Flatiron School

I completed the full-stack web development program in the spring of 2016. This program was a great way to learn the fundamental concepts of web development and how to build a full web application from scratch.  The instructors I had were very talented (I still sometimes use one of the TA’s blogs for reference at work) and more importantly- extremely dedicated (I still get advice from them once in a while) . From them, I learned not only technical skills, but also the ability to troubleshoot new problems and learn new programming tools on my own. Their passion for programming was infectious.  I also loved the fact that the school puts a lot of thought into their educational philosophy. It empowers students with perspective that to achieve greatly, starting and persisting usually lead to success.   The school also does a great job in creating a cooperative environment where students learn from each other instead of competing with each other- which is a lot more akin to how teams that achieve in the workplace function. Finally, I really found a lot of value in the fact that Avi, the school’s dean- a successful entrepreneur himself- takes time to inspire an entrepreneurial spirit that is felt around the school and imbues  the learning process.  

I graduated from the iOS program in the summer of 2014. I've been working at an awesome mobile agency building iOS apps for a wide range of clients for the past 2 1/2 years. Before applying to Flatiron, I knew that I needed to fully commit to an in-person program if I wanted to become a developer. Learning how to program part-time by yourself is very difficult and there's a tendency to not stick to deadlines. After just over two months at Flatiron, I had what I thought then was a solid grasp of iOS programming fundamentals. There's a huge learning curve in the beginning when you first learn how to program. The teachers distill the most important concepts so you don't get lost in the weeds. The TAs help you when you get stuck, and your classmates are smart individuals who help keep you motivated.

The criticism of bootcamps that they provide a shallow introduction to development is justified. The reality is that Flatiron teaches you just enough to become a productive developer. Where you go from there is up to you. In my first few weeks at work I quickly realized that we had learned just a tiny fraction of what we needed to know to become great developers. At some point you have to really develop a love for tech and programming. There will be a lot of nights and weekends spent solving very difficult problems. Over two years in, I still learn new things everyday and I don't see that changing anytime soon.

I met some great friends at Flatiron and there was always a focus on placing students in programming jobs after graduation. If you're thinking of applying to Flatiron, don't look at it as your ticket to a cooler job and higher pay. That may happen, but I think the most successful students see Flatiron as a launching pad to help get them into a rewarding career. Oddly, you may end up working twice as hard in your new career, but so far I have yet to have a boring day.

I can honestly say that the Flatiron School was one of the best professional decisions I've made and is up there as one of the best ways to learn relevant software development techniques--so much so that I'm considering going back and taking the Web Development Intensive.

I made a pretty drastic career shift about 3 years ago. I went from working in magazines to working as a software developer and I can say, without a shadow of a doubt, I wouldn't have been able to make that switch without the Flatiron School. I was not only provided with a large host of relevant topics, but I was also encouraged to put them in practice with the coding challenges, as well as side projects. Furthermore, while you're there, you're surrounded by people in the same boat. Everyone attending the program genuinely wants to learn and that atmosphere is infectious.

And for anyone that might be worried about your age or experience, don't be. It doesn't matter what your software background is, how old you are, etc. I had people 7 years younger than me (I took the course when I was 24) and over 10 years older than me in the class with a variety of experience levels and everyone ended up learning the material and eventually getting a software development job.

All in all, while it wasn't always easy, I genuinely enjoyed my time at Flatiron, and wish there were more programs like this one for other subjects. I cannot recommend it highly enough.

It was as a Product Manager in SF that I got really intrigued by these magical creatures called developers. They used said magic to build things, seemingly out of nowhere, that real people used to improve their lives, to communicate, to buy stuff. I wanted to be able to create as well

I started my quest to learn programming by completing online tutorials, reading entry-level books, and attending online classes like codecademy. They served as a great starting point but I immediately realized that they wouldn't get me to a level where I'd be able to meaningfully contribute on the job or to build out side projects end-to-end. It was time to take a next step.

That next step was Flatiron School. A 12-week intensive bootcamp, teaching all the fundamentals of full-stack web development AND which gives you the time, mentors, and guidance to actually work on, complete, and deploy real-life applications. The reason it worked for me was that a) it presented me with a more formal and guided curriculum which you have to cobble together yourself otherwise, b) it forced me to learn the basics (of programming languages, databases, version control, etc) as opposed to simply following steps in a tutorial on how to build a to-do app using the latest and shiniest framework, c) it was an awesome environment to learn, in the sense that you get "unstuck" immediately by virtue of your peers and teachers, which is not the case if you're learning on your own, and finally d) it instilled a passion for software development that I'll leverage for the rest of my life. It's only when you enjoy it, that you'll actually keep learning. Flatiron School managed to light that fire for me, through passionate teaching.

All-in-all I'm a very happy bootcamp grad. I went back to Product Management, but I'm better equipped to do my job. And I started an e-commermce side project (www.stadsmus.be) all by myself, which I would never have been able to do if it weren't for Flatiron School. In short, I would advise anyone with an itch to learn coding to take this route.

When I received my scholarship to the first Brooklyn cohort, I had been unemployed for over a year and the purpose and excitement of the Flatiron School really turned things around for me.  The instructors are engaged and the curriculum is engrossing.

I am a Engineering Director at my current company, and I have specifically tried to recruit more Flatiron alums as I know the quality of student is high and the curriculum is excellent preparation for a career in web development. 

I learned not only how to to code, but to love coding. Flatiron School planted a seed of passion inside of me that has carried me far. Often times, colleagues are in disbelief when they realize how few years I have been a programmer. Flatiron School provided me not only with the foundation to successfully attain a junior programmer position, but also the tools to continue learning.

Since graduation, I have interviewed other bootcamp graduates. The difference in preparation is stark. Flatiron graduates are better prepared for interviews, have a wider breadth of knowledge, and ready to contribute on day one.

I was in the second web development batch at Flatiron and it was easily the best decision I've ever made. It seems like this sentiment is a common theme (reading through the other reviews), which doesn't surprise me at all. Before Flatiron, I had been working in SaaS sales, but always wanted to be the person building something from scratch and making my own ideas me to life. 

The structured curriculum of layering on new concepts, starting with SQL and progressing all the way up through Rails on the frontend helped to reinforce each concept, while continually pushing you to learn more. The pieces all started fitting together for me around 1 month into the program. Aside from the curriculum, Flatiron did an amazing job of getting incredibly smart, but humble and collaborative people in a room together all progressing towards the same goal. The combination of an instructor (Avi) who has an infectious passion for teaching people how to code, a motivated, diverse group of people looking to learn a new skill, and the curriculum and guidance to get you there along the way makes me recommend Flatiron whenever anyone asks about which coding bootcamp to apply for.

Post-Flatiron, I was able to use the web development skills immediately in starting StatusPage with a couple of friends. While I'm no longer actively coding, I use the skills learned at Flatiron on a daily basis from understanding the technical feasibility of new features we want to build, new APIs/tools we want to implement for operational processes, or new product growth levers for us to try. 

Also, although it's been a few years since I went through Flatiron, my assumption is that Avi and Adam have been able to keep the same quality we had as a 30 person group through to programs they're running today. 

Flatiron exceeded my expectations. My review is more about how I experienced the Flatiron approach, setting and community, and less about the technical curriculum which I think is not so different from other bootcamps.

I came in with basic to none programming knowledge and left the program feeling confident and inspired to learn more (also with more love for coding). I did not regard myself as a highly skilled programmer by the end of the bootcamp, but for sure the bootcamp was an excellent jump start for my career change in web development, and I am confident that with continuous learning I can further grow and get to the ultimate point where I want to be in a few years.

What I loved about Flatiron:

• Passionate teachers and direct involvement of co-founders (you are not a number).
• Worked on projects with really smart students from diverse backgrounds, ranging from Music, Finance, Teachers (I myself have been in IT Consultancy) that shared the same passion for learning to code and that were all taking a 'leap of faith'. (I suppose that the low acceptance rate makes sure you get the best mix of passionate and dedicated students)
• Awesome building, location and setting (had a startup vibe to it and of course free pizza during meet-ups :) )
• Avi (cofounder and also main lecturer) was good at managing gaps in knowledge and learning pace between different students, while at the same time challenging us to go beyond our comfort zone (to be comfortable with not knowing of everything at the beginning).

My transition into a new Job:
Other than most students, my existing employer invested in me to transition into our software development practice (previously I was doing IT business consultancy). I think this bootcamp has helped in accelerating this transition, especially by equipping me with 3 fundamentals:

• Logical problem solving and structured thinking  (e.g. reusable/flexible code structures)
• Data modeling foundation which plays a crucial role to any technology projects (e.g. table relationships, one-to- many etc)
• Be comfortable with not knowing everything at the beginning  (experience is a matter of further dedication and continuous learning)

I believe the above fundamentals apply to any web development language/framework.

 Improvement points:

• Increase TA/Student ratio. Although the impact was minimal, there were only 4 dedicated TA's to support with daily assignments/questions, shared across a group of 40 students (or 10 groups of 4). As a consequence, you might not always get help needed right away.

Overall, I can say I am proud to have been part of this experience and look forward to many more happy years of software development.

A few years ago I was a freelance writer and designer with no true technical skills to include on a resume. Now, I'm a mid-level software engineer at a large contracting company with a job that I absolutely love. To this day I am shocked that the Flatiron School was right about me. They not only taught me the necessary technical skills to build upon after I graduated, but they also identified the very things that might be blocking me from succeeding as a developer down the road - and showed me how to overcome them. I will be forever indebted to the awesome teachers, business developers, and administrative staff at the Flatiron School for believing in me and for catapulting me into the ever-changing, ever-challenging world of web development.

A big part of my first few days at Flatiron was sharing with my classmates "What We Were Before." Most of us had been program managers, business analysts, or marketers. Some had been data scientists. One was a circus acrobat. I was an English major who, to tell the truth, had had terrible luck on the job hunt.   When I applied to Flatiron, I had only a cursory understanding of programming. I'd taken a few comp sci courses, sure, but it rarely stuck. Learning at Flatiron, though, was unlike anything I'd experienced before.  From what the founders told us, the program was always meant to disrupt education.   And they got it right.     It was intense, yes, but I found myself engaging with the subject matter for the first time.  The program depended on building up our understanding of exactly how things worked.  Instead of saying "eh, it's Rails Magic," we built a replica of each piece of Rails. Instead of tossing us at a JavaScript framework, we learned the language in its pure form first. We knew how to pick problems apart, how to best build solutions for them.   And all that was before we even graduated. Without a doubt, one of the most valuable parts of the whole bootcamp for me was the Placements team. They worked tirelessly to get us all in contact with companies. They coached us on interviewing, networking, salary negotiation.   Start to finish, top to bottom, Flatiron gives you the tools to succeed, the means to Make Yourself Useful.