Le Wagon

Why did I choose Le Wagon coding bootcamp in Copenhagen?

 

My background

I’m a classically trained “corporate ninja” within the disciplines of business administration and marketing. Since the world is becoming more and more digital I wanted to add digital skills to my tool belt. More specifically I wanted to learn how a digital product is developed from scratch and how the development process is organized. I researched options for coding schools that would offer short-term coding courses but they were based abroad and I was looking for a “local” solution. When I found out that Le Wagon was opening here in Copenhagen Denmark I knew I had to join. Hence I enrolled in the 9-week bootcamp in summer  of 2016.

 

Why Le Wagon

I did a lot of research on Le Wagon prior to joining it. What really sets Le Wagon apart from the rest is the entrepreneurial focus: you get the chance to develop your own product and think like an entrepreneur. This was a perfect match with my business background, since it was building on top of my existing knowledge base as well as expanding into unknown territories (well, hello coding!). Having a full stack curricullum that takes back-end as well as front-end into account was exactly the combination I was looking for with my zero skills in coding. Furthermore my research also showed that Le Wagon was highly recommended and scored very well on ratings. That’s why I chose it.

   

The bootcamp

I was part of the very first Copenhagen batch of Le Wagon. One word that sums of the whole 9 week experience: excellent! The teaching was great since we had people who were professional developers and knew exactly what they were talking about. The teachers were highly competent and professional. Not only were we presented to new knowledge every day, we learnt how to apply it to exercises that  were really challenging - but strengthened our understanding of the concepts. Every day you built up your skills brick by brick. The first 6 weeks really gave you the necessary skill set and was the best prep for the last stretch of the bootcamp: two major projects in the remaining 3 weeks.  We  created our own Airbnb clone ( platform was similar) while the second was our own app idea. Being able to go from having absolutely no coding skills to create sites that actually look like something worthwhile is quite cool. You literally see how much you progress every week and that just motivates you keep on learning and coding.

Besides all the new knowledge the social aspect is just as good. These 9 weeks are probably the most challenging you experience but the social aspect of it makes it even more worthwhile. You have a lot of fun during these 9 weeks. Even after 12 hours of coding every day we would go out for burgers or beers in the evening. And we stil meet even after the bootcamp is over because you are Le Wagon buddies for life (we really are!)   

     

Pros

You learn a lot in 9 weeks. The amount of knowledge you get in these 9 weeks is massive. But you also learn to apply the knowledge in an actual, practical sense. You start viewing and evaluating digital solutions that you see everywhere.  

 

Copenhagen. It’s a beautiful city that’s really open and young. Give it a try. You will love the biking and social life of the city.

 

Start of your coding journey. You really get a solid foundation to learn even more after the bootcamp is done.

 

You understand how a digital product is developed. Although the projects of the bootcamp are of miniature-scale the core methods of structuring the development processes are the same in the real world.

 

Reshape your career. Having the digital understanding as above mentioned makes you even more interesting for a future employer. I can vouch for this because it led to my new job within IT project management.

 

The social aspect. You have a lot fun while your brain is frying because of all the new concepts it’s trying to absorp.

   

Cons

You learn a lot in 9 weeks. At times you would lose track of which concepts you covered in the previous week because there is a lot to cover. I recommend that by end of each day you reflect on the key concepts you learnt.

 

Not for the faint-hearted. Learning how to code is challenging. At times you will feel frustrated because you just aren’t getting it. It’s important that you come with an open mind and accept that sometimes it takes a bit more time for you to learn it. But eventually you will.

 

Joining Le Wagon was one of the best decisions I’ve made. From day one, it didn’t feel like school—it felt like a community. The atmosphere was warm and collaborative, with instructors and fellow students who made learning genuinely enjoyable. It was intense, yes, but never overwhelming. The structure was solid, and the pacing kept us challenged without being burnt out.What stood out to me the most was the human aspect. Everyone—from teachers to TAs—was approachable, patient, and always ready to help. It never felt like you were “just another student.” I’ve made real friendships, gained hands-on experience, and developed not only technical skills, but also real problem-solving confidence.The curriculum is practical and industry-aligned. We worked on real projects, learned how to collaborate in teams, and left with a portfolio I’m proud of. The final weeks—building a full-stack app from scratch—were the perfect culmination of everything we had learned.If you’re looking for a bootcamp that teaches you more than just code—one that builds community, confidence, and clarity—Le Wagon is the place. I left not only with technical skills but with memories and lessons that will stay with me for life. Rating: 10/10
Would 100% recommend.

Wow, where do I even begin? I just wrapped up the nine-week Data Science bootcamp at Le Wagon, and to say it was life-changing feels like an understatement. Coming from a background with very little coding experience, I was pretty nervous, but I can honestly say it was a great decision.
The program is an intense, deep dive into the world of data, but it’s structured so perfectly that you never feel lost. We started with the fundamentals of Python and SQL and, before I knew it, we were building and deploying actual machine learning models. The curriculum is incredibly practical and project-based, which was my favourite part. You’re not just memorising theory; you're coding every single day, working on real-world challenges, and applying what you learned immediately.
What truly makes Le Wagon special, though, are the people. The teachers are absolute rockstars—many are former students who know exactly what you're going through. They don’t just give you the answers; they guide you to find the solution yourself, creating a supportive and fun learning environment. The final two weeks are spent working in a team on a final project, building a full product from scratch. This was an amazing way to experience agile development and teamwork, just like in a real tech company.
The bootcamp is definitely challenging, but it’s also incredibly rewarding. I walked away with a solid foundation in data science, a portfolio of projects I’m proud of, and a huge confidence boost. Plus, you become part of this massive global community of alumni and get lifetime access to the learning platform, which is amazing for continued growth. If you're looking to switch careers and dive into tech, I can't recommend Le Wagon enough. It’s an intense, thrilling, and transformative experience

This bootcamp is supportive of you from day 1 until the last day and even beyond that timeframe they are still helpful and supportive. All the teachers and staff you encounter throughout the bootcamp know what they are talking about, is passionate and patient with you when you struggle understanding a concept or help debug with you. They love the work that they do and by having small classes, they have enough time to help each student succeed in the course. The buddy system also helps so if the teacher is unavailable from helping someone else, at least you have another student to bounce ideas off of or help you if they learned the concept faster then you. 

Dear prospective course participant

My experience during the past 9 weeks as a student of batch #2012 in the Data Science & AI bootcamp at Le Wagon on-site in Barcelona was: 

• 💪 intense, 
• 🫀 inspiring, and
• 🚀 life-changing 

Or in Haiku-form: 

• 🌊 Into cold water
• 🦘 A Wagoneer Leaping up
• 🍀 Chance of a lifetime

🌸 From 14.04.2025 to 13.06.2025, my body and mind were firmly rooted and blossoming at Carrer de la Diputació, 409, L'Eixample, 08013 Barcelona, Spain. 

😄I particularly enjoyed the engaging and challenging learning atmosphere, which was fostered thanks to an amazing group of teachers on-site in Barcelona!  


# Before: Comprehensive Curriculum

Checking out the curriculum of our bootcamp opens up an in-depth view of all relevant hard- and soft-skills a modern-day data scientist must master:

• 💻 Setup participant laptops, install software and connect to the KITT learning platform (https://kitt.lewagon.com)
  • ⏳ Lifetime access for alumni includes course material updates, an essential feature in this rapidly evolving field
  • 🥚 Easter Egg: Like its homonymous talking car in the 1980s TV show *Knight Rider*, KITT is a playful nod to that fictional AI co‑pilot, assisting his human users through the bootcamp jungle. 
• 🐍 Python and SQL for Data Science
• 🪐 Jupyter Notebooks
• 🎲 Mathematical Foundations: Algebra, Calculus, Statistics, Probabilities
• 🤔 Decision Science, Statistical Inference, Linear and Logistic Regression, Effective Communication of Results
• 💡 Machine Learning Tools include Time Series and Natural Language Processing
• 🌱 Deep Learning Tools include Convolutional and Recurrent Neural Networks, as well as Transformers
• ⚙️ Machine Learning Operations include Cloud Training, Predict in Production, and User Interface
• 🧠 Final Project includes pitching your project idea to convince your peers to join you on an exciting journey during the last 2 weeks together! 
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# During: Information Overload

A note to the perfectionist voice inside of us:

• 🤐 SHUT THE F*** UP!!!
• 📝 This course contains an OVERWHELMING amount of information which my human brain was nowhere near able to digest in one 9-week-go.
• ♾️ Especially the countless rabbit holes which are sprinkled throughout the course did a great job of evaporating whatever little time I had left myself besides studying in class, studying at home, sleep, socialize, eat, and work-out (ordered by duration).
• 🌀 For me, being forced to PRIORITIZE and focus on what truly matters to ace the daily challenges and final project with my buddies was an immersive and deeply fulfilling flow-experience. 

# After: Job Seeker Program

👔 I signed up for the Comprehensive Job Seeker Program. 

• 💸 Thanks to my savings, I was not under an immediate financial pressure to find a job during the bootcamp, deferring the job seeker program to the time after the bootcamp, i.e. starting now. 
• 🤗 I'm grateful that I could embrace this opportunity to become completely absorbed in this coding-learning-bonding experience during the bootcamp while shutting the outside world out as much as possible. 
• 🪽 Now that the bootcamp is already over (those 9 weeks were FLYING) I am refactoring my first and second brain (physical and digital) to figure out where my journey will continue. 
• 📈 Although I cannot yet make any statement about the effectiveness of this Job Seeker Program for me personally, it too gives me a very complete first impression, which is consistent with the rest of the bootcamp. 
• 🎯 Wherever the professional path may lead me from here, my search has become much more targeted and CLEAR to me. 
• 🫀 Thanks Le Wagon ! 
  
  
  

I really like that the Web Development Bootcamp is designed with progressive challenges. If I couldn't manage to wrap up one of those in a session, I always knew that in the next lecture, I would have the chance to strengthen the same skills with a more advanced challenge. 
I can say that the whole program is very well designed, and you end up understanding all the bootcamp content and acquiring tons of different skills related to the programming languages that are being taught.

The teachers are super experienced and they always help you to solve your tickets (issues) without giving you the final answer, but by guiding you to implement in your code what is needed.

Regarding the staff members, they are very nice! It is very easy to reach them at any time, and they are always very enthusiastic to assist you.
I'm very happy that I decided to take the Web Development Bootcamp. I think that what I have learned in 6 months will have a very positive impact on my future professional career.