CodingNomads

Tahoe local here! 
I can't say enough good things about this course, friendships made and awesome adventures. 
I originally signed up for the class since it was the only one in my area and I'm so glad I did! From meeting class mates from all over the world to a fun class environment; it was absolutely perfect. Even during a few weeks of online work before our physical class began there was always someone online and available to answer questions or get past a sticky spot (and I'm talking 11:30 at night available). 
Ryan is a fantastic teacher and can explain even the most difficult concepts into basic understanding (I'm looking at you, "Big O"). The overall flow of the course was perfect; from starting online for a few weeks, the physical class for 2 months (June/July) and online again for August to work on our final project. It was also a perfect balance of learning new concepts in the morning, break for lunch and then most afternoons were spent doing challenges or projects based on what we learned. The class size was also great for collaborating together and getting experience of working with a team and also the ability to work solo. The class itself moved at a very fast pace, but Ryan always made sure everyone was on the same page before moving on to new topics. The class also had a great sense of camaraderie and was more than willing to help one another out if in a pinch (this coming from a relatively shy girl, too!). 
Long review short; SIGN UP! JUST DO IT! It'll be the best few months of your life! 
I only regret not doing one of these classes remotely; which, I can't wait to sign up for another class again and continue learning, all while seeing other cool places around the world.

Exotic location & incredible value are two definite pluses for Coding Nomads, but my main reason for choosing them was because I wanted a more technical, comp sci style of coding bootcamp. Having Java as the main language was a huge part of that, but also focusing on the backend and learning about AWS, databases, and SQL too. It delivered on all fronts, and I received a job offer as a graduate Java software engineer only 2 weeks after graduating!

Now, if you apply to Coding Nomads, I can't guarantee the same results, but I can ensure you that you'll receive a wide breadth of knowledge for your programming language, a solid foundation in computer science fundamentals, and, most importantly, the skills to figure out whatever you don't know how to do. The instructors are knowledgable, experienced, and genuinely care about both your education and the quality of your overall experience!

As a a smaller organization they don't have all of the same structured job support/partnerships as the big bootcamps. But they more than make up for that with personalized support with mock interviews, resume reviews, practicing your elevator pitch, and being available every step of the way through your job hunt.

For any bootcamp, you'll get out of it what you put into it. Make sure you put in the time during the online prep work, ask a lot of questions, and do all of the practice assignments. If you do this, Coding Nomads will make sure you leave with tons of knowledge, amazing friends, and unforgettable travel experiences. Can't recommend them highly enough!

I joined the Bali Bootcamp of 2018 and it was an incredible experience.
The Coding Nomads crew really knows how to run a coding  bootcamp in one of the most beautiful places on Earth.

The learning experience was really good, covering a great amount of topics and giving us all the tools to move forward on our Software Developing careers.
The speed of the course was  fitted to the group and the teachers always made an effort to make sure none got left behind.
After finishing the bootcamp, the Coding Nomads team has been in constant contact with me, pushing me to keep coding, helping me build my resume and find job opportunities

Beyond the pure academical experience, joining Coding Nomads Bootcamp in Bali was one of the most amazing experiences of my life; by the end of the course both the teachers and my fellow campmates became my friends and when we were not coding, we had the incredible expericiences enjoying all the fun that a place like Bali can offer.
Work Hard, Play hard and Push it to the limit!
 

CodingNomads is definitely a great experience. They take you to spot which is remote but at the same time very enjoayble to live at. This combo gives you the opportunity to switch off from your old routine and focus fully on learning. At the same time, the enviroment is amazing (I was in Playa del Carmen, MXN) which allows you to live pretty much stress-free. Ryan, the lead teacher, is highly experienced and good at spreading his knowleadge in a nice fashion. On her side, Kim, takes care of the details around the course which allows you to once again focus on learning.

Overall, I would gladly re-do this course. it was fun, I learned a lot, and it did not ruin my bank account. What more to ask?

Overall Review:

The CodingNomads bootcamp is one of the most unique and rewarding experiences in my life. Traveling to a foreign country and meeting new people from around the world with the common purpose of learning to code creates a common atmosphere that allows friendships to form over the struggle of learning to code.  Before the bootcamp I was in the process of transitioning from one career to becoming a software engineer and the transition has been rough studying alone.  The distractions of daily life or fatigue from being at work 8-10 hours a day can impede the ability to truly focus on coding.  Struggling on your own learning to code can also leave a negative and overwhelming feeling.  There were aspects of this bootcamp that I enjoyed as well as other aspects that I thought could be improved that I will discuss below. 

Overall the experience was definitely rewarding.  Kim and Ryan are two wonderful people who have the students interest always in mind. Their support in helping students can vary  and is not limited to reassuring students that the overwhelming feeling of learning something new and vast will pass or you will get used to it, motivating students to push as much as they can when they can, spending extra time outside of class to help students who seek additional help, or even planning relaxing activities in the foreign country to help destress students at the end of the week and also not miss out on opportunities available in the country.  I feel I learned a lot and am more prepared and motivated to move forward in the next step to becoming a software engineer.

 

A few things to note in my opinion:

• This is a bootcamp that is directed towards anyone who wants to learn but has no background knowledge of coding.
• The required preparation work before the bootcamp starts is important and will affect how well someone will progress through the course.  
• It is not intended to land you a six figure salary after graduation.
• It still requires time and hardwork to be put in even after class and sometimes on the weekend depending on the situation. 
• Keep your priorities straight. Be prepared to work hard so you can play hard and enjoy the country of your bootcamp on your off days.
• The more you put into studying and doing the assignments the more you will get out of the bootcamp.
• Sleep is sometimes more important than finishing the assignment because it will affect how much you will absorb the next day's information.  

Aspects that I thought this bootcamp excelled in:

• Ryan, the instructor, is truly devoted to making sure everyone learns and is never stagnant.  He will spend the time to make sure everyone understands the material before moving forward. If you are ahead he will have different assignments ready to keep you pushing forward in learning.
• The course material is not set it stone.  If the class learns better with powerpoint presentations vs oral lectures vs a combination of both, the instructor will adjust the material to suit the class's need. If material in Java fundamentals is not as relevant due to the constant evolution of coding, it is noted by the instructor and relayed to the students.
• The curriculum being covered in class is relevant to skills required for current day job opportunities. Best practices in the industry are taught in class by the instructor based on his extensive experience in the industry prior to teaching.  
• Being in the presence of other students who are learning/struggling just like myself promoted a camaraderie that extended past the classroom. Study sessions with other students outside of class or even relaxing together during downtime made the struggles of learning to code enjoyable and less alone. Everyone is feeling similar stresses, worries, struggles, etc. throughout the course.
• Studying abroad in a remote country helped remove day to day distractions and worries that would otherwise preoccupy a student's mind (speaking from my personal experience).  This allows a student to really be focused on coding during the week and if needed weekends. Otherwise offdays provided an opportunity to experience the country and make amazing memories and life experiences. As noted above, make sure to keep your priorities straight when needed.  
• Pricing of this bootcamp is a major plus that may affect which bootcamp future students will choose. The pricing of this bootcamp compared to others is roughly half if not less than half the price of other bootcamps. This is huge with regards to having the opportunity to join a bootcamp.  Living in Mexico for this specific bootcamp reduced the cost of expenses even further during the stay of the onsite bootcamp which helped relieve monetary stresses. To me the price of this bootcamp also showed that the interest of this bootcamp was not about making money but about teaching potential future software engineers. This is just my opinion. 
• The small class size allowed more one on one time with the instructor or TA if needed.
• Availability of the instructor extends past class hours.  If I had questions I could message him at any time (within reason) and receive a response within minutes.  If additional tutoring or studying sessions were needed he would make those available to us on the weekend. This availability is also offered beyond the scope of the bootcamp session.
• Job preparation and advice at the end of the onsite bootcamp was useful and informative.  Assistance with these aspects extended beyond the onsite bootcamp timeframe as well as the offer of assistance past the entire bootcamp timeframe.   
• The instructor is always open to suggestions on how to improve the course for future bootcamps. Constructive criticism is not shunned and solutions for improvement were welcomed. The comments for the selection below was voiced personally outside of class as constructive feedback for improvements for future bootcamps.

Aspects that I thought could be improved:

• A stricter enforcement towards class preparations before the beginning of the bootcamp.  Our specific bootcamp spent a bit more time on Java basics to ensure everyone was on the same page but this caused other aspects of our learning to have less coverage towards the end of the bootcamp.
• Overlapping time coverage of the instructor, Ryan, and our TA, Caden, could have been separated out by a few hours.  This would allow more one on one time exposure or in person interaction for students to take advantage of outside of lecture.

Choosing to attend CodingNomads' course in Koh Tao, Thailand was one of the best decisions I've ever made. It wasn't an easy decision to make, but it paid off completely! The teachers - Ryan and Kim are one of the most lovely people you'll ever meet and are always willing to go the extra mile for you and provide you with help and assistance for anything you might need. They make sure you have a great time not only in the classroom but also outside! Overall, the price to value ratio was amazing and the whole group learned an unbelievable amount of skills over the course of the 3 months. I was concerned that the environment might make it harder to study and concentrate, but it was actually the other way around, as the calm, sunny and beautiful atmosphere filled us with energy and helped us to work with motivation throughout the whole day. I definitely recommend!

I have just finished Python Software Engineering Course and moved onto Django Web Development Course. So far my experience with CodingNomads is beyond exceptional. When I started I was not really sure what direction I should go with Python and on its way I had to change courses etc. The team is always supportive, quick,  and reachable. In addtion not just mentors but also students are so helpful to each other.  Depending on your progress and knowledge they will always help tailor the course and give additional support. I live outside of US and there were tones of coding school as well. However I went through a lots of reviews and really wanted to work with CodingNomads. I am so glad that I made a right choice.

I have been working with coding nomads for several years on and off, using their online resources as I have the time. I love these resources as the material is presented in a thorough, but fun and amusing way that makes it easy to plow through lots of content. Ryan, Kim, and Martin have been available to help with various questions and mentoring even though I have only purchased online materials and not a full bootcamp or tutoring package. They are just nice people that want to help people learn how to code. In that vein, they have even donated resources to support my teaching of high school students to code in a public high school setting. 

I have taken a number of traditional college courses in coding at ASU and I appreciate the way that coding nomads has taught me to be a functional computer programmer. They help with things like version control, setting up your system, and other practical aspects that seem to be ignored with a traditional college computer science education. I highly recommend any of the coding nomad programs that you might be interested in as this team will step in and provide the personalized experience you need to get the education you desire. 

Two factors influenced my choice of coding bootcamp. First, finding one with outstanding reviews that offers backend courses, and second, supporting a school with a worthy mission, not just another business. After reading Kim and Ryan’s story, and speaking to them, I was convinced that CodingNomads was the right choice for me, and I was not disappointed.

Not only was the syllabus well thought out and packed with everything you need as a beginner, but Ryan is also truly passionate about teaching and helping others achieve their goals. I was part of the Bali cohort that had to unfortunately cut the in-person course short because of COVID. It was visibly a very hard decision for Ryan because he really cared about our ability to continue learning and was conscious that most of us had travelled halfway across the world for this course. In the weeks that followed, Ryan did his best to create an online training schedule that worked for students spread out across 3 continents, even if that meant an early start and late finish for him. 

As I adjusted to the sudden changes in my personal journey due to the pandemic, I fell behind but Ryan was a consistent source of motivation - and never gave up on me (when at times I gave up on myself!). I am now embarking on a journey to become a professional software developer.

If you still have doubts about which coding bootcamp to go for, all I can say is that I usually don’t write reviews but I couldn’t not write one for CodingNomads. I have learned so much over a relatively short period of time. This was a life changing course for me!

Normally I would say that before and after comparisons are overdone but CodingNomads deserves one. The difference between how much I knew when I started this course and when it ended still surprises me and in my opinion the success I had in my bootcamp can be attributed to a few things very specific to CodingNomads.

#1 Ryan and his team are great instructors.
#2 The preceding online portion of the course is well put together and lets you dive into the more complicated / interesting topics when in person.
#3 Awesome course locations.
#4 The CodingNomads curriculum does not teach you every possible thing you have to know for to work as Java engineer, it gives you something much more valuable: you learn how to learn code. I figured how to ask google the right questions (somehow this makes a huge difference). I bookmarked a hefty list of websites during the class I now use regularly to help me solve problems.
I remember Ryan told us in the beginning of the course that he could not teach us everything there is to know about Java because it is constantly evolving, what he could teach us was how to keep up with that change.
#5 One on One help is always available if you need it.
#6 CodingNomads fosters a community among its students that really focuses on supporting each other and working together.

I also want to mention that even though it was unfortunate that the boot camp I participated in was cut short due to COVID-19, that Ryan and Kim worked very hard to migrate the whole course onto zoom (not an easy tasks when dealing with 3 different timezones and a deadline). I do not think other courses would have been as committed to their students as CodingNomads was.

Overall I had a great experience and so I want to thank the CodingNomads team for making that possible!

I'm a full time professional who needed an in-depth course to understand and learn Java. I've searched lots of online learning courses but I decided to choose CodingNomads and I can't be happier. I loved their learning platform which is top of the class and their willingness to revise it based on students feedback. I've learned basic concept of Java and how to apply it in real world. I'd recommend this course for not only the working professional but also for all students who are looking to start a new career in software engineering.