General Assembly

I really enjoyed the experience of completing the UXD Immersive at General Assembly in downtown LA. I truly believe that the education I received there and the experience that I gained is worth every penny spent to make it happen. A month and some change later, I'm still job hunting (amidst a global pandemic) and I'm very well supported by the Outcomes team in staying focused and continuing to apply for jobs-- it's just not a great time to be out of work and seeking. I am glad that I took this course and will use the tools and methods I learned there throughout my career. 

February 6, 2020
I quit the program in the last two weeks due to finding a job and poor execution by Management.  Our instructor changed three times and we had not one class on algorithms or Big-O notation, reasons I took the course.  They did not respond to my letter until after three emails.  

LETTER BELOW
PlusesFirst we’ll start with the positives from the physical to the logical and qualitative.
LocationThe GA campus in DC is clean, serviceable and well stocked with excellent Frontlines support.  I would give it as near as 100% as possible.  Classrooms always have working projectors, enough seats and whiteboards.  Coffee, Peanut Butter and Jelly and tea bags are always plentiful.
OutcomesThe outcomes team gives the students most of the skills I learned in this industry at dozens of customers and clients over 20 plus years.  As much as the students complained about the long sessions to me, those that follow its rigors will secure a position quickly.
CurriculaThe curricula as defined in the GA SEI Syllabus compares well with Flatiron, CodingDojo, Trilogy and others.
InstructionAll lead instructors seemed knowledgeable of the material covered.  All instructors were approachable and inviting of the material.
DeliveryThe Google calendar was updated weekly with relatively accurate material to be presented and learned.  Labs and software functioned as expected.  Installfest saved the students trouble that they will quickly learn in the field.  Compatibility and libraries are key from development to deployment.MinusesNow, some constructive guidance
LocationThose stairs are extremely steep and elevator access restricted.   Heat in these historical buildings often has trouble on those frosty days.  This one is no different, a space heater or two might help if compliant ones are available.
OutcomesOnly one thing I might recommend here are interview dry runs.  We had one or two examples of interviews, and I imagine hiring panel next week will be equally excellent.  But as mentioned below, practice, practice practice!  All candidates I have ever met benefit from practicing the interview questions and the discomfort.  I mentor all of my charges in this area.  We even do professional development sessions on it.
CurriculaThe curricula was not taught completely.  For example, one of the reasons, that I, an experienced Engineer chose GA were the Algorithms and Data Structures courses as shown in the screenshots below. These courses were not available until after the course opened and even worse were never addressed.  This pattern of missing core material as we moved forward forms part of the basis for my letter and departure.
InstructionOur lead instructor changed three times.  None of them covered all of the material separately or together.  For new students this gap will carry over into their new careers.  Although I mentioned this before and in tickets, it has not been addressed adequately.  It cannot be rectified at this late stage.  
DeliveryFurthermore there was often a lack of respect for the difficulties that the students faced.  Comments such as the students are “lazy,” “do not want to work,” or “do not like to read have been heard.”  While I encourage constructive criticism it must be backed by instructional excellence.
Instructional ExcellenceAlthough very personable as a whole the instructional style was far too loose to give new students the comfort they need in this difficult, challenging and dynamic field.  Like sport and music, training for novices is about learning patterns and executing them repeatedly and in combination.  As the student grows, these patterns or katas inspire the artists to create their own symphonies.
Not enough structure was provided for training the students muscle or neurological pathways to allow for confident improvisation.  This is my number one guidance.  When teaching new material it is vital that it is taught, demonstrated, practiced and reviewed.  Although much of the material had this character, it has not been consistent enough to train the students.  

 On my final day I was directly criticized for the instructional failures of this cohort.  I was told that I was pushing and telling the students what to do when in reality all that I did was:

1. Describe the concept.
2. Demonstrate the concept.
3. Allow the students to choose issues to tackle.
4. Reviewed them as a whole.

The instructor who arrived later to try to guide us was disrespectful to me and to the classroom in his behavior.  
Summary

I chose GA over the alternatives for several reasons.  First, the curriculum met most of the baselines of each of the other bootcamps in the area, although it was slightly pricier, the vibe and location seemed worth it.  I was 100% accurate on the location and vibe, you are a warm and welcoming team that open your hearts to all students.
Please structure the courses more.  I mentioned this in my ongoing tickets and this letter.  One of the lead instructors offers great answer and respond format.  He sometimes made the students uncomfortable, yet it was the type of discomfort of growth rather than pain.  Consistent training of your junior and lead instructors will ensure that the student learn the patterns better and all material is covered.
Overall I have learned much from this program.  I attended to have a structure and milestones to meet in an immersive format.  This need was met.  I am glad that I took this program, but I wonder if the Trilogy program might be more structured.  Regardless, I thank you for this opportunity and look forward to seeing any of you in the field.
Sincerely,Gouthum Karadi

I took General Assembly with the intent to make a career pivot into the tech industry by thinking I was going to learn the tools to become a software engineer.  I ended up getting a role in Web Development. However, it was me, and mostly me, that set my path for this role.  General Assembly just provided a base. 

I had learned a whole lot throughout this boot camp, that is for sure. But, we have to understand that people are paying up to 22K (through the catalyst program) to take this course for their life objectives. Not only is this is a massive financial commitment, it is a time commitment, and most importantly it is an emotional commitment. As the aspects of money and time are self explanatory, the emotional commitment might be the biggest one as the job search afterwards is by far the toughest task.

Let's really take a step back here and think. Please understand this before you take ANY coding bootcamp. 

12 weeks does not make a software engineer. I repeat. 12 weeks does not make a software engineer or a web developer or even a junior level developer. The reality is, General Assembly is a for profit school and they'll do everything in their power to get students to pay money and take their courses.

I want to reiterate that I learned a lot. But, I quickly realized that this program is more worth it for people who have coding experience already and want to expand their skills and not for someone who wants to make a career transition into programming. I say this despite the program being advertised as this one way ticket to becoming a software engineer who will make six figures right off the bat. 

The fact is: the curriculum brushes over fundamental computer science concepts that normally go a long way in the coding interviews and only touch base on several technologies rather than going in depth with them. This makes sense because you really only have 12 weeks to "become as software engineer" yet, I thought that some things could have been excluded from the curriculum so us students could be further educated on important topics.

As for the instructors. Oh geez. They were great people but, dang do I felt like I really got ripped off on this aspect of the bootcamp. My cohort had two assistant teachers who took the course previously but have never had any professional development experience. But what was even more frustrating was that our global instructor, who was on a screen teaching multiple courses as at time, did not have any professional experience either! I would also ask him about certain advanced topics but he failed to guide me in them and ultimately was discouraging! It was such a joke that these instructors were so unqualified for their positions when students are putting in their souls into creating this professional transition. I almost felt cheated. Remember, as a student it's easy for someone to look good compared to you but in the end, it'll all unfold.

Lastly, General Assembly is praised for their outcomes/job assistance. But to be straight up, our career coaches did not help much. I even heard of other students from the other programs complaining about their career coach not being responsive until a student got a job! Blasphemous. For all of you out there drooling at the fact that these bootcamps have "outcomes or job assistance", it really isn't too much help. A quick google search or a phone call from a friend will be a better choice for advice.

Ultimately, General Assembly provided me a launch pad to boost my skills in development. However, I cannot recommend this to anyone with the price that they are asking of their students.

I want everyone to understand this.

You get yourself a job. Not a coding bootcamp.

Good luck!

Prior to participating in this bootcamp I had just made a complex decision to career change from elementary teaching to software engineering. I had somehow made a large friend circle of software engineers who offered their support and advice as well as two career changing friends who had just completed the General Assembly Software Engineering Immersive. I had tried to teach myself coding multiple times over my teaching career and decided a bootcamp would be the best kick to really help me move forward.

GA Boston has some of the best folks ready to support and guide people. It was intense, and it pushed me in ways I hadn't been pushed in a while. We learned JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, front-end to back-end development, and the Outcomes team (career coaching/job assistance) are incredibly supportive and knowledgable. I appreciated being able to schedule one on one time with the coaches and I felt like all the staff were really accessible and ready to help.

I was in a class of 18 people and felt very close with everyone. Even outside of the cohort I've connected with so many people throughout the alumni network. Overall I am glad for the experience and the network.

Enrolling in the SEI program at GA was the best decision I've ever made. The staff at GA are wonderful, and the instructors are super knowledgeable, and more importantly happy to help you with anything. I think anyone with a poor review of GA wasnt there for the right reasons, it's not high school or university, you dont have to be there, you chose to go. Those that make the most of the resources there are the ones that will be successful. There's a lot of course content and it moves very fast so dig in and get ready to learn.

I have been thinking about changing my career to software engineering for a long time. This year I have decided to join General Assembly and I  honestly I don’t regret it, the teaching system and the projects helped me to learn and further understand multiple technologies to be able to make beautiful sites. The campus is spacious, just ideal for you to learn and there are always people available if you have questions.

 The job-support at the end of the course is unique, helping you to brand yourself and shine from other applicants. Definitely, the best way to start as a developer.

 

My experience with General Assembly started off very rocky. I'm not your traditional student just looking for another class they can take for the experience. I wanted to learn a new skill for a career change. I think that goal was met; however, I am still looking for employment in the field. I've joined a few Meetup groups and went to one conference, so I'm going to keep trying. 

I also got a moment to speak with other designers and learning the process isn't enough. You need to learn code. I know that as a UX Designer/Researcher, you shouldn't have to learn code, but I've noticed that employers don't really understand what we do so if you don't fit the minimum application requirements you are out of luck. I really was hoping that there would be help getting your portfolio together, but there was nothing. To be quite frank, if you are looking for more case studies to put on your portfolio (btw, if you take the online cohort they will not help you with this) you will have to go with a longer class (i.e. DesignLab, Springboard, etc.). They give you more ways to present your work. We only had the option to work on a responsive site or a mobile application (10 weeks vs 9 months).

If you are committed to working on this class at least 20 hours a week...you'll pass. My TA took a while to get back to us with grades, but he makes himself available for you if you ask. The instructor will also. In my opinion, the instructors made the experience for me great. They will answer any questions you may have about being in the field. The class is very interactive and you are allowed to critique your peers.

Advice for GA would be to make the job assistance available for all students and add coding to your course. For those that come from a completely different industry, this would help tremendously.

General Assemb.ly Software Engineering Immersive Online Boot Camp was an incredibly amazing experience.  It opened my eyes and mind to many parts of web site design, development, and maintenance. I learned many languages, frameworks, libraries, stacks, and computer science fundamentals.  Through the course, we built web sites, made functions, had solo and group projects. The amount of information blasted into my brain was equivalent to drinking from a firehose.  After completion, I have a few sites for my portfolio under my belt and a firm grasp of the basics and more for HTML, CSS, JavaScript, and Python3 as well as a new way of using the computer itself through the command line and sites like GitHub, Netlify, Mongo Db and Heroku.  They have the outcomes program also, which helps mold your online presence and offers resume help and so much more. This program extends after the class is over and is available until you land your new career role. 

Although I was previously new to UX design and the tech field in general, GA staff were very thoughtful and welcoming from the beginning. My admissions producer responded to my initial inquiry immediately and answered all my tough questions. She stayed in touch with me as I completed the pre-work, and I never felt disoriented despite all the new information and procedures I was learning. 

The pre-work was an excellent guide to what the course would entail, and I came in with strong conceptial knowledge. Nonetheless, I was challenged above and beyond my expectations (in a good way), and I feel confident that I understand both the 'hard' and 'soft' skills needed to be a successful designer. 

My instructors were extremely personable and made themselves available whether I had a smaller question or larger concern. They even allowed me the space to vent on two occasions. During project work, they gave us the freedom to explore our individual interests (as they related to the project) -- along with the freedom to fail (and learn from it). I can only imagine how difficult it is to navigate 19 beginners through 4 rounds of client work, but they did it. 

The Outcomes staff were direct, nuanced, and efficient with thieir comments on my resume, portfolio, cover letter, and other career-related materials. I learned almost as much from their tutelage as I did from my content instructors (and I'm still learning). As someone who has spent a long time unemployed/applying cold, my confidence has increased enormously as a result of Outcomes support. I now have a comprehensive strategy and organizational system for my search. 

Overall, if you choose to take an immersive course at GA, know that you will learn a ton and be handled with care. At the same time, be sure to clear your schedule for the 10-12 weeks of the program (and beyond if you're immediately seeking a job thereafter). Do not take the commitment lightly. What you put in is largely what you get out. If you put in everything, you will get everything you expected -- and more. 

I found the GA UX Research & Design PT Course very enjoyable. I learned a lot and I feel that the curriculum gave me a solid understanding of the UX Research & Design process from end to end. Marcella was a great teacher and made all of the concepts understandable and applicable to where we all were in our professional careers. She was always available for extra help and advice which I really appreciated. It was a lot of work and in my opinion required more of a time commitment than the course syllabus suggested. Because it is a PT class it moved very quickly which caused me to get behind a few times throughout the course. I also found the curriculum to be a bit disjointed and unorganized.  This is primarily because the online pre and home work did not seem to match up with the 2 day a week in class schedule. There were a few times I had to go back and review because sections were out of order. Overall, it is a good course that would definitely be 5 stars with some fine tuning. 

Through my experience at General Assembly (note, when I started, it was still Bitmaker, but in effect, the content was General Assembly approved), I was able to land my first data science role.    While the industry is hiring Sr. Data Scientist engineers, and Sr. Data Scientists, breaking in is difficult for more entry-level Data Analyst/Scientists. However, I do like how there are Data Scientists who come from a variety of backgrounds, from social sciences, cognitive sciences, to mathematics.   On this journey, I’ve had a lot of support from my General Assembly instructor (Max is one of smartest, and also most effective teachers), career coaches and classmates.    Note, your mileage may vary based on your instructor, or peers (to drive discussion and helping each other). I was lucky to have one of the best. Our instructor worked at two local start-ups before joining General Assembly, so he had real experience. Additionally, he often presented at conferences like Pycon and abroad. This is the by far the reason why I am rating General Assembly so high, it’s because you gain access to an instructor who can teach the material better than online materials. Anyone can find a Jupyter notebook on Random Forests, or youtube video on Neural Networks, but to get insights from an Engineer who has written production code, and has advice about ‘flex’ topics like why Docker, cloud computing, and a better way of approaching a problem is invaluable.   Choose your boot camp based on your instructor. That’s the differentiating piece. Go to an info session, and ask him/her questions.   Coming from the software industry previously, the inclusiveness and culture were great, but not a differentiator for me. I’d imagine Brainstation being similar. But those guys were way too sales-y while recruiting, which is why Brainstation turned me off. The syllabus was a bit less relevant too.   To close I’d like to highlight two areas of improvement.

• It’s a jam-packed 12 weeks, but if there was a way to embed more data engineering, software engineering by removing some of the less relevant algorithms, I think that would be better time spent.
• Career support is great, but let’s raise the bar for those who have already worked in the industry. The general advice is table stakes (geared towards interns and university students), so it would be more valuable to have real data scientists, and data engineers provide advice on how they recruit, and perform whiteboard interviews. The network of alumni is growing, but the corporate partnerships engagement is weak as far as student employment is concerned. The career coach is working hard on early conversations with Telus Digital and MaRS, but at this point, there’s no real pipeline to feed students into those programs. Bet on yourself to find jobs rather than rely on employers knocking on your door on demo day. Set your expectations appropriately.