I went to a coding bootcamp recently. These were the things I wish I knew before going, which would have helped me set MUCH more realistic expectations.
Check out this video for further detail:
What it takes
- You will be coding daily, 6 to 7 days a week (a given)
- You’ll be doing practice problems daily (and failing them daily, haha)
- You’ll be making a ton of mistakes while building projects (but it’s normal)
- Lot’s of BS online about ‘coding bootcamps being easy’ — it’s much harder than you think
Your health will probably suffer (health is a huge priority in order to maximize brain function)
- You’ll sit in a chair for a loooong time (get up and walk around occasionally)
- There’s a lot of stress involved in the program
- There’s not much time for cooking healthy food, focus on eating well
- Be active, build in exercise at least a few days a week (mental clarity, feeling physically good)
The mental game is completely brutal
- You will want to give up, you’ll fail over and over (but this is normal and should be expected!)
- You’ll probably feel like you’re dumb, or something is wrong with you (you’re not dumb, you’re learning!)
- You need to believe in yourself (do anything you can to stay positive)
- Use the community, struggle together (you’ll build strong bonds with others)
You’ll be depressed and anxious (prioritize mental health!)
- Everyone feels like they’re behind, but they won’t tell you that
- You’ll feel like you’re consistently behind
- Big Secret — everyone else does too, but you’ll only see their successes (people always superficially make it seem like everything is always going well, take Instagram feeds for example)
- Ask questions! The worst thing you can do is not ask questions (if you don’t ask, you’re wasting your money)
The hardest part will probably be the job search
- Absolutely brutal, please expect this150–300 jobs is a normal baseline you should be targeting (for some it will take less, others more, but this is an average)
- Looking for jobs IS a full time job (devote a ton of time to looking for jobs, studying, and networking)
- You’ll encounter bias by recruiters and developers during the job search because of your background, IGNORE THIS, push forward, someone will eventually take a chance on you!
- It’s a lonely process (try to build an accountability group with your other bootcamp grads!)
Coding bootcamps aren’t all about the technical skills
- You learn grit, perseverance (lifelong skills for continued success)
- Work ethic
- Make connections, bond with people you struggle together with
- You’ll gain confidence in yourself
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YouTube - Matt Upham
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Are you thinking about coding bootcamps? If you have any questions, shoot me a DM on Instagram @mattupham, or check out my other articles on here!
Thanks for reading!