The Firehose Project

When I found the Firehose Project it was about the fifth bootcamp prep I had taken for a test run in as many days. I didn't mean to keep coming back to the lessons because I thought I wanted something with more JavaScript up-front, but the first section on HTML was so engaging that I stuck around for more. I've been "shopping" around, trying to find a bootcamp prep program that was both challeging but not impossible and the supportive nature of the online set-up was another unexpected bonus. I wish the videos continued into the other sections of the program, but other than that I highly recommend it.

Currently taking the "Free Bootcamp Prep" course." Doing this will pretty much let you know if this stuff is "for you" or not. It starts out with basic HTML and CSS and transitions you into learning Ruby, which is awsome stuff by the way. The way it is taught is perfection. When learning HTML and CSS, you are taught via video by Ken (CEO). Everything is explained with perfection and choice of words is great so that noobies are not left behind. I'm really happy i decided to take this up. I have always wanted to work with computers, and learn how to program, and here we are.

IF YOU HAVE ANY INTEREST in becoming a web developer/software engineer, please please please do not hesitate to take the "FREE Bootcamp Prep" course. The amount of content that is taught to you for free, it would be silly for anyone not to try it. Another massive plus to this is that Ken and Marco (CEOs) actually care about their students and their students futures, you are able to communicate with them, ask them questions, etc, that is a MAJOR PLUS.

 I plan on going through the "flexible program" (part time) as I work a full time job 8-10 hours a day and transition my career to being a full stack web developer. I will make sure to post another review in the future after I finish the part-time program.

Since I decided that I wanted to pursue education through The Firehose Project, I have been constantly surprised by the amount of prompt responses I have received from advisors and help from other students and teachers. I have been working through the Free Bootcamp Prep course to help prepare me for the program I chose. Everything is easy to navigate and I am excited to continue on. I was also very impressed by how easy it was to navigate through the financing options that are offered. I am excited to learn more and see what I can accomplish.

I have been a front-end web developer awhile ago when knockout.js was popular. I took different jobs inbetween and wanted to jump back to Web development as I realized that it is my passion. I wanted to understand the behind the scenes of front-end part of web development. So I started exploring my options. I learned that Ruby-on-Rails is fantastic framework for learning full stack. I decided to go with Firehose project, as they had mentor program which is lacking in many other programs.

I finished my course last year. I am happy that I took the course with them. These guys are awesome! There was always some one to answer your questions including Ken and Marco. I used to get clarifications to my questions within minutes. They have very good mentor program and support group which helped me keep going. They encourage you to ask questions and answer it with right amount of detail. They also have office hours. 

You will learn based on the amount of time and effort you put in each and every one of your projects. These projects will look great on your profile. The area where I live does not have that many opportunities for this technology. But whatever few interview calls I got is because of the projects I did during this course. If you have no work experiance, the group project will give a great exposure to the current agile methodology and CI.

I have just finished going through the prepwork at The Firehose Project. I would like to say how impressed I am with the amount of support I received while working through the prepwork, even though it was completely free. I have worked through another bootcamps(which i won't mention) prepwork and although the work itself was great and informative I did not have any support through it and therefore was unsure if the code I wrote was good, bad or ugly. 

I am looking forward to getting stuck into the full program at The Firehose Project and will come back here to write a full review!! Coming soon... to a web browser near you!

So I am one of those folks who are totally new to programming and decided that it would be a good plan to find a structured course with a mentor.  The learning curve has been tough thus far but I have found that if I keep reviewing the info they provide and just keep plugging away, I do start to figure things out eventually.  I think no matter what course you might sign up for there is a lot of vocabulary and new concepts to learn, so be prepared for your brain to hurt at times.
I have really appreciated that help is always there and is really quick to respond to one of those moments where I have exhausted trying to figure it out on my own.  I also really love having a mentor who I can ask all of my "stupid" questions to.

The Firehose project.  Where do I start?  I'm 1 month into the six month intensive.  Let me begin with an unpleasant prior experiences at a different school.  

Galvanize.  Horrible!  I took an introductory javascript course at their in person school in Boulder, CO.  To sum it up briefly, it was a horrible waste of time and money.  The in person schools are too expensive.  You can get an excellent education at the various online schools that are available.  Firehose is one of them.

FreeCodeCamp.  This is a safe place to start.  Or choose from the several other FREE online introductory programs.  It's free and the beginning of the course is a great way to introduce you to some of the most basic concepts.  Although it's great at introducing you to the basic concepts of programming, it doesn't explain in an intelligible way the more complex concepts.  Start with the easy stuff, and once you get to the point where you are about to pull your hair out, move on to something a little bit more polished and user friendly.  

Udemy.  This is another great place for beginners to start.  The courses are about $10 and they are extremely well done.  Again, once you get to the more complex concepts, you need to move on to a place that will slowly spoon feed you information in a clear and intelligible way.

That brings me to The Firehose Project.  After you have gotten your feet wet, and you have taken the free beginner's course at Firehose, you are ready to get serious.  I am enrolled in a 6 month intensive that covers topics ranging from CSS to complex algorithms.  I was hesitant to give a review so early into the curriculum, but I think it's safe to say that this is a great online school.  The curriculum is written in a way that is easy to understand.  I already built a couple of sites, and I'll start on my third one soon.  There is a forum at the bottom of every lesson where you can ask questions.  Ken, one of the mentors, usually gets back to me within 5 minutes, even if it's late at night.  That guy is the man.  I will be updating this review once I finish with the program.  For now, I give it 5/5 stars.  Save your money and go with Firehose.  Forget about the in person schools.  Most of them are a nightmare anyway.  Firehose has helped me understand many key concepts that have already allowed me to add some cool features to my sites.  This is an excellent choice for those of you who are really serious about becoming a software engineer.    

This is a great bootcamp.  Be prepared for a full 40 hrs/week and sometimes more (for the accelerated bootcamp).

I'm grateful for the access to great learning tools and the aptitude to enjoy them so much. I'm grateful I can afford them after being unemployed for almost two years now. I'm switching from Engineering back to coding after about an 11 year span in engineering work. I want more creativity, challenge and self-direction than is available in my previous work. The substantial pay cut is painful - zero pay now and surely low for my first junior coding roles - but I want the creativity vs. just "doing" and it will be worth the trade. The income will improve one day, but the enjoyment starts right away. I'm very grateful and excited about the change and the new opportunities.