Enrolling in a coding bootcamp can be an appealing yet daunting aspect for those who want to learn how to code. While they offer a fast-paced route to mastery, bootcamps—as the name suggests—are designed to be both intensive and immersive. So how do you ensure that you can stay on track with your learning?
At devCodeCamp, industry-led training and a steady stream of support make the difference in ensuring student success. devCodeCamp is a coding school that offers a full-time Software Development Bootcamp, Full Stack Development Flex Bootcamp, and a part-time Web Development Bootcamp. Beyond technical training, it also boasts an excellent support system that includes dedicated instructors, practical career services, and post-graduate assistance.
devCodeCamp offers a unique support system that includes committed instructors and post-grad support to ensure every student’s success during and after the bootcamp.
Learn more about devCodeCamp here.What’s It Like to Learn at devCodeCamp? Meet Your Support System
Learn from Committed and Experienced devCodeCamp Instructors
One of the unique features of devCodeCamp is that its instructors are professionals with significant experience in software development. Many of them have college degrees in computer science while some are graduates of devCodeCamp. This means they have proven experience in short-term education.
Joseph Vega Jr. (JJ), an instructor and web developer at devCodeCamp, has almost 20 years of teaching, training, and managing experience, including seven to eight years of experience in the tech field. “We take the problem-solving mindset and apply it to the learning process. We have crafted the environment carefully, through constant iteration, to create a system that is unmatched in efficacy for helping individuals accomplish their career goals,” says JJ.
Live Instruction
Through live instructional support, students can communicate directly and in real-time with instructors and staff. They can do this at any point during the online bootcamp, and after, from the moment they apply to the moment they accept a job offer.
During the day, the students have group sessions, one-on-one Zoom conversations for coaching and assignment assistance. Students can also take advantage of the school’s Slack workplace and have private channels with instructors to get their questions answered. The inquiry a student has may also be shared in a Zoom interaction.
“The structure is critical for keeping students engaged. We set up clear processes from Day 1 that make it frictionless for students to stay in contact with us, and continuously reinforce those processes to maintain positive momentum throughout the entire course,” notes JJ.
Having a Senior Dev Buddy
While any instructor is available to answer your questions, you’ll be assigned an instructor every day. This availability enhances the experience and makes the learning process smoother. They help students in building their coding skills and portfolios. They also meet with students for their one-on-ones, review their code work, and provide high-quality feedback.
Code Reviews and Recorded Feedback
At devCodeCamp, learners get daily code reviews. They meet on Zoom with an instructor and share their screen, so their code becomes visible. They then receive recorded project feedback to ensure they meet the milestones set. The students can save the information from instructors in their project records. After receiving feedback, students can resubmit their projects and revisit project areas where they may not have performed as well as they could have.
Collaborate with Your Peers
At devCodeCamp, knowledge-sharing doesn’t just happen from instructor to student. Students also learn from their peers through pair programming and group projects. Working in pairs and groups helps students enhance their communication and teamwork skills, which are essential for professional success in the tech industry.
A Culture of Accountability
To ensure that devCodeCamp students never fall through the cracks, the school creates a culture of accountability with them. “During class time, they [students] are expected to be logged into Slack and available on Zoom, and we keep the frequent group and individual meetings through the day to make sure we are having consistent interactions with students,” highlights JJ.
If the instructors notice that one of the students begins to fall behind, they recognize this as a red flag, and together with the student, they develop an individualized game plan for them. “Depending on the circumstances, that may mean additional mentoring/tutoring sessions or remedial projects to help shore up the lacking skills,” adds JJ.
devCodeCamp’s Career Services and Post-Grad Support
The toughest hurdle for bootcamp students, according to JJ, is being consistent with everyday learning. devCodeCamp places a strong emphasis on continuous learning to ensure its alumni’s long-term job success. All devCodeCamp’s graduates have access to career services and post-grad support after graduation.
devCodeCamp career services provide individual assistance to students by helping them with creating resumes, curating social profiles, tackling the job search process, providing professional guidance, and teaching them how to negotiate offers during the hiring process. They can also present their final capstone projects to potential employers during Demo Days and access job opportunities from devCodeCamp’s hiring partners.
Software Developer Soft Skills You’ll Learn at devCodeCamp
As JJ Vega notes, technical skills differ from one domain to another, “Getting a foundational knowledge of basic programming concepts that apply in any language you learn is key—starting with the basic building blocks of code and moving on to more complex concepts.” Besides tech skills, there are other essential abilities that aspiring software developers should learn to succeed.
1. Learning How to Learn
Among these skills is learning how to learn. With the constant innovation in tech, devCodeCamp instructors would be the first to admit that students are bound to encounter unfamiliar tools after their training. To prepare them from these, devCodeCamp instructors train students to enhance their skill of understanding new concepts without the need for much guidance.
In the words of JJ: “This is a meta-cognitive skill, and becoming effective at it will be the single biggest determinant of success for a tech professional because of the rapid pace of change in the field.”
“The most important key to learning new and complex material, in my experience, is to bring students from the known to the unknown,” says JJ. “This means we have to start with their experiences and connect to the code-related material using metaphor and analogy, as well as real-world examples. When I break down the concept of functions, I always relate them to cooking recipes.”
2. Problem-Solving Skills
Problem-solving skills are the cornerstone of software development. Programmers must first comprehend how humans solve problems, then translate this “algorithm” into something that a machine can perform, and write the exact syntax a computer needs to complete the task.
“Learning to systematically and efficiently break down complex problems into smaller problems and tackling them in a sequence is a large part of what being a developer is all about,” adds JJ.
3. Communication and Collaboration
Teamwork, communication, and cohesiveness are equally crucial for developers writing code. JJ highlights, “At the end of the day, we’re crafting solutions to business problems for clients. Being able to connect with those clients well to understand those problems deeply, as well as being invested in successfully solving those problems, is what it’s all about.”
4. Self-Management
Self-management skills help you improve productivity, boost job performance, and assist you in achieving your professional goals faster. In simple terms, self-management entails having full awareness of your responsibilities, priorities, and commitments you’ll need to fulfill as a member of a software development team.
Thrive in Tech with devCodeCamp’s Support
devCodeCamp is a coding school offering students and alumni the support they need to succeed in the tech industry. Experienced and committed instructors instantly communicate with the students, answering all their questions as they arise. Throughout the course, students work with peers through pair programming and group projects.
devCodeCamp students own their learning process with the school’s unique support system. After the bootcamp, devCodeCamp alumni have the resources to increase their chances at career success. These include the school’s continuous learning, career services, post-grad support, and a vast hiring partner network.
Visit the website or schedule a call with an advisor to start your journey with devCodeCamp.
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