Coder Camps

I'm going to keep this blunt and honest, for the sake of those interested in attending this course. If you want to take this course, prepare yourself mentally and physically. I have absolutely no background in coding, but i studied hard with the materials provided and managed to master everything in the course - while my other classmates at a similar disadvantage decided to coast through the course assuming they would get help later. Not only did they not learn the material, they are now retaking the course because of their complete inneptitude. Make no mistake, boot-camps are not for everyone.

Lastly, be honest with yourself and expectations. Coder Camps had a very loose cirriculum - and as soon as the instructional section ended, we were stuffed into a group project in a seperate room by ourselves unless we deemed it necessary to go bother a intructor for help (instructor began teaching a different class). Not only was I basically paying to rent a room to write code in, but my groupmates were absolutely no help, and the end product of our project was absolute garbage that i didnt even want to put on my resume. Their Career Services was a absolute joke as well, Im fairly sure i incited the scheduling of a career day just by emailing the camp director and complaining. They continually forgot to respond to my emails, never followed through on weekly checkups, and best of all (seriously made me laugh) emailed me asking if id like resume help - which i obliged with my resume - and then immediately told me the career services leader would be taking a honeymoon in hawaii for 2 weeks.

If you have got this far, you might ask yourself, why should i attend coder camps then? Well the answer is that - a coding camps outcome is universally dependent on the work you put in. Regardless of everything that i wrote about above, I put in the work to learn the material, contact my instructor when i was confused, and go above and beyond to make sure the work i did was spectacular. I have joined a friends startup company to work on mobile apps, and within 2 months of job searching have landed a position as a Junior Software Engineer. Bottom line: if you want it bad, you will make it happen.

“Through accelerated and immersive courses led by expert instructors, our students become accustomed to thinking like a developer and adapting to the dynamics of working on an Agile software team.” - a quote from CoderCamps own website….

Our instructor was a brand new T.A. The teacher that was suppose to teach (Ron) left the company without any disclosure from Coder Camps. We found out from David Weems he left and that is the reason our emails for help went unanswered. So expert is 1 and a half months after graduating from BootCamp? It does get better, wait until you read how we were dismissed from the Camp and our loan “Divvied Up” amongst them. Best part, we were never notified of our dismissal, my wife who received loan and co-signed for my loan NEVER received any communications until Jan. 15th. They left a VM and then proceeded to tell their V.P. they spoke with my wife. We have an attorney, contacted BBB,CFPB,AZAG and will not stop until they pay for damages to credit and our mental and emotional stress. By the way, our T.A. tried his best and is an all around good person.... person is key, not expert.

What an experience!  I chose Coder Camps after about as much research as one could possibly do on a coding bootcamp.  After moving from Charlotte, NC to Phoenix, AZ all I can say is that I made the right decision.  From the get go the Admissions Manager Jamie was wonderful, she truly cares about your success and is there every step of the way to make sure you are getting the most out of the program.  Even though the class can be tough you always have the support you need with top notch instructional staff that is always willing to help and answer any questions you may have.  With John Thomas leading the way to continually update the curriculum as the industry changes I can tell it will only get better.  I'm looking forward to taking advantage of the Coder For Life benefit that Coder Camps offers!

Coder Camps is a great place if you want to learn how to program. Everyone from the instructors, to the fellow students are friendly and help. The Full Stack JavaScript instructor, Ron Bravo is a programming wizard when it comes to JavaScript. Often times in class he fixes students problems without even seeing them. He is a great guy and an amazing instructor.

The backend of Coder Camps is wonderful as well. My admission rep, Jason Jones was always checking on me to see how I was doing, and if there was a problem he was always there to help me. He generally cares and it not just there to fill seats and collect a paycheck.

Chris Coleman, the COO is a great all around person. He is the main reason I signed up for the course, and the reason I'll continue to use the Coder for Life benefit. He is always available for the students, even though he is a busy guy up in the ranks. He cares about us little people. 

I am excited to see the new direction the curriculum and the website is taking. John Thomas, the Director of Education is extremely knowledgable and can defintely do nothing but improve the current content. I would encourage anyone and everyone to join this program, it is going nowhere but up.

I went into the course excited, and also left pretty much the same...

Then reality struck and it turned out the material wasn't thorough enough, we didn't do enough algorithms, and the job help was so minimal, I don't even consider it "help".

We only had 1 instructor in Oakland, he knew what he was doing, but it came with a blasé attitude and a lot of things were skimmed over. When I asked a question, he would say that we already went over it like it was covered throughly. Otherwise, he was good.

The level of projects at which my peers in the Bay Area were coming out of camps with was noticeably different.

Coder Camps was my first choice because it offered both an online option and a .NET option.  My background is as a technical trainer (amongst other things) and having taught mixed online/in-person classes myself, I was well aware that it's difficult to pull mixed classes off.  So I was a little surprised to learn that online students are taught alongside the in-person class.  I have to say they did pretty well, but sometimes it was impossible to hear what students actually there in the class were saying, and it was harder to stay engaged with those who were physically there.  And there were the inevitable technical glitches, but not as many as I thought there would be and they were usually quickly resolved.

Overall the instructors (Dan Do and Stephen Walther) did an excellent job.  There were a couple of sessions where I felt the instructor didn't have the sufficiently deep knowledge required in a topic to excel in teaching it, but  overall the quality of the instruction was high.  The lecture notes were reasonably comprehensive and there are many, many resources available online if you needed a deeper/different explanation. Be aware that it's very hard to keep documentation perfectly updated when, for example, AngularJS is releasing a new version every month or two.  So the lecture notes weren't always perfectly up-to-date, nor, frankly, can they be.

Before going to any coding camp you should be prepared for a few things.

First, you must work really, really hard.  There is no getting around this.  The less you know going in, the more hours you will have to put in to keep up.  I was fortunate in that I already had a lot of the basics and have taken classes here and there for 10 years (mostly in the last 3 years).  I did anywhere from 60 - 80 hours a week with the occasional 90 hour week.  There were one or two in my class who lacked basic knowledge and who struggled to keep up.  There were also one or two who I guess just had money to burn as they didn't seem to actually DO anything except show up (sometimes) when they felt like it.  

Second, you will likely do best if you already have some coding experience/classes under your belt.  Get familiar with the basics from some of the many free online courses out there, and you will find it so much easier than going in with zero knowledge.

Third, If you are online you will need to advocate for yourself more so than if you are there in person.  Get the contact information for the instructor and the TA and the best students in the class and ping them remorselessly.  Set up an appointment early in the day for after-hours if need be for a shared-screen online session, and even if you solve the problem you originally needed help with, keep the appointment because you will almost certainly run into some other problem you need help with.  If you are not comfortable being assertive you may feel you are being overlooked.  As a former trainer I can tell you this isn't deliberate - it's just if I can't see you I have no idea if you need my help unless you TELL me.

Fourth, only YOU can get yourself a job.  Sure, Coder Camps may provide you with a few leads, resume advice, and a session on common coding questions, but frankly it's YOU and YOUR skills that will get you a job.  I was networking throughout the class and in my last week I already had interviews set up with local recruiters and companies.  I did not expect Coder Camps to arrange interviews for me with recruiters or "hiring partners" and nor should you.  I know it's part of their sales pitch but frankly it will be down to you, and I'm okay with that.  I'm a grown-up.  I didn't need or want their help with getting a job (although the interview question session and the provided materials were useful).  If you need or want that support, then maybe this isn't the camp for you, although they do seem to be very focused on stepping up their career support.

Speaking of getting a job: I am a very non-traditional candidate.  I'm solidly middle-aged, a woman, no computer science degree, nor have I been coding since age 9.  Sure, I had some technical work experience, but nothing remotely resembling coding.  I figured that if I hustled I'd have a job in maybe 6 months.  It actually took me a little over two months.  Note that the first month of that was taken up with some personal matters, so really I was only seriously job-hunting for 5 weeks.

Lastly, there is both an indiividual project and a group project.  The success of the group project is determined by how hard your group is prepared to work and their overall skill level.  If you have unmotivated people in your group project, be prepared to either do most of the group work yourself, and/or make your individual project shine.

To sum up: this was a positive experience for me, but I went in with realistic expectations (I have changed career before by doing an intensive course in this way).  I also was prepared with a good amount of self-study prior to doing the course.  And, of course, I worked my butt off and was proactive in getting the help I needed.  You will come out of this with a good grasp of how to set up a full-stack .NET project using cutting edge technology and frameworks.  You may not have a solid grasp of the why, but how to do things should be enough to get you your first job.

You are welcome to look me up on LinkedIn and send me a message/invite.  I'm happy to expand on my rather lengthy review.

TL;DR:

Pros:
Knowledgable instructors.  
Cutting edge technologies are taught.  
Full-stack - you can always specialize later if you want.
Fairly reasonable price.
Fully online option if you like coding in your PJ's

Cons:
Online / in-class mixed instruction is very hard to pull off well and didn't always work.  
Career support was not quite as promised (didn't matter to me), but is clearly being worked on.
Not everyone in the class had the aptitude or work ethic to succeed and sometimes dragged down the rest of the class.

Comments:
You will get out of this what you put into it. 

Coder Camps turned out to be one of the best decisions that I've ever made. I was nervous about a major career change, walking away from a steady paycheck, and pushing 50 yrs old with no coding background whatsoever. The instructors and TA's were very helpful explaining the material and the student to teacher ratio made sure that I had the one-on-one attention that I needed. The career services program really sets Coder Camps apart from the competition. They guide you through a customized strategy to get you hired and help improve your existing resume. I was offered a great job with a 22% raise before I even graduated and have been with the same employer ever since! Thank you Codercamps.com 

INTRO:

I left a career in sales to make the transition into a development career. I knew going into this, that it was going to be a difficult transition, especially with bootcamps still being quite new within the industry. However, after a good amount of online research, I felt that Coder Camps was going to be a great fit for what I was looking for in development.

THE COURSE:

Learning even just 1 technical language in 12 weeks is a daunting task, let alone Full-Stack .NET. Overall the course is extremely difficult, and as other reviews have stated, will require above and beyond time dedication to stay up to speed with the course. The great thing about Coder Camps is that the instructors and resources that you have available during the course, are eager and willing to help get you up to speed if you feel that you are slipping behind. My Instructor Dan, continuously made himself available - even during the weekends, so if you have him as an instructor - you're in for a treat.

The languages they teach are top notch within the industry. I was constantly praised on my school of choice when people saw that they taught both Typescript AND AngularJS, in addition to the typical JavaScript/ C# languages. One recommendation that I would give to the school (at least from my interview experience down here in Irvine, CA) is to teach a bit more SQL. Nearly every interview I have been on has been SQL,SQL and more SQL, which I had to go additionally learn on my own to feel comfortable being able to speak to it. 

Overall the course material WILL prepare you for the real world. The CRUD style applications that are built throughout the class, are exactly what companies will have you build in interviews - and to my experience, was comfortable doing it. 

ONLINE vs. OFFLINE:

I'll keep this short and to the point - I took the course online. Coder Camps did a fantastic job of making the online students feel included and ask us questions and it did not hinder my learning experience. There were occasional audio issues, but nothing too serious. That being said - If you have the opportunity to do so, I would still take the course IN-PERSON if you can. Being able to speak to the instructors in person, and have code reviews in person - rather than having a screen share session - is invaluable. Although I must say waking up in the comfort of my own home and learning, was amazing.

JOB ASSISTANCE:

This is where I feel that the experience lacked a bit. Toward the end of the course - specifically during our final presentations, I felt that everything ended very abruptly. We spent 1 day (actually only 2 hours) reviewing "interview" type questions - including "Fizz Buzz", etc. (if you don't know what that is - you will eventually), and we never re-visited it after.

Following our final presentations, which you dedicate three FULL weeks to, everything ended with an "OK, thanks - bye" type of feeling, which myself and other campers felt was a bit strange - especially those of us that were online students. 

I did receive assistance with my resume, which ended up helping a great bit - but this was only AFTER speaking to a fellow camper friend having mentioned he got help with his. I would have really appreciated some additional assistance for the first few interviews and to guide us a bit better and help us better understand what to expect in the weeks to come. Now before I just make it seem like I am ranting on, I'm sure Dan and other instructors would have helped me if I had any specific questions, but having felt like a lost puppy after the course was over, I had no idea what to ask or even expect. 

CONCLUSION:

This school is a fantastic school. If you're thinking about joining a bootcamp that is specific to the .NET framework - Coder Camps is a top notch choice and will prepare you technically for this industry. I know this because 8 weeks after completion of the course, I was offered a position as a Jr .NET Developer in the Irvine area for an unbelievable company that works with the NFL and major retailers like McDonalds and Walmart to code and build interactive LED color video displays, and I am extremely excited to start my new life. 

My time at Coder Camps was nothing short of life changing. I walked into the camp with minimal coding experience and left as a full-stack .NET developer. Not as a coding genius, but with enough knowledge and experience to build full-stack applications using a variety of the latest and greatest web technologies, and get a software developer position at a local company only 6 weeks after graduating.

I have nothing but good things to say about the instructors. Dan, Stephen and Lindsey (Teaching Assistant). They were completely approachable and knowledgeable at all times. They always went the extra mile to make sure we were getting better and helped us debug, so that we could continue to move forward and keep improving.

Job assistance needs to be more involved, but I was given lots of helpful advice and interview practice, and I'm positive that job placement improvements are in the works.

Coder Camps is going through many radical changes including a constantly evolving .NET curriculum written by a Microsoft MVP, and author of many best selling .NET books. They're ensuring that instructors are available throughout the group project phase so that students always have someone to consult. As far as I know, the troops do not overlap anymore, which is great! I also highly recommend staying behind longer for the optional free masters programme.

A word of advice. If you join a coding bootcamp, put in the minimum 9-5 effort 5 days a week and then expect to leave with the knowledge you came for, you'll be disappointed. And then you'll leave a bad review, which is unfair to the bootcamp. I've seen students like this first hand. You get what you put in, that's it. If you want to change your life in only 12 weeks, be prepared to work up to 16 hours a day, 7 days a week for the entire duration. If you don't commit 100%, you're wasting your time. All the help and resources you need are avaliable here, but it's what you do with them.

We were just finishing up our work for the last week of camp and guy drops in to tell us about his company.  He was with a relatively small start up and was still getting his name out there.

The class heard about his plans and at the end of the discussion, he asked if any of us were interested in working at a place like his.  I raised my hand and we setup an interview time for after I graduated.

At my interview, the owner of the company was there again and had a couple of developers in the room with him.  It was a project based on node.js and React, the latter of which is a framework that I wasn't super familiar with, but I knew it had simliar features to Angular, which we had learned in class.

They asked some hard questions and let me look up answers as we went if I didn't know the answer off of the top of my head.  It was all practical stuff about how I would handle situations X, Y, and Z.

At the end of the interview, we were all laughing and hanging out and the owner said that he thought I would make a wonderful addition to the team and gave me an offer letter. I didn't accept the offer right away as I was going to another interview that afternoon.

As I was walking to my car, I realized that I let out a long breath that I had been holding in for quite a while (before I started camp).  What dawned on me was the fact that this was real and it was definitely going to happen.

Those people who say that these programs don't work are just complaining and scared.  If you do what they ask, work your ass off, and graduate, you will get that job.  I did and I could not have done it without Coder Camps.

I left a career making about 80k a year to take what I thought would be a small paycut to about 70k a year.  This was according to Chris Lipari who said they had a 98% industry placement with an average salary of 75k a year.  Over time, I found out this is not true.  I watched his number change from 98%, 92%, 95%.  He just makes it up.  In addition to that, I talked to past students that were still attending and had been without a job for over a year, most over 6 months.  All bright individuals.  Don't buy into this program unless you are going to code.  The career prospects are crap.  The teachers are great, and I was told I would be able to sit in on the next camp once, free of charge.  This too, changed during enrollment.  They were "no longer doing that"  however, I signed a contract.  Welcome lawsuit.  I did learn how to code, I did not get a job, I spent too much money on something I could have learned myself on my own over time.  Great.  The pace is super fast and many of the people spent over 100 hours a week and still did not pick up everything because of the fast pace.  Thank god for the instructors who were more than willing to help.