressed with how it all went with the Zoom classes and how smooth a group project was with it all being online.

Looking forward to taking more classes to ramp up my knowledge and career. 

12-Week Immersive bootcamp that teaches the fundamentals of web development. 
React, Node, JS, HTML/CSS/SASS

 High quality instruction and excellent course format: The most important criteria for me is the quality and experience of the instructor. Not only was our instructor Scott super knowledgeable and experienced but was also a great teacher. He broke down the concepts nicely and shared a lot of examples from his work life which made the application of all the marketing concepts very real and easier to appreciate.  Given the whole Covid situation, Brainstation’s Online Live format cannot be beat. You log in from the convenience of your home and the platform uses great collaboration tools like Zoom, Slack and their own Synapse platform which makes the learning experience very interactive and cohesive. I definitely miss that in the other online courses that are either not live or simply lack the maturity in terms of collaboration tools and software. Kudos to the Brainstation leadership team for their thought leadership and vision in launching this truly online and digital learning platform in the recent years Breadth of course and quality of content:  Digital marketing is a vast field and not an easy topic to cover within a 10-12 week part time learning format. This is another area where Brainstation did an excellent job. They organized Digital Marketing into 8 areas and covered all key channels such as SEO, SEM, social media and email marketing. It served as a great introduction and their slide content was great in terms of simplifying the concepts and quoting relevant examples from time to time.  Duration of course:  This is a key component of any online learning course. If a course goes on for too long and it feels like a drag causing you to lose interest, cut it too short and you feel like you did not get enough out of the course. I feel like Brainstation got this right at 10 week course duration. I feel like a 10-12 week duration is optimal at least for someone like me who wants to do many things and tends to lose interest easily.   Specialty focus on FB:  If you know even a little about Digital Marketing you know that FaceBook is the king of all digital marketing platforms and simply cannot be beat. Their acquisitions of IG and WhatsApp have only made them stronger. I love that Brainstation decided to make FB the focus social media platform and dedicates a significant portion of the course to helping understand FaceBook’s comprehensive advertising platform. I also realized that once I got a good understanding of FB, it got much easier to pick up any new social media marketing platform.   Sense of community and continued learning:  This was one of the most important differentiators for me. Although this was an online course, I felt very connected to the entire Brainstation community though every aspect of the course identification , admission and learning process. The Brainstation learning team has great advisors that are super responsive to your questions and do a great job of engaging you by including you in all the relevant collaboration and communication platforms. You make a lot of good connections with folks in the digital marketing world such as your instructor, teaching assistant, students, advisors and so on. It truly felt like a “campus” and you feel like you have graduated from a brick and mortar university with all the conveniences of an online set up. 

I enjoyed the experience and expertise the instructors brought to the table during every class.
It is a hands-on course that will require around 10 to 15 hours extra besides the 7-hour lesson. 
I highly recommend you would be surprised by the amount of knowledge gathered in the span of 5 weeks. 

Overall, I thought the program was great. It was very useful for utilizing live lectures (with an option of going on campus as well) where there is always the live interaction component, the engagement of asking questions, and specially getting quick answers is much more efficient than looking up questions online, which saves a lot of time. Overall, it is a different experience than a Bootcamp or a MOOC (These are great for building up the basic skills). Brainstation program gave me the opportunity to apply my skills, get evaluated on the spot, and communicate closely with more experienced members of the field, which gave me a great boost of confidence to know what to expect going forward in the career. 

The most important stage in the Data Science methodology is Understanding, Pre-processing, and Transforming data. I have been heavily involved in topics that include utilizing Python for cleaning, and exploration of Data (formatting types, identifying outliers, dealing with missing data etc.), and other topics that focuses on Statistics, Probability and Hypothesis testing (A/B testing), and how they can all be brought together using Python Libraries and algorithms, to be later fed into a Machine Learning model 

Creating my Machine Learning models including different Regressions, and Classifications (Naiive Bayes/Decision Trees/Random Forests) and using Neural Nets, was very rewarding, and was accompanied with Statistical Evaluations including Hypothesis Testing (T tests, P values etc.). My favorite part was to bring the entirety of the model, and shine its significance with delivering Data Stories and Insights, through interpretation of different variables, and comparing various measures (R2, MAE, MSE etc.). 

In conclusion I highly recommend the program, but definitely it is recommended to have basics of Python and Statistics to dive into the course smoothly (They also provide some pre-requisites preparation course that come free with the course) 

Good-luck and Happy Learning! 

I came into this course quite excited to expand my knowledge on product management. I currently work within a scrum team as a developer and I believed I would come out of this course with a greater perspective of the overall product process. 

I enjoyed all of the classes during this 10 week part-time program but if I were to choose a handful of topics we went over that were my favourite they would be learning how to define a value proposition, learning about Scrum and Kanban, how to build an MVP and how to build a roadmap for a product. 

Throughout this course, each of us created and presented on a product while having the opportunity to learn from each other and apply what we learned in the classroom. I was really impressed the products my peers created and I was also impressed by the feedback I received from our instructor, Stewart Rogers.

Overall, I believe this course has been really beneficial to me and I can definitely take many of the ideas and lessons I learned to my day to day life as a developer. Stewart's experience in Product Management makes this class incredibly engaging. He was able to provide really great feedback and share stories and external resources to help articulate the course content further. 

I took the 10-week Product Management course at BrainStation in Summer 2020. I have also taken Data Analytics in-person, which was a great experience, but taking this class online was a fantastic experience as well. As someone who works in high-tech, I was able to gain a lot of value from this course. The course material was relevant to the industry and designed to be practiced at work. My course had two instructors with two different backgrounds in Product Management and each brought their perspective and breadth of knowledge in Product Management to the course.

The class had an amazing support network and wasn’t only limited to Canadian students. I got to know talented people from the industry and learn from their practice.

I enjoyed my time in this course and I had valuable takeaways from the classes. Courses at BrainStation always exceed my expectations and I would highly recommend their classes to anyone who is interested to grow their career in the high-tech industry.

This UX Design course taught by Jenna Brucoli (Ogilvy) & Sarah Lee (Shopify) was unlike any online course I've taken! While I'd usually need to mentally prepare for the amount of self-discipline required for online learning, this class was different.

BrainStation's learning platform, Synapse, is so easy to use and is organized in a way that made it easy to find whatever I was looking for. There was an onboarding session few days prior to the course kicking off, so I knew exactly what the technical requirements were and could jump right in on Saturday morning.

The Content was engaging and relevant, and we had activities to complete throughout the class. Sharing these with classmates was great for accountability, and also got me through the perfectionism that's been a blocker for me in the past.

As for the instructors, Jenna's style is incredibly engaging. She was always seeking input from students and sharing her wealth of knowledge in all things UX. Sarah also created a great, open atmosphere to share personal experiences, and was highly supportive in our learning. Both were very responsive for any questions as we worked through our projects, and provided tools along the way to help us cross the finish line. 

The experience I had at the UX design bootcamp was extremely valuable. I like how the ciriculum was all relevant information with instructors that were friendly and experienced. Both instructors Jenna and Sarah brought their real world experience to enhance my experience and ultimately helped me learn better. I apprecaited the teaching style of both lecture and practical demonstration and group activities. I felt very welcome and able to contribute equally. I am considering taking more courses and recommending courses to friends and family. 

  Deciding to do an intensive program for career/life change was an important/stressful decision. And choosing Wyncode was the best decision I could have made, I’m so happy I did. Gessica, my head instructor, is an expert in the field - not all experts know how to teach and this one does. We had long days in front of our screens and she kept the content always interesting and applicable. I feel empowered and prepared for my new career with a solid base of knowledge/skills. Plus the learning culture at Wyncode is unique and I believe how more schools/traditional schools need to become. We learn soft skills, we learn to think positively and expect the best from ourselves, and we receive concrete career assistance post graduation. Love this place. 

Great, interactive course that lays a solid foundation for a skill set expansion into data analytics. Provides the ability to build skills in excel, SQL and Tableau in a way that is positively skewed towards practical exercises and projects vs too much theory only. 

These past 5 weeks were truly interesting and challenging! I'm so happy I made this decision to join BrainStation! Although this class is an overview of UX design, I feel I got quite a lot from it. The amount of information/ links/ tips is beyond amazing! 
The feedback is extremely useful, helpful, relevant, and so much more!
Jenna and Sarah were completely hands-on, and I feel I have learned so much from their perspective! 

Hello Everyone,

I'd like to share this in-depth review of my experience with Wyncode's Online Full Stack Development Bootcamp. Sections are bolded to highlight different topics.  Feel free to skip to the one of your interest.

Why did I choose Wyncode?

I was first exposed to Wyncode when I was working for MagicLeap as a contracted content manager. I really wanted to stay at the company but I wanted to move into a developer role. My boss recommended I take the bootcamp because of the fact that Magic Leap is an active recruiter of Wyncode alumni. I then spoke to a couple of employees at MagicLeap and they confirmed their success with the program and how it helped them pivot their career. They both stated it was challenging and consuming but highly rewarding. I decided to set up a tour after this confirmation.

Tour and Interview

When I went to tour the schooI Linda received me with great energy.  I really loved the space and location. The environment was very welcoming and the staff were very nice. I went ahead and interviewed with Francis. She was very real about the expectations, but was personable and really took the time to get to know me. The interview is a form of getting to know who you are, what your background is, and if you would be a good fit for the program. Francis mentioned she would get back to me in a couple of days with her decision and also let me know I could apply for an internal scholarship Wyncode offers based on need. A couple days later I got accepted and was granted a partial scholarship. At this point I had done my research and realized that Wyncode was going to be the school for me, based on the initial recommendation from my boss, the real life success stories, and my first impression of the school and staff it just made sense.

Tuition

A quick note on Tuition. After price checking different programs, Wyncode has a very competitive tuition considering everything they offer. They will offer you a partial scholarship if you need it and if you need more they can lead you in the right direction for more financial aid. They are also partners with a education loan company called Climb up. I paid my tuition with Climb-up and was able to get an affordable monthly payback rate with low interest.

COVID-19

In the midst of this admissions process, Covid-19 hit hard and suddenly things started to seem a little unclear for me. I wasn't sure if this was going to be the best decision. I wasn't sure how I was going to afford this financially anymore. Magic Leap suddenly started laying people off left and right. At this point I doubted I was going to be able to return. After the initial stress and overthinking I had a moment of clarity and realized that if I was going to do this it would be now or never. Francis and Linda were very communicative along the way and extra helpful when I needed it. I was informed that my cohort was going to start remotely until it was safe to reopen the school. They also pushed back the start date given the circumstances.

Pre-Course Work

The pre course work is mainly setting up your computer, reading specific articles, and taking codecademy classes so that you get exposure to the different languages and tech you're going to be learning. I 100% recommend trying to get as much of it done as you can. Things pick up quick and so the more exposure you have the easier it will be for you to stay up to pace. If you don't have enough time to complete it then focus on learning javascript before hand. This is the bulk of what you will be learning.

The actual course. Weeks 1 - 11.

There's a lot that can be said here but I will try my best summarize. It is CHALLENGING. It's not easy. It will test you and it will consume you. You will be tested in a lot of ways. You will have homework, group projects, you will speak in front of the class. You will grow as a person and as a professional. You will learn so much. It will be overwhelming at times. Your time management skills and focus will be key to your success.

The structure of the program is well thought out. Vasti, the program manager is excellent. She will be very clear of how the program works, what is expected, where you can get help, and what is expected of you on a daily basis.  She will hold you accountable. Your team mates will also hold you accountable.

The professors and TA's are awesome. Their patience is incredible and they truly care about your progress. They hold it down for you even after hours they are happy to help. They each have their own teaching style so try to connect with the ones that you learn from the best. Overall they all want you to succeed and you can tell they all have a passion for student progress and education.

Our cohort mainly learned the MERN Stack along with a ton of tools that developers use in a real work scenario.

Work-Life Balance

There will be some weeks where you have some afternoons that are not that busy and some weekends where you will have a day off, but technically you could always be using that free time to learn something in better detail or working with another student or a TA on difficult subject. The reason I mention this is because you really have to go into the program choosing to make this your priority. We lost 22% of the students that started with us due to personal reasons so make sure you are 100% ready to commit most of your time to this. Don't plan any vacations or long weekend escapes. It's simply not worth your investment if you're going to do that. 12 weeks fly by so take advantage of the course to the max.

Remote Experience

Pros: To be honest I loved the remote experience. Zoom is a great tool. I actually ended up making strong connections with a few students and with most of the staff. Working from home is comfortable, and the fact that  I didn't have to dress up or drive 45 minutes to and from Wyncode every day is priceless. This time I was able to leverage it by putting it into studying or getting an extra few minutes of sleep when I needed it. You also save money on food as you aren't tempted to go out to eat that much during lunch breaks.

Cons: I wish during projects that we could of have gone to the school to work because working with other people can be challenging in different ways and being in person sometimes makes communication a little easier. However, because of Covid it just wasn't a possibility and most places were closed for social gatherings so we really had to learn how to work remotely. In a way this turns into a PRO because the challenges you face from working solely online lie in the fact that you have to learn to be an excellent communicator and become really proficient at using tools that other remote companies use. So overall I think it challenged us but allowed us to become better candidates for remote work opportunities.


Career Week

Career week is no joke. Wyncode's success relies on your success so they have a dedicated week to helping you become job ready. You will still be working with people through resume building and conversations about different topics. Beto, the one in charge of this week is well educated on hiring trends and what works, so make sure you take notes and put into action his recommendations. They seem to have really strong partnerships with a ton of companies and the Wyncode alum is growing fast and strong.

Where I am at?

I am currently in the middle of career week. I am fixing up my resume, github, portfolio, and will be applying to 15-20 jobs a week and attending their weekly "wynwork" meetings where they announce the latest opportunities in their hiring partner network. Their lifetime job support was a huge relief for me after I saw what happened with MagicLeap. If I don't return to that company I know there are still tons of opportunities. I  have already seen many different success stories with different backgrounds from Wyncode and I am sure I will continue to learn more about them. The Wyncode alumni is strong and they are represented in different parts of the country and the world so Wyncode's ties are now global. As side note, if I remember correctly most Wyncode Alum are able to land a job with 3 months of graduating.

My goals

I plan to apply, apply, apply,  keep my coding skills sharp, and work on more independent projects or hackathons. I'm setting up a study plan to learn more about algorithms and data structures so I'll be able to compete against candidates with CS backgrounds. The game now is about HUSTLE. I know I will be able to land a job as a software developer sooner than later if I put in the work. Graduating is just the beginning. 

I hope this helps everyone considering Wyncode. I am highly satisfied with the program and I hope to update everyone once I land my dream job. 

This course was very intensive but instructed very well. Each week built on the last one and was well designed to help me grow into being a junior web-developer. All of the instructors were motivational and did a phenomenal job instructing us given the circumstances of COVID-19. 

Our classroom became very tight-knit group out of this bootcamp and we are already working on team-based networking along with pursuing projects and job opportunities. 

Great course if you have Raymond K. as your instructor.