What To Expect If You're Planning On Attending A Coding Bootcamp 
Published: 2021-08-12 06:02:45

I just finished a coding bootcamp and I wanted to share some unsolicited advice and tips on what to do to prepare, succeed, and managing your expectations after the program is over. This advice is mostly aimed at people who have never written a line of code in their life, or the people who never even saw themselves trying to learn how to code. 

## Preparing for your bootcamp
Before I applied to my bootcamp and got accepted, I spent six months teaching myself how to code--HTML. While HTML is definitely important and has its place, I would recommend you start learning some actual programming. Most bootcamps teach you Javascript, so I would definitely start there. I wish I had used that time prior to applying learning JS. Javascript is most people's first programming language. Learning Javascript will give you a real idea on whether you'll like coding in general and introduces you to concepts that are pretty universal in whatever language you want to learn down the line. Concepts such as, variables, iteration, and working with data structures are all so important and being comfortable with all of those things will set you up for success when it comes time to do it in your bootcamp. 

If you're seriously considering learning how to code through the bootcamp route, I'd also get in the habit of coding daily as soon as you can. Start small with the aim of it becoming a sustainable habit. Once you get to your bootcamp, especially if you plan on doing it full-time, you'll be learning and coding for eight hours a day sometimes. My particular bootcamp suggested putting in a minimum of 40 hours a week to stay on track with the curriculum. I went from coding an hour or two a few times a week to having to code over six hours daily. I quickly became burnt out cause it was such a huge adjustment. So, start early and small, but increase your time as you go and make it into a habit. Block off time in your schedule, make a comfortable work space, and just experiment with what works for you. 

## Tips for being successful in your bootcamp 

Coding bootcamps, especially online programs emphasize the importance of community. Learning online can feel very lonely. So they recommend befriending people in your cohort and reaching out to them when you need help. I 1000000% recommend you do this. I was originally very shy and didn't see myself wanting to reach out to people, especially ones that I didn't know, but I can't tell you how many times my cohort mates were around to keep me going. I basically had a breakdown while building my first project, I was so ready to quit. I even read through my contract to see if I'd get my money back if I left the program right there and then. Long story short, one of the students in my pod reached out, worked with me all weekend, and got me back on track with my project. To this day, I think I would have quit if it wasn't for this person. I had another pod mate reach out to meet weekly and check how I was doing. I connected with another student and he quickly became the person I'd reach out to if I needed help on labs or just needed help with concepts. Basically, make as many friends as you can, because you're definitely going to need them at some point. 

Prepare to be a beginner. That is something I didn't do enough and I wish I had been kinder to myself along the way. I always thought the teachers were expecting you to be an expert coder right off the bat, and that is not the case. It's okay if your projects aren't great at the beginning, or even if they're not that great at the end. Everyone learns differently and even if you've coded for 5 months straight, you are still a beginner! Rome wasn't built in a day. 

One last thing, do not compare yourself to others. Some people learn quickly, others have a science background, or just a more complementing background to coding that allows them to pick up the basics faster. I spent the entire time feeling like everyone was smarter than I am and building really amazing things, while my projects never lived up. Truth is, you'll only think yours is bad because you built it. Others will see yours as amazing and feel the same way. Comparison is the thief of joy. Be proud of what you build and think of how far you've come. I didn't know how to code at all in the beginning and now I have five working projects under my belt. It's worth being proud of. This goes back to managing your expectations. A coding bootcamp isn't going to make you an all-star coder, but it will set you up with the right foundation to keep learning and growing as a coder. 

## What To Expect After The Program 

You're equipped with a new skill and ready to take on the job market, now what? It's important to manage your expectations on what comes after. A lot of bootcamps make these very convincing claims, stating that you can find a job within six months of graduating. While it may be true for some people, it isn't true for all. That's not to say you can't or won't find one, but to prepare you for the reality. 

I was in two different cohorts during my bootcamp. I was originally doing the full-time pace and switched to the part-time. So, my full-time cohort graduated before me and I was able to keep up with a few of them and hear what their experience was after the program. I was also lucky enough to meet a few alumni who were very honest about their experience after the program was over. 

I want to preface this by saying, I have spoken or heard of a lot of people who like me, started with no coding experience, and went off to get great jobs afterwards. The program works, but I think it's important to be prepared about what the search can be like. I also want to say that I can't speak on my own experience, as I have just finished and have not declared my job search, or even passed my assessment (at the point of this being written). 

A lot of the students in my full-time cohort got jobs very quickly! I know at least four students that got a job within 2-3 months of graduating from the program, which is really awesome! While that is definitely fast, what you don't hear is the amount of applications they had to put in to land that job, or the amount of rejections they had to receive beforehand. One of my peers shared with me that prior to landing his job, he had put in 25 applications and was turned down by mostly all of them, and he interviewed for three. I say this because I can imagine being rejected so many times to be demoralizing for myself, so it's important to go into the process  just knowing what to expect. You'll be told "no" a lot, but don't take those rejections to heart.

While some did get jobs within the six month period, others had to deal with a much longer job search. I know some people who were unemployed for closer to seven months and some even went past the year mark still searching for one. The ladder stated in a LinkedIn post that he eventually ended up putting in close to 1000 applications before finding a job. Moral of the story is, you may be lucky and find a job quickly, or you may have to deal with a slightly longer job search. I say this to prepare you. If breaking into tech is something you really want to do, the key is being patient and remaining positive. 

One more thing, keep learning!! Finishing the program does not mean you know everything there is to learn about coding. Your bootcamp just set you up with a good foundation on how to learn and continue to do so on your own. Stay connected with your cohort peers. Reach out when you need help or just want to go over concepts to keep them fresh. 

## Recap

There are many ways to approach learning how to code. The bootcamp route is just one way. While this route can be a little higher in costs, it does give you a set structure to follow, and can help keep you accountable to your goals. Since I was such a beginner, I thought this path was the best one for me. It also connected me with people all over the country that went above and beyond to help me stay on track. I would probably do it again if I had to make the choice all over. I am still very new at coding, but I don't believe that I could have built the things I did without the path that my bootcamp set up for me. I know a lot of beginners are often stuck in what a lot of people call "tutorial hell". So, I appreciate being given a solid path that challenged me in a lot of ways.