Why Would I Go to a Coding Bootcamp When I Can Learn this All Online?
With the abundance of self-education resources available to people with aspirations of breaking into the field of coding, the idea of going to a coding bootcamp or school might seem unnecessary. The increased volume of online resources also results in a number of courses and lessons that are entirely free of charge.
Even those courses or programs that do have a fee are noticeably cheaper than the bootcamp or class counterparts. With the absence of a live teacher, physical location, and physical material, online courses can be offered for a fraction of the cost. Even the course styles that provide live teachers over video streaming still tend to be more affordable and provide a much lower barrier of entry as compared to a 14 week, fully immersive bootcamp.
The point I am trying to make is, online resources have been improved to the point where some people may actually be able to walk out of these courses with a strong grasp of a programming language.
Still, traditional learning methods conducted in traditional classroom settings are dominant, and there is an important reason why. A lot of the benefits of self-education also tend to result in a lesser learning experience for the student.
The flexibility in schedule provided by online resources also allows students to push back deadlines and work at a pace of their choosing, which may hinder their progress if they are not consistent with their pace of learning.
A coding bootcamp is a stark contrast to this, and as the name states, this is a short, intensive, and rigorous course of training. While this may seem daunting at its surface, the value in this type of learning is immense because the student has the potential to gain a massive amount of knowledge and experience in a very truncated period of time. A bootcamp style course may take a chunk out of your social life for 14 weeks, but you will walk away with a skill that takes some people years to acquire as they learn it in small chunks.
The absence of a teacher and classroom in online courses diminishes the incredible value of community learning, where asking questions in an open forum and having discussions with peers in real time often results in insights that would not have been had otherwise.
Collaboration is a well known catalyst for progress and innovation, and the environment created by coding bootcamps is entirely designed to promote this collaboration. Talking through ideas with other students or educators can lead to tangents that lead to entirely new ideas. The evolution of an idea is often driven by a diverse range of opinions and perspectives, and coding bootcamps offer a setting where these conversations happen organically as a part of the learning process.
When I was applying for my undergraduate degree years ago, I was told by the CEO of a small SAAS company that there was one main difference between private universities and public ones…network.
The networking value of an organization is a very important benefit, because well known groups are more likely to know a person working at that tech company you want to apply to. Industries are smaller than you would think, and the key players in a given industry tend to be well connected with one and other. In many cases, industry leaders and innovators will actually come into bootcamps and courses as special guests willing to offer their insights and advice.
Maintaining a strong network is challenging but crucial for the success of a coding bootcamp, so these schools strive to build new connections and retain strong relationships with industry leaders. Coming out of a well connected coding bootcamp gives you access to this robust network as well as validation that your learning experience was curated by a well respected educator.
To reiterate, online resources are nothing to look down on, and for some individuals they may actually provide the level of education the student was looking for. With the time and costs associated with coding bootcamps, it is easy to see how this is the more daunting option, but it will provide a better learning experience for students that want to seriously pursue coding.
This was all taken into consideration when we at The DEN focus on creating experiences that are immersive, challenging, and most importantly, career-transformative. When it comes to learning the skills and tools needed to become a blockchain developer or build a business around the technology, nothing is more effective than in-person, hands-on instruction from people who have worked in the industry doing exactly what you want to do. Our part-time and full-time (Blockchain, Hyperledger, and Business) bootcamps and subsequent residency programs are, in our humble opinion, the most effective path to becoming a force to reckoned with in the blockchain industry. If our student’s testimonials and outcomes are anything to show for it, I’d say they agree!
Have you or someone you know had any experience with coding bootcamps? Or have you developed any self-taught skills that you use in a professional setting? Where do you think the future of education and skill acquisition is headed?
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