BrainStation

The BrainStation User Experience Design Course was a great introductory / mid-level UX course. The instructor provided real-life applications and examples of the theory being presented week-to-week. Students also had to apply the concepts learned in class to a personal project. The content also seemed to be up-to-date and spoke to a number fresh / relevant concepts in UX.

Advice to future students...

• If you're thinking of taking this course / have applied.. start thinking of a potential personal project as early as you can. This helps capture the most value out of the course, as UX and user-centered design is as much about the process as it is a final product / application - so having an idea in your head early helps focus your efforts.
• Apply yourself (on your own time) into using design tools like Sketch, InVision and Balsamiq. These tools are mentioned throughout the course, but this is definitely not a workshop on "how to use InVision" (nor should it be). One suggestion I have for BrainStation would be to negotiate with these software providers and get a preferred rate or include the license with the course.

Whether you're a student, you're early into a UX career or looking to expand your skills to seek out UX job opportunities, this is a great course to get you on your way.

I decided to change my life and learn to code, and thanks to Wyncode and their amazing staff, I was able to do so in a mere 9 weeks. 

Don't get me wrong, 9 weeks may sound like a short amout of time, but the amount of knowledge and experience I acquired at Wyncode you really can't put a price on it. 

Prior to joining Wyncode, I was the Sr. Executive IT Recruiter at my former employer, an award winning recruitment and staffing firm here in Miami, FL. The last 6 months of work I wasn't really happy with the idea of my success being reliant on so many outside factors that I wasn't in control of. During my time as a recruiter, specifically within the IT space, I built many relationships and friendships with software & web developers of all kinds and got really curious as to what it was that they do all day, but more specifically why they were so in demand. 

I had known about Wyncode for quite some time and had attended a few of their Pitch Days. I was really impressed by what I saw. I asked myself, how were these folks able to build a full-stack web application in 2 weeks without any prior coding experience? It seemed that this was an impossible task that there would be no way on Earth that I'd be able to complete. After some soul-searching and evaluation I decided that the recruiter life wasn't for me anymore and decided to take a leap of faith and enroll in Wyncode's 7th cohort. 

I have to say that the Wyncode experience was the best and worst 9 weeks of my life. From the beginning you are fully immersed into Web Development and placed completely out of your comfort zone. Since day 1, I trusted that the Wyncode staff would have my best interest at heart and I knew that things would work out...basically, I fully trusted in their curriculum, structure, and workflow. 

They always above and beyond the call of duty in terms of teaching me how to learn again and provided me with the solid foundation to hit the ground running after completion of the 9 weeks. Not only did Wyncode provide me with the solid foundation of tools to get out there and start coding, but also assisted me 100% in job placement after the cohort has completed. 

A note to future Wyncoders out there, it's all about the relationships you build that will get you placed afterwards. Whether it's through the many hiring partners that interviewed me through Wyncode's amazing services or through relationships you build on your own, it's all about how you sell yourself and your work ethic. Through the 9 weeks of intense learning, you are conditioned to feel confident about yourself and everything you've learned. You may not realize it the time, but you know more than you think you know. It's all about being positive and selling yourself to prospective employers, which Wyncode does almost too good of a job training you in that aspect as well. 

It's not all about Wyncode teaching you all the tech skills, but also teaching the business acumen necessary to market yourself and get hired as soon as possible. Luckily for me, I was hired the last day of Wyncode's 7th cohort by an amazing dev shop and am currently their only Jr. Developer working in the same working space as Wyncode. It's not about what's out there and available in terms of developer roles(which the supply is way fewer than the demand...which s a great thing)...it's about carving out a position for yourself like I did. I now have the opportunity to learn many different technologies from a crack-team of Sr. developers and stay close to the Wyncode family. You're not just a student at Wyncode, you're a family member and their network and reputation for producing quality full-stack developers is second to none. 

I couldnt be happier with my experience at Wyncode. I recommend anyone who wants to learn to code, change your life, and enroll in a coding bootcamp to definitely join Wyncode. You won't be sorry. :)

P.S. Special shout-out to Juha Mikkola, Johanna Mikkola, Ed Toro, Matt Campbell, Rita Rovira, Sean Selleck, Gabe Noboa, and the rest of the Wyncode staff for making my time at Wyncode a remarkable and amazing experience. 

This was the right decision for me; it layed out a number of best practices, forced my to discover how I best learn to code and gave me the confidence and foundation to pursue a carreer. I have been working as a programmer since two weeks out of school making very good money. I am stilll very much a junior developer but I have come to enjoy the struggle that coding brings, that begain at Wyncode.  

The content covered is relevant and interesting. I really like appreciate that  our final project is based on a real life problem that we need to solve. This requires us to apply the knowledge we've been learning each week. Before I took the classe, I read that the class size was small and I was really looking forward to it because it  fosters better learning. Unfortunately I was enrolled in one of the biggest classes they ever had. That makes a big difference because I found that a large group didn't offer much time for an engaging conversation about the topics covered. It could have been more dynamic with a smaller group. Overall the course addressess topics that are constantly changing. The reading material is interesting and I recommend they continue sharing more reading material that add value to the lessons learned that week. I would have loved to have had an in depth hands on approach to dealing with topics like paid search for example. On the other hand each week we learn from different instructors with expertise of the topic covered. They are passionate and available to talk to us one-on-one if we have any questions.

The course is great so far! The contest is relevant to a large group of such a diverse student base. However, some of the topics I feel require more attention than others. For example, in the first couple of classes, there was a lot of overview on what a brand is (which I'd hope the class already knows), and, while I understand it's important to touch on for brand voice/tone on social, lot of time was focused on how to reply to customers on Twitter. I wish this time could've been used to go into topics like paid social media advertising in more depth, as I feel like we only got to just scrape the surface. Looking forward to learning more analytical skills! 

Wyncode did a great job teaching me the basics I needed to create my own application. You get out what you put into the programming. The staff is incredible, creating an environment that is unbelievably supportive, and family-like. Couldn't have asked for a better experience.

When I decided to go to a coding bootcamp I only did so after a lot of soul searching and research. I had a very good executive level job but I was board out of my mind and knew I couldn't keep doing this for another 20 years. I had always been into computers and technology in general so after researching code schools I thought I could be a good fit especially since I couldn't afford the time needed to go back to school and get another BS in computer science. Wyncode was not my first pick for code schools. Why?. I didn't know they existed. When I originally looked at code schools found a highly rated school in Boston and after applying and getting accepted I was ready to commit until one afternoon I did another google search and to my surprise a new code school in Miami only a few months old came up. I quickly looked into them and went down and spoke to the Co-founders . After that meeting and realize I could go spend 3 months in the winter in Boston or 3 months in sunny Miami. Glad I picked Miami. 

The coarse itself was taught by a very smart and knowledgable instructor. I didn't have a background in coding and had only taken a very basic programing elective while in college. I found that although some of the concepts were difficult to pickup the information was well presented. The last 2 weeks are by far the hardest and you feel very overwhelmed by all that you "should" have learned and you feel you didn't. Looking back a year later I realized I learned and grasped a lot more than I thought at the time. Bootcamps are intense and for good reason. Programing is difficult. It takes a person who is committed to learn and put in the time to get better.  Im glad I took this journey to change my life and learn to code.

Wyncode has created a awesome network and the staff is dedicated to being part of the Miami tech ecosystem. The placement program is extremely useful and the school is truly dedicated to helping the students and the hiring partners get the most out of the program. I would say that the connections they have in the tech community alone are worth the price of the course. 

I'm glad I made the choice to attend a bootcamp, even more so Wyncode. Its been a great experience and working in the startup community in Miami has been a wonderful life changing experience that I wouldn't change for anything.

I am a seasoned entrepreneur with a solid background in accounting, management/team building, and some traditional marketing.  After spending 10's of thousands of dollars on hiring developers for mobile and website applications, I realized that in order for my company to succeed and survive, I would need to become it's Tech Founder and opted for a bootcamp learning experience.  

The nine week intensive Wyncode web development course was hard for me since I was about 30 years older than most of the participants.  The combination of great instructor, personal attention from teacher's assistants and the collaborative culture amoungst the cohort colleagues, helped me finish the experience and accomplish my goal of learning the basics of computer programming.  

My original intent for taking the course was to acquire the knowledge necessary to be able to do most of the work myself with little or no outside hired help.   Fortunately, I was exposed to some tremendous talent and realized that my company could thrive faster and better by hiring someone to share the web and app development load.  I hired a very talented and mission driven young woman with whom worked with on a couple of projects during the cohort.  Without the knowledge I learned and the experience I had of working with this person on bootcamp projects, I would not have made the wise decision to bring her on as a partner developer.  We are five months out from our Wyncode experience.  We have taught ourselves two new programming languages in addition to the ones we learned at Wyncode.  We have redone the original website, started several mobile apps, figured out a coding methodology for a mobile interactive toy with a provisional patent, and  will be crowdsourcing our new product in January of 2016.  I highly recommend any startup entrepreneur developing a tech heavy business to strongly consider attending attending a Wyncode bootcamp AND to hire Wyncoders to help you in your journey.

I can whole heartidly say that Wyncode changed my life. I spent a couple of months dabbling in code, taking computer classes on line and in school, but I felt like I was missing something. I wanted to gain a skillset that was applicable to every day life, personally and professionally.

Wyncode delivered above and beyond my expectations. 

I honestly don't know where I'd be had I not invested in the course! It was the best investment I could have ever made, and now I have an extremely well paying job + working with the community to teach younger girls how to code- it's a dream! The knowledge and insight from our head instructor Ed is unmatchable (he really knows everything) and the Wyncode family is always a message away when you need help.

I want to personally thank Jo and Juha (+ the rest of the squad) for making the move to Miami and creating such an amazing institution- Wyncode, YOU THA ONE! 

It was one of the best experiences I've ever had. I learned so much, not only coding but how to work in a creative atmosphere. I met so many great people, and had so many great experiences that have helped me be more a self-sufficient and productive person, which has helped me far beyond the workplace.  

I spent a couple months trying to teach myself to code with CodeAcademy and Treehouse. They were great for getting an idea of what coding is and making sure that it was something that I would actually enjoy. But I, like most people, hit a point where those resources alone are not enough. I started looking for help and stumbled across Wyncode. I was quite skeptical that a 9 week program could prepare me for a job in software development, so I started doing my homework. I started here on coursereport. Then, I went to their open house and their pitch night. I asked current students about their experiences. I asked instructors about the curriculum. I asked hiring partners if they were satisfied with the quality of their Wyncode grads. I couldn't find a single negative thing about the program as hard as I tried, so I took the plunge.

What a journey! I found the nine weeks to be tough but quite manageable, and I find myself looking back missing the days spent in the LAB with my cohort. The course is challenging and fun at the same time. You learn not only how to code, but how to tie different technologies together. You learn how and where to find solutions. You get practice presenting and talking in front of a group and working with a team. You get career advice and guidance that never ends. You get plugged into a massive and constantly growing network of developers who become not only professional resources, but also great friends. It's looking like Wyncode Alum are poised to take over the South Florida tech scence.

So I came out from the 9 weeks with multiple job opportunities, even being the infant developer that I was. Don't go into this course thinking you'll come out an expert. You will come out just barely knowing enough to scrape by, but it's enough, and with your new network surrounding you, the opportunities are numerous. I'm now getting paid to learn and strengthen my skillset, and I can wear flip-flops to work. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is motivated, enjoys learning new things, and wants to change their professional life. 

Wyncode is a great place to immerse yourself and have a great team of dedicated people helping you, even after finishing your cohort. I was lucky enough to be part of the first cohort and it was a great experience.

I was not planning on becoming a developer after I finished Wyncode. So for three months after Wyncode I was working at my old job. When I decided to become a full-time developer, Wyncode helped me find a job, which was great. 

The curriculum has expanded since the first cohort and it has changed as per the request of the hiring partners. I am aware of this because my wife was part of one of the later cohorts. 

Wyncode helps anybody that wants to put in the time and effort.

When I decided I wanted a career in technology I was really considering my options.  I always considered myself as a great self learner and I was not opposed burning through a few books and work on a few projects and hope to someday find someone to higher me. I also considered a formal CS degree, but that takes a lot more resources.  When I heard about Wyncode I was immediately intrigued by the idea.  The curriculum is very well thought out and very well delivered.  The Wyncode team gives you all the resources +more for you to give you the best education experience. The team is 110% committed to your success and even takes the time to listen to you tell them how to do their job better. 

Even after you're through with the classes your experience is not over.  They have the best Job assistance you could ask for.  I was able land my first Job 3 weeks after my last class. As many of the other Wyncoders will tell you, it was the best thing to happen to my career.  Nothing can replace the network of people I've developed by becoming a part of the Wyncode family.

I'm taking digital marketing at brainstation. I'm really enjoying it so far and learning a lot. I personally could go a tiny bit slower at times (i don't have much experience) but the instructors are understanding and are available for one-on-one clarification each class. so i'm not finding it too difficult to follow. better to have too much info than too little. what i really like about the course is the people. the instructors are really friendly and insightful and networking with the other students is an awesome added benefit. 

Looking forward to the second half. 

I have experience in Marketing and Sales and decided to leave my job and join a coding bootcamp. I was looking to move more into the tech scene and felt this would be a good way. Coming from zero technical experience or knowledge I was nervous and did not know what to expect. The location of Wyncode is in the heart of the design district and perfect to host a bootcamp. The teaching and management staff at Wyncode is wonderful and makes you feel at ease the moment you arrived until the end. I learned more than I ever have in these nine weeks and it was truly life changing. It will be the most challenging nine weeks you will experience but worth the time if you want a career in tech. Go for it!

We approached Brainstation and asked specifically if this course would give us the knowledge we needed to sell products online using Facebook, Google etc.  We were promised that not only would they deliver but would help us along the way with our project and services.  Unfortunately, this was not even close to what happened.  The class started out with 22 students and ended with 7 as the content was very vague and very disappointing to say the least.  I complained on behalf of myself and many of the students in the class that the content was not going deep enough and that they probably could have put the first six classes into one.  The instructors appear to have the knowledge but really are not imparting value to the class. The class is very new and the instructors very young, some of the people that are running Brainstation openly say that they have no experience and are learning on the job.  It is my suggestion that you stay away from this particular course until they understand it better themselves.  If you are looking for a basic overview this is a good course but if you are really looking for a good course that will really teach you how to market a product or service it is definately not for you and I would strongly suggest you look to another venue.