DigitalCrafts

Having previously worked in the banking and tech industries for many years, I felt jaded and stagnant with the career growth. I held some discussions with people around me and after some thorough introspection I decided to take a leap of faith and joined DigitalCrafts.

Before joining DigitalCrafts, my skill set was only limited to knowing HTML and some CSS and I was quite worried if I would be able to cope and keep up with the extensive nature of the curriculum crammed into a period of 16 weeks. Now that I look back on the last 4 months, I can feel nothing but happy at my decision. As I enter the final days of the course, I am excited and confident about my skills and what lies ahead for me.

The curriculum is designed to take a group of students with varied backgrounds and skill levels, and bring them all to a similar level of knowledge and understanding. Of course, the final outcome for each of the students depend, besides other factors, on their level of motivation, amount of hard work they are willing to put in and how effectively they utilize the tools and help available to them.

Due to the technical nature of the topics that are covered in such a class, it is imperative that the instructor kept it lively and interactive or they risk losing the audience (students). Our instructor, Paul, has been one of the best teachers I have come across in my life. I found his method of teaching to be highly effective and helpful. I was very impressed with his depth of knowledge of not only the material being taught but as well his ability to relate the course content with real life examples and anecdotes. His love for pizza, Pink Panther, cats, funny GIFs and all-things-nerdy made the whole journey so much easier and provided the much needed comic-relief in times of stress and frustration.

Time for some minor quibbles. The only thing I felt throughout the course was that the quality of content-slides and study material could be improved. While they are okay to follow during the lectures, they are not very helpful once you’re on your own and trying to revise or understand a particular topic. A video-recording of the lecture sessions will also go a long way in helping students to revise the course content over the weekends.

As a word of advice for those who are in the process of deciding or about to start life as a developer, I can not stress enough on the importance of taking the preparatory course work seriously. Paying special attention to JavaScript and Python before starting the course is extremely beneficial once classes begin. Otherwise you risk playing catch up all throughout the course because the course content is quite extensive fast paced. There will also be periods where self-doubt and uncertainty are bound to creep in and when you’ll feel that you’re not good enough. It is important that you regain your focus and keep working through these periods.

For those of you who haven’t heard, Digital Crafts hosts intensive 16-week immersive coding bootcamps both in Houston and Atlanta.  Earlier this year I decided that it was time for a change, so I sold my business and began coding full-time in the hopes that I would be able to find a rewarding career as a web developer. 

I had very little real coding experience to speak of staring out. Sure, I had written several blogs using Wordpress and I had played around with some rudimentary HTML, but I hadn't really done any<em> real coding </em>. So I picked up some instructional books and got to coding! I could immediately tell that I was meant to be a coder, and before I knew it, I was practicing coding eight hours a day, working on HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python.

I started strong, but after a certain point I hit a wall, and I realized that I could do one of two things: I could continue plowing away and gaining ground little by little on my own, or I could get help. After fighting my stubborn instinct to do things on my own, I decided to turn to help. So I started exploring my options, and after spending time researching all of the local boot camps, all of my research kept pointing to Digital Crafts as the best of the best.

A few months later, I found myself joining the September 2017 cohort at Digital Crafts Houston. Our instructor was Paul Bailey, a former aerospace engineer at NASA, developer extraordinaire and all-around awesome guy! Even with all of my preparation, I quickly found that I had my work cut out for me! But Paul was there for me every step of the way. The way he explained complex concepts made them more approachable for us students. He was also very patient with us(and I know I must have put that patience to the test with my endless barrage of questions!). 

We covered a lot of material over the course of the 16-weeks, including but not limited to: HTML, CSS, Bootstrap, JavaScript, Node, Python, React.js, Redux and Django to name a few, but oh so much more! I can honestly say that I have retained the majority of what I have learned and that I am fully confident that I will achieve my goal of becoming a professional web developer…and I couldn’t have done it without Paul!

So, to whoever is reading this, get off the fence and invest your time and money in Digital Crafts, you won’t regret it!

After obtaining my Bachelor's in Criminology and working several jobs in my field, I was not content. I could not see myself 30 years down the road working in some job that did not continually challenge me, bring a sense of satisfaction, and always push me learn. A good friend of mine suggested I look into programming. Thus, I began my coding journey.

I started off with various beginner websites such as codingacademy.com and treehouse. I was hooked. So much that I decided to seriously pursue this as a career. My search for coding bootcamps began. I looked in 3: DigitalCrafts, Iron Yard, and UT's coding bootcamp here in Houston. I spoke with all 3 and visited the campuses. Choosing DigitalCrafts was the easiest decision I made. Not only were they straightforward with the entire program, but Jason was clear, transparent, and genuine throughout the entire process (and still continues to be!). The program, compared to others seemed more well-rounded (it definitely was) and it was the highest-rated bootcamp (now I understand why!).

Paul, our instructor, was super knowledgable, incredibly helpful, and a total geek. Hands down perfect for the job. The course itself is tough. We covered a vast amount of material in 16 weeks. You'll definitely feel overwhelmed. However, it's not impossible. Power through and you'll soon find yourself programming at a level you never thought you'd ever be at. I look back now, before I started the course, a true beginner, and I think to myself how incredibly easy the first week was compared to the last 2. That just goes to show that I have come a long way. This wasn't attained easily though. Be prepared to put in the hours if you aim to not only keep up with the course but also learn the material and retain all the knowledge you gain along the way.

With that said, I've learned so much and become a better and stronger programmer. Undoubtedly, it's all thanks DigitalCrafts. One of the best decisions I have ever made. Period.

Overall, it has been a great experience. The program is challenging, intensive, and covers a wide range of technologies useful in the job market. I found it so crucial to apply extra self study practices throughout the program to keep up and retain everything being taught. It can be so easy to fall behind otherwise.

The Houston campus is still pretty new, and seems to be working the little kinks out. There's still room for improvement in the curriculum pace and structure. Career assistance didn't meet my expectations, but may be different for the Atlanta campus since there seems to be more staff at that location focused on that aspect and seem to have more company relationships established.

Individual student success still, as expected, falls on each one’s shoulders and depends on your background, and willingness to apply themselves.

Additional note: I did not find my cohort's elective (Computer Science) offering to be worth the additional money with other valuable programs available, nor the time to take on additional coursework with the existing load.

I can't rave enough about my experience at DigitalCrafts! Chris is one of the absolute best instructors I've ever had. His explanations are not only super thorough, but also very entertaining. He never hesitates exploring new topics if students are curious. He is also the most patient and non-judgmental person I've met. Even if you have the most basic question or issue in your code, he is more than happy to walk you through it and is never patronizing. Chris is also very encouraging if you're interested in branching off and learning technologies for your projects outside the React, Node, Express, PostgreSQL stack they teach during the program. He is extremely knowledgeable about a wide variety of technologies and is always eager to help you research any in the rare case he is unfamiliar with it.

The admin team is super personable, supportive, and on top of everything. They get to know, and care about each of their students personally and are always happy to connect you with employers and potential opportunities.  They provide resume and portfolio reviews, invite guest speakers to recruit for their companies, organize field trips, and set you up with real client-facing work with local nonprofits for group projects.

If the program offers any elective courses (after the main 9-5 sessions), I recommend taking those as well. I took the computer science fundamentals class with Tamby and it was very beneficial not only for interview prep, but also increasing my sense of confidence in my CS skills.

I am so grateful to have learned all that I did during the past 4 months, and to have made lifelong friends. If you get the opportunity to study at DigitalCrafts, I highly recommend doing it. It's a lot of hard work but it will change your life for the better. 

DigitalCrafts' has exceeded my expectations, I couldn't have asked for a better coding bootcamp experience. As a true beginner, the amount of knowledge that I have aquired over the past 16 weeks is astounding. It has allowed me to secure a full-time job as a Software Developer before graduation. So far, 50% of my cohort has secured jobs before Demo Day!

I chose DC due to their local, down-to-earth business model. The founders, Jake and Max, are very involved in the day to day. This lends a more personal feel to the program, and after 16 weeks, everyone here feels like family. In addition, the school is located at Atlanta Tech Village, which provides a great environment for learning and networking.

In regards to the curriculum, the only thing that I didn't enjoy was Python. This is strictly due to a lack of interest in learning how to code in that language. However, the CS elective uses Python for coding algorithims, so the skill did end up being handy. I am front-end JavaScript focused, and this program provided more than enough opportunity to sharpen my skills.

Choosing a software development program is a very involved decision, but the team at DC makes it easy. If you are looking for the best bang for your buck, and a program that will be highly involved, DigitalCrafts would be perfect for you. You get out what you put in, so work hard and have fun!

I would strongly recommend DigitalCrafts as a coding bootcamp in Atlanta! In sixteenish weeks, I learned so much more about web and app development than I thought I would, or would’ve been able to learn alone. If you want to become a software developer, this is a great program— it’s still a short amount of time for the breadth of concepts and technologies you cover, but I feel like by the end, I have a sense of how much I don’t know, and a strong foundation to help me figure out exactly what I need to keep learning.

I think there were several times during the program where I felt a little split between priorities such as

1) Writing job application materials and applying to jobs.

2) Staying afloat the current curriculum in the class. After week three, we started learning two (if not more?) technologies every week.

3) Cementing understanding of concepts from previous weeks.

4) Going to tech events around Atlanta (shout out to Women Who Code ATL and Girl Develop It)

We started out with eighteen people in our cohort and ended with fourteen. I think six of us out of the fourteen ended the cohort with jobs. I think it might be helpful for prospective students to know that the students who ended up dropping out of our cohort were older than the majority of the cohort (mid-to-late 20s), and left to take care of family or health. The bootcamp experience itself requires a lot of dedicated time outside class-- of which prospective students should definitely be aware. For example, in the evenings after class, especially during project periods, it wasn’t uncommon for me to be at Atlanta Tech Village from 9am to 8pm. I think my cohort also had a collectively competitive, go-getter-y attitude, which I think is why so many of us found employment before the end.

I was also enrolled in the Computer Science Fundamentals Elective covering algorithms and data structures-- important content and Tamby was a great instructor, but I think the timing from 5:30pm to 7:30pm (after a full day at DigitalCrafts from 9am to 4pm)-- was a little too much for me. I was always really tired by the time the elective rolled around, and didn't absorb as much of the content that I wanted to.

I personally felt that I learned most when I was writing code with other students for our group projects than I did when following along with lecture on my own. But having access to Chris Aquino, our super helpful and super-experienced lead instructor, for questions about structure/what to do next/or troubleshooting— was 100% worth the tuition. While it would be possible to learn the same things we learned at DigitalCrafts using a Udemy course or free online resources, it would be much slower going without awesome real live humans around to help troubleshoot. Certain bugs in my code that could take me hours to work through alone could take just fifteen minutes working with Chris.

I’m super glad that I chose DigitalCrafts and I can’t wait to start my role as a junior software engineer next week!

I am an incredibly indecisive person. Before attending DigitalCrafts, I had a solid job with the federal government, where I could have potentially stayed for the rest of my career.  Even though I really enjoyed the software development courses I was completing after work, it was difficult for me to take that leap, quit my job, and start a coding bootcamp.  Given the option to go back in time, I wouldn't change a thing. For any of you in a similar situation, know that DigitalCrafts is the real deal. You will truly learn how to program. Be aware that it is not easy. You will not magically become a programmer just by attending class. You will have to sacrifice much of your free time, come in early, stay late, ask questions, and, above all else, code.

We were the first cohort taught by our instructor, Chris Aquino. Chris is incredibly intelligent, thoughtful, and endlessly patient. I was always amazed by the time he took to answer all students' questions.  He was very thorough, often researching topics on his own time when he didn't know the answers.  Most importantly, he allowed us to explore. He never told us directly what code to write, always giving us just enough information so we could figure it out on our own. 

I also took the CS elective taught by Tamby Kojak. It is admittedly taxing to be in class Monday through Friday 9am to 4pm (we often arrived earlier and stayed later) and take an additional course for two hours on Tuesday and Thursday nights, but it is worth it if you think you can absorb the information. Like Chris, Tamby is also a very knowledgeable, patient instructor.  Oftentimes the elective class is smaller than the general cohort, so it is nice to have more one-on-one time with the instructor and learn coding principles from the perspective of a different experienced developer.  However, if you know you'll be exhausted after class, it might be best just to study algorithms and data structures on your own time. 

DigitalCrafts does as much as they can to assist you in your job search.  There is a dedicated staff member who reviews resumes, cover letters, portfolios, and LinkedIn pages even after graduation. Jake from DigitalCrafts often posts hot job leads and will sometimes even send out resumes directly to potential employers with whom he has connected. Students are given time to work on their portfolios, resumes, etc. during the 16 weeks. There are also various guest speakers, like HR reps from companies and other software developers, throughout the program. 

If you've begun exploring software development and think it is the right path for you, don't hesitate, DigitalCrafts will help you make that transformation.

After leaving my finance job to transition into tech I was nervous about which coding school to attend. I have to honestly say in hindsight choosing DigitalCrafts was by far and large the best decision of the bunch.  My instructor Chris was one of the best teachers I have ever had across any discipline. He is incredibly smart, thoughtful, and helpful. 

The sixteen week program was also a huge benefit. Given that I was starting from only a self-study programming background, with no formal education, the extra time spent working with Chris and my fellow classmates was crucial. I can honestly say I learned a ton during my time here. I was also fortunate to receive a job offer to be a Software Engineer in week 14 of the 16 week program., to cap off an overall excellent experience. 

I completed the immersive 16 week course at DigitalCrafts Atlanta location. Joining a bootcamp was one of the more difficult decisions I've made in life; however, I wouldn't take back a moment of it. I came in knowing light HTML and CSS and what a crazy journey it's been. I feel if I had learned purely on my own, I wouldn't be at the same place I am now for another year or so. And by that time, I'm sure another 10 languages would have came out and I'd be behind.

The staff was always friendly and helpful, both before starting and during the 16 weeks (even when I asked 1000x questions). The teacher was incredibly knowledgeable, patient, and able to keep the class laughing. I loved the small class size. I felt I could truly have a moment of either the TA's or teacher's time and go through concepts I was having troubles with.

Curriculum is on point. The biggest hurdle of programming is getting down the basics. If you don't understand the basics, when the next shiny new language comes out it'll take you so much more time to learn. This course focuses heavily on the basics when starting with Python. Covering classes, functions, variables, arrays, objects, dictionaries, algorithums, clean coding, command line, syntax, making comments, and the list goes on. From there, we jumped into CSS/HTML and JavaScript. These 4 are all languages that are not going ANYWHERE anytime soon. After all the basics were down, we jumped into more niche languages and kept building upon the fundamentals.

As far as job assistance, they have a staff member dedicated to reviewing resumes, Github profiles, LinkedIn profiles, cover letters and portfolios. She is incredibly knowledgeable and knows the tech industry very well. She does a thorough job going through spelling, grammar, links on your portfolio and more.

Overall, DigitalCrafts was a great experience. And with every other bootcamp, you get what you put into it. Yes class is 9-4pm, but you better believe we don't only put 30 hours a week into this. Most people stayed past class and/or came in on the weekends. It's not easy, but the teachers, staff, and my classmates made it a wonderful 16 weeks.

Dropping everything to attend a fully-immersive 4 month coding bootcamp is an extremely risky and expensive commitment, but DigitalCrafts was worth every minute and penny. After spending a couple of years in the Account Management realm of the Advertising Industry, I found myself looking for a more technical and creative career path through web development. I spent several months researching the different programs in the Atlanta area, from General Assembly to Iron Yard, but none of those programs appealed to me as much as the Full-Stack approach that DigitalCrafts offered.

The DigitalCrafts curriculum changes with the industry, making it a versatile program with up-to-date material. This ensures the relevancy to the students entering the industry and keeps them marketable for companies looking to hire them. The Full-Stack approach really appealed to me the most because it covers both front-end and back-end languages, allowing the students to explore both aspects of web development. This gave myself and the other students the ability to learn both sides of web development and choose which path interested them the most.

Rob Bunch, the instructor for my cohort, was incredibly knowledgable about all the material taught in the curriculum and was passionate for each and every student throughout the entirety of the 16 week program. He adapted the pace of the course to the individual cohort and made sure every student received the help and support the needed to succeed. He kept the course engaging and entertaining, and used real life industry examples to help students relate to the material being covered.

The founders, Max and Jake, as well as the rest of the staff, dedicated countless hours to ensuring our success in the program. Throughout the length of the course, the DigitalCrafts team offered amazing job support through project, resume, and online portfolio reviews, as well as continuously providing a wide array of part-time, full-time, and contract-to-hire opportunities through the many DigitalCrafts Slack channels.

All in all, DigitalCrafts was an unforgettable experience. From the people I met to the confidence I gained as a new developer in the tech industry, I can’t thank the DigitalCrafts team enough for all that they provide in their Full-Stack Development program. I would highly recommend this program to anyone looking to get into the web development industry!