Coding Boot Camps
Nowadays, in the programming field, you do not need to have a degree to sit or stand at a desk and type all day. It’s no longer necessary to wade through four years of research, learning about mathematical theorems behind Amazon’s delivery truck route, figuring out which classmate is more focused on complex graphics algorithms or wants to make a video game. Even just a few years ago, this was a foreign concept, and in larger companies, it’s still a foreign concept.
So without a degree, how are people learning how to code? Without grueling through years of reading biased textbooks explicitly written for a professor’s class? Code boot camps are one of those solutions.
What is a code boot camp?
A code boot camp is typically a multi-month long classroom-style meetup. There are full-time and part-time boot camps, with full time running five eight hour sessions each day of the week and part-time running two four hour sessions in the evenings on specific days. The different time length options allow for people of all sorts of walks of life to attend! These sessions usually cover a curriculum which, from my experience, often goes over the basics of full-stack development in a single technology. Most classes I have taught or experienced begin teaching basic HTML and CSS, then jump into SQL and finish out the time with an OOP such as Ruby or Java.
Who attends a boot camp?
Depends! Most boot camps in Atlanta focus on adults or young adults. The most interesting one that I have taught was targeted at young adults ages 19–25 who had GEDs rather than High School Diplomas! I helped with one class where the majority of the people were retired or grandparents.
What do people get out of boot camps?
Most boot camps have the goal of “graduating” its students and awarding a certification, be it a custom certification from the boot camp’s parent company or a W3Schools certification. Some boot camps align internships with companies at the end of the sessions to students who seemed to do well and want to jump-start their professional careers.
How much do boot camps cost?
Unfortunately, boot camps are still relatively expensive. I’ve seen part-time sessions as cheap as $5000, and Google tells me that the average cost of a 12 week, full-time boot camp is $12000 to $25000. Some companies offer scholarships to boot camps, though, so don’t let the price discourage you!
My experience as a boot camp instructor?
I have been a boot camp technology instructor multiple times for a few different companies. Each time I’ve enjoyed working with many kinds of people and proud of their success as they foray into new careers in technology. It is always rewarding to see people’s figurative light bulbs turn on as they suddenly understand a concept. I once taught a student who recently completed his GED. He was living with his two children and elderly mother and told me that twice a week after dinner, he would give recaps of what he learned to his family.
I love teaching and sharing my knowledge with people, especially when they otherwise would not get the chance to learn it. I think that technology is an ever-growing and ever-changing field and that everyone should be able to dip their toes in and make the decision for themselves if they want to dive in completely or not. I recommend supporting boot camps when possible!
