I decided to pursue the Cybersecurity career path because it is the future. Information Technology is the new "Age" of the world and I believe that Cybersecurity is its future. I have always had a fascination, passion and devotion to Information Technology (IT). This is made obvious by my standing 20 years of experience (professional and otherwise). This mindset drives my commitment to this career path and I am working towards leaving a legacy in the IT world.

I applied to the Rice University Cybersecurity Boot Camp for three major reasons: 1. Cybersecurity Skills Acquisition (which will enable me work and walk my career path); 2. A prestigious institution that will ensure I acquire said skills and equally prepare me on this career path with professional services (Rice University exceeds my expectations).

Taking this course in Rice University has been nothing short of a blessing and I intend to take optimum advantage of this opportunity. My experience so far has been satisfactory (and so much more) in the various interesting aspects that make up this Boot Camp. Although my favorite aspect will always remain the Homework and Re-Doing all the activities done in class. Rice University platform offers resources in various platforms such as videos, online reading materials and communities that broaden my knowledge on Cybersecurity. I will definitely refer this glorious and prestigious institution to anyone who wants to further their knowledge on any course or subject.

Finally, my advice to any potential student to achieve success will be: Commit, Devote, Be Prepared and Assimilate. This course is the future and Rice University gets you 100% ready to tackle it.

I am glad I enrolled into the Rice University Boot Camp for Cybersecurity. It was my 2019 best decision by far.

Thank you.

I came in to the course just seeking knowledge that can propel me to the next level in my career; However, I earned a whole lot more. I learned how to code, I learned how to learn and how to teach. I developed empathy and team work skills while working on projects with people from the most diverse of Backgrounds. 

Two months into the course, I landed a job in a fortune 500 company and I have been able to put what I have learnt to good use. Although the pace of the course is very fast, Students need to understand that you get what you put in. The amount of sleepless nights will definitely be worth it eventually. Might I add that when I started this course I had zero coding experience apart from using Excel, but now I develop apps and systems from scratch and I have this burning desire to help people. 

The instructor had a very obvious passion for teaching and imparting knowledge and a very impressive knowledge about all subject matters taught during the class. 

I can confidently say that I came out of the program an all round better person I went in.

Thank you Rice Data Analytics Bootcamp 

Through reading an excellent review article on the front page of the "Houston Chronicle" business section, I first learned about the Rice University Data Analytics and Visualization Boot Camp.  The number of technical skills which could be acquired in the course was very impressive.  Having this course offered at Rice University played a major factor in my final decision to enroll. 

From my first day of class, the high caliber of the instructional and support staff was quite evident.  Cam Kirkland served as the lead instructor and had a real passion for teaching.  He truly wanted each student to succeed in their professional pursuits.  I will always remember his motivating words to our class,  “We’re not here to be mediocre, we are here for excellence.”  

One of my favorite aspects of the course was working on real-world group projects in a collaborative environment (integrating Git/GitHub along with Slack).  Each project was extremely challenging, especially with the tight deadlines.  Without a doubt, Rice opened many doors for me while researching my group projects.  This included meetings with a professor, lawyer, city council member, movie director, and the county flood control district. 

The final project presentation on the last day of class proved to be incredibly rewarding for me. The boot camp gave me the confidence to use data science terminology and methods known by professionals which has greatly enhanced my marketability.  I also developed a great comradery with my new network of fellow classmates.  If you are interested in attending Rice University for a boot camp, please give it your fullest consideration – you will not be disappointed!

One word for my experience- “Amazing”. Amazing teaching staff and amazing curriculum!

Initially I was a little skeptical about joining a bootcamp because of the intense nature of the curriculum that comes along with it. Would I be able to do it? With 2 young kids and 5-day job, will I be able to give my focus on it? I was wrong, it turned out to be just the opposite. You actually get used to the pace and the flow. I come from a healthcare industry and work with a lot of applications ranging from clinical to business and facilities. Information security is a very crucial part while implementing these systems, so I gained a lot of curiosity doing them. Being PCI, HIPAA or PHI compliant made so much more sense while at Rice University cybersecurity bootcamp. I have been applying what I learn from the sessions at my work on a daily basis. Be it creating simple Python programs to automate tasks or making sure only certain ports are opened in a firewall or checking if my web applications are vulnerable or just as simple as access management have helped me tremendously at my current workplace. You learn a lot from this bootcamp. The instructors and teaching assistants have been helping with curriculum as well as giving away general tips on perfecting yourself for the real-world scenario. My biggest suggestion for everyone doing this bootcamp is to collaborate with your co-students, it helps you brainstorm ideas, give a different perspective or outlook and can really extend your knowledge on a topic. Ask questions and don’t be afraid to do so. I am only halfway through this camp but already feel excited to get into the security side. The only thing I wish this bootcamp had was a real hacker come in to do a session to actually see how a criminal mind works and share their personal experience or the list of vulnerabilities they see that auditors don’t. Saying that, I won’t deny the fact that you learn a lot from this bootcamp from Linux administration, Burpsuite, Python programming, Metasploit, SIEM, Wireshark to much more and overall it was the best decision I made in my recent years.

  I initially saw the advertisement for the Rice Cybersecurity Boot Camp on Facebook.  Looking for a career change, this advertisement caught my attention.  2 weeks later, my bestfriend texted me the link to this and asked, "What are you waiting for?"  I submitted an application online and was contacted by a career counselor.  I completed what I needed and was enrolled in the next class.

  I was nervous and anxious since I had not been in a school setting for twenty years.  The classwork was intense.  The curriculum was carefully set up and I learned a lot in such a short amount of time.  I spent much time on course material and the assignments were very long.  It raised my confidence level because of the amount of material I was actually learning.

  My advice to other students is prepare to learn a lot.  As long as you put in the work and are some what organized, you will find this Bootcamp rewarding.

After a 20 year career in Oil and Gas, I wanted to supplement my knowledge with some Data Analytics experience.  I explored various masters programs and online learning.  I felt the master's programs were too much of a time and financial commitment for what I wanted at this time.  I discovered the Rice Analytics Boot Camp program and decided the 6 months fast-paced format would work well to achieve my goals.

The program is advertised as fast-paced and a real boot camp format.  This is very true.  At times it seems the pace is very quick and hard to keep up with.  But having said that, I think that is one of the benefits, you will be exposed to a lot of various programming, database, data visualization techniques, and platforms so this allows you to dive in where you find an interest or move on without getting bogged down in an area that is not of value to you.

My advice to anybody considering the program, make sure you can dedicate time out of class to studying and completing assignments.  The class sessions will give you enough to get started but to understand what you are doing you need to spend the time outside of the classroom to understand it.