Bitmaker General Assembly

The course was worth it for me because of my instructor.  He is fresh out of a design job and was an invaluable resource for me.  The curriculum in my immersive program was heavily influenced by instructor which made it much better in my opinion, he made sure to tie the concepts we were learning to real life examples in the industry.  Being able to ask him any questions about how a design job functions in real life was very helpful.  
The course itself I think is always evolving, my cohort was only about 10 people a class with 30 ish kids in the whole school, but I think the next cohort is almost double the size?  ( This can be good because you can meet lots of new people and expand your network, but I do think it will put a strain on the instructors, and the outcomes coach.  
Speaking of job support, General Assembly calls it "outcomes" and I know they mean the best by it but it was not very organized or helpful in my opinion.  Lots of confusion about what is needed to qualify for outcomes ( job coaching support after graduation)  and I thought my outcomes coach was struggling to manage with a school size of 30, so I can only imagine how overwhelming it will be to help a larger number of students.  
So my advice is to research your instructor! Also do your best to talk to lots of people in the school because they are in the same position as you and growing your network is key!

I thoroughly enjoyed the program at Bitmaker General Assembly. The 10-week part time course was the perfect additional to current skill-set as a graphic designer. The course was paced really well and the instructors were very approachable and understanding of our issues. The content covered was excellent as well. I definitely recommend this class if you're a designer like myself who wants to add user experience as part of their skill set. Ultimately the course is about what you bring to it. If you're willing to put the time and effort into it you're going to get a lot out of it.

I'd always been interested in programming and computer science, but taking another 4-year university degree wasn't an option. After talking to friends who work in tech, I found out about Bitmaker, and decided to quit my job and enroll in the 3-month full-time web development program.

The pace was fast there was a huge amount of material covering all aspects of web development. The lectures were of excellent quality and the knowledgeable and experienced instructors were be available most of the day whenever you needed them. The course teaches you the popular languages and frameworks but the emphasis is on teaching you the skills and tools you need to learn things on your own, reflective of real-life scenarios. Site visits to tech companies and guest lectures provided excellent insights into the industry. Lastly, but probably most importantly, the part of the curriculum focusing on career strategies will teach you the most effective job-finding strategies, including networking, applications, and interviews -- IF you're willing to put in the work!

Overall an amazing experience that helped me start a new career as a software developer.

Before I started coding, I was in sales. I enjoyed it but did not see stability and I felt I was meant to do something better. I am glad that I chose to go to Bitmaker. When I first started there I quickly realized the learning would be fast & this is certianly not a program for the faint-hearted (it is called a boot camp for a reason).

The instructors are, for the most part quite friendly and willing to lend a hand, sometimes I did feel some impatience on their side when it took me longer than it may have been expected for me to grasp something that tends to be the exception rather than the rule, however.

The Curriculum is very broad, but this is a good thing as you grasp the fundamentals and gain an entire range of skills needed to become a developer. I think the best part of the program is it is really there to help you learn and to help you find your footing. 

Before I sign off - I want to clarify one thing - I do feel the outcomes side needs improvement but that is not the fault of Alyx (the outcomes advisor) - When it comes to your course time, she will ensure you know how to brand yourself, how to communicate your value and how to interview in general.

She works hard and is invested in the success of every student, she is
extremely personable & I do not question her commitment in the slightest (Sidenote: if you do join the program listen to her -coming from my background I see she has many good points.) 

BUT she is one person supporting many people, in many courses (I do not know her workload but it is somewhat apparent that she simply has to juggle too many students in the program)

I guess my overall message would be: learning to code here is a great idea but make sure you 100% are ready for the commitment and you keep your mind on your goal if you do commit to the program. It pays off if you work hard, just like anything else. 

Lastly , don't buy into a feeling that you are unable to do something coding related once you get out of the bootcamp. Imposter syndrome is real , and you should remind yourself of your accomplishments if you finish this path.

I was a seasoned wealth management professional who wanted to pivot into fintech. I chose to attend Bitmakter's web development bootcamp because I believed it was the missing knowledge bridge that I needed in order to crack into the industry. Fast forward 9 months, I am extremely glad and grateful that I made that decision.

Bitmaker's web development course is a 12 weeks full-time immersive program that runs from 10 am to 6 pm Monday to Friday, with the morning session being lecture and the afternoon session being work/project time. The syllabus covers a wide range of topics including front-end, back-end, testing, version control, as well as other best practices. The initial 10 weeks of intensive learning and practice, which Bitmaker emphasize a lot, paved way to the final 2 weeks where students are required to build a final project that put everything together. I find this final project experience extremely valuable because it allows students a glimpse into how development teams collaborate in real life, thus preparing them for their future work environment.

On top of the training, Bitmaker has a great team of professionals who are always there to support the students. From the extremely knowledgeable instructors to the caring and supporting career coach to the friendly staff, students would always find themselves being welcomed in the Bitmaker community. 

Thank you, Bitmaker, for empowering me to a new fulfilling career. 

I started UXPD in Fall 2017 and loved it. 

I highly recommend taking a full-time course and not part-time as it allows you to be 100% present in the UX environment – your brain will start speaking UX  whether you like it or not :) In my class we had something around 20 students and every day there was one lead instructor and 2-3 teaching assistants, that work  in the industry, so any minute you need help – you get it.

As a highlight of this review, I want to mention career coaching at Bitmaker.  
I had no idea that it was a part of the curriculum! Every week we had 1-1,5 hour group session with Alyx (career coach) where she shared strategies, approach, exercises and gave us tons of confidence. On top of that, there are personal sessions that give you the ability to analyze what you’ve been doing and what’s missing.
Plus Bitmaker has a strong alumni support with webinars and meetups.

Bitmaker is a solid choice. 

Bitmaker’s Full Stack Web Development immersion was an excellent program.  I was impressed with both the quality of the lessons and the instructors.  The course material was very well developed and the instructors were enthusiastic, knowledgeable, and always there to lend a hand.  Job search support was amazing.  I learned how to brand myself, how to network, and how to interview.  Be prepared that it can take 3-6 months after finishing to get a job.  It took me 6 months, but they helped every step of the way.

I remember i came in like a stray puppy looking for shelter and direction. 
Three months later, they churned out a thorough-breed ready to take on the world!

I cannot say enough about what kind of a game changer Bitmaker has been for me.Their programs are geared to make some a hero from zero. The staff  takes the time to actually know who you are so they can tailor their aide around that. Not only did they put up with my constant bombardment of questions, but they actually took it to the next level and challenged me to dig deeper beyond what my initial query. 

Facilities are great, accessible anytime all the time, you get full access to whatever you need to get your learn on whether that be a computer or a monitor or just a special quiet place by yourself. Not to mention bottomless coffee and tea for all of use addicts out there!

The programs are amazing, the talent that goes through those doors still astonishes me.I really liked the fact that we had regular mingle nights where all students could relax and hang out after a long week. This was not only a great way for them to keep you from burning out, but also ended up making lasting connections that I can leverage in the future. 

Career coaching was the main differentiation for me. This is what gravitated me to Bitmaker compared to its competition. The attitude and unorthodox approach from the Outcomes program within each cohort has been a very fresh and revitalising experience for me.  

To be honest, I am still in shock as to how far we have all come from this program, I know you will be too.

Earlier this year, I was heavily considering taking the UX Design course at Bitmaker since it seemed promising and I wanted to do a FT Bootcamp course for the Sept 2017 slot. I inquired early in July and was told that my fees would be $12,000. After a few "scholarships" and deductions, I'd be down to about $11,000 and they said they could offer me a 6month payment instalment. Anyway, obviously that was FAR too expensive for me so I chose to go with another school. Until I found out from fellow students (whom I graduated university with) that they were attending the exact 2017 fall slot for UX Design at 8500$ (after scholarship and early bird deductions) 

Is this ok? It feels really arbitrary and honestly, I kind of feel lied to. For 8500$, I would have taken the course myself but idk, maybe if they're willing to lie about things like this, maybe it's for the best.

After four years in advertising as a designer, I made the decision to transition into UX.  For months I researched, read articles and did online courses, but it wasn’t enough. I needed a class environment where I could learn from real people.  That’s where Bitmaker came in, so I enrolled in the second full-time cohort.

When I joined in June 2016, it was early days for the program.  The teaching staff were still working out the kinks in the curriculum.  Despite this, the instructors were supportive and always available for one-on-ones.  Everyday, they pushed us to up our design game and challenged us to think differently.  It was no walk in the park, but each day I became a better designer than the last.  

I appreciated the staff for actively seeking feedback from the class. The curriculum needed adjustments and we were stressed out at times, but the instructors checked on us frequently and we bonded together as a class to pull through the final stretch of the course.

Bitmaker was particularly helpful during our transition from students to alumni.  They held portfolio reviews, where students got feedback from industry leaders.  They put us in touch with potential employers and helped me land my first UX position.  

Like any bootcamp experience, there were highs and lows.  There is no magic wand that will turn you into a UX guru. Work hard, ask lots of questions and don’t give up.

 

I made the decision to switch careers from Marketing to UX Design after seven years in the telecom industry.  When researching the schools, I had already decided that I wanted to explore the boot camp option.

At the time (March 2016), Bitmaker had just developed Canada’s first full-time boot camp for UX design. I knew that I wanted to go through a full-time program, but was concerned about having to put down so much money to be a guinea pig. After setting up a tour of the campus and meeting some of the staff at Bitmaker, I felt a bit more comfortable with the idea. I tested the waters with one of their weekend workshops, and afterwards, I decided it was the right fit.

That said, given that it was the first cohort, I went in with the expectation that the ride won’t be a smooth one and it wasn’t. There were last minute changes and at times a lack of continuity between the materials presented between instructors. The mid-point of the program became the moment of truth, where the question that popped into mind was “did I make the right decision?” The uncertainty of being the first cohort didn’t make it any easier.

But here’s where Bitmaker’s biggest strength came in. They’re vested in seeing their students succeed and kick start a new career. In addition to learning new tools, ideas and how to work as a designer, they create the opportunities for you to get exposed to employers. If you put in your hours during the nine weeks, they’ll showcase you and continue to do so well after you’ve completed the program to the Toronto tech community. Within three months of completing the boot camp, I landed my first UX designer role thanks to their efforts in connecting me with potential employers.

I can say with 100% certainty; I am glad about my decision to go with Bitmaker and the investment I made into learning UX design there. Not only did I kick start my new career, but I also developed new friendships and got introduced to a great community of like-minded individuals. People who go out of their way to help each other.

In Februaruy 2016 I decided that I wanted learn how to code. I looked into bootcamps and found out they cost upwards of $10, 000. I thought to myself, SCAM. Why would I pay that for 9 weeks it cannot be worth that much. There are so many online resources, I can do this on my own. I went hard on codecademy and treehouse for a month and slowly started doing it less and less as I got busy with other things in life. 

In June 2016 I got laid off from my work and had to figure out what my next move was. A friend was selling his car for $9000 and my wife and I thought maybe we should buy it and drive for Uber while working on her business and raising our 2 year old. It would have given us immediate income with a flexible schedule.

But then I really looked into Bitmaker's 9 week web dev bootcamp. I went and visited the place and that really changed my point of view. It's not just a classroom. The space is laid out in a way that makes you want to spend 8-10 hours a day there. After much debate, my wife and I decided that this was a better way to invest our money. 

On the first day I already knew it was worth it. The 9 weeks went by in a flash and by the end I was completely shocked at how much I had actually learned on a deep level. ***The best value of the course for me was being surrounded by 30 other students who were just as serious as I was about learning this skill. We spent countless hours together helping each other work through problems and develop our skills.*** Where I had given up learning on my own, I now had the support to carry on when things got difficult. The teachers were amazing and they felt more like comrads than a typical professor. They really want you to succeed and give their all to make that happen for each student. 

Now a month out I have had a few opportunities for work but decided that I wanted to deep dive into learning React.js before hoping into employment. Going to Bitmaker got me to the point where now I feel confident to continue learning anything I want. It helped me learn to stick with problems longer. When I browse the web I now have that feeling of hey I know how they did this. 

I am confident that learning this skill will make me back my $10,000 and so much more over the long run. I highly recommond this for anyone who is looking to take the skill of coding to a professional level.

I had my eye on Bitmaker ever since I read about them in the Star back in 2012 and as soon as I had the opportunity to attend I jumped at the chance. And I'm very happy I did! The program was tough - there were a few tears - but the skills and drive instilled in my by the instructors have literally turned my life around. 

Make no mistake, learning about web development in general is not easy. But it is accessible. And my experience at Bitmaker allowed me to build on a rudimentary understanding and add new skills to my resume. 

I know that a lot of people may look down on learning Rails vs a pure Javascript platform but I'm happy to have been introduced to this world via Rails. It's a very user friendly experience as a beginner and it allows you to learn the full path of building and deploying an actual project in the real world. Javascript and its many libraries and frameworks can be learned though hard study and practise, something that only 9ish weeks cannot give you. But learning the web back to front gives you a much better idea of how everything fits together without having to worry about compilers or configs or semicolons oh my! 

Bitmaker was definitely the right choice for me, and if you're a take charge kind of person who loves to tackle new problems head on I think it would be a great fit for you too!

Just finished week 4.

If you have a can-do attitude, you'll do great. If you are a self-starter, you'll do great. If you love to meet new people, and are not scared of asking for help, you'll do great. If you have the mental fortitude for going through complex materials day after day, you'll do great.

If you think that you can "pay and play", this is not for you. If you think your money will oblige them to give you a job, this is not for you. If you have a negative attitude, likes to complain and make excuses, this is not for you. If you are afraid to ask for help and don't like to "bother" others, this is not for you. If you take yourself too seriously, this is not for you.

If you read this far, you'll notice that pre-existing technical background has not been mentioned. We currently have a paramedic, pipe-line designer, flight attendant, councilor to special needs kids, designer, English teacher and a bunch of others in our class.

This has opened a field for me that used to be alien, and now is endlessly fascinating.

Going to Bitmaker has been one of the best decisions I have made. Over the 9 week course I was amazed at the what I learned and how far I progressed.

Prior to Bitmaker I took couple of course at a local college in web development (it just covered basic HTML and CSS), but felt these courses really lacked in real life application. Bitmaker helped me to start to develop the skills to become a full time web developer.

The instructors and staff are exceptional. There is always an instructor available to help trouble shoot code, or provided some extra explanation about new concepts. Bitmaker also offer great interview and career prep and help you get started on your job hunt. 

I started this course not knowing a thing about Web Development. I hadn't written a single line of code. I come from a design background and the Ruby on Rails Web Development course was the only course available at the time. It was one of the most challenging things I've ever done. The 9 weeks for me was an intense crash course but there was support from all the instructors and TAs everyday. Every time anyone’s computer started acting up there was always someone willing to sit down and take the time to help figure out what the problem was. I met so many talented people who were generous with their time and I’ve made some great friends in the Bitmaker community.

 

The only thing, I would have liked to have had more time with Javascript but all the topics had to be pretty compressed. Now they have the Frontend Course so that probably solves the lack of JS . Pair programming is great, you learn how to work with other people which really helps me now at my current job. 

 

They really do go out of their way to try and help with the job search after you're all done. I was lucky enough to get my current job through Bitmaker. I work as a UI & UX designer and do mainly frontend dev. I don't do any backend dev but this course helped me understand what's required on the backend in order to plan for the frontend and the users.