Coding Temple

During my time at a couple tech companies, I felt kind of limited by my lack of coding knowledge and experience. To remedy this, I decided to enroll in a full-time coding bootcamp. Originally, I was going to choose General Assembly, however, I did some more research discovered that Coding Temple was a much better option.

Coding Temple's Python & Data Science Bootcamp was worth every penny. There are a number of advantages this bootcamp has over its competitors. The class size is limited to eight people, making sure each student gets the right amount of attention. The course material is tailored to the students' needs. For example, some of us required user authentication for our applications so Connor, the instructor, made sure he went over OAuth. The course was structured in a way that allowed us to quickly understand many different languages/frameworks/tools without being overwhelmed. We would learn the Flask backend framework and gradually learn how it can be integrated with a React frontend framework. The homework we were assigned was difficult but not too difficult, allowing us to challenge ourselves and develop our coding skills outside of the class. By the end of the course, my fellow students and I were able to build full-stack web applications. My final project incorporated two different programming languages, two frameworks, numerous APIs and a number of other tools/libraries taught throughout the course. 

Throughout the entire course, the staff was there to make sure we were taken care of. Kirsten, the one in charge of marketing, helped us keep track of the schedule, create more visible and comprehensive LinkedIn profiles and practice behavioral interviews. Ripal, one of the bootcamp's founders, overhauled our resumes to make them more relevant for coding jobs, made sure our career interests were addressed during the recruiting process and reached out to numerous companies and individuals to generate interest from recruiters. Connor, our instructor, taught the material in a way that could be easily understood, made himself available outside of class to help with our homework or projects and was very patient while working with those of us who were struggling with different parts of the curriculum. 

If you're looking for a job after graduating from a bootcamp, Coding Temple is where it's at. I was even able to get an associate software engineer job offer weeks before graduating. Through mock interviews involving behavioral questions, coding tests and overviews of projects that I've built, I was well-prepared to talk with recruiters and interviewers. The companies and recruiting firms that Ripal bring in often already have a strong interest in Coding Temple graduates. Being able to interview with and present to representatives of these organizations in-person is a great advantage. Instead of having to drop your resume on LinkedIn and hoping for a reply, you can talk directly to those who are already interested in hiring coding bootcamp graduates.

10/10 experience. Would recommend to anyone interested in getting into coding or looking to brush up on their existing coding skills.

As someone who has not only been employed as a developer before but also as someone who has been to a coding boot camp before (General Assembly); Coding Temple is the best and most educational experience I’ve had as a developer. This course is an enlightening experience for anyone who wants to go down the path of Software Developer and gives you back every bit of payoff for the amount of work you put into it. With a patient and experienced instructor, a steady paced curriculum, and all the bagels you could wish for Coding Temple slays the competition.

TLDR: this bootcamp was good for exposure to full-stack web development, not for actually gaining competency. See below for practical advice.

Going into the bootcamp, I had about 7 months of programming experience, mainly in Python and front-end languages such as JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. I was faily proficient at coding (completed several online courses including MIT Intro to CS and Lambda schhol free JS course, read a couple of books, ~140 points on CodeWars, ~25 problems solved on CodeAbbey, etc), however now I wanted to take my abilities to the next level. I gave this course my all--I was almost always the first one to show up at class every day and the last one to leave, and spent 3+ hours outside of class every day and another 12 hours every weekend on the coursework, review, and supplementary research and learning. I really wanted to love this bootcamp, but came away feeling very disappointed.

My main gripes:
-For a bootcamp called Coding Temple, I was surprised at how little coding we actually did. They say in the marketing material there is a coding challenge every morning and homework every night. We had a morning challenge exactly 3 times in 11 weeks of the course. We had homework about 1.5 times per week. During class and while doing our portfolio projects, there was more copy/pasting of code than actually writing code yourself.
-They have given thought to the curriculum, but not how to actually teach the curriculum so that students achieve understanding and competency. Class is basically an instructor doing a code demo at the front of class all day, and you're not even encouraged to code along. I would try to code along every day, but be unable to keep up after about 40 minutes. When asked to go back and let me catch up, it was always met with "I will post this to Slack in a few minutes". I'd then be able to copy/paste code from Slack to catch up, but that was useless. You learn by repitition, and watching someone code something up and then later copy/pasting their code is no way to learn how to program, in my humble opinion.
-The instructor was certainly knowledgable and a very competent programmer, however was not actually a good teacher. When I asked questions, the answers were usually very verbose and confusing as though he was speaking to a computer scientist, not a more novice programmer. Sometimes you need to have things explained to you like your five (ELI5), but that was not to be. Sometimes I'd ask questions and be more confused after receiving an answer and left not really being able to form a good follow up questio, stuck at basically, "I still don't get it" which would sometimes make the instructor frustrated or angry. I'm sorry, I'm just trying to learn.
-My general impression was the instructor was speeding through material, racing to the end every day so he could check a box "I covered X topic," with little regard for if or how well students were comprehending the material. I would regularly poll my classmates about how well they're understanding the material and the code being demoed, and they'd usually reply somewhere in the 20-30% range.
-Almost no work on core CS fundamentals like algorithms and data-structures, which will be highly relevant when looking for a job.
-I felt like I had only a little better understanding of OOP after then course vs before the course, even though this was one of the main things I hoped to improve upon during the course.
-When researching various bootcamps, the organizers of this bootcamp sold me on the idea that C#/.Net stack was in high demand. Halfway through the course, I learn that this will be the last C#/.Net full-stack bootcamp they will be offering in Chicago due to lack of demand for .Net devs in Chicago.  WTF

Good part about this bootcamp:
-It was good for gaining exposure to various different web dev technologies, and learning how a web app fits together from the back-end to the front-end. You may not gain a high-level of competency with these technologies, but at least you'll learn the tools of the trade, what they're used for and get a basic understanding of them so that you can continue wokring on them later.
-Learning a strongly typed programming language like C# is very valuable, and I'm glad that this is now my main programming language.
-Having something tangible like a coding bootcamp on resume does help a little bit, particularly getting past initial HR screening from what I've heard.

Advice:
-If this really was the "Best Coding Bootcamp" in 2017 and 2018, then I can't recommend bootcamps. Talking with recruiters and HR people, and people from other bootcamps as well, I've found that they don't seem to think a coding bootcamp is "enough".
-Becoming a programmer is all going to come down to YOU. You will have to spend an innumerable number of hours learning this stuff. A bootcamp is good in that it forces you to spend those hours for a few months, but you're still going to have to spend an incredible amount of hours continuing to learn and code to gain any degree of competency.
-If you want a poor-man's version of this bootcamp that will be as good if not better than this bootcamp, do this:
    -find out the curriculum to this course
    -take a git course/learn git, create a github account
    -get a monthly subscription to codewithmosh.com for $15/month (to be clear: I have no affliation with this site, I just find Mosh to be a good, effective teacher)
    -go to the library every day at 9am, and spend 6 hours doing the Code with Mosh courses that are equivalent to the topics covered in this course. Every Day.  No exceptions.
    -supplement those courses with YouTube videos, and reading on StackOverflow. Look around, there's really good courses out there if you dig a little. For example, this Scrimba course is great for React (https://scrimba.com/p/p7P5Hd/cQ726Sr)
    -YOU MUST CODE ALONG WHEN DOING THESE COURSES!! If you're just going to watch the videos, don't even bother.
    -push all your code/projects to github to build a portfolio. You want at least one push to github per day, every day, for three months straight. Employers look at this.
    -after or while doing a Code with Mosh course, make a simple project of your own using the same technologies of the course you're following to get repitition and ingrain the skills you're covering.
    -take a course on algorithms and data-structures, read a book(s) on them, etc.
    -that's it. Mosh is a better teacher than you're likely to find at a bootcamp.  You just need to be disciplined and consistent.  Go on StackOverflow or an IRC channel of a given technology to ask questions.  You will need to keep learning continuously.
    
I have been following the above approach for the past month, and feel it is superior to what the bootcamp.  

I have been finished with this bootcamp for almost 2 months. I have applied to 80+ jobs and attended a few networking events. I have gotten some attention from employers, having done about 20 phone screenings and a half-dozen or so coding assessments. I have had one legit interview, which I believe was the final round of the interview process. However, I've had no luck so far. I'm going to keep persevering, but my job prospects are not looking too rosy at the moment. While there are a ton of developer jobs available, there's only so many junior develper jobs that I actually qualify for and have the skills to get. Also, don't expect Coding Temple to hook you up with any jobs--they'll help with your resume and refer you to a few recruiters, but that's about it.  Still, I'm going to continue to practice and I'll get a job sooner or later (I hope).  I will update this review if/when I get a job. Otherwise, Coding Temple has a money back guarantee if you can't get a job, so perhaps I will have to test how well that guarantee actually holds up.

Overall, I wouldn't recommend this bootcamp.  I think it'd be a good value at about $300/week, nowhere near the $1000/week price tag.

If you’re looking to really level up your career, look no further than Coding Temple Boston. This program is short, sweet and absolutely jam packed with relevant, requisite information for the aspiring engineer. Many of my peers have described the work load already, but it needs to be reiterated, you will have to work harder than you ever have, but you will be rewarded for it in time. I compare it to my hardest semester of college.

Three things make Coding Temple stand out amongst other options in your array of potential educational investments:  Structure, Staff, and Follow-through.

Structure:

Because it’s on the small end of bootcamps, the program is extremely agile. They rapidly respond to market demands for engineers and implement changes to the curriculum each cohort to maximize candidate visibility upon graduation. They utilize a well-paced curriculum delivering need-to-know concepts like language syntax, data structures, algorithms, and version control before branching out into the more exotic stuff like mobile dev, machine learning, or aws.

Staff:

A great curriculum won’t get you very far if you don’t have skilled instructors and support staff, luckily Coding Temple’s are top of the line.

The instructor is a deft communicator that rivals the very best of my professors. He will help you not only learn the material, but command it. He knows instinctively when to help you out and also when to let you sit and struggle through something, this is rare and invaluable for you.

The office manager/marketer/student success organizer is a remarkably kind woman who will routinely go out of her way bring students to networking events after class, host impromptu webinars on photoshop, and help you create a distinctive brand for yourself as you prepare to hit the market.

And finally, the gentlemen that oversee the operation are dependable experts with an active presence in the area. They’re crafting the brand, again helping you after you graduate and interview with recruiters who say, “Yeah I’ve heard great things about Coding Temple!”.

Follow-through:

After graduation the team at Coding Temple was consistently available to help refine my portfolio, continue interview prep, and navigate the offers I got. They provided critical guidance and sound advice exactly when I needed it.

Coding Temple is not just a 10 week bootcamp, It’s a program that you can and should utilize to become a better, happier version of yourself with an enviable trajectory. Take aim with Coding Temple and you’ll be well equipped to hit your mark.

So I read plenty of reviews on here and other places about this and many other bootcamps.  If you want in-depth reviews there are plenty of them out there.  I am designing this review for one purpose only, what it's like to enroll, to actually do it, and to successfully switch careers.

Enroll:  If you have zero coding experience don't enroll.  Spend at least a month (the more the better) writing code.  Doesn't matter what language you choose (I started with Javascript) just get used to having to think through writing out code.  Once you can do that you will have enough of a foundation that you won't get knocked off your feet when you start with the pre-work.  You will feel dumb and clumsy while you get started, just practice like crazy and review stuff you don't understand.

Bootcamp Proper:  If you didn't get comfortable thinking about/through code and didn't get through the pre-work you will get crushed.  If you did, then you will be ok, everyone in my course that did that foundational work made it through.  How difficult is it?  That's impossible for me to say.  Things that were easy for me were hard for others, and vice versa.  One thing is absolute though: it is a lot of work. 

One of the most important things you will learn is how to teach yourself.  If you are easily frustrated and want the instructor to spell things out for you then this may not be right for you.  I will say though: every single working developer I have talked to says this is crucial to their job.  If you choose this as a career you will be reading official documentation and message board support topics for the rest of your career, because it is impossible to know everything, so teaching yourself is vital. 

Feeling dumb and clumsy persisted throughout bootcamp, there were times when I thought I'd never figure something out... and then I would and I'd feel like a genius.  So don't get discouraged, or rather it's normal to feel discouraged, nervous, panicked.  It's an unfortunate bi-product of doing something completely new and unique that can start to feel like a mistake.  If you stick with it and resign yourself to doing whatever it takes no matter how much time and effort you need to put in, then you'll be rewarded. 

Post Camp/Job Hunt:  Ripal was invaluable when it came to this.  However, be prepared to be overwhelmed in a whole new fashion.  Developers are so in demand and the ability to access them via LinkedIn and Indeed, etc is both a blessing and a curse.  I was inundated with job offers for positions I was not remotely qualified for, so it can be a bit of a downer.  But the strategy Ripal has honed over the years was effective.  I got a job 3 weeks after graduation.  I applied to 14 postings, heard back from 3 with no's and 3 that I am currently in process with (who knows what will happen, but I'm not waiting to find out).  Seven I have never even heard from and the 14th is the one where things moved quickly and they offered me a position.  The number of positions I was offered to interview for that were well beyond my experience level : 50+.  

So that's the gist of what I went through.  It was intense, scary, overwhelming, but ultimately rewarding.  I now have a new career path in front of me in an industry that's only getting bigger.

Note:  If there was a way to add more stars I would because it's impossible to learn everything you need to in such an accelerated environment.  It's more like 6 or 7 stars out of 5.  I'm still learning stuff that was only touched on in class.  

Attending Coding Temple was a huge step for me.  I traveled all the way out from CA to get a fresh start and Coding temple had the biggest draw out of all the schools I looked into.  The Instructor for the Python course Connor was Amazing.  The work was fast paced and difficult, but he was always there to slow down if needed and stayed after class to answer all questions.  I came out of the class feeling very confident in my abilities and would 10/10 recommend this course to anyone looking into Python.  

I can honestly say that attending Coding Temple was one of the best decisions I have made. Prior to matriculation, I had no coding experience, as did a few other students, but by the end of the semester, especially after completing my Final Capstone Project, I felt as if had accumulated a wealth of programming tools and technologies in an astonishingly short period of time. Upon graduating, I received multiple interviewers and felt comfortable demonstrating to employers that I learned a lot and have the potential to put these tools into practice. The same can be said for anyone upon completion of the course regardless of their desired path; front-end, back-end, full-stack, data-science - you will gain proficiency in each of these areas - provided YOU put in the time and effort needed for success. Plus, I don't think that many employers were too skeptical that I attended a bootcamp rather than acquire a traditional 4-year CS degree at a university. They are gaining steam and a well-justified positive perception in the STEM community.

One thing to reiterate though - you NEED to put in the time and effort needed to understand all concepts. That means asking questions when you have minimal understanding of a new topic, staying after class ends for extra assistance, and reviewing weekly syllabi on your own time. The instructors will always happily and promptly entertain questions on anything - be it on Python, hashing, Javascript array methods, and, of course, job searching. Follow the above recommendations: you will have good fortune searching for jobs if you do!

How long have you prepared for this? Assuming you have no coding experience, If you want to achieve your highest potential for success, do not decide you want to learn how to code, and then sign up for a bootcamp 2-3 weeks later. You need to prepare. You need to utilize as much online learning as you can, until you feel confident enough in your skills. Coding Temple is an intense  10 week program, and falling behind typically leaves you behind the entire course. That's a place you don't want to be. Request their Course Syllabus and prepare for atleast 6 months before you sign up, that way when you get there, you can work from ahead and even complete the optional assignments. This will give you the most bang for your buck because already understanding the fundamentals allows you to better comprehend the coursework, as well as learn more advanced topics that other in your cohort won't have time for!

Our Instructor Joe was very knowledgeable and helpful. He's always available whenever you need his help. Also, Ripal, the director of business development does a pretty awesome job of connecting with potential employers for final project presentations together with interview prep, and resume writing. Above all, they're always to listen any suggestions that would make your learning successful or make them better.

If you want to be a programmer, you need to put in the work. Just because you go to a coding bootcamp, you that doesn't mean you'll be ready to face the challenges of software development.

With that said, if you have the attitude that you'll do whatever it takes to succeed, Coding Temple will do everything they can to provide you with the tools for success in the work place. The curriculum is thorough (but fast, so be prepared to ask lots of questions and spent time working outside of class), the instructors are patient, and are willing to work with you outside of class, and when the course is over they check in with you periodically to help with your job search. 

All in all, I am very glad I took this course and would recommend it to anyone who is serious about switching to a career in software development. 

Let me preface this review by saying that I was uncertain of what to expect going in, to the say the least. With little to no coding experience, I had no way to guage the verity or weight of what online resources and other reviews claimed was true of coding boot camps. As I was looking to make a serious, professional career change into data science, I had to be sure that all the online hype about life-changing experiences was not some intricate scam. So, after weeks of research and contemplation about my next step in life, I committed to the idea and reached out to Coding Temple.

By the time I got off the phone with Ripal, the business director, any remaining doubts I might have had were rendered moot. Needless to say, everyone at Coding Temple turned out to be equally welcoming and understanding of the needs of the incoming class. Coding Temple is set up with all of that already in mind--from the classy, comfortable working environment, to the highly detailed curriculum. Having made my way out to Chicago all the way from New Jersey for this, I could not have asked for a smoother transition.

Now, to address the elephant in the room: Coding Temple is as close to a formal education as one can receive, comparable in quantity and quality to a semester in college, minus the diploma. As such, Coding Temple employs a more project-oriented strategy to help push their students to see the fruits of their labor. The importance of this approach cannot be overstated. This is the key that makes a lightning-fast three-month boot camp tangible for both the graduates and their potential employers.

So, was it really all sunshine and rainbows? No, there was blood, sweat, and tears involved throughout the learning process, to be sure. But that is how one builds grit. In my opinion, if there is one thing a potential employer wants to see, after all the techicalities are said and done, it's grit. The whole experience really is what you make of it, and that kind of liberty says a lot about the slew of resources made available to you. Do come in with an open mindset, and it will practically guarantee your success; do NOT come in with an entitled mindset, or else that will almost certainly deny you it.

All in all, "life-changing" is quite relative to one's level of expectations, so it is doubly important that one keep an open mind and let the boot camp do its magic. I came in green as a caterpillar and left having earned my wings; I absolutely believe it was life changing for me. I never would have imagined myself where I am today if it were not for all the tutelage and support of everyone at Coding Temple. I simply cannot recommend it highly enough for anyone considering this as their next step.