As the title says, I almost didn't sign up for a blueprint at SkillCrush.  About two months ago I was on the fence in regards to boot camps.  I've heard all sorts of things good and bad.  I also had invested in courses to learn on my own through Udemy, watching free YouTube video amongst other things.  My hang up...do I really want to spend more money? 

Did I really want to spend money to go through someone's curriculm, get to the end feeling I got it, to only end up back where I started? Well, I took the plunge and signed up for the Wordpress Developer Blueprint. So far, it's the smartest thing I've done this year!

The courses are broken down well.  Meaning there isn't too much at once and there is a flow that makes you want to do more in one sitting then say having to dedicate 5 hours a night to studying and doing code.  I love the flexibility in this program, it's probably one of the best features.

The instructors and the learning environment is very nurturing.  The hardest thing when you tackle something new like this is feeling that you are alone and having self-doubt set in.  SkillCrush is an environment that teaches code but promotes self-worth in the materials and the conversations with the staff.  Definitely a "Can Do" attitude throughout the company.

I'm finishing up my 1st month and I don't feel lost or less than capable in any areas.  Of course, coding is a technology journey that never stops needing improvement.  You only get out what you put in.  So, far my experience at SkillCrush has been a very positive experience and I'm hoping it will continue to be.

Ron

I have only completed my first class in my skill crush all access blueprint but it went really well. I feel like I learned a lot really fast and I'm excited to see what else I get to learn in the near future. The classes seem quite structured and it's pretty easy to follow the instructions and complete the assignments. I am not a super fanof sharing my workbefore its complete, which is suggested often, but I think if someone is more open to it and enjoys progressive feed back, then its probably great. I think its just my personality, I'd rather get a project completed and then see how people feel rather than share each peice, as I finish it, but to each is own. It's great that the program doesn't require that you share in the google group but rather just suggests it.

My experience so far with instructors has been okay, I feel that although I'm sure its difficult some instructors should work on not imposing thier own personal opinions on style to students work, and try to be more neutral in thier suggestions, but over all its great to have them as a resource to go to when neccesary. 

In my first 100 days I had tried a LOT of on-line programs for learning to code. Most had, at some point, an issue I could not get around or find help - for instance how to properly set up Cloud 9.io.  Others were expansive in their curriculum but not practical. I have passed all sorts of programming courses, but was left with the nagging thought of "Could I apply this in the real world?"  I looked at Skillcrush's reviews on-line and took them very seriously. Recently out of grad school and unemployed, I took the cost of Skillcrush seriously as well.  For me, this was an investment - in time, in treasure, and in faith that Skillcrush's Blueprints will get me to where I want to be as a coder. Skillcrush's self-paced program is great but their real attribute is the Office Hours.  The TAs are invaluable and a great asset to the program. They are kind, sympathetic, and gracious. That being said, be prepared to do the work. Make the effort and embrace the program.  Coding is the reward. 

As a marketer, I've been wanting to learn code for a while, but felt intimidated by many programs. I am also a generalist, so finding a program that allowed me to learn about many different things (Photoshop, CSS, HTML, etc.) was a huge plus! I found the course easy-to-follow, with great resources and well-structured learning modules. I'd definitely take additional courses through Skillcrush. 

It is difficult to save money for this type of program. That is the drawback, but there are so many advantages. You get: 

A forum where people can help you with questions. 

Email support

Frequent video conferences where you can ask the teacher whats on your mind. 

One on one teacher student conference. 

Comprehensive content. 

Many exercises to help drill in the information. 

A real tool to use, my website.  I did all the work, but I was guided by excellent teachers. 

In summary, 

I have to save for this program. It takes time. But on the other hand, the program was finished. I completed it because of all the support that I had. Many of my Udemy classes on the other hand are not completed. So thank you. I appreciate it, I just wish I could afford to take classes faster. 

I found Skillcrush by accident, reading an article about it at LinkedIn.  I had been mulling over a career in web design and development for years, classes my friends took (and failed) seemed designed to discourage students.  Skillcrush seemed very different so I looked into it.  I ended up holding my breath and taking the plunge - I signed up for the free 10 day bootcamp.  I had a blast and learned about all sorts of new things, even got the chance to code in Ruby and Python.  I ended up signing up for the All Access Blueprint.  I am just finishing up my first segment on Web Design, and it has been a wonderful experience!  I've learned so much about Photoshop Creative Cloud, and how to design a website, from layout styles, colors, fonts, what and how to use each element and I am going to end up with a website designed to help me break into the industry!  And what a wonderful, supportive environment - if you get stuck, have a problem, have a question, or just want to share your work for feedback, you belong to a wonderful google group of students and instructors who are there to help you out. This is one of the best learning environments that I have ever been involved with, and I have had a lot of "traditional education". With the help of Skillcrush, I know that by the end of this year, I will have the skills and knowledge to launch myself into my new career!

Skillcrush has been an amazing resource and learning tool for me. The lessons are well structured, easy to follow, and interactive. The hands on experience I am getting just working through the course is invaluable. I would recommend this to anyone who wants to learn anything about building websites.

I am currently enrolled in the All Access Career Bluprint through Skillcrush. So far, I like how the lessons are broken up. I can be working at my 9-to-5 and take a quick 5 minute break to cover a step in that day's lesson and, at the end of the day, be through an entire lesson. I also greatly appreciate the use of the Google Groups. I participated in online classes before where I felt alone. The Google Group makes me feel more connected to my instructors and classmates. I feel like my work is greatly enhanced by having that feedback. Additionally, the instuctors are great for giving software suggestions. I was worried when I saw that I was going to have to sign up for trials of different software. I felt like might be a hugh push on me to sign up for those products, but the instructors have been good about informing us of alternative programs and going over some of the pros and cons of paid software vs open source or free.

If I were to list any cons - It would be that, getting into the blueprint, I had my mind set on a career of coding. So the initial classes of visual design is a bit confusing. I'm building a site to showcase my work, but I have no work to showcase. But I'm going to trust the process and go with the flow.

One last thing, totally nit-picky, they send out daily emails letting you know what to do for the day. Great if you need that nudge. However, I'm ahead of the emails. It feels like, since they track my progress, they could have the corresponding email sent out. Today, I got an email to do a lesson I did days ago. I don't even look at those emails anymore.

I am in the final week of the first 3rd of my first course...did you follow that? ;)

I am enrolled in Visual Design and Front End Devlopment. I had majored in Photography in 2009. Aside from being slightly intimidated by the idea of jumping into a world I'd only had a "crash course" in years ago, I didn't want to rack up school loans.

Skillcrush was the answer for all that prevented me from moving forward with my education. It is affordable, user friendly and has such a good reputation. I did my research, because everything can sound "to good to be true". As it turned out, this online campus is exactly what I need.

The classes are organized, the one-on-one help and peer reviews are so helpful. The resources, tools and connections are invaluable and I am so excited to be able to use them in the future. 

My only note for improvement lies within the Google Group. If Skillcrush could introduce Google groups and how it works for their class to its newcomers in their orientation, it would be greatly appreciated. I know a couple other students, along with myself, were new to google groups and got a little confused, about how threads work and the appropriate place to post questions and/or work in order to get feedback.  Skillcrush is not responsible for Google Groups' slightly chaotic setup, but if there was even a 3 minute segment on how to use it efficiently during the course, I think it would be helpful.

All in all, so far so good. I feel more prepared, more able and more encouraged to do what I want with my career. That in and of itself is worth the cost of the class (and I haven't even finished it yet)!

I'm in the middle of the Visual Design blueprint & love it! The information is laid out clearly & it makes choronological sense, although it can be overwheming at times because there's a lesson every day (but you can decide your own schedule with it so that helps!) 

I also love my teacher & our TAs - they're always really supportive and offer constructive feedback. 

The only suggestion I would say is to stress that the prices are in US dollars because of how many people are doing it across the world. I live in Canada and was a little shocked at the price that came off my credit card at first because I forgot about exchange rates. 

i wasn't sure about signing up at first due to the cost but they have a nice payment plan program for students taking the All Access Blueprint course. I'm not sure if they offer that with the shorter term programs. It has been amazing so far! I'm learning so much from the interactive lessons that really make you think about why you're doing what you're doing in the design phase. I just started a couple weeks ago but the support from the google groups is tremendous, I don't regret signing up for this at all!