NYC Onsite Software Engineering Immersive

I personally had an amazing experience at Codesmith. I would recommend it to every aspiring engineer.

Acceptance:
Their acceptance process was more rigorous than other places which at first was extremely intimidating, but once I got in, I realized I already felt comfortable with fundamental things which weren't even required by other places.

Learning:
The learning experience was definitely intense at times. We were spending 6 days a week, sometimes more than 10 hours a day. Each unit was only two days long and I felt like I was being rushed until we started building projects. Then it made sense. The reason why these units are so quick are because you will solidify the fundamentals during the projects phase when you are forced to implement all the technologies learned. The senior portion was definitely my favorite part as it was refreshing having to dive deep into a technology like GraphQL or another advanced portion of a modern tech stack. 

Environment:
Ultimately, this is what makes Codesmith. They have done such a well job recruiting students and staff that care about the program and foster a family culture. Every person there is purposeful and kind and is looking out for one another. I have found a second family here and it is so amazing knowing that every individual is pursuing the same goal.

I was going nowhere, not even fast. I was going nowhere slowly. I was making 30k, with no room for career advancement.
Then, I came to Codesmith. I just accepted a 100k+ offer as a Software Engineer. Trust the process. This is real.

The market needs what Codesmith helps you become. 

I researched 4-year universities, I researched grad programs, I researched AA degrees, and I researched bootcamps. Then I found Codesmith, which is none of those things. Codesmith is indeed a resisdency, which asks more of you than a bootcamp and offers more to you than any other program. 

Personally, I have a 4 year degree. I had it prior to Codesmith, yet I was never challenged to work as hard as I was during my time at Codesmith. I was never put into a box a Codesmith, the way I was at my university. 

Codesmith is not making cookie-cutter repeat devs, Codesmith is looking to help you identify your personal strengths/interests and bulid them into a marketable skill set. Codesmith is looking to evolve you. Every graduate who comes from Codesmith is great in their own way, powered by their own strengths, and moving forward by the strength of their own legs. 

They do so by challenging you to accomplish impossible tasks, or at least tasks which seem impossible...until you find yourself completing them. 

Over and over again you will surpass what you thought you were capable of understanding. Over and over again, you will discover knowledge which was earned through problem solving. Over and over again, you will find yourself lifted by an amazing community. 

You will struggle. You will get stuck. You will feel like you can't do it. 

However, Codesmith and the community of learners on the journey with you will do literally everything they are capable of doing to help you along the way. 

This place wants you to succeed, wants to help you succeed...the only question you have to ask yourself is, "Am I ready to succeed?"

If the answer is yes, come to Hard Parts. 

Success is waiting for you there. 
 

I've never been surrounded by a group of more supportive and compassionate people in my entire life. This is what makes Codesmith such an amazing place. From the academic team to the felllows to your cohort mates, everyone is always willing to lend a helping hand to ensure your success in the program.

The curriculum is rigorous and gets more challenging as the program goes on, but it never feels overwhelming because of this supportive structure. You'll learn the basics in popular web technologies like React / Redux and Node / Express in a very short amount of time but you'll master these concepts in group projects.

The hiring support is extensive with Will Sentance and Erik Kirsten leading lectures about the interviewing process and salary negotiation towards the end of the program. Every bit of advice given in these lectures is invaluable to your job search.

Attending Codesmith has been one of the best decisions in my life. You'll not only gain a deep understanding of popular web technologies and engineering best practices but you'll learn how to overcome any obstacle as a software engineer. If you're looking for a program that will push you to your limits but supports you every step of the way, look no further than Codesmith.

"Transformative." "Easily worth the investment." "Unlike anything I have or will have ever done in the best possible way."

Believe me... I was sitting in your position just months ago reading through the reviews and contemplating which one of these software engineering immersion programs was a fit for me, if at all.

Do this instead: Attend a JavaScript: Easy Parts then a Hard Parts Workshop (cost: always free) this upcoming week. Then go back again over and over. 

Why?

No one goes into as much depth about the intricacies of how JavaScript works, especially with respect to asynchronous features, the event loop, and the microtask queue. You will learn so much from the Codesmith faculty as well as from your peers, because pair-programming is a huge part of it. 

Still lost? Don't worry, I was too. But believe me, the effort this place puts in guiding you through the core pillars of software engineering is one-of-a-kind.

Now onto the program. It's phenomenal in every sense of the word. Bright engineers from the residents you'll be building amazing open source projects with, the stellar fellows who will stay late in the night to help you debug, to the instructors who have an incredible track record of molding you into the model mid-level / senior engineer you will soon become. 

So again. If you're thinking about heading down this route, do yourself a favor and attend a workshop. You've got nothing to lose.

Thank you, Codesmith!

The level of this curriculum far surpasses the rigor and standard of any educational curriculum I have experienced. Even as a Neurosci graduate of the number 1 ranked public school in the US, I found this core curriculum more challenging and more intensive than the premedical courses I was taking back then.

There definitely is very little hand-holding that occurs in this curriculum because of course, if you are to accelerate your career in a matter of three months (+some preparation prior to Codesmith) and learn everything you need to truly become a software engineer, you have to truly push yourself and get beyond just the typical Javascript knowledge bestowed upon normal graduates. However, while hand-holding is not part of the curriculum, there is a huge support system among your classmates as well as the staff who will help you out if you ever feel like you are drowning. The support from the staff is truly incredible and will truly help you out if you are ever in dire need. They are always monitoring your progress throughout the curriculum and will make sure you are getting what you desire from the program.

While the curriculum can be quite difficult, what you get out if is a true insight into what a software engineering life is like:

To be constantly presented with a large number of technologies but learning to become comfortable with the unknown
To not be overwhelmed by the sheer amount of knowledge because you develop the confidence of diving deep into a technology you have no idea about
To break down any overwhelmingly difficult code, documentation or challenge one by one showing you that you are capable.

What you get from Codesmith is really just another level. I honestly came into Codesmith expecting just a curriculum where I would breeze through (because I studied Javascript for an entire year before coming here) and learn this/that technology, but...definitely not. The level of learning that I was doing on a self-study basis was nowhere near the immersive, intensive studies that Codesmith gets you on. 

I really wish I could talk to anyone reading this, in person, on how real the outcomes this program is producing because it really is a hidden gem. To convince whoever is on the fence of undertaking this thing to give it a real chance and avoid the biases of a “coding bootcamp”. This organization is just way way better than that, but just seriously don’t knock it until you try it.

I can honestly say that the amount of improvement I've seen in my development journey has increased dramatically as a direct result of the supportive, and encouraging community at Codesmith. I went from someone who could just copy + paste code while following video tutorials, to be able to create fullstack web applications with ease. The best part about Codesmith is the community, the amount of attention they give to the students are insane.

If you come here, you will be put into the most intensive, stressful, wonderful, and fun time you will ever have in your coding journey. It will all have been worth it when you realize how far you've come, how many amazing people you've met, and how much you can do when you just push yourself.

After 2 years of self-teaching, I stumbled upon Codesmith while going to meetups to fight the isolation of my solo pursuit. As soon as I walked in, I immediately knew it was exactly what needed.  I had been to a lot of meetups and often found myself in an awkward in-between space of not being a super beginners or long time engineer.  Codesmith was the first place that I felt challenged without being lost.  And the community was hands down the most warm and welcoming I experienced in any meetup.

By the end of the program I'd learned way more than I had in the previous 2 years of self-teaching and felt ready to jump into a career as a software engineer.  More importantly, I had tons laughs and made lifelong friends.  Codesmith truly changed my life and I'm incredibly grateful for my experience there.

Codesmith is no joke. It was such a challenging exprience for me. You will spend every single day, night and day for the next 12 weeks learning new material, doing challenges and debugging, all the while drinking endless cups of coffee. You probably spend 10-12 hours in Codesmith make sure you are ready for this hard work before you enroll. About the curriculum you will learn Full-Stack (Data Structure and Algorithm,React,Redux,Express,Node,SQL,NoSQL) in your first 4 weeks then rest is all about the project No more lectures, You work on your full stack project all day, helping each other out. Everone in codesmith is so smart and I'm thankful they are all trying and willing to help each others. If you do not have technical background make sure you study before you get into. Because curriculum so fast you wont have enought time to learn all in that short period of time.

It's hard to put the Codesmith experience into words. This whole process is hard, really hard. Getting accepted, the course, and getting a job will all test you but there is no other place I would recommend someone to. As I write this I'm looking at my bags, packed and set for the Caribbean where I'll spend the winter earning a sweet salary, working for a great company and surfing fantastic waves. Here's the thing about other programs and about Codesmith, the proof is in the pudding. These guys know what they're talking about, they've produced the goods over and over again. Make sure to look at the other programs outcome reports and go to Hardparts. Do your research and your decision will be easy. See the staff talk and feel the vibe there, you'll see what everyone is talking about. It's a supportive welcoming community of hard working people. I've been at hiring events with people who've attended other programs and the difference is stark. Trust me, you want the cards in your favor. It's hard, it is and they make it that way on purpose but you'll learn the most valuable lesson there is in engineering, how to learn. And when it's hard you'll find the support you need. The learning curve is steep and the job market for your first tech gig can feel impenetrable. Knowing that your buddy got Google (true story), knowing that your mentors from the program are superstars in their own right and knowing that the answers and support that you need through the process is always there is invaluable. This program changed my life. I'm a better person for what I endured through this process. Buy the ticket, take the ride. 

I am a career changer and found Codesmith at a crossroads in my life. At the time, I was thinking if I should position myself for grad school or look into transitioning to tech, and that's when I attended my first JavaScripts the Hard Parts with Will Sentance. Codesmith was so welcoming and supportive that I kept coming back. The more JSHP I attended, the less I wanted to work at the Medical Office was at and decided to stop working in order to study coding full-time. I studied and interviewed and was able to get in the June Cohort. One of the biggest things about Codesmith is it's community. As I was studying, I made more and more friends that were studying and setting the same goals as I was. Some of these friends joined me in the same cohort while attending Codesmith, some started at later dates, but all were supportive. 
One of the best aspects of Codesmith, is it's ability to create engineering environments where students are able to experience real life engineering situations to build out projects, collaborate with engineers, practice engineering empathy, and learn how to solve problems. As a developer, running into blocks and being able to withstand and overcome them, is one of the essential keys to succeeding in this field, and Codesmith makes sure to drive this lesson throughout your time in the program. 
Everyone I talk to, I tell them Codesmith is a wrap around service, because they not only teach you how to build projects like an engineer, but they teach you how to think like one/learn like one/ and have a work ethic like one. 

Everything is earned at Codesmith, It takes a lot of hard work and dedication, so get ready to work. 

Codesmith make's sure you're equipped with mindset of an engineer, and then take it a step further by equipping you with interview skills and application strategies. The network you walk away with alone is worth the price of admission. I am fully confident, anyone who fully invests their time and commitment into Codesmith, will leave with a stronger network, engineering experience, and the correct mindset to start their career as a Developer in the tech industry as they graduate. By the end of the program you will leave knowing Codesmith is family. Codesmith positively changed my life for the better, it's only been 10 mos since I started studying full-time, I'm already working post graduation and very excited to see what's in store for my future in Tech.  

I am a self-taught web developer who recently graduated with a BS in Computer Science. I didn't do any internships during my time at university and had trouble passing interviews for junior developer jobs. I needed something to fill in the gap between being a fresh graduate and having some industry experience and Codesmith was it.

I attended the JavaScript the Hard Parts meetup a number of times before considering the program. I was impressed with the level of depth of the content and noticed my own skills and technical vocabulary improving quickly after just a few meetups. I truly felt that this was a next level program and not just something to get you from zero to "Hello world!".

The program itself is very intensive and one of the hardest things I've ever done and I would do it all over again. My skills as an engineer and my technical communication improved by leaps and bounds over the course of the program and I now feel confident in tackling any complex or new engineering problem. It taught me how to teach myself, effectively communicate, and reason about difficult problems.

I never thought I'd be the type of person giving tech talks in front of large groups of people or being relaxed and confident when whiteboarding difficult algorithms on a whiteboard, but Codesmith gave me the tools, practice, and confidence to do so. 

One of the most valuable parts of the program is the hiring prep and support. I have since taken a job as a Senior Front-End Developer and couldn't have done it without Codesmith.
 

I graduated from Codesmith and got a job as a senior software engineer 3 months later - my journey began when I attended a few "Javascript the Hard Parts" sessions and was introduced to the community. I did my research about the curriculum and personally agree  with their philosophy that beyond technical skill, there are additional traits that make for a successful engineer - namely passion for and the ability to learn new concepts and technologies, empathy, grit, and communication. These are all traits that I rely on daily at my current job, and they've been well received and recognized by my colleagues. Some of my coworkers graduated from other coding bootcamps, and I'm leading them and coordinating the team to build features.

I left a full time job that was technical (though not as engineering-focused as I wanted it to be) to attend Codesmith and I can confidently say it was one of the best decisions of my life and one of the best investments I have ever made. Not in terms of just the financial payoff (I more than doubled my salary), but also the investment I made in myself and my potential. It's truly powerful to be put in an environment that not only forces you to step up and prove yourself (to yourself) but also gives you room to develop your leadership and collaboration skills via the pair programming exercises and group projects.

And, of course, I accelerated my growth as an engineer - in terms of the technologies that are taught, I was exposed to many that I had limited prior experience in - Node, React, Redux, Webpack, etc. I had experience with HTML, CSS, SQL, and database design, which was certainly advantageous, and in those cases I was able to hone my abilities by helping fellow residents and sharing my knowledge - all skills that come in handy in a real-world engineering environment. Plus, I now have a network of engineers that I am sure will remain lifelong friends and contacts - people I would be honored to work with in the future, and who feel the same about me. That level of trust and respect cannot be taken for granted.

All in all, I highly recommend Codesmith!

Just to qualify myself, I graduated from Codesmith and do not work for them. Also, I rarely write reviews unless my experience was exceptional. I have 2 words to describe this experience, Life Changing!

When I started my Codesmith journey, I attended “Javascript the Hard Parts”. Here I met Will Sentence and the Codesmith staff, who where very welcoming. I was absolutely blown away by in-depth, under the hood explanation of the language.

While attending Codesmith, I learned more than I ever thought; let’s say it exceeded my expectations and then some! It’s a lot of work, but their curriculum is designed to help you succeed and have the confidence to be a great engineer. It also taught me how to be more of an autonomous developer and have the ability to push through challenges. They won’t spoon feed you, rather give you the tools to be able to solve problems yourself. You’ll have the ability to dive under the hood and have a deep understanding of the latest, cutting edge technologies. This is part of what separates a junior engineer from a senior.

Not only did I gain the knowledge to be an amazing software engineer, but I gained a community that will be with me for a life-time. Being part of the Codesmith network is the most supportive, encouraging, and powerful group in the developer community.

Once I graduated, the support I got from Codesmith during my job search was unbelievable. They touched base with me every week to see how my job search was going and offered to help in any way. There were times I needed one on one help and I had to go on-site; the staff went above and beyond. Even though you have graduated, the staff is there to help you as if you’re still a student; they care about everyone who walks through those doors. Additionally, I needed some help on my job search approach, and Will called me to create a strategy. Shortly after I got my dream job as a Senior Software Engineer.

I am forever grateful to Codesmith as it has changed my life.

Choosing to attend CodeSmith is a choice that I am extremely grateful to myself for making. Let me start of by saying that it is NOT an easy path. Many days are long and arduous, but  IS extremely worth it. Going into CodeSmith I was told that it would be difficult but rewarding. You spend upwards of 10+ hours a day there during weekdays and and additional 8+ hours on Saturdays. Throughout your time there you get lectures on the topic that you are going to cover for the next 2 days. Then you work on your own for half a day on beginning to understand the concept that you were just taught and the remainder day and a half with a Pair Programming Partner to help each other cement in said concept. For the second half of the time spent at CodeSmith, you get broken out into teams to work on a project that allows you to dive deep into a topic of your group’s choosing allowing you to more fully develop your ’T’ shaped skills.

Throughout this whole process you have a wonderful support system there to help you out. Not only do you have your peers that are learning right alongside with you to help you out, but you also have the staff (both technical and non-technical) and community of alumni by your side. These amazing people are not going to hold your hand and give you the exact answer that you are looking for but they will give you an answer that will help guide you to the exact answer that you are looking for. Some people may find this as unhelpful and uncaring, but I believe it to be the exact opposite. In life we cannot expect everything to be hand fed to us without really knowing what it is, but instead to expect people to be there to help us understand what we are being fed (I know, probably a weird analogy). But if people just give you the answer to your problem, chances are that you wouldn’t have learned as much as if someone helped you to find the answer out yourself. Plus the feeling of satisfaction one gets from finally figuring out a challenging problem and having that ‘aha’ moment is such a great feeling.

Another important piece of CodeSmith is Pair Programming. Every two days we would be paired with a fellow cohort mate to help each other go through challenges and cement the information that we were just taught. Some really important pieces to this is that everyone learns differently and takes in different pieces of the same information at different rates. By pairing with new people constantly a person could see the same thing that they were looking at but from a different perspective allowing for the broadening of one’s own way of viewing things. Also importantly, is being able to speak out loud what you are thinking/viewing in your own head (technical communication). This is extremely important because it is such a difficult skill to master, yet something that is used everyday in an average workplace. Something that should be practiced all the time even if you don’t have another person to speak your thoughts to, there is the Rubber Ducky approach. It may seem silly but speak out loud to a rubber duck (or any other inanimate object - or a pet if you have one) to work on getting the thoughts out of your head and spoken in an understandable way.

Once completing CodeSmith they don’t just kick you out the door and have you be on your way. Their doors are always open! They really encourage their alumni to drop in and say hi or come by and do any work they may have. There are two checkins that they conduct to see how post-CodeSmith life is going. And additionally, they have started post-CodeSmith interviews. So if your going through your job search and seem to be running into any issues, you can schedule an appointment with CodeSmith to help you do a mock interview, resume review, or some sort of general Q&A to help you move forward. They really love having their alumni be active in helping their current cohorts to succeed.

All of this so far has been about being a part of CodeSmith and in a Cohort. But even before that, CodeSmith offers many avenues of learning to code and preparing people to be a part of CodeSmith if they choose. They have many free workshops that anyone can attend, both in person and online. They also offer shorter courses that aren’t as stringent but still extremely helpful and effective. CodeSmith gives the tools for people to pick up and use.

I personally do not consider myself to be of a Computer Science/Software Engineer background. I got my BA Degree in Criminal Justice. Afterwards I started self studying computer programming and did online courses through a Junior College to get my AA in computer programming. From there I attended many months of CodeSmith’s HardParts every week. This gave me the basis of getting into CodeSmith and they have brought me to where I am today.

Thank you so much to all of the wonderful and amazing people that work at CodeSmith to help people realize and make a reality their dreams to be Software Engineers. You all have helped me so much, way more than I could ever put into words or express to you all. It is such a treat to be able to walk back into CodeSmith and always be welcomed so warmly. Also a huge shoutout to my Cohort!!! You all made everyday a fun and amazing learning environment. I miss you all and proud of everyone that have already gotten amazing jobs and can’t wait to see where everyone else ends up.

A final note to anyone considering CodeSmith and it may seem like a cliche but it is true. You get out of CodeSmith what you put into CodeSmith. It is a journey that you can take from it what you will. For me it is a journey that I would gladly take again.

Codesmith to me was a very important learning experience, it doesn't just build you up as a tech-savvy Engineer it takes you into the rudiments of problem-solving, technical communication and project management. Most importantly handling new challenges without giving up, I was challenged to do more every day of the programme and the more challenges I overcame the more I knew and the more confidence I had in my understanding.

You can find any coding school or bootcamp that teaches JavaScript, React, or whatever trending technologies. However, it is really difficult to find a community where every student and team member is positive, energetic, and respecting one another.

Students at Codesmith spend over 12 hours a day; from 9am, most students stay until 10 or 11pm at night. Even though they are mentally exhausted and physically tired, students still help other students who are having difficult time understanding the technology they learned that day.

Some students decide to stay at Codesmith as "fellows" after graduating. Fellows stay untill late night to help junior students and support students to become successful software engineers.

Many alumni often come back to Codesmith. On Alumni Night, alumni give a talk about their current work and their story after Codesmith like how they struggled until getting a job. They also give mock interviews to senior students so that students can have more confidence when they face real interviews.

Engineers at Codesmith provide great lectures. They don't teach how to create React application from bottom to top, but rather they make students learn the hard way so that students can store the knowledge in long-term memory. Students will be exposed to new technologies and learn how to utilize them by finding answers by themselves or working with other students. By pair programming with other students, they not only learn how to work with other programmers, but also how to technically communicate.

What is great about Codesmith is students will learn how to become a better person as well. Students take a short survey prior to a lecture about implicit bias; they learn how not to discriminate other students or future coworkers by their race, national origin, gender, or age. Eric, who is an advisor for students, teaches interpersonal skills that are important for interviews. Last but not least, lectures from Will, CEO of Codesmith, are crucial and really helpful for those who do not know how to get a job in tech industry.

Coming from a Computer Science grad from Cal Poly, I would've never thought that I could learn so much about programming in a 3 month period. I can honestly say that I've learned so much more in this 3 month program than I did with taking Computer Science courses during college. Not only do you apply the fundamentals, but you learn all these programming languages, frameworks, and library in so much depth with how it works under the hood. I was also surprised about the fact that everyone in the program was able to pick up a lot of complex data structures, algorithms, and concecptual material in Computer Science, they manage to pick it up faster than the students in a Computer Science program in cellege. In addition, you get to innvoate an actual production level project for seasoned developers, this is something that you cannot get out of other schools, especially in a Computer Science program in college. 

Just another heads up, although the program is only 3 months, it's VERY intensive. This opinion is coming from a person that has a Computer Science degree. The amount of work they give you is ludricous, the hours are suppose to be from 9am - 8pm, but expect to leave around 11PM or even 12PM. So be prepared to put in the work, it'll be worth it at the end, I can promise you that you'll learn so much.

Now, aside from the academic side, the community is just astounding, no words can describe it. You would be surrounded by so many amazing and intelligent people in this program. These people go from the staff, instructors, and of course your cohort. This experience that you get from being at CodeSmith, you definitely cannot experience else where. The bonds that you form with your cohort and staff, is just incredible, I wouldn't trade it for anything.

All in all, I highly recommend coming to CodeSmith, the experience and learning experience you get from here, you won't be able to find anywhere else

Codesmith has a relatively wide range of individuals coming through the program. They range in age everywhere from twentysomethings to fifty or older, it's a really diverse program. I came when I was 18, straight out of high school, in lieu of going to college. When I was first considering going to Codesmith, I never thought I would leave with such a strong emotional connection to the people I met there, and such a feeling of community and connection that Codesmith has given me. Codesmith also has a universal reputation for producing really high quality, professional engineers- not just bootcamp grads- and I can honestly attest to the fact that I've grown more and learned more in the last three months than I ever did in any whole year of traditional schooling. Now I'm confident in calling myself an authority on frontend javascript development and state management, and that's something that people I know who went to other bootcamps like GE and Hack Reactor just can't say.

The amount of knowledge that I have gained through this experience is unreal.  I can confidently say no other place will push you the way Codesmith does.  They don't just teach you material, they introduce you to topics and guide you in a way that forces you to learn the right way.  The only piece more enjoyable than how much I have learned is the community of people that I have met - insanely kind, welcoming, hard-working and unique.  I never knew a place like this existed but I am beyond fortunate that does.

I thought attending Codesmith would just be another educational experience, but it really is so much more. Everybody at Codesmith is dedicated to not only helping you learn but making sure you succeed. The people that they let in are amazing and everybody brings everyone else up. It will probably be the hardest you have ever worked, but what you will gain is a deep understanding of not only coding but how to learn how to code. Oh, and you will have a community/family for the rest of your life. If you are on the fence do yourself a favor and come talk to the people at Codesmith and I guarantee that you will be blown away by the culture just as much as the technical knowledge that everybody learns and has.