How to prepare for a coding bootcamp
Tags: beginners, codenewbie, bootcamp, learning
Published: 2021-02-25 10:40:18

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Immersive training programmes, aka bootcamps, are designed to teach you as much as possible in a short period of time, in order to prepare you for your first coding job. Given that this involves intensive daily learning for around three months, I believe it is important to prepare so that you can make the most of your time and make sure you are learning all the valuable skills you need to succeed. A lot of people describe it as a marathon, and you wouldn’t want to start a marathon completely unprepared! 

As I am preparing for a bootcamp myself at the moment, I have read a lot of articles giving advice on how to prepare, some were better than others, so here I have collected all of my favourite tips as well as ones which I have implemented myself.

##1. Do the pre-work and practice!

Around a month before the bootcamp you should start doing daily programming lessons. You can use free resources and courses, such us ones you can find on [codecademy](https://www.codecademy.com/learn) or [freecodecamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org/learn/). Most bootcamps will also let you know what pre-work they expect you to do and what you should be learning, so you don’t have to worry about finding the ‘right’ thing to learn. 

Firstly, this will allow you to get into the habit of coding every day which will make adjusting to the programme and new routine a lot easier. Secondly, it means that you will be at around the same level of knowledge to other participants hence you wont feel like you are left behind. Finally, coding is a skill which needs practice, and the more you do it the better you will be at it, which means that the earlier you start the better it will be for you in the long run.

One website which was recommended to me by my instructor is [codewars](https://www.codewars.com/dashboard). This website allows you to complete coding challenges in any programming language of your choice and at various difficulty levels. It’s a great way to practice your coding skills as well as your problem solving skills which are also very important in coding!

##2. Change your mindset 

The immersive training programme will require a lot of focus and dedication from you as you will be learning a lot of information in a relatively short period of time. You need to be able to learn and integrate as quickly as you can. There will be moments where you will feel tired, discouraged and like nothing makes sense. This is where your mindset comes in. 

According to Carol Dweck, there are two mindsets; a fixed mindset and a growth mindset. In short, a growth mindset creates a powerful passion for learning as it is based on the belief that your basic qualities are things you can cultivate through your efforts. In her book she writes that “in the growth mindset, failure can be a painful experience. But it doesn’t define you. It’s a problem to be faced, dealt with, and learned from.” This is extremely important when learning new, difficult things as it allows you to look at a problem as an opportunity instead of a setback. When faced with a difficult problem a person with a fixed mindset would think they are not smart enough to solve it, however, someone with a growth mindset would think they are not smart enough to solve it … yet. 

I think it’s important to always have a growth mindset, but especially during an intensive period like a bootcamp as your mind and emotions might start playing tricks on you and you need to remember every challenge is an opportunity for development and growth. If you are interested in this topic and want to find out more I recommend reading this [article](https://fs.blog/2015/03/carol-dweck-mindset/) as it explains it in more detail.

##3. Clear your mind and schedule

Because of the intense nature of the training period I think it is important to clear your mind as well as your schedule prior to its commence. When you start the bootcamp you need to be able to give it your full and undivided attention. You need to arrange your life so that you don’t have any other commitments or distractions. It probably is not the best idea to be working a part time job or have any other business or social commitments to attend to. That being said, it is still important to have a balance between the bootcamp and your free time as this will keep you energised, motivated, and will encourage your creativity. However, you should cut out anything which could add to your stress during an already stressful period. It’s also good to let the people around you know what your commitment is and that you will be looking for their support during this time. 

##4. Learn how (not) to learn 

One of the reasons why I chose a career in tech is because I love to learn, I also really like a challenge as I believe the most growth happens just outside of our comfort zone. Not everyone is like this though which is why I think it’s important to learn how to learn, and how not to learn, when going into a bootcamp. When you are a beginner you should place less emphasis on which language or framework a course or bootcamp teaches, what is more important is that they show you how to learn on your own. The tech industry is extremely fast paced with things changing constantly, which means that as a developer you need to be able to keep up. You will be learning new things throughout your whole career so its vital to know how to learn efficiently and in a way that suits you the most. 

There are two chapters about this in ‘[Your First Year in Code](https://dev.to/devteam/the-dev-community-published-a-book-your-first-year-in-code-1ejk)’, which is such an amazing book for new and aspiring developers. It is probably one of the best resources I have found as it gives some amazing advice and is written in a way that is easy to understand for people like me who are just starting out on their journey into tech. I ✨highly✨ recommend everyone reads it, especially if you are a beginner!

My instructor has also written a great [blog post](https://dearshrewdwit.github.io/blog/teaching-programming/self-directed-learning-in-practice/) about self-directed learning which has helped me a lot in realising how I can learn more effectively. 

##Conclusion
If you have committed yourself to a bootcamp and you know you want to make the career change and learn the skills necessary in order to do that, then you are already half way there and I am excited for you to start this journey! However if you want to make the most of it:

⚡️ Do the required pre-work and start practicing coding! 
⚡️ Make sure you go into it with a growth mindset so that you are prepared for the difficulties you will face.
⚡️ Clear your mind and schedule so that you can focus on the programme exclusively. 
⚡️ Learn how to learn and read the ‘Your First Year in Code’ book!

If anyone has any other tips which they think would also be helpful then please share!