UO Continuing and Professional Education Boot Camps

Deciding to make a career pivot and follow my heart was exciting and terrifying. I carefully researched my options for a UX/UI Bootcamp that was credible and part-time and decided on the Trilogy/University of Oregon. The program is very professional and well run. I can't say enough good about the people. The instructor, teaching assistants, and tutors are approachable and knowledgeable. 

Some insight I would offer is that one of the most complex parts was learning how to use the tools. Because I had no background in design, the tools were utterly new to me.  If I were to do it over again, I would take time to get a jump start and learn the basics of Figma before starting the program. In terms of time commitment, it would have been nearly impossible for me to complete the program while working full-time. I easily spent 20 hours a week on homework alone. Another thing to note is that office hours are 30 minutes before and after every class. They are beneficial, and I attended most of them to ask questions and get help. 

My goal was to get the most out of the program, and one thing that was a struggle for me was that I would have liked more support. Office hours are great, but when there are 15 people all waiting to get their questions answered in 30 minutes, there is rarely enough time for everyone. Tutoring is offered once weekly for 45 minutes; if you're struggling, you can request an additional session. I could have easily had 2 - 3 hour weekly sessions because of my many questions. This was not a struggle for everyone in my cohort, but I had A LOT of questions since everything was new to me.  

Overall, I would choose the same program if I were to do it all over again. I hope this review gives additional insight to prospective students. With dedication and hard work, you can do this! 

        I was looking for a career change, when I unexpectedly found an ad for University of Oregon Continuing and Professional Education Cybersecurity Boot Camp. After researching reviews, and other online courses, I decided to contact U of O for more information. Immediately I was in contact with a representative to tell me more about this program, and answer all my questions.To be fair, I was a little excited about the thought of becoming a cyber security student, but terrified because I knew I had no experience in what this course was teaching.I had no knowledge of servers, Linux, security layers, tcp, udp and so on. I knew how to use the internet, check my email, and a few other things. I always had an interest in technology, wanting to  work for Hewlett Packard when I was 18, but life had other plans. The person I talked to assured me this course was for all skill levels or no computer skills at all, so I signed up.        Feeling very unconfident with how little I knew, I attended my first online course. I realized right away I was one of the oldest, and all the other students had quite a bit of knowledge already. Within the first few courses, I felt I made a mistake and really wanted to quit because I truly believed you needed to know much more than I did to take on this course. But with the support of my family, I attended one more class. I tried to not focus on what I did not know, and utilized all the help that was being offered. I realized quickly, not only are there a lot of resources to help me on my learning journey through this fast paced boot camp, such as my  personal tutor and instructors,  but also my classmates who are also an amazing group of people willing to help and really want you to succeed too.        I am halfway through my course now and my grade average is an A+. To achieve this, I don’t focus on what I don’t know during class,but I listen to my instructor and his T/A, follow the student guide during class.  I also pay attention to what my classmates are saying in the breakout rooms, and put in a lot of hours outside of class keeping up on assignments, hours of researching what we are currently learning and what I do not understand, and meeting with my wonderful tutor every week.         My advice for other prospective students, if you come into this with very little knowledge or no knowledge of the computer world, do not focus on what you do not know. This course is very fast paced, you move onto different subjects for each class, and some of the homework is very hard, even for the more knowledgeable. But, the resources they provide to help you are outstanding or I would not have the grades that I am maintaining. So, make sure you take advantage of everything the boot camp has to offer and put in at least 20 hours of your own time a week to research, as researching is a big part of cyber security  to keep up with  current technology and threats.         If cyber security is the career path you are choosing, I would highly recommend University of Oregon Continuing and Professional Education Cybersecurity Boot Camp. Even with little or no experience in this field, everyone involved really does want you to succeed, and offer you the support and feedback you need to assure you accomplish this as long as you put in the time and reach out if you need help. Jamie PilsonUniversity of Oregon Continuing and Professional Education Cybersecurity Boot Camp Student

After the pandemic disrupted my life as a member of the service industry, I was looking for a career change that would feel fulfilling and utilize my current skills. I knew that I would need to take a course to level-up as it were in this ever-changing world. I found an advertisement for the University of Oregon Boot Camp on my Instagram feed while doom-scrolling during a bout with COVID itself and decided to take the leap. 
As someone who enjoys learning, I love the fast pace of the class, and the vast amount of resources that are offered. The support of the teacher, TA, student success team, tutors and career coaches help me feel like I am ready to start applying for jobs and jump into a new field. 
They are not joking when they say this is a Boot Camp, prepared to have your socks rocked off and strive to maintain a healthy balance in life while completing this course. Because I find the material enjoyable, I have no qualms with prioritizing course work, but make no mistakes, it is NOT easy. I am thankful to have a supportive partner and job who allow me to put school first, I wouldn't be able to do this alone. When I signed up for the course, I knew I could fit the classes into my schedule, but what I didn't account for at the beginning was the amount of work/reading/studying/polishing that would be required to be successful outside of class hours. Know that you are signing up for essentially a part time job while doing this, and having the right mindset and willingness to be vulnerable and have fun will help make it the right investment for your future! 

In 2020 I was studying day and night in medical school, confident that I was living my dream. I was stressed to the point that I didn't fully grasp what was happening in my life anymore. I was in a constant state of dread, and my exam scores reflected that. In June of that year I made the decision to leave rather than go into any more debt, and my wife and I moved to Oregon. I started working at a small company in nursery sales, and I picked up Python. I had looked at programming boot camps and I couldn't make up my mind to spend the money, but my loving wife told me to just go for it.
My perspective on life has changed since. I have a drive to code, and this boot camp gave me the tools and the support to chase that drive. My instructor has years of experience and years of wisdom when it comes to changing careers. My TAs are knowledgeable and willing to let us take more time of them after office hours if we need it. I have a student success manager and a career success manager. I also have a tutor who is incredibly helpful and encouraging - the support is there.
If you have felt broken down by an experience that brought you low like I did, and you're on the fence about the money, I get it. But don't let the money be the reason you don't get up and do something about it. This is an investment in yourself, and that's the most stable investment you will ever make. My advice is take the plunge, and let yourself love to learn again.

The university of Oregon's coding boot camp offered invaluable experience for me to become a web developer.  Their curriculum is created by a third party called Trillium who set up an amazing criteria to learn.  This camp is not for the feint of heart.  For six months straight, you rarely get time to catch your breath.  As soon as you feel like you finally got a grip on a technology, the course moved to an entirely new one.  You better prepare yourself for self teaching, A LOT!  Just doing the lectures IS NOT ENOUGH! At least if you want to learn the material enough to become good enough at coding and get hired.

I am currently halfway through the Bootcamp and am loving it.  I am a full-time musician and have lots of downtime when I am touring and work an odd schedule when I am playing locally.  I wanted to find another career that I could do on the side but am now looking for a full-time position. I have a child going into kindergarten soon and am looking for a career with a more regular schedule, but that also challenges and stimulates.  What attracted me to coding was the creative and logical nature of it.  It is similar to music in many ways.  I love software and, over the years, have had many ideas for websites and apps and wished I could create them myself.  I have wanted to take a Bootcamp for a few years, and after losing most of my work to the pandemic, I decided this was my opportunity. This class has far surpassed my expectations.
I was skeptical going in, and it has wholly delivered so far.  The staff is fantastic, and I have been blown away by the support and culture.  My instructor, Maryus, is great. His knowledge, perspective, and attitude toward coding has taught me so much—just a great learning environment.  The class teaches coding in a real-world work environment, so it feels like you are getting work experience through the projects and homework.  We have been learning about project management and workflow.  These are things I didn't expect from the class.  If you are thinking about doing the University Of Oregon Bootcamp, I highly recommend it.  Be prepared to work extremely hard and put in hours.  Also, be ready to feel completely satisfied with what you are getting out of it.