My Bootcamp Finale
After 8 months in the full-time online Flatiron Full Stack Software Engineering program, I can now safely announce that I passed my final project review. My nerves were at an all-time high during this last period. With so many new topics being covered in the fifth and final section I had no idea how it would turn out. Now that I am moving into my next chapter of this journey I felt it would be worth documenting some of this experience for anyone interested. I will be talking about Flatiron specifically because that is where I went and have the most insight on. Some of these topics will apply to most boot camps whereas some things will be unique to Flatiron. This article is geared mainly to anyone considering a boot camp.
Was it hard?
This is the first thing I wanted to ask people when considering a boot camp. Quickly followed by, “Was it worth it?” The latter I am not sure I can answer at this point. It is a complicated question. Undoubtedly I would answer, “Yes.” However, I can tell you without a doubt that it is difficult. Throughout my past school and college experiences, I typically could apply minimum effort and fall towards the top of the class. That mentality was quickly shattered as I learned that nothing came easy at Flatiron. I dedicated a minimum of 40 hours a week to studying and it wasn’t uncommon to be closer to 55+. It was a constant battle to stay on top of lessons while understanding the concepts. You learn very quickly if this is something you would want to consider as a career. There were many days I spent hours on a single lab which put me behind for the day. If you aren’t able to embrace that sort of challenge daily then the boot camp environment probably is not the best for you. I saw a good handful of people hit breaking points and explode in the group chats or sometimes even lectures. I am not ashamed to admit that towards the end I wasn’t achieving what I wanted and opted to step down and repeat a section I struggled with. The course is difficult.
Pros
There were numerous positives to this aggressive teaching style. For starters, I met some really amazing new friends. Whenever people struggle together it creates a strong bond. Along with new friends came the relationships with instructors. It was so valuable to be with someone who was a highly skilled programmer. This is something you would not find as easily if you taught yourself. This is especially important when you are up for project reviews. This is the time you dissect your project to explain why things work the way they do. You won’t walk away from these with a passing grade if you don’t have a good idea about what is happening.
The structure of the curriculum is helpful to truly understand many concepts of programming. Before Flatiron I always gravitated towards the easily rewarded programming techniques. Heavy CSS and HTML. I wasn’t willing to take on the burden of understanding something truly difficult like algorithms, Javascript, and more. Being held to a curriculum forces you to learn the less glamorous things about software engineering.
Cons
The biggest con of course would be the cost. Boot camps will always be more expensive than learning on your own. However, that may not be a huge deal for you.
As far as things go within the program the biggest con I can pinpoint really involves more of a mindset change. The program is largely self-guided. There are lectures and there will be resources to reach out to. However, all of these guides are pushing you towards figuring out the answer on your own. This is a good thing. However, it can be frustrating and often doesn’t coincide with what I saw being advertised. Flatiron tells you that they want to teach you how to find answers on your own. However, my mindset is that I would have a lot of one on one time with my instructor and would gain a lot of experience from that format. This was not the case. The time I had with my instructors was great. That being said, it wasn’t always what I needed at the time. The vast majority of your time will be on your own or working in groups that you create on your own. This is a good thing in the end. You need to be self-sufficient if you will ever have a chance of making it.
Summary
I plan to elaborate one day on why I chose to do a boot camp. I’d love to share a little more about my personal history to hopefully benefit somebody else. The bottom line is that I was unhappy in a career revolving around recruiting and sales. Through some experiences at tech companies I was working at I grew envious of the software engineers. They were like the captain of the football team and I was the dork with headgear scared to walk around the halls. (This may be dramatic) Thanks to the dedication and willingness to invest in this idea of change my fiance and I were able to fully dedicate my time to software engineering. I abandoned a career that was seemingly thriving to chase a dream I had.
I wouldn’t have done it any other way.
To anyone who is wishing they had a new skill or envy someone who has that skill then I have to say, “Just do it.” You can make it work. Take a class, go back to school, leave the job that you hate, try anything. Just don’t settle.
I am now facing a brutal job search. There is a certain stress that is associated with this process. That being said, every day is a chance towards a dream fulfilled. What were my days like when I was cold calling customers just to get screamed at? They weren’t productive or forward-moving like my days are now.
I will be posting more takeaways from my boot camp experiences. Along with that, I plan to break down some of the coding concepts that I struggled with to see if I can help others on their journey.