1 month into my coding bootcamp… my thoughts?
Alright, so I am officially ONE WHOLE MONTH into my bootcamp with DevSlopes *cheers*
My goal is to keep this concise, to the point, and informative… shouldn’t be too hard… right?? -\_(*.*)_/-
The bootcamp I chose and why:
Since my current career is in IT recruitment, I’ve spoken to dozens of those who have graduated from coding bootcamps and have a hard time getting a job due to lack of experience (similar to those who graduate college). Therefore, I looked into the bootcamps that helped their students get jobs after graduating and that’s how I stumbled upon DevSlopes. They saw the same issue and created DevSlopes. At the end of the bootcamp, they have a freelance program that helps you build out your portfolio and get paid by doing freelance work. No tot mention, they continue to work with you until you land your first FT gig… yeah, that’s what sold me!
DevSlopes offers video lessons for each subject/module. At the end of each module, there is a quiz and a project that goes along with everything you had learned. The projects are what took up the majority of my time, not the video lessons. This is what I love the most about it! I have a chance to learn the material and then immediately try and implement my skills. This will really test how well you were able to learn. (pro-tip: I take brief notes when I learn and sometimes I will recap what I’ve learned at the end of the day to ensure I understand it).
My experience so far:
Throughout the month of January, I spent about 15 hours a week studying/coding. I was able to get through 4 out of 14 Modules at a pace where I didn’t feel like I was rushing or skipping over things. Daily, I aimed to study anywhere from 2–3 hours, and a bit more on the weekend when I had time.
Coding wise, I learned the fundamentals of HTML and CSS. I have a good gasp on the two. With this knowledge, I can build out a pretty basic website and make it have some cool styling. I see that even after you learn the basics, it’s really up to you to continue to learn the depth of these two core fundamentals. Although I feel confident with the two, there is SO much I don’t know and that’s why it’s cool to me!
I feel as after a month, I am still eager to code and learn more. However, there are times where I can feel a bit overwhelmed or my brain is absolutely tired. I give myself grace and take necessary breaks in order to ensure I am learning efficiently.
(I wrote an article on how I am navigating coding x FT job)
Summary:
The bootcamp I chose has really been the best one for me. I am eager to continue my coding journey and have learned so much within one month. It’s important not to feel like you are dumb or super behind everyone because there are so many others out there who are learning after or at the same time as you. Try not to compare, and instead, look at everything with wide-eyes. (like this — -> (O.O) haha)