CodingNomads

So I went to a coding bootcamp…

It was awesome!

CodingNomads delivered on so much more than I thought possible.

Here are the reasons to attend:

-Ryan (the instructor) and Kim (admin and wife) are great people and care about your success.

-Ryan is a real life software engineer with lots of experience, not an intern, not recently graduated. He knows his stuff, and he’s there with you every day.

-You learn Java, SQL, and AWS. These are core technologies that are in demand! Don’t take my word for it, Google it. --> most used programming language, most used database language, most used cloud platform.

-This course is less expensive than most.

-You get to travel to an awesome location with other people that are doing the exact same thing!

-Travelling to a new country (or at least away from where you live) gives you all the opportunity to focus on what you’re there to do.

Other things to note:

-Expect to work hard, programming isn't easy for most

-Learning new things and getting good at them takes time and grit, this applies to the hiring process as well. Expect a challenge

-Travelling is fun, but class takes up a lot of time. If you want to be employable afterwards, keep your priorities in mind.

This isn’t the right place for a life story or the answers to all the questions you most likely have, but I’d be happy to share. CodingNomads has my email and can put you touch. And if you’re interested in a coding bootcamp at all, you should really reach out to Ryan and Kim. They’re super genuine people and will definitely help fill in a lot of the details.

 

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.

My experience overall with CodingNomads was great and I'm glad I choose to be a part of the program. I've found this to be a great value for the money. It's about 1/3 of the price of most server-side programs in the US and provides an amazing life experience in addition to the course. Our group was small, so we had significantly better access/attention than otherwise. Also, this is more than just a job for Ryan and Kim - we worked and traveled together constantly, and they've been incredibly supportive of us in and out of the classroom. 
I felt that the program had more of a start-up feel than that of an established bootcamp. This allowed the structure to be flexible and accommodate the pace/needs of the group. We also had the opportunity to talk about newer technologies that weren't part of the curriculum and get to know seasoned developers who were also working in the co-working space.
Coding bootcamps are ambitious and a lot of work, and this one is no exception. I think it's best suited for someone who's self-driven, knows what they want to get out of the course, and can speak up when they have questions. 

This is a review for the CodingNomads cohort taking place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico between September 23rd, 2017 through January 7th, 2018. The program consisted of 8 weeks on-site learning at a co-working space in the center of Playa Del Carmen, as well as 5 additional weeks of full-time remote work, where we are still currently working on our final projects. Overall, I think that this boot camp was a great investment in my both my time and money. I highly encourage anyone that is serious about learning Java to consider attending for the following reasons:   1.) The technologies you learn.    Most coding boot camps are centered around learning web-development, CodingNomads differs in that the course is structured around java, which is the most used back-end language in the world. During the course, you go from learning the java fundamentals all the way up to be able to able to write complex data structures and algorithms. You will also learn spring, a popular Java framework that allows you to create secure web applications, create your own Restful API services, be able to integrate your code with relational databases as well as much more. During the course, you also learn how to use the command line, git, SQL for managing databases, and many services on AWS, including EC2 which allows you to deploy your code on remote servers. Most importantly you will learn to think and solve problems like a developer.    2.) The Instructor.   Ryan is extremely knowledgeable with over a decade of experience working as a professional developer. With his recent real-world experience, he is able to organize the course so that you learn the technologies and best practices currently being used. Ryan is really good at breaking down complex topics so that they can be easily explained. Above all, he is extremely generous with his time. On several occasions, he has spent over 12 hours in class helping students, and he routinely offers time on Sunday’s for students to review the material.    3.) Getting away from distractions.   The concept of traveling to a foreign country to learn computer programming might sound like a pretty strange idea, however, for me it provided the perfect learning environment. Traveling really helped me step away from all the distractions of everyday life, so that I could solely devote my time to learning as much as possible. During the course, you are almost exclusively surrounded by like-minded people who are also trying to learn how to code, which I found was something that was extremely beneficial and something that not every boot camp can offer. The co-working space we used was a short walk from my apartment and Playa del Carmen provided nearly all the everyday comforts of the United States.    4.) The price.   I think that you will be hard-pressed to find a better deal on a boot camp than CodingNomads. The base price for the course was significantly cheaper than all the other boot camps that I researched, with the added benefit of a decreased cost of living from being in a foreign country. Additionally, the cohort I was in was very small, so I was able to get lots of individual attention, something that you might not find in some of the larger more expensive boot camps.

This was an amazing experience! I learned to code while I was in paradise on a small island in Thailand. While I was researching bootcamps, CodingNomads was one of the first ones I discovered and I kept coming back to it as I was researching others. It was the clear choice due to its curriculum (the fact that it was gonna be in an exotic destination was a bonus, of course), all other bootcamps focused more on front-end web development technologies, where core concepts in software development are never taught. The ones that did focus more on core software development were too expensive, sometimes more than twice as much as this one. Ryan (the instructor) was a great teacher and obviously has had a lot of experience in the field working as a software engineer in San Francisco for a very long time. The one thing I would strongly advise candidates that decide to join this course is to read the first 5-6 chapters of Java: A Beginner's Guide (the official guide by the developer of the Java language, Oracle) before arriving at the destination. It shouldn't take more than a week or two, but will make your learning experience much more effective.
Also, Ryan, Kim (the business manager and his wife), and all the others from the course were awesome! We had a great time together!

When taking prep courses for a few other bootcamps in Chicago, I felt that I was just another number in the system. I’ve always had a passion for travel, and this led me to search for bootcamps abroad. After finding codingNomads, I reached out for more information and was immediately put in contact with Kim and Ryan, who were more than helpful! They were extremely flexible with setting up times to talk about the course, and answered any questions I had. This was a common theme once I was enrolled as well. CodingNomads personalized support is unmatched!

I decided to join the program, and packed my bags for Barcelona. I was greeted the first night by our instructors, Caden and Martin, and they could not have been more hospitable.They set up a welcome dinner for the entire class, which was a great way to start the course. Even more impressive than how incredibly nice both of them were, was how knowledgeable they were. The course was fast paced and can be rigorous at times, but they were there everyday to make sure no one was left behind. It was by no means easy, but with their help it was more than doable. I would never have imagined learning as much as I did while enrolled in this course.

Lastly, the people (both students and instructors) in the course were a blessing I never anticipated. I went there to learn to code, which I did, but during that time I also gained a group of friends that I plan on staying in contact with forever. We hiked the coast of Northern Spain, ate tapas on Friday nights after class, even enrolled in exercise classes together. Now everyone in our course is back at home(U.S., Denmark, Saudi Arabia, just to name a few), but we still have weekly video calls to help one another out with code, or sometimes just for friendly checkins.

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!
 

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.

I just finished the Python Bootcamp in Barcelona and highly recommend Coding Nomads. As an experienced data analyst, I figured Python was a good next step towards data science (plus I wanted to travel!) - now I feel confident this was the right step for me!

Our instructors, Martin and Caden, were not only knowledgeable but so supportive, they were willing to adjust based on each of our needs and I truly felt that they cared for our success. I see them more as mentors now, which is awesome to have this relationship. The group was also very inspiring to me - most of us coming from different paths but determined to learn Python.  We had a lot of fun together on our weekend outings, developed a "team" feeling and I have learned something from every person!

I just wish I could do it all over again with their next course - Python & Java side-by-side training sounds like best of both worlds!

Having never coded before this was a personal challenge for myself to jump into something which i have previously not been comfortable with. Mixing the learning with travel experiences allowed me to still have a good time and explore new places.  People on the course and the instructors were great fun and helped to make the experience as unique and valuable as it was.

Having the groundwork in place has now helped with my job as an accountant and come up with new innovative ways in which the business can stay on top of the every evolving tech environment. I t has given me a great framework in coding should i choose to further develop this skill.

Highly recommend   

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 decided to go with CodingNomads after thoroughly researching coding boot-camps for the best Python options in terms of curriculum, timing, quality of the facilities, teachers and support staff. Kim was beyond professional and also let a dedication and devotion to her team shine through.

Once I was signed up, Kim and Ryans team, Caden and Martin came on stage.

It was clear from the start that Caden was going to drive us to success with his friendly yet ambitious coaching and leadership from the day I signed up and that Martin with his  enthusiastic and optimistic style and incredible skill had put incredible effort into the course material which was well structured, friendly, upbeat and super-useful on all levels.

Caden and Martin are both natural educators and did an incredible job of getting us from n00bs to actual Python developers the six weeks - but they also drove the flock in a way that made us come together as a team and friends. Their enthusiasm for nature-outings on the weekends, outings into the Barcelona nightlife, Crossfit and many other little supportive efforts made us feel like we were all star players in the NHL getting special treatment. Kim helped find an wonderful apartment for myself and two other guys seven minutes walking distance from the fantastic Betahaus co-working space. The apartment turned out to be a great place for informal late-night hackathons, card-games and class gatherings.

This is the third last day of the course and I am left in awe of the fact that I am actually now capable of building the complex trading platform I have set out to do. Not only that, but I have a bunch of new friends that you would normally only get after spending years together in college.

I can't wait for my next CodingNomads trip!