General Assembly

      After spending time in San Fransisco around several software engineers at varying levels of experience I became interested in changing careers after having been a mechanic for most of my life. I will say it was a challenging experience but also a very rewarding one. The staff and support was above an beyond my expectations.
      The point of the course is to teach you how to learn different coding languages and the basics of OOP(if you don't know what this is look it up for two seconds : ). My take away, compared to other peoples experience is you really get out what you put in... the classes are really nicely structured and the instructors I had did a great job of fielding questions and supporting the class but you also have to put in the hours at home and reinforce the content. If you are expecting to just spend the time in class working and then take after class off you will struggle but if you can commit to the three months of in class and at home this is probably the shortest track to a valuable skill set you will find. 
      

Overall, I had an awesome experience with GA. One instructor really went above and beyond to teach us a lot of information, my cohort was incredibly tight and worked with each other super closely. My outcomes was solid (the coach wasn't always the easiest to get a hold of and getting feedback isn't quick). However with that all said, it's hard for me to determine if I can recommend GA. Other cohorts didn't learn things we did, GA seems to have a lot of internal turnover which can impact instructor quality (GA is guilty of hiring recent graduates as full time instructors), and not all cohorts will be close like mine was (one other person I talked to stated their cohort was awkward). I would do your research before signing up, understand how the statistics they advertise are calculated, and demand you know who's your instructor (which sadly you won't know until a week before class starts). The only area I am going to criticize GA for is admissions. My admissions person constantly cancelled our meetings, was incredibly hard to get a hold of, and seemed incredibly checked out. If Flatirons had worked with my schedule a little better, I would've probably ended up there instead here, but I am so glad I went through GA.

Curriculum wise, don't get me wrong, the course and its content are very good, there is the main teacher and then 2 teaching assistants who support you through, although you might need a little warm-up MOOC course before but maybe not essential. You learn how to code, visualize data, multiple algorithms, and techniques, and at the end of the course, you do feel upskilled.

However,  I strongly advise you to check the Junior Data Scientist Jobs out there before enrolling and checking how much professional experience they want. Many (good) jobs out there with this job title require 2 years of professional experience at least. It might be more strategic to enrol in a company 'apprenticeship' in data science that gives you a good job in the end, or even enrol in the way less costly and lengthy Data Analysis course, start out as a data analyst for 2 years and then apply to good Junior Data Scientist Jobs. For example, many hard skilled courses at university, like Engineering and Computer Science, require you to do a 1-year internship during your 3d year to already have experience when graduating and entering the labour market. Here, you don't. So please understand the industry before enrolling.

In addition, there is a team designed to help you find a job named the Outcomes Team, but honestly, in my opinion, it's a waste of time. Before graduating they do classes in which 95% of what they and their slides say is pretty obvious, give you homework during your course which is useless, which you don't want to focus on, and adds pressure. After graduating they give you deadlines for 1 month to have all these deliverables ready. This means that you only start your job search after 1 month, which is quite a decent time to get out of the beast mode groove that you had during the course and forget your skills. Most of the advice they give you is grammar advice. They order you to do so many things like have an amazing Linkedin and create all these connections, message people, subscribe to newsletters and podcasts and the list goes on, as if they think that every human is the same and every person is comfortable exposing him or herself on social media or listening to random ML podcasts for fun (??).

The only debatably good thing they ask you to do is create a Github to expose your work, but once again, they ask you to do that for 2 weeks which is a huge amount of time, and in the end, they won't even understand what it actually means because they don't have the technical skills you have, so it will just be grammar advice but no actual structure and presentation advice for the readMe page. Honestly, life is short, you shouldn't spend 2 weeks on your Github, which most employers won't even check anyway. The same goes for the CV,  which takes like 1 week to do from scratch, while you can just do it on your own in 2 days. If you have a minimum of confidence in yourself, you will know how to make a CV on your own, or you can ask some of your friends or family, or even Youtube, any of these methods will make it less time consuming than the Outcomes team. For Github ---> Youtube. You should start applying for jobs directly after the course in my humble opinion, just after you do your CV, and when you are tired of applying then you gradually build your Github during the first month.

I joined the 12 weeks of coding Bootcamp in 2020 at GA. 
Overall, it was good and made a good connection with the people that I studied with. However looking back on it, I don't think I would go back again and pay over 12,000 for the course. The reason being a lot of content can be covered with online materials and I still don't think it was worth it. This is just my personal thought. My class was full time so everyone had left their job to enroll in the course, with that being said after the class, not everyone could find the junior dev job moreover, most of them didn't and couldn't. One piece of advice to myself in the past would be "do not join unless you were super sure about web development and understand how hard it would be to find your first job" because it is very very very hard and I'll tell you that you are going to have to earn internships or trainee experience at a low wage at first. Do you think you are going to be okay not being able to find jobs and write tons of resumes for months and polishing your portfolio? I was going crazy... On the bright side, People are very nice at GA and I liked their management team.  However please take a few web development courses to be sure if it is really right for you and you have the guts to start your dev role no matter how hard it is .. because it is not for everyone. 

General Assembly gave me the tools and confidence to make a career change and I would never be where I am two years later had I not been through the DSI Bootcamp. It is important to know how your previous background and the boot camp can work together to make you a strong candidate. There will be MUCH to learn after the boot camp, but the GA program gives you what you need to start that journey and I would recommend it!

The ultimate difference between design bootcamps is the teaching. I had remarkable instructors at General Assembly.  They offered general insight into the industry at large as well as taught the necessary skillsets within it.  I was able to wrap my head around expectations in the industry, design philosophy, approach, and practice using the skillsets I use daily. They also gave us fantastic templates and insights that offered a better command of an anxiety-provoking job search -  all of this was with honesty, kindness, and a personal touch. 

General Assembly was instrumental in allowing me to level up my career in tech into the UX Design field that is challenging, engaging, and always growing. During the program I gained highly applicable skills as well as learned freshly updated content that gets vetted by the best thought leaders in the field from the biggest company names in tech. I now hold a leadership position in UX Design (I came into the program with management experience) and another colleague of mine who also attended the program is now Senior Director of UX at her company. The GA network and support is everything and worth every cent I paid!

GA gave me the tools and self confidence to transform my life. In my late 20s I felt trapped, alone and confused, in a job and career path that I disliked. Going back to college for another 2 to 4 years and a different undegrad degree just to start back at the bottom was not an option. I joined GA after being severanced out of a position I spent 4 years in,. My amazing instructor not only gave me the practical skills to get into a new, in-demand field, but also taught me that with curiosity, work ethic, and the internet, I could continue to learn and re-invent myself. You can dream, work hard and make your goals come true. Now I'm always on the lookout for my next big professional challenge! 

General assembly is such a great resource for people looking to transition careers, jumpstart their portfolio, or just gain new skills! 

The curriculum is very smartly geared towards helping students succeed and gain in-demand skills, experience, and knowledge. 

I was a little disappointed on day one when I learned that it was a connected-classroom setting which means four different classes of 20 or so students are connected through Zoom for one instructor. That detail was probably mentioned during the initial description of the course, but it definitely wasn't clear since it came as a complete shock. I never felt like I received the personal assistance I need to learn, so it wasn't the best fit for me. I learned a lot, but never felt comfortable with the material due to this format.

GA was a life-changing experience for me. I took the UX Design immersive and because of the instructors I had (JC & Samantha Lane) and wonderful cohort, I can say it was worth the sacrifice and money. I learned a lot under the direction of the two instructors, they kept the curriculum organized, efficient, provided endless resources, and did a great job with making the information interactive. You spend the morning in lecture, and rest of the day getting hands-on experience with projects. They also did a great job building a sense of community, every single student in my class was supportive, kind, and skilled. Especially remotely, it's important to be able to connect with your instructors and classmates. GA has done a wonderful job creating an online learning environment through slack and zoom alone. You will pick up the latest trends, tools, and skills to succeed-- but the program will be what you make it. You have to work hard, be dedicated, put in late nights (especially during the last month), and be prepared to experience burnout. It will be worth it in the end if you're serious about learning UX or making a career change. Be prepared to quit your job, and spend 3 months learning and maybe an additional 3-6 months job searching. It's competitive out there, but this program will provide you with a strong portfolio if you're willing to put in the work. After graduating, you are paired with an outcomes coach who is there to help coach you on interviews, resumes, and help connect you with jobs although much of the job hunting is left to the student. GA doesn't hand out jobs but they help set you up and provide a community for support. 

 I am the type of person who likes in-class instruction.  And I had taken 2.5 years off to be a stay-at-home mom while I decide what to do in my career.  I had come from a GIS background but wanted to pursue something more.  I heard a lot of good things about General Assembly and really liked the financial options, including a scholarship for women.  I liked that they had a campus near me so I started contacting them.  They were very straightforward about their admissions process, they really want you to succeed.  And then the pandemic hit.  They told me it would only be online.  I took the plunge and it was a great experience!  I never thought I would like online teaching but they did a great mix of zoom and slack.  They switch between large teaching groups with great instructors and smaller local classes so you can get the specialized one-on-one.  I went into the Data Science Immersive course.  I will say it is VERY fast so you have to dedicate 3 months to this class.  My husband watched our child and took care of the house during this time.  I received so much instruction that I don't really remember it all.  But I do have the class lectures to refer to again.  I continue to take their workshops, like Tableau, for quick brush-ups on new technology that I enjoy.  To really succeed in any boot camp, especially one this fast, I would understand the basics of python (python the hard way book) and statistics (Khan Academy statistics) first.   I would definitely go with General Assembly over any other school again because I enjoy the quick instruction and emphasis on hands on training.  The homework I did lead directly to my current position that I got within 2 months of graduation. 

Overall the Software Engineering Immersive program was an exceptional experience with world class instructors.  The full time program is NOT something to take lightly as it will be 40+ hours of school and additional work after hours for projects, homework, etc. But this is all to help solidify concepts you WILL be tested on for interviews as well as utilize on the job.  While a global pandemic probably changed how helpful the "post-graduation" program is... it could still use improvement.  I'd definitely recommend the program overall and loved the pace, lessons, and instruction! 

This GA course was a comprehensive and practice-based overview of Excel, SQL, and Tableau. It was immediately applicable to my work, and it was so valuable to learn these skills in a class context, with instructors willing to answer questions and provide support. I wish we'd allocated a little more time to SQL.

Very efficient profesional and systematic way of understanding of the course materials. It's a great way to gain new knowledge through this career transition phase.

The cons is definitely the course could have been slightly longer and have different range of project scenarios because after a while we realized that the project kinda have the same scope after a while.

One of the main benefits of General Assembly’s 10-Week User Experience Design Immersive is learning to let go of overthinking and the inertia of perfectionism by applying lean UX design principles to real-world collaborative exercises and cohort work. Culminating in a real client project and design pitch, the immersive scaffolds and builds on ever-more complex frameworks and methodologies so it does not feel like an overwhelming information download. The level of instruction is consistently high with professional practitioners from across the spectrums of design. I liked that the immersive is taught by 2-3 designers with drop-in lectures and presentations from other instructors and teaching assistants from a broad and diverse background. Students grow as strategic design thinkers and this is tied directly to success and impact in the immersive. There is a good balance between personal growth and team collaborative work.  

One of the cons that I and others in my cohort noticed from this 10-week immersive, is that the time tends to wind down pretty quickly and the career placement and outcomes portion of the immersive tends to feel somewhat rushed and slapped on at the ending weeks. This leaves little time to prepare polished case studies and portfolio website—artifacts that differentiate a student’s project work from other students in the same graduating cohort. Target job search feels rushed and there are few ways to separate one’s self from the pack. Projects tend to feel homogenous and repetitive in an already oversaturated job market. I heard this direct feedback from several post-graduation interviews where the interviewers had literally seen the exact case studies and projects from previous bootcamp cohorts. I had to do some reverse-engineering on my case studies and portfolio in order to make it feel like my own.

It will be rigorous and stressful. You have to have a growth mindset and put in the work. Be ready to listen, pivot, and get out of the comfort zone. They don't waste time and cram every lesson with things you need to know to understand the fundamentals of the field. Guest speakers from the industry are invited every now and then to talk about their experience and how they got there, which is helpful. You will be rewarded with readiness to approach the industry and also have a portfolio you're proud of, provided that you invest the time and effort to keep up with the course speed and produce excellent work. I found the staff for my course very helpful, ready to listen and positive. The programme is well-designed and strategised to prep you as a UX designer. 

Graduated from General Assembly Software Engineering curriculum which isn't on 12 weeks but 9.
Why? Because you have 3 x 1 project week where the interaction with GA educational team is nearly none existant.
Their curruciculum covers the basics but do not go in depth.
They are promoting their affiliation with the Adecco Group which does not provide any job nor operational support, whatsoever.
General Assembly Outcomes program is completely useless - you will be on your own when it comes to your job searches.
This program will simply help you design a Resume and explain the same information over and over again: waste of time and obselete.
The overall experience isn't worth such investment, at all.
I sincerly regret going with them.

I attended their immersive a few months ago and I would discourage everyone from attending this school at any of their locations.  Why?

The course material is very mediocre and covers only basic development tools; it is mainly because they accept anyone without any prior screening. So students who are really serious and motivated about being a coder have to work at slow pace with outdated material. The teacher to student ratio is bad too like sometimes there will only be two teachers left to handle a group of 25-30 students and that’s why teachers leave mid way because of added burden. 

The career guidance and confidence building is practically nil and so many students leave GA feeling less capable of being a coder. What I have felt there is that they are not very industry focused coz they don’t know much about the job market. Their service agreement is not up to the mark too and even if you somehow end up getting a job, it will be a part time work with less than average pay. Moreover, there is no training or support as to how to approach companies or handle real time programming challenges. Nothing is explained in a proper manner and group assignments are a joke too, they promise so many things when you join like they will get you a job, make you successful etc but I was jobless for 5 months after completing their course (which I badly wanted to leave in between but still somehow finished due to some of my batch mates who became good friends)

You know what’s worse?  You pay a huge amount to become a coder but here they just teach you how to copy and paste and not how to think like a programmer. This was the most unprofessional place I have ever seen because teachers were never helpful and never helped anyone solve real problems.

My honest opinion? If you are planning to join General Assembly, don’t! You would just waste your money. Instead, invest in a place that focuses on overall student development and train them well to become successful even if that place charges a little much.

If you are thinking of attending General Assembly for data Science don't waste your money.  Your $16k could be spent far better elsewhere.  

They spend less than a 1/2 a day in a 12 week course on SQL and waste too much time on things that employers aren't looking for,  Honestly, the instructors at General Assembly are really full of themselves.  I'm not happy I wasted $16k on the course and I would advise anyone looking to avoid...