WBS CODING SCHOOL

I recently had the privilege of completing the Data Science Boot Camp at the WBS Coding School, and I can confidently say that it has been a game-changer in my journey towards becoming a data scientist. Before taking the plunge, I sought advice from friends who were well-versed in the field of data science, both through their academic studies and professional experiences. Their unanimous endorsement of the program's curriculum convinced me that this was the right choice, and I am delighted to say that my journey through the boot camp exceeded my expectations in numerous ways.

Here are some of the remarkable aspects of my experience: 1.      Comprehensive Data Science Curriculum: The curriculum at WBS Coding School encompasses a broad spectrum of subjects, which are necessary to achieve proficiency as a skilled data scientist. Encompassing areas such as data analysis, data visualization, data engineering, and machine learning.  2.      Supportive Instructors: The instructors at WBS Coding School deserve special mention. Throughout the course, they offered unwavering support and encouraged us to seek clarification whenever needed. Their approachable nature was a boon for those who might be hesitant to ask questions.   3.      Engaging in Practical Projects and Cultivating Market-Oriented Insight: Throughout the course, we were actively engaged in real-world projects designed to replicate the challenges and intricacies encountered by data scientists in their professional journeys. Besides, it helped to develop a deep understanding of how things work in the real world, particularly in the job market. It's not just about academic knowledge but also about gaining insights and skills that are in demand by employers.  

4.      A Mix of Individual and Group Work: One of the standout features of WBS Coding School is its balanced approach to learning. We engaged in a combination of individual and group projects, fostering both independence and collaboration. Group work provided us with an excellent platform for problem-solving and sharing knowledge.  5.      Emphasis on Soft Skills: Beyond technical knowledge, the program places great importance on soft skills. Instructors not only evaluated our technical work but also provided constructive feedback on our presentation styles and formats.   

6.      Writing Skills Enhancement: Another unique feature of this program was the emphasis on written communication. We were encouraged to write simple but well-structured articles about data science topics and had the opportunity to get feedback and publish them. This not only improved our writing skills but also added a practical dimension to our learning.  7.      Career Development Workshops: We had some daily career development workshops that proved highly beneficial to prepare for the job market. These sessions covered a wide range of topics, including preparing for job interviews, improving „Curriculum vitae“, and optimizing our LinkedIn profiles.  In summary, WBS Coding School is a job-oriented boot camp that delves deep into the realms of Data Science. The program excels in bringing together students in an instructor-led class, guiding them through project-based group work, and nurturing essential soft skills. My time at WBS Coding School was not only a period of intense learning but also personal growth. I emerged from the program equipped with not only technical expertise but also the confidence and skills necessary to excel in the competitive field of data science. If you're considering a career in data science and want a comprehensive education that goes beyond the technical aspects, WBS Coding School is the perfect choice.

I enrolled in this course because I wanted to shift my career in a new direction. My agent at the German "Agentur für Arbeit" recommended WBS Coding School to me, and after thorough research, I decided to go with it. It was the best decision I could have made. The courses were held remotely, with a two-week on-campus phase at the end to work on a final project with the other students. My instructor was incredibly competent, kind, and supportive. She truly knows her subject matter and how to teach it effectively. All of us attending the bootcamp learned so much that we now feel confident applying for jobs in data science, despite having limited prior knowledge before enrolling. The campus phase concluded the journey perfectly, and I was quite sad when it ended. The campus is beautifully situated right by the River Spree in Berlin. Jamming on the piano almost every night was an added bonus. Overall, I expected the bootcamp to be "good," but I never anticipated it would be absolutely outstanding! Big shout-out to everyone at the school, my fellow students, and our instructor!

I came to the Web&App Dev bootcamp offered by WBS Coding School without any prior coding knowledge. From day one, the staff was incredibly supportive, creating a fun and engaging learning environment. Admittedly, I was very lucky that my group turned out to be made up of amazing people, but the quality of the course and instructors shone through even on our worst days.

It was a delight to spend 15+ weeks learning the basics of coding, from JavaScript to React.js and Node.js. The bootcamp helped me realize that I definitely want to bind my future to this field. Now, after finishing, I feel ready to tackle more complex problems and am equipped with the knowledge necessary to dive into the job market. I definitely look forward to developing my skills even further.

Plus, who knew coding could be this fun? I mean, where else can debugging feel like solving a murder mistery? (who killed the code? hint: I did) 
I'll always be grateful for the chance to be part of this fantastic experience. Thanks, 
WBS Coding School, for turning my “404: Career Plan Not Found” into a success story! 

During my time at the WBS Coding School, I had the opportunity to deepen my understanding of web development and hone my skills in both frontend and backend technologies. The curriculum provided a comprehensive overview of modern web development practices.

Overall, the WBS Coding School has equipped me with a solid foundation in web development, preparing me for the next steps in my career as a developer. I am grateful for the practical skills and knowledge I gained through this course.

 I recently completed the web development bootcamp at WBS Coding School, and it was a transformative experience. The comprehensive curriculum covers everything from HTML, CSS, and JavaScript to advanced topics like React and Node.js, ensuring a well-rounded education in both front-end and back-end development. The instructors were outstanding, demonstrating deep knowledge and a genuine passion for teaching, always ready to assist with any questions and break down complex concepts into understandable parts. The bootcamp's supportive community, coupled with robust career services, helped me gain practical skills and confidence to pursue a career in web development. I highly recommend WBS Coding School for anyone serious about entering the web development field. 

The boot camp literally took me from  0 to developing full-stack web applications. The experience was incredible I learned a lot, The WBS Team is a very friendly one and always there to answer your questions, be it about technical issues or career support, I've always got the support needed. 
I would highly recommend WBS for everyone who wants to get started in the tech industry, the curriculum is well made and they really prepare you for what is coming after the BootCamp, technical-wise and career-wise.
The instructors are really taking the time to explain every single line of code, no matter how simple or complicated it is, they want to be sure that everyone understand the concepts and can apply later on the exercises that they are giving to the students.

I recently completed a hybrid remote bootcamp, and I am thrilled to share my positive experience. This program exceeded my expectations in many ways, primarily due to its project-oriented approach. The hands-on projects allowed me to apply theoretical knowledge in practical scenarios, significantly enhancing my learning process.Teamwork was another highlight of the bootcamp. Despite the remote setting for most of the program, collaboration with peers was seamless and productive. The instructors played a pivotal role in this, providing invaluable insights and guidance that fostered both individual and team growth. Their expertise and dedication were truly commendable, making the learning journey even more enriching.The last two weeks on campus added a different dimension to the experience. Although only a few of us could attend in person, the time spent on campus was still valuable. It offered a chance for more direct interaction and networking, which was beneficial. While it would have been ideal to have the entire cohort present, the hybrid format still delivered an exceptional educational experience.Overall, this bootcamp was a transformative experience, equipping me with practical skills and a strong professional network. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to advance their knowledge and career in a dynamic and supportive environment. 

After navigating through some tough personal times, the Data Science Bootcamp at WBS Coding School gave my life a new foundation and a new direction!

From my first contact with the company, I felt welcomed, accepted and cared for. They gave a clear presentation of what was to come and took the time to answer all my questions. In no way did the conversation feel rushed (unlike some experiences with other competitors). You'll quickly find that the people who work at WBS are open-minded, inclusive, fun and extremely friendly people. Each a personality of their own! They actively care and communicate a lot about creating a safe space for everyone to thrive. You'd be surprised at the stories they have to tell... The whole staff goes out of their way to make you feel comfortable. 🙂

This is especially true of our instructors. Every group of students has a lead instructor and a junior instructor. No matter how packed their schedules may be with other 1:1 meetings with fellow students in your batch, they always make sure you are not left behind. They offer creative solutions for dealing with difficult, unexpected circumstances. They listen to your problems and make sure to solve them one way or another. They are also so much fun that this bootcamp never feels like one. Instead, the batch and our instructors grew together as a group of really good friends. They have become my family for the past 4 months - and the times ahead! 🥰

For the first 1-2 months, the staff will actively solicit weekly feedback in all areas in special group feedback sessions to make sure you are on track and confident in what you are doing. The feedback is evaluated immediately. Whenever there is something to improve, an "immediate action" will be written down for everyone to witness. You'll also have regular 1:1 sessions with your Lead Instructor, especially in the beginning. Obviously, these mandatory sessions will decrease in time to make room for more advanced coding topics. But everyone from Community Management to Career Services to Junior to Lead Instructor is always there to listen to you. 

At the same time, they want you to learn how to code on your own. Here and there, some of us would have liked more guidance on some topics, for example, because of personal or health circumstances - or simply because you have a different opinion about how best to teach certain topics. But after talking to so many people, it's clear that it's impossible to please everyone all the time. When you have people with backgrounds ranging from historian to skydiver to biologist to physicist to marketing manager to computer science professor, you can't make it right for everyone. Every once in a while, it's your turn to take matters into your own hands. It's your turn to develop a lifelong learning mindset - the instructors keep telling you how important this is in the tech industry. And they are absolutely right! It's normal to feel overwhelmed from time to time. But trust yourself, trust your instructors, meet with your group virtually, and keep pushing - you can do it! 💻

As for the curriculum itself, I couldn't be happier! Analyzing the plans of an internationally expanding tech company with SQL and Tableau; cleaning large data sets with Pandas to settle the company's discourse on whether discounts are beneficial or harmful; A/B testing a library's website to improve its usability; engineer a local weather data pipeline with APIs and deploy it on Google Cloud Platform (similar to AWS) for automation; curate and publish Spotify playlists using k-means clustering in unsupervised machine learning; predict real estate prices using unsupervised machine learning; build your own chatbot using generative AI; and last but not least: A final 3-week solo or group project of your choice - dive into deep learning, build a recommender system, offer your services to other companies. ... the possibilities are endless. Consultations ensure that you always end up with a feasible project.

And then there is the final 2-week on-campus phase in Berlin. Accommodation and meals cost about 590€. I'll make this quick: if you can get funded, go! If you have to pay yourself: go! Especially in the spring you will have an EPIC time! The campus is right on the river Spree. They offer SUPs, kayaks, table tennis, billard,... FOR FREE! The community managers and all the staff at this beautiful organic hotel are wonderful people. A Michelin-starred chef prepares the most amazing vegetarian food you've probably ever had in your life. Give yourself this treat at the end of a 4-month journey. Network with students from other batches and make lifelong friends with your classmates as you crack on on your final project together. 

On a financial note: If you live at least 90 minutes from the campus address at Weisskopffstr. 16 (currently NOT the billing address!), the Agentur für Arbeit should pay for your stay. Don't hesitate to send them several messages if they don't reply in time. 💵


However, I would like to point out some areas that could be improved. 

The bootcamp is advertised with weekly changing group work projects - unfortunately this isn't exactly true. There are some, but many are spread out over the course of 2 weeks, while others are solo work. The catch? Even when you're working alone, you're put into a (virtual) "group". While this is supposed to encourage team building, I found little reason to do so - as opposed to the actual group projects, which felt nice and very valuable. I'd like to see more group impulses for these kinds of solo projects. 

Next, I would like to see more emphasis on integrating Github. Present a sustainable workflow and make sure students stick to it on a regular basis. This would allow them to practice their skills in real-world collaboration scenarios and steadily build their portfolio. 

WBS also provides career services. I really appreciate the school's efforts to offer 3 dedicated full career days in the curriculum. That way, you can't just skip out on your job search 😉 The recruiters teach you how to write a resume, cover letter, and compelling LinkedIn profile; how to negotiate salary; and how to network. Most importantly, they give you time to actually DO these things! You know how it is: you learn about something, and when the time comes, you want to do it. But then life happens... and you didn't do the thing at all. Fortunately, WBS has you covered! They also encourage routine LinkedIn posts and create a support group to help each other get noticed. What can I say? It works! After another weekly post of mine, I got an interview invitation! 🥳

What I liked most about the career days: the group exercises. This is where you present your new resume or LinkedIn profile to 1-2 randomly selected peers from ALL of the batches, including web development or UI/UX. This allows for diverse and practical feedback with unique perspectives. Don't worry, everything will be reviewed by WBS recruiters as well; plus, you'll receive a personalized, recorded feedback video to improve upon! After the bootcamp, they will continue to support you for another month.

The Career Service certainly provides a lot of value for those who haven't spent a lot of time optimizing their applications. However, the knowledge was not always up to date. It was usually presented at a rather slow pace - especially if you're used to the pace of the bootcamp by now. I often felt that I learned more in less time by watching a few videos from renowned career YouTubers like Jeff Su. Finally, they are still building their professional network - some other schools offer more collaborations or partnerships with well-known companies. At least they have some. And every one of them is worth having! 🙂

There are also (optional) weekly invited talks. I've enjoyed most of them very much. Every few weeks there is a Community Demo Day, where you can get a lot of inspiration for your final project from the best graduates of other batches. 

Last but not least, we got premium access to LinkedIn Learning and CodeAcademy during our bootcamp. So, if you're one of those who blast through the exercises including all bonus content, there's plenty more course material to broaden your horizons and collect some certificates. 🏆


In summary, I would like to reiterate how happy I am to have taken the Data Science Bootcamp at WBS Coding School. While I'm not in agreement with every single aspect all the time, I mostly am. And I am convinced that there is no better competitor on the market. And why is that? Because they don't just talk, they do! They actively gather feedback and get better every day. They learn from every experience and implement feedback immediately. They don't just collect your money and offer the same curriculum for years. No, they are constantly evolving - even during our bootcamp, when a later topic on recommender systems was replaced by one on generative AI and large language models! From then on, recommender systems was simply another bonus material. 😎

WBS Coding School offers an incredible value for your time. Almost everyone I have met during the online course or on campus is a lovely person that I love to hang out with. I am 100% sure your experience will be even better than mine! Take the step you've been afraid to take. And take it at WBS. 💪🏼

Contact me on LinkedIn to learn more! 🙂

All the best! 🤓
Christian

I interviewed at 5 other bootcamps before choosing WBS for what I viewed as an expanded UI/UX curriculum and hybrid classroom environment with classmates and extra instructor attention. I'm so glad I made this choice-- the bootcamp is extremely challenging but it has to be to prepare graduates not just to design interfaces but to be a team player in product development. From user research to ideation and business analysis, I feel like I have all the tools in the my belt to take on any project. The bootcamp is only the beginning of my education in design but I couldn't have done this by myself, I'm so grateful for the instructors and staff at WBS for creating a welcoming learning environment and that allows people of all skill sets and backgrounds to suceed.

Loved every minute of my WBS experience. I highly recommend it.  
Everything was absolutely perfect about this boot camp: the students, the teachers, the campus phase, the job assistance. 
The amount of things you learn during the bootcamp can be overwhelming sometimes but it is worth it. I learned all the things one should if one is looking for a career change or is interested in this field. Of course you should not expect to be the best developer in the world after the boot camp but it does give you some very strong basics on how coding works and most importantly on how to learn to code. This means that the real journey starts after the boot camps because the boot camps is just the tip of the iceberg. 
Overall if you think you could be into coding then just go for it, you will not regret it and also if you have the chance attend the last two weeks on campus. 
The last two weeks on campus were just pure fun: the energy of teams and the people working at WBS was just amazing and we have also multiplied the learning by 1000% just by being on campus. 
and big big big THANKS to REAGAN, our instructor who was born to teach the basics of web development. He was fantastic, kind, and patience throughout the boot camp, especially during the campus phase.  I had the best time at WBS and would do it again a million times <3