Catalyst Software Development Bootcamp (Part-Time)

Covalence has been an invaluable and well-rounded learning experience for me. I consider myself tech-savvy, but not a gadget geek by any means, and Covalence had a great mix of easy-to-follow video lectures and labs, while also challenging me to find my own answers as I progressed through the curriculum. It became evident that this was their intention: you can’t always have the answers provided to you, so you as the developer need to go out and find them sometimes. I felt like I wasn’t simply being taught to be a developer, I was learning on my own how to be a developer.

I completed the Molecular course in about 7 months, and I finished my final project after that. By the time I was done, I felt ready to walk into a job interview and tell an employer what I could do. That doesn’t mean I can code anything––and from what I know now, almost no developer could––but Covalence helped me acquire the skills necessary to be confident approaching a coding job. I’m prepared for the process I need to undertake to succeed and the issues I might face along the way. Because of my location I had to choose an online program, but I’m thankful I did in the end; since it was self-paced, I was able to learn more and dig deeper on concepts I didn’t understand well. Two developers I know, who completed in-person 3-month bootcamps, told me I’d probably be a better developer than them because of this difference.

I’m incredibly thankful to the team at Covalence. They are truly supportive of their students, and they are quick to respond to your questions or concerns. When an unexpected life event came up for me, they worked with me to ensure I could take the personal time I needed before coming back to the curriculum and ultimately being able to complete the program.

I loved the way the curriculum is set up. I learned via video lectures at my own pace and I had a webinar I could join every day (Molecular program). Knowing I had a live instructor to work with daily kept me progressing quickly––and I was often lucky to be in webinars by myself so I had personal attention. Plus, I had 1-on-1 mentoring sessions when I needed them for more in-depth stuff. Initially I was afraid of not having that in-person attention, but I realized that I had better attention doing it online through the Molecular route (not to mention time and energy saved when I could literally roll out of bed and start coding). Cost was one of the main reasons I chose Covalence, and frankly I’m impressed with what I received for such an affordable price.

What could they have done better? It's hard to say because all it took was asking. The team/instructors did what they could to make it happen whether it was a mentor session at a weird time or a new video about React Hooks.

All in all you’re learning with a fun and encouraging group of people which goes a long way toward keeping your motivation up! My main instructor, Luke, is an awesome, energetic dude and he was instrumental in helping me learn: he was there every day in webinars asking us what we were struggling with, doing a deep dive into a topic or teaching a new trick he learned. The community overall has a wealth of knowledge and experience, so if you’re trying to find some information/answers without luck, the Covalence community will have some solutions for you. Because of them, I always had help when I needed it.

On top of that, there are constant discussions about new tools, languages, updates, etc. that your fellow devs are working with/trying out, and bringing your own questions or curiosities to the group is always encouraged. As an alumnus, I know that continuing to be a member of the Covalence community will help me keep up with new stuff happening in the dev world.

When it comes to my new career, Covalence’s career webinars and services have been helpful to get my resume, LinkedIn, and portfolio going. That’s also something my fellow alumni and the instructors are already very helpful with: telling us their personal experiences in interviews, job postings they find, any helpful tips they have. It’s great having some help in this realm since getting your first job can be daunting.

Ultimately, Covalence has been a way to learn full stack development, and (in my opinion) one of the most supported ways I could’ve done it. Being part of a community where everyone congratulates me on my victories, however big or small, and continues to cheer me on has gone a long way toward my learning and my success as I become a web developer.

Absolutely loved my experience at Covalence. I took the self-paced online Molecular program which at the time of this review costs $200 a month. This program provides 1 on 1 time with an instructor, daily webinars for additional help, and personalized video reviews for each lab that you submit.

The structure of this program was perfect for me as I had to work and take classes. I already had two years of Computer Science education in college, so I was able to breeze through the first quarter of the program. My CS education taught me the fundamentals, but Covalence took my experience to the next level with using JavaScript frameworks.

The cost of college is insanely high so I'm very grateful that programs like this exist at an affordable cost. Three weeks after graduation I received a job offer as a Junior Software Developer!