UNH Coding Boot Camp

I loved this bootcamp, but know that it's really difficult to keep up with it and work at the same time if you are neurodivergent. I took the 6 month course, and had to quit my part time job just to keep up with school. I had Lada as a teacher and he was really knowledgeable and helpful. He really wanted us to learn and learn the proper updated way to code. It's easy to look at Chat GPT and use it as a tool, but don't let it do the work for you, otherwise you won't learn and will fall behind in knowledge. All that being said, this course does help you get a job because of the assignments that you do, go straight to GitHub to build your portfolio. But it does not set you up with any connections to businesses that they say work with the school. I linked my GitHub to my LinkedIn profile, and because of the assignments I've done from the class, it helped me get interviews a lot! Getting a job in the field comes from you doing the footwork. I fortunately made connections from my previous job and was able to land a job that way. But if you are thinking you can get a job at Google, Amazon, or any big company after this, you might be mistaken. Unless you absorb EVERYTHING you learn, or if you learn crazy fast. There is no way to remember everything you learn, but just keep trying. That's the key, is to try! Also, it would benefit you to make a group chat with anyone you connect with as classmates, it makes the experience way less lonely and you're able to lean on each other during problems.

Before I began this 6 month journey, it was tough to conceive how we would learn 'enough' in that relatively short amount of time, to begin a career as a viable coder. While there was an immense amount of material covered, it was done in a very methodical way -- covering the basics of how to think like a computer programmer, as well as running through the fundamental technologies of web development as it currently stands, in an intuitive order that would build on prior units of material. This doesn't go into immense detail for any one technology (not enough time), but it gives you the groundwork upon which to build your technical skills, and links you to a supportive network which will help you build the other (non-technical) pieces of being an attractive job candidate.

Our instructional team was an excellent combination of personalities, both extremely generous with their time and patience. I would take a class with these two (or either one) again if I was looking to.

Make sure you have enough free time carved out (like 20-40 hours a week) so you both don't get too far behind or psychologically 'lose it'! This is an extremely intense 24-week class -- but if you're willing to put the time in -- even if you don't fully 'get it' yet -- you will pass the class. The good news is this isn't graded like a 'weed out' class -- they want you to succeed and they know it takes a while before you're actually 'good' at coding. As long as you submit enough assignments, participate in the three big projects, and attend enough classes, you will pass, even if you aren't fully grasping what is going on. With time and more practice, you will eventually grasp it -- thinking in this particular way is very difficult, thus takes a lot of time for it to become 'easy' -- no wonder it pays well!

I joined this online coding bootcamp in June, 2022. My overall experience with this bootcamp has been amazing! I'm going to give a brief detail of each question that you may have.

You may feel unsure about a few things as I have listed below:

• I don't know if this is what I want?

It is normal to feel that way, because I was actually a bit concerned in the first and second week. But soon I learned to give a bit more patience to get to know my teacher- Mohammed, my TA- Bobby and my student success manager- Jeanna (SSM) (warm up a relationship!), once I feel more natural in a few classes, I definitely open myself up to ask questions during class or at before and after office hours. I showed up in the office hours every time, and most of time, I'm the only one who's there, so you can be the same to take advantage of this great one-on-one opportunity. Just you and your teach and TA! And they want to see you there!

• I don't know if this is going to be worth my time?

Learning a new skill is definitely not an easy task! Especially for those who has busy work life and family. Time management is very important! From my own experience with this coding bootcamp, I can tell you, don't feel like you don't know anything compared to those students show up with more confidence than you. Keep doing each week in-class activities and assigned weekly challenge, you will see how much you are building each day. At least, I feel learning so much by keep doing it. This is a fast-pace class, and it's going to be hard no matter what, but the truth is- The teacher and the TA team are trying to show us how to solve the problem by finding the solution on own own, so we can feel less fear not to understand everything, (No one understand everything!) 

My advice for you here- You can always say coding is not for you, but Give yourself some time to learn a skill, to get to know a new skill first! 

• I don't know if I am going to get help if I get stuck with my assignments?

I got a lot of extra help during in and before office hours. Like I said above, I showed up in the office hours to take advantages of working with my teacher and TA, they provided a demo of the part that I got stuck or other students got stuck, and we can even send requests in the Slack channel to inform them that I want to go over some topic from yesterday or last week during the office hours, and they will surely say YES!

Besides, my teacher and the TA.  I used tutoring sessions regularly, meaning- my coding bootcamp was part-time, so I was allowed to book a tutoring session with a tutor 1/week. I noticed that some students were not happy with their tutor, but I was lucky because I found a great tutor working with me through my coding bootcamp journey. 

The solution I'm going to share with you here- you can also request for a different tutor, but once you find one that you'd like to work with, you should make sure to bookmark their personal Calendly, so you can book a session with them!

• I don't know who can answer my struggles and concerns or can provide me with any possible support in the bootcamp?

I was very concerned in the first and second week. I talked to my student success manager- Jeanna (SSM) very often, more than you can't image. I explained why I need help with tutoring, I let her know I was struggled with what week's class material. She was the one who always responded and provided some good feedbacks. I booked a call with her via Calendly, so it became more personal once you can actually talk on the phone to express a feeling or a concern. 

My advice for you here- get to know your SSM, they are here for you, they won't know you need them if you don't reach out to them. They are on Slack every day except weekend, I didn't wait till last minute to reach for support, contact them as soon as you notice you need support, and you can actually start getting support in your bootcamp!

• I don't know if I am going to get a career coach to work with me to be more employee-ready?

There will be a career coach team for you once you graduate from the bootcamp. You can also start working with a career coach before the bootcamp ends. I started working with a career coach after my bootcamp, there will 4 things I need to complete before receiving on-one-on coaching session. My career coach provided back with very constructive feedbacks and great resources to each item I have submitted. 

4 things you need prior to get a one-one-one coach session:

1. Resume + Cover Letter
2. LinkedIn Portfolio
3. Profession Website
4. GitHub

My advice for you here- taking time to complete what you can first and keep building your stuff in a professional way with their useful tips. 

I am grateful for having had the opportunity to study at UNH, It was incredible. Mainly the course structure is thoughtfully built so that even beginners in coding can grasp it easily. Instructional staff, student support, and career support
staff is highly dedicated to enabling aspiring students to make informed decisions on their path to academic success. I recommend UNH Bootcamp to all who simply want to explore the coding world or want to achieve more success in their career path.

I can describe my UNH Coding Boot Camp experience in one word---Transformative! 
 When I think back to my coding knowledge, skills, and abilities at the beginning of boot camp and where they are today, just 6 months later, I am amazed. I’ve learned a lot. While I have a lot more to learn, I’m confident that I’ll be able to secure an entry level web development job and add value to a team. 
   I expected the pace to be fast (and it certainly was) since there are many topics to cover in a full stack program. The program was rigorous and most weeks I spent 15-20+ hours outside of class on homework and review.  
  
 The curriculum was well-designed and full of hands-on activities that reinforced the lessons, weekly homework assignments and three team projects. The instructional team was knowledgeable, experienced, and supportive. My classmates were of various ages and backgrounds and getting to know them throughout the course was a highlight. We worked hard, encouraged each other, and had fun. 
  
 I had almost no coding experience prior to the boot camp, and I felt overwhelmed at times. However, there was a lot of support available to students: Instructor and TA Office Hours (before and after class), tutors, online support, and a Student Success Manager. The Student Success Manager took feedback from the weekly surveys seriously and worked hard to ensure students had the support they needed and had a positive and meaningful learning experience. 
   The program was well worth the investment (tuition, time, and effort). The program left me energized and inspired to continue my web development journey. Plus, I have a portfolio of projects that I am proud to share with prospective employers.

I can describe my UNH Coding Bootcamp experience in one word---Transformative! 

When I think of my coding knowledge, skills, and abilities at the beginning of boot camp and where they are today, just 6 months later, I am amazed. I’ve learned a lot. While I have a lot more to learn, I’m confident that I’ll be able to secure an entry level web development job and add value to a team. 

I expected the pace to be fast (and it certainly was) since there are many topics to cover in a full stack program. The program was rigorous and most weeks I spent 15-20+ hours outside of class on homework and review.  

The curriculum was well-designed and full of hands-on activities that reinforced the lessons, weekly homework assignments and three team projects. The instructional team was knowledgeable, experienced, and supportive. My classmates were of various ages and backgrounds and getting to know them throughout the course was a highlight. We worked hard, encouraged each other, and had fun. 

I had no coding experience prior to the boot camp, and I felt overwhelmed at times. However, there was a lot of support available to students: Instructor and Teaching Assistant office hours (before and after class), tutors, online support, and a Student Success Manager. The Student Success Manager took feedback from the weekly surveys seriously and worked hard to ensure students had the support they needed and had a positive and meaningful learning experience. 

The program was well worth the tuition and the significant time and effort. The program left me energized and inspired to continue my web development journey. Plus, I have a portfolio of projects that I am proud to share with prospective employers.

You will learn a lot. Not just HTML and CSS but JS, Node, express, react, performance, storage, how to deploy and databases as well. That being said you will have access to your teacher, teacher assistant, student success manager, career services (take advantage) and a tutor session which help the learning process so much. I know so much more now than when I started the class. The knowledge you gained will make it possible for you to create and deploy a MERN stack application on the web & phone across OS as well. My classmates were a great group of people and you will gain some friends as well. Take advantage of this opportunity. 

Six months ago, I may have looked just like you do right now. I was contemplating joining this camp, but the leap was so scary. Will the time and investment be worth it? I had never coded a day in my life. 

Today, I am graduating and very happy with the program. 

Instructors: The main teacher has been in the industry for many years and had did a great job explaining complex concepts in simple terms. On top of that, he constantly offered real world advice and really helped us experience what the industry is like and what we need to do to be part of it. The assistant teacher worked with people well outside of office hours and really cared about helping everyone reach their full potential. 

Content: They update the content every couple of months to make sure they are teaching the cutting edge. It comes at you fast, but you will get it if you practice daily and ask for help when you don't get it. Be aware, that even though this course is "part time",  you need to treat it like a full time job. Many of my peers and I studied well over 20 hours per week on top of jobs and family. It can be hard, but its also fun and worth it.

Career Services: For those willing to go the extra mile, the career services team really steps up. The whole department's goal is to make you employable and help you get a good job. They helped me update my resume multiple times, get a professional linked in profile, and much more. More importantly, they stay with you months after you graduate as a resource. 

To summarize, this course was everything I was hoping it would be. I recommend it to my friends in person, and hope that if you are on the edge right now, it helps you rest at ease that you are making the right choice.