Reflecting on code bootcamp, three years later
Tags: webdev, career, bootcamp
Published: 2019-05-22 15:37:05

---
title: Reflecting on code bootcamp, three years later
published: true
canonical_url: https://amberley.blog/2019-05-22-bootcamp-reflection/
description: Reflecting on code bootcamp (three years later) and re-publishing entries written during the experience.
tags: webdev, career, bootcamp
---

There have been only two times in my life that I’ve kept a consistent blog. The first was my study abroad experience in China. The second was my time at Makersquare. (Makersquare was acquired by [Hack Reactor](https://www.hackreactor.com/), which is now a project of [Galvanize](https://www.galvanize.com/). Lol, startups.)

At some point I decided to make all my bootcamp posts privately published (on my old WordPress blog). Yesterday, I decided to port them over and re-publish them. It’s now been three years, but if anyone is currently going through a bootcamp, or considering it, I hope that perhaps they find it helpful.

## Weekly bootcamp posts

- [The Road So Far](https://amberley.blog/2016-01-10-the-road-so-far/) (2016-01-10)
- [Week 1: Lots](https://amberley.blog/2016-01-10-makersquare-week-1/) _(2016-01-10)_ 
- [Week 2: Blur](https://amberley.blog/2016-01-17-makersquare-week-2/) _(2016-01-17)_
- [Week 3: Enter APIs](https://amberley.blog/2016-01-24-makersquare-week-3/) _(2016-01-24)_
- [Week 4: Mental Fog](https://amberley.blog/2016-02-01-makersquare-week-4/) _(2016-02-01)_
- [Week 5: Onto Projects](https://amberley.blog/2016-02-07-makersquare-week-5/) _(2016-02-07)_
- [Week 6: Halfway Through](https://amberley.blog/2016-02-14-makersquare-week-6/) _(2016-02-14)_
- [Week 7: Projectland](https://amberley.blog/2016-02-29-makersquare-week-7/) _(2016-02-29)_
- [Week 8: Back to Back-End](https://amberley.blog/2016-03-07-makersquare-week-8/) _(2016-03-07)_
- [Week 9: Thesis, cont'd](https://amberley.blog/2016-03-16-makersquare-week-9/) _(2016-03-16)_
- [Week 10: Is This Real Life?](https://amberley.blog/2016-03-21-makersquare-week-10/) _(2016-03-21)_
- [Week 11: Thesis, Concluded](https://amberley.blog/2016-03-28-makersquare-week-11/) _(2016-03-28)_
- [Week 12: The Transition](https://amberley.blog/2016-04-02-makersquare-week-12/) _(2016-04-02)_

## Was it worth it?

Short answer, yes.

I had been trying to break into full-time web development for years, and at the time, I still didn’t feel I’d done it.

[![I ran a Twitter poll asking how long I had been a developer. 61% said 10+ years (when I started tinkering with code). 21% said 9-10 years (when I started building static sites). 11% said 5-8 years (when I started building WordPress sites). 7% said 3-4 years (when I started building React apps.)](https://amberley.blog/static/9c412d36dc1463ecff274ee09b24fbe7/b8c2e/twitter-webdev-poll.png)](https://twitter.com/amber1ey/status/1094655492545228800)

I needed a complete change of pace, and a completely focused time period to focus on the pivot. I’m grateful that I had the opportunity to do so. I f’n love what [Lambda School](https://lambdaschool.com/) is doing to make this pivot more accessible to a wider range of people. (Enjoyed [this Founder’s talk podcast episode](https://changelog.com/founderstalk/63) feat. founder Austin Allred recently). _Note: I have no experience with Lambda. My intention is to highlight the issue of access. See also: [freeCodeCamp](https://www.freecodecamp.org/)._

I took a chance on a bootcamp because:

- I had been scratching at the door and doing the work for a long time, I already knew it was something I enjoyed.
- Despite the fact that bootcamps were pretty much a new thing, and unregulated, I felt it conferred some greater level of validation, and gave me a better shot. (They’re not so new anymore, I feel like I was at the tail-end of that).
- I needed to invest in a hard pivot. Working my way gradually wasn’t working.

I’m so grateful to be where I am now, and it’s absolutely mind-blowing that the bootcamp was three years ago. Also, none of this would be possible without [these folks](https://amberley.dev/gratitude).