3 Ways Codewars Reinforces Your Bootcamp Learning

Practice makes perfect. But how much practice do we need to be the master of a trade? Malcolm Gladwell, the author of Outliers, emphasizes that we need at least 10,000 hours of training to become an expert at something.

But what should your expectations be if you’re attending a coding bootcamp? As the name suggests, bootcamps are designed to offer short-term training to help you become proficient in a field. To be more precise, coding bootcamps last three to 12 months on average, which means their programs are often fast-paced.

The accelerated format of bootcamps makes practicing beyond the classroom even more essential to reinforce your understanding of the material taught. This is where Codewars comes in.

Codewars offers coding challenges designed to build your knowledge and help you master essential coding concepts. The challenges are assigned a kata number, which signifies their difficulty level—the lower the number, the higher your rank. Of course, the higher your rank, the closer you are to mastering the specific programming language you’re using.

If you’re looking to supplement your bootcamp training, read on to learn how Codewars can help you.

How to Prepare for a Coding Bootcamp with Codewars

If you’re thinking about joining a coding bootcamp but still need to brush up on your coding skills, Codewars is a great place to start. Here, you can apply what you already know to tackle challenges and even learn from others’ solutions. Do note that Codewars works best for those who already have prior knowledge of coding.

Those aspiring to work or are already working in fields like data science, web development, and software development, benefit best from Codewars. These careers require proficiency in popular coding languages, which you can readily practice on Codewars.

Here’s a peek into the challenges you may encounter at Codewars:

1. Coding Challenges to Master Python for Data Science

Python is commonly used by aspiring data scientists to clean, manipulate, and visualize data. Its built-in libraries help non-coders analyze statistical data.

• Pandas series 102: Max from Common DataFrames. Combine two data frames into one, choosing the maximum value when both frames share a cell for a particular column.
• Simple Linear Regression Cost Function (Machine Learning). Write a cost function J(θ1, θ2) that will calculate how good a fit a line is to the given data.
• Data mining #1. Exercise your statistics skills by building a model to predict y-coordinates.
  

2. Coding Challenges to Master JavaScript for Web Development

 JavaScript permits client-side scripts to interact with users, allowing for more dynamic pages.

• React Fun #1: Component types and nesting. This challenge is a great introduction to the fundamental concept of components in React.
• Easter egg list in ReactJS. Learn about lists and keys in React.
• Control the Beast (controlled components in ReactJS). Exercise your controlled component skills in React.
• JSON Account Updater. Processing JSON responses from APIs is a typical browser JS task. This challenge offers a realistic scenario of manipulating an array of objects.
  

3. Coding Challenges to Master C++ for Software Development

C++ also supports direct calls to native system libraries, which can be used to create nearly any type of software.

• 16+18=214. Warm-up and get your creative juices flowing with this integer sum challenge with many potential solutions.
• Sudoku Solution Validator. Determine if a Sudoku puzzle solution is valid.
• The Lift. Implement logic for a lift (elevator) in this challenging kata.

How to Succeed at a Coding Bootcamp with Codewars

While enrolled in bootcamps, you can take what you learned and apply these skills to challenges on Codewars. As Josh Kauffman, the author of The Personal MBA, suggests, 45 minutes of practice each day for a month is enough to become “pretty good” at something. So if you spend only a fraction of an hour solving Codewars’ challenges daily, you have a pretty good chance to improve your skills.

Such practice also ensures you don’t fall behind or get lost in class discussions if you’re attending a bootcamp since you can come prepared. Moreover, you’ll gain access to additional coding resources from the Codewars community. Need a sounding board while working on your bootcamp assignments? Other users of Codewars might be able to give you practical tips.

You can even work on challenges related to a project you’re working on to make sure you strengthen your skills. And if you’re out of ideas for a capstone project for your bootcamp, you can easily take inspiration from Codewars’ challenges.

How to Get a Job After a Coding Bootcamp with Codewars

Codewars is currently compiling a list of interview-style questions to assist you in your job search. Companies review developers using the Qualified platform, which follows a similar style to Codewars. That means your kata or rank on Codewars offers you a reasonably decent sense of how you’d do in company assessments.

Codewars also awards badges that you may display on your GitHub profiles or resume to make yourself more desirable to potential employers.

Finally, acknowledging how difficult it can be to get tech jobs, Codewars is also becoming more career-focused. For example, the platform has recently developed a job board to assist people hunting for work.

Cement Your Coding Skills with Codewars

Succeeding at a coding bootcamp is no easy feat, especially if you’re coming in with little to no experience. Codewars can be your guide throughout your journey—from helping you secure a seat in the bootcamp of your choice to ensuring you stay on track with your training and come prepared for your job interviews.

Increase your chances of getting into and succeeding at a coding bootcamp. Sign up for Codewars today.