Preparation for Coding Bootcamp
To start, I’ll say I didn’t originally plan on applying for a coding bootcamp. And as of the time of this writing I will actually be attending a 10-Month Software Engineering Apprenticeship. My initial plan was to go from self-taught to Jr Developer. Or at the very least, a non-tech role in a tech company. I figured I NEEDED A JOB NOW, so I could learn through osmosis while I learned to code on the side.
If I were smart, I would’ve committed to getting the education I needed the moment I decided to go for it. I’m realizing there are no short cuts to becoming the best version of yourself. I would rather do good meaningful work, and stretch myself to the challenge. That is where real change comes from. Starting on the right foot is the quickest way to your goals.
Steps off soapbox.
That being said, I think anyone planning on making a transition into software engineering and are not quite sure where to begin, may find this guide helpful. I would recommend a fair amount of study going in. I’ve heard of people that had none, but if you’re going to set yourself up for success. Learn as much as you can, interview, and keep learning until Day 1… and for the rest of your life. That’s what web developers do!
Note: I’ve heard about as many different paths as I’ve heard stories of how people learned. In general, I would recommend starting with a week or two of just getting a feel for different technologies and trying some basic programming tutorials or websites. The recommendation I received and followed through was to learn HTML, CSS, and JavaScript first.
To understand what type of landscape you’re looking at I’d break down the types of programs/tutorials you might come across.
Keep in mind, I followed a bit of a roundabout path, I’m writing this from the perspective of leaving my job last April. If I were to pick a different course of study, this is what that would look like. And how I believe I would’ve achieved results much quicker.
If I were to start over, I would’ve started with CodeAcademy. Everything is browser based and accessible. There is no environment setup. And it’s very easy to get started. This is also a great tool to get you accustomed to the sort of stuff you may see as a programmer. It’s also a great resource for just figuring out if you actually like programming. I would explore the following courses (Learn HTML and CSS, Learn JavaScript, Make a Website, Learn the Command Line, HTML and CSS, JavaScript, and JQuery). Note: The CodeAcademy Library will be changing soon, Click on the Course Catalogue button, and explore all things HTML, CSS, and JavaScript!
Here is where things get creative. I initially started with FreeCodeCamp and after some frustration, transitioned to some Udemy and Udacity video courses.
My frustration lied in my inability to apply the theory to actual building projects. I would fly through the basics material, and couldn’t even build a basic website. So I transitioned to video courses. Depending on your level of skill and focused attention, get creative. I felt inadequate because I planned to go from self-study to the work force (harder than you think), so I felt like I needed to up my skills quicker. Ultimately the mix of the two helped me tremendously. Honestly I’m still putting the pieces together.
So if I were to do it all again… I would start with the basic again on free code camp. And push yourself all the way through the intermediate algorithms.
From there I would honestly take this Web Development Bootcamp Udemy course. This will bring you well past the requirements of completing the FCC Front-end Web Developer Certification because you will have already had some exposure to building Full-Stack Applications.
This will make the Front-end Projects significantly easier. It’ll also remind you how much you still need to learn about Front-end Development. After that I would actually take a bit of a detour and complete one of the Free BootCamp Prep Courses. I did the program for Hack Reactor. The awesome thing about this course is it reminded me to push myself with the basics. It focuses on the stuff that should come easy, and learning how to do those things at roughly your typing speed. The other awesome thing about this program is you won’t find the answers online. You’ll notice that’s not necessarily the case with FCC. This forces you to search MDN and really understand some of the methods you’re applying. You’ll notice a huge change in what you can do.
After this I would finish out the rest of the FCC Front-End stuff (like all of it). That would have been the quick and dirty for me. I would imagine this would have streamlined my way to a coding school. There is some foundational knowledge that can be a little hard to nail down.
Now I feel a little bit more comfortable attacking things like HackerRank and CodeWars. I will admit, up until this point. Those systems downright confused me and made me feel kinda dumb lol. Although again, I thought I was never even going to pass a phone interview, let alone land a job.
Again, I mentioned this would’ve been the short route. I’ll put a list of resources below that I’ve studied as well. This is by no means comprehensive, I’ve taken a lot of detours. But to become a Full-Stack Software Engineer. Here’s what I got, from my current perspective.
UDEMY
Web Developer Bootcamp, JavaScript: Understanding the Weird Parts, Ultimate Web Designer & Developer Course, Modern React with Redux, Advanced JavaScript, Data Visualize Data with D3.js, Learn and Understand AngularJS, Learn and Understand NodeJS.
UDACITY
Technical Interview, JavaScript Design Patterns, Learn Backbone.js, Front End Frameworks, Web Development, Intro to Computer Science, Intro to Algorithms, Responsive Web Design Fundamentals, JavaScript Basics.
Books
Eloquent JavaScript, You Don’t Know JS
Again, this is in by no means comprehensive. I do wish I would’ve had a more succinct list when I started. At any rate, just get to hacking! Push your self to code at least everyday for a little bit. Even if just 20 minutes a day. In my case, it got addictive. Some days I’d find myself following a tutorial or course for upwards of 10–12 hours.
Again, just a bit each day. If you’re aiming for coding school, focus on the fundamentals, build small things, and code everyday!
Thanks for reading, more to come on my path to coding.
Patrick
