Codeworks

 The bootcamp is divided in two parts, junior and senior. I can say that during the junior part my learning experience was very intense. I had some very basic background on web development (js and php) from working with joomla and drupal, which helped me to understand better the concepts around programming (networks, servers, OS configurations and other basic things). Having this basic knowledge was essential for me to cope with the junior’s part, so much was being thrown at us during the lectures, and every day we would have to work on those concepts in code. Yes, it is true that you need to be VERY motivated to learn, since most of the time it is up to you to come up with a solution, you are encouraged to become fully autonomous and use online resources to help you solve the problem (stack-overflow, official documentation etc). For some this might be a bummer, in my experience this was essential to my formation since once you leave the bootcamp you are on your own. Even so, if you really get stuck (which happened often) the teacher assistants are super helpful in guiding you through possible solutions, giving you hints or even explaining concepts that you haven’t “sunk in” during the lecture. By the end of the juniors part, I was able to work with many libraries and frameworks on my own. The seniors part is different, it is all about creating projects. There aren’t many lectures since it’s all about coding a real project, which might feel different for everybody. In my case it felt more like learning how to deal with complicated documentation from libraries and frameworks, learning the main differences between technologies you might want to use, understanding better how sql databases work etc. It was good, but I had more fun during the juniors part. 

My advice is, that if you are wanting to change career (like it was my case), you should be passionate about computer science (not only development). There is a TON of stuff that you will have to learn and understand, before, during & after the bootcamp, it never ends. If you are not serious into spending hours and hours studying hard, and banging your head against your laptop from all the frustration you might find during your new career because of all the thing you still need to learn, then maybe reconsider. The bootcam is a great introduction to the main concepts of computer science and you start developing your programing skills, so yes you learn lots of things, but, it DOES NOT END THERE. After the bootcamp I had to spend hours and hours doing test for job applications, every test I learned a lot more. Some tests went bad, some I passed, but getting to where I finally wanted took me a while. For some people it might take two weeks, or even less to get a job, it all depends on your personal skills and how far you want to go. The staff will always be by your side during the job hunt, the support is amazing, and you will always get excellent feedback on how to deal with your next interview. So yes, it definitely pays back. 

My expectations were high - and I was positively surprised! From day one Codeworks sticks to the promise of delivering top quality learning experience. The program is demanding, so exactly what you need if you treat your objectives seriously. It gives you an excellent background and you leave the course well prepared for the first coding job. The student selection process ensures you are surrounded by awesome teammates to make new friends you can rely on in your professional life after the graduation.

Summary: Codeworks is an excellent program if you know what you are paying for. Don't expect knowledge to be uploaded to your brain, instead think of it more like a mental "gym" with an intense workout plan, guided by lectures and TAs. If you put in the work, you'll learn a tonne, have a lot of fun and come out of it with a new career in a red-hot industry.   Curriculum: The curriculum is fantastic, up-to-date and highly relevant for working as a full stack or front end developer today. Javascript is in high demand and the course does a great job of teaching you the things you need to know to get a broad overview of web development in general. Once I started interviewing for jobs I understood just how well the course prepared me for it. The more you can study and prepare before the course, the more valuable it's going to be for you!   Other students: My colleagues were a very motivated and intelligent bunch of people from all walks of life. There were financial consultants, product managers, physicists, digital nomads and entrepreneurs. A strong motivation for coding was the common denominator, which made a huge difference on the final project. I was incredibly impressed by the group project (which I was most skeptical about going in), where absolutely everyone put in 110% of their efforts.   Outcomes: I found a job very quickly after Codeworks at a level that was above my expectations going into the course. I can say for certain I would not have found the role without Codeworks, which means an additional huge benefit to me. Huge thanks to the outcomes team for that!

CodeWorks is an incredible experience. If you are wanting to learn to code this is the only bootcamp worth considering in Europe right now. 

The level of tuition is super high, the teachers are very knowledgable and very easy to talk to and you are always learning cutting edge technologies and only utilising best practices. The curriculum is also constantly evolving to keep up to date with the demands of modern JavaScript.

 It's intense, however the atmosphere is really friendly, with everyone fully supporting each other the whole time. Students work together to motivate each other and help each other and achieve goals you wouldnt think possible.

After just a few weeks of leaving CodeWorks and I am already settled into my new role as a Front-End Dev. I was very nervous about this as I had no idea about coding in the "real world", however your level of Coding will be so high after leaving that you will feel very comfortable in any JavaScript role. 

If you attend CodeWorks, afterwards you will be a new person, with new skills, able to take on the world.

I'm writing this review 9 days after graduating. And guess what? Today I accepted a very cool job here in Barcelona as a software developer with a competetive over industry average salary. Codeworks set me up with the company on the last week before graduation. I was also doing interviews with multiple other companies with real offers on the table, which I declined.

Before taking the course the first thing I did was to google "codeworks". I read all reviews or comments I could find. What made me initially suspicious was that all the reviews were 5-star, and I couldn't find enough criticism. So I was afraid that this could be a scam or a money-grab. But I took a leap of faith, and started anyway. And let me tell you, it's real, and you should take the course!

Expectations, I've given it 5 stars on all accounts. There is certainly things that could be improved upon, but for me these were my expectations:

1. I wanted to learn Javascript, HTML, CSS and become a full-stack developer
2. I wanted to be able to confidently code, complete, deploy and publish any idea of an application I got
3. I wanted to be able to get a job after finishing the course, knowing I could provide real value for a company, and kick-start my career in sofware development.
4. I wanted to learn industry practises getting familiar with the tools and methods used (git, bash, npm, agile, etc)

Codeworks succeded in teaching me all theese things to my satisfaction. When I started, I had no clue what a framwork was, I did not even know what Node.js was.

Here is a breakdown of the course

Pre-course, on their website they say you should reserve 3 months for this. I did it in under one month, and I know many other friends on the batch also did it in a short time. However, I do recommend you to take it very seriously and it learn well. If you dont, you will struggle during the actual course. The most important part of this is to complete the codeacademy courses well, in particular the Javascript part, take your time and try to really learn it. Also try to solve as many coding challenges that you find online. The actual pre-course material given by Codeworks, could be better in my opinion, it did it, but I didn't really understand or learn so much from it. If you struggle during the pre-course do not be afraid to prolonge your start, and take your time learning it.

Junior-part, this is the first half of the course. After breakfast each day, you will get a toy-problem to solve, theese are actual coding challenges from companies. It's fun and slightly competetive, I enjoyed this part alot. During the day you will learn the fundementals of javascript, algoriths, data-structures, front-end frameworks, Node, back-end frameworks and much more. I recommend to take pair or group programming seriously and resist working solo, you will learn much more if you find someone you sync with, and work together during this part.

Senior-part, the second part of the course you will put everything to practise. The first project you will make is alone. On this part I created http://recommendmefantasybooks.com, which is a fantasy book recommendation engine. Building a project on your own was for me the most rewarding part of the course, I gained the confidence to start believing "I can do anything if I put my mind, blood, sweat and tears innit". Learning how to publish it online using AWS, and getting your own microserver was super cool. During the senior part you will also make two other cool projects, this time in increasing group sizes. You will learn industry practises on git workflow and agile programming. During our thesis project, real companies sent representatives to asses our presentations and projects.

Graduation, big thanks to Marc @ codeworks for setting us up with real companies. After the course you wont be alone, codeworks will assist you to find work. During the last week of the bootcamp, we had about 10 companies who sent their developers and CTO's to interview the students. Many of us will land jobs in theese companies. After graduating i would make an wild estimate of 10/15 persons getting a job during the first month, with the rest getting a job within a few months. 

Social, I gained many very good friends during this course and met super awesome people. I think our batch was amazing and while we worked harder than we have ever before, we had very much fun doing it. The teachers and the personnel at codeworks awesome and supportive, and they do their best to teach you what you need to learn and making you ready to start a career in development.

Summary, nothing is free, codeworks will give you the tools and they will provide everything you need to learn. If you are not ready, motivated and willing to work&learn from 9.00 - 21.00 six days a week for three months this course is not for you. Many of us, me including even worked 7 days a week, also opting to not take a break between junior and seniour part. In otherwords, this is a hard-core bootcamp, and that's why it is the best bootcamp in Europe. 

Disclaimer, I wrote this review because I wanted to review Codeworks, reviewing the course is completely optional. Hope you found it helpful!

- Chris

It’s been over a year since I decided I wanted to become a software developer and almost 3 months since I finished what was probably to date one of the most transformative periods of my life - the Codeworks coding bootcamp. 

There are a number of reasons why I decided to wait before writing this review; the main one was to understand the skill level that the course had given me, but also so that I could fully digest what was a very intense experience which was filled with loads of highs and very few lows. 

I have tried to be as candid as possible, with the intention of giving you a clear and realistic impression of what it is like to be a Codeworks student and also how you can maximise the effect the bootcamp will have in your professional endeavors. 

Firstly, I can truly say that Codeworks is affective. I am a couple of months into a new role as a software engineer and the investment has not only allowed me to ‘get in the door’ but has helped ensured I am confidently making a difference to a living, breathing product in a way I could not have imagined this soon into the job.

In the run-up to starting the course in January 2018, I made the decision to give myself two 3 months to fully complete the pre-course and really prepare for the big step up that awaits you from day 1. I highly recommend that you give yourself as much time as you can afford at this stage, as you will get the most out of the pre-course if you spend time really digging into each section and feel very comfortable reimplementing it on the fly. 

Please, please do not underestimate this part of the course. From my experience and I’m sure others would agree, those students who skipped or failed the complete the pre-course struggled at the beginning of the course and each topic thereafter was significantly more challenging. The pre-course is intending to give you a solid foundation from which you can quickly pick up new topics at the speed that is required. If you fail to prepare properly here, your experience for the main course will be severely hindered.

In addition to the pre-course, I did as many Codewars Katas (https://www.codewars.com) as I could, reaching Level 4. These will greatly improve your ability to quickly solve algorithms and engrain the thought-patterns that are essential to your success as a developer. You will also complete daily challenges during the first part of the main course, so completing 4-5 daily Katas goes a long way towards helping you approach these challenges correctly.

Moving onto the main course is an exciting but slightly nervous step. I came from the UK, so relocating to Barcelona was a significant step in my life and not one to be taken lightly. However, the city is an energising, happy place where you will be made to feel at home. Unlike other major European cities, such as London or Paris, the way of life in Barcelona is well suited to the deep and intense learning journey you will undertake. You will be able to contrast the hard work during the course with relaxing trips to the beach, the luxury of almost constant sunshine, and the quiet streets of nearby districts such as Barceloneta - it was a pleasure to live in the city and I wish I could have stayed for longer!

The course itself starts how it means to go on - it captures the true meaning of what a bootcamp should be! The first part of the course is intense and very tiring. Coupled with your fresh start in a new place, it will be a shock to your system. You should ensure you get plenty of sleep, look after your body with fresh, healthy food and be mindful that you are undertaking a short-term but intentionally stressful few months.

The first part of the courses feels as if you are learning too much, too fast. You cover a range of topics at breakneck speed with rarely get a chance to catch your breath and digest what you have learned. On top of this, you will feel as if you don’t actually understand what you are learning and that things really aren’t sinking in. You may even start to panic. Please, please, please trust the instructors when they say you are learning these topics. Although it doesn’t feel like it, this method of learning works and will be evident to see in the projects of the batch of students that began the course before you and in your own projects during the second half of the course. 

You won’t believe it at the time, but the course is almost perfectly balanced to offer the correct amount of information at the right speed. I say ‘almost’ because there is always room for improvement, as I would like to see more emphasis and strictness on the pre-course which would give more room for even more advanced topics in the main course. However, you will not find a bootcamp out there that covers such advanced topics in both JavaScript and computer science.

The second part of the course transforms from being an intense and tiring whirlwind to a platform where you begin to understand your true potential as a programmer and start building your first real web applications. The week-long break you receive between the two sections helps you digest what you’ve learned and gives your brain some much-needed rest. You return and almost by magic your understanding of those topics that were once so foreign and confusing now seem to have consolidated. 

Once you begin with the project work, your learning curve really begins to steepen. Utilising the toolkit you have been equipped within the first six weeks, you will produce three portfolio-standard pieces of work that will prove invaluable in your search for a job. I worked on 2 web applications and implementing testing for an open-source React library, giving me plenty to talk about in interviews. You will also be given the freedom to explore all areas of JavaScript and learn the peripheral technologies that give you an edge as a developer searching for a job.

The scope of the projects also means that you become a genuine full stack developer. You will be expected to produce projects demonstrating your abilities using Node frameworks and frontend frameworks, as well as your proficiency of conceptualising a technical product with a clear use-case. I feel that the structure of these projects was very much geared towards prepping students for a real product environment, as you will begin to think about the work you are doing from a product perspective - again this is a big advantage when looking for roles after the course.

As I was returning to the UK following the course, I did not partake in the hiring week although the support with your CV, LinkedIn and how to approach applications and interviews are thorough and very useful. However, the real value in the course is not seen until you take on your first technical test. 

I was very proactive in attempting to get interviews and speaking to recruiters. You will not have any shortage of interest so please do not start until you’ve reached the hiring week - it will only distract you! After applying for 43 roles, I received 26 responses requesting calls or meetings. I made it through to 10 technical tests where I was either coding on-screen, completing pre-defined questions or building a small app. Of all of these tests, I was offered final stage interviews with 9 and received 5 job offers.

You will come out the other side of Codeworks not as a junior developer, but as a mid-level developer that is only lacking in professional experience. My boss and product manager at my new job have been pleasantly surprised at the standard of knowledge I have been equipped with through Codeworks and by no means consider me to be junior. This is a credit to the bootcamp and unfortunately, the most difficult problem they still need to overcome is getting their name out to the world that they are the premier coding bootcamp in Europe that produces quality outcomes - they are head and shoulders above the rest.

The experience as a whole was life-changing. I love being a developer. Being paid to do something I enjoy is a dream-come-true and although I could have eventually done it on my own or through another bootcamp, doing it with Codeworks has meant I’ve reached a higher professional level faster and cheaper, as well as meeting some friends for life and gaining an experience I will talk about as long as I live. 

If you are looking for a new career in software development or considering a bootcamp, cross everyone else off your list. If you’re willing to work hard, commit to your future in a meaningful and fulfilling way, and searching for a real challenge then Codeworks should be your home for 3 months.

I attended Codeworks right after finishing university (Hotel management) and now I can say that  during 3 months in the bootcamp I have learned and been challenged more than during 4 years of getting my bachelor degree.

If its your first coding experience I would totally recommend Codeworks. The extensive pre-course gives you a very good basis, instructors always very helpful and there's a wide range of topics explained