The Struggle is REAL: 2 Weeks into a Full-Stack BootCamp
By: Arnab Goswami
Tags: Bootcamp, Boot Camp Classes, Germany, Bootcamp 2020, Bootcamp Experience

Should I take a course which will cost around 1/3rd of the salary of my first year (if I get one?)

Well, the last and probably the most important part is probably still a question to me!

Did I get a job? As the title says, I am guilty of writing my story only two weeks into the BootCamp!

Will I get a job? I hope so! But frankly speaking, I don’t know.

However, I guess I can give some insight into the realities of such expensive courses.

Before the Journey Began: First thing first, I am not a complete beginner in the field of coding. I grew up watching tech-based movies. So, I was kind of always into learning HTML & CSS.

I also did an internship as an application developer.

On the way to the BootCamp: When I decided to invest the money, I opted to do some old school research.

💪 Downloaded the Brochures: To me, this is probably the worthless kind of research one person can do. No education provider would make a bad brochure. The course contents are largely similar. It’s the quality of teaching which matters.

💪 Read Reviews: This probably a slightly better way. Still, in real life, fake reviews are much more common than fake news. So I filtered and sorted the negative reviews and gave them a read to understand the situation.

💪 Communicated with Ex-Students: Do a little bit of stalking on LinkedIn or other professional sites. Find a couple of former students and ask them about their experiences. After speaking to a few alumni of a couple of schools, I decided to give WBS Coding School a shot.

Welcome to the Jungle: As per psychologists, people are more prone to negativity. That’s why the heading of this paragraph may seem negative. But is it?

In a BootCamp scenario, one can feel the difference between an educational and a professional course right off the go!

When I was in uni, the teachers said, ‘the honeymoon period is over’. And here, the honeymoon period is not even in the dictionary.

The most significant part is, the students are as much as driven as the instructors and an aura of competitiveness is there.

We know we have to hustle through this course. But, at the same time, we have to work together and outdo each other. We can be lone wolves, but at the end of the day, being in a pack always helps.

The Baby Steps: Oops! In the case of a BootCamp, I guess it’s the last leg of the marathon from the first whistle.

My initial understanding is these professional courses are for mature learners. And by mature, by no means, I meant people got to be in their early to mid-'30s.

I meant people who can digest the idea of self-studies after attending classes and workshops for 40hrs a week. Only attending the classes may not result in anything fruitful after the end of the course.

It’s utterly crazy to think that one can master a profession in 3–4 months. But, depending on the profession, one may definitely get comprehensive training to start as an entry-level professional.

Personally, I believe bagging a job depends much more on the person and his/her depth of knowledge than the BootCamp itself. Saying that getting the CV to be looked at is often the first hurdle a jook-seeker faces. It always feels nice getting a rub in the back from the career service.

As of yet, both WBS Coding School and the concept of undertaking a short comprehensive course is serving me well. I can definitely not vouch for all the BootCamps available on mother earth but can surely speak high of the system.

If I go back to my initial questions,

“Will I get a job? I hope so! But frankly speaking, I don’t know.”

Am I happy with the learning Curve? Do I see a future?