Bloc

I'm going on my 6th week and I have nothing to complain about other than being forced out of my comfort zone (not a bad thing). Before Bloc, I've tried learning on my own with Udemy courses and other resources. It was not my best way of learning. After careful evaluation, I decided to invest myself in Bloc Design program. It was a hard decision since I just graduated college and don't have money laying around. 

This program worth every penny. I love how the course is designed. Contents are not overwhelming. I feel like I'm reading an article rather than textbooks. The program entails mostly on doing assignments and projects, which is a great way for me to apply what I learned. 

But the most important part is that Bloc gets me out of my comfort zone. There's a Slack community where mentors are online every single day to answer questions. Even the program director is online to help as a guide rather than as a director himself. Everyone is very approachable. It's encouraging to engage to help others with their assignments, like participating in surveys, usability tests, preference tests, etc. 

I also have a meeting with my mentor every week. We talk about future assignments, reflect on old ones, and explain my reasoning for approaching problems. This helps tremendously to become a UI/UX designer as I'm not very skilled at explaining things.

Overall, Bloc Design program helps me grow into a professional while sharpening skills I lack. I learned so much in such short amount of time. I'm excited to finish this program and start my journey as a Designer.

Before getting into my review, I'd like to inform you that I was enrolled in another coding bootcamp February-August. I was very frustrated because I just wasn't grasping the thought-process and problem-solving technique of a developer.

Fast-forward to October 2017 when I enrolled in the Bloc Part-Time Web Developer Track - I've learned so much in 8 weeks and I feel confident in my coding abilities. My two mentors so far are very helpful and want to make sure that I understand before adding more material. I am really enjoy it and I'm starting my portfolio and career search. The cirriculum is comprehensive and thorough - that's beneficial to anyone with little or no coding experience. 

I'm starting with week 7 of Bloc's software developer track and I couldn't be more happy with my choice! Coding has been an interest of mine since I got my first exposure to programming during my doctoral degree in environmental sciences. Having spent time as a university educator, I have specific criteria in mind regarding an educational setting. I was accepted into several bootcamps and decided on Bloc for several key reasons: the mentoring, the strong emphasis on software engineering principles in the curriculum, multiple projects to showcase in your portfolio, the open source apprenticeship, and the career support. Where some schools have you submit coding exercises in a Test Driven Development (or TDD) setup, your code at Bloc is reviewed by your mentor. TDD is a great thing to learn (I'm certainly not knocking it) and we also get exposure to TDD at Bloc. However, I like knowing that my mentor looks at my code personally because TDD won't tell you if your code is DRY, if you're following other good practices in programming, or teach you about the readability of your code. I also appreciate that Bloc has you getting started with command line, Atom, Chrome Dev tools and other tools that you'll use as a developer from day one. Instead of pre-recorded lectures, your education is self-guided. You read through assignments, ask questions to your peers over Slack if you get stuck and discuss it in greater detail with your mentor during your weekly meetings. To me, this better prepares you for the work environment. This is not to say that there are not also videos and supporting reading materials in the curriculum, but that it's more of a self-guided approach to problem solving. I also like the flexibility of working remotely. There were other bootcamps that I could have attended in person or online, but Bloc's curriculum, one-to-one mentoring, and option to work from home made it the ideal fit for me. Additionally, Bloc's money back guarentee if you don't get a job after graduating signals its commitment to students and confidence in its program. So far my experience with my mentor has been fabulous! She is an amazing educator and really knows her stuff! Bloc staff are friendly and responsive.

If you are just starting out the search for a bootcamp my advice is to really think about your learning style and what school can help you achieve your goals. There are several good schools out there and everyone is different. Google the "VARK" learning styles if you don't know your learning style. Good luck, you're going to have fun and be glad you took this step!

I have been part of Bloc's software develepor track for two months now, and I've learned so much! The cirruculum is clear and focused and appropriately challenging. As soon as I grasp one concept I'm on to the next one, expanding my skills at a steady rate. Whenever I have trouble, I have a mentor who is very responsive. He gives me quality feedback without making a challenge too easy - just enough of a hint to progress while maintaining a sense of self-accomplishment in finding a solution. Even when my mentor is unavailable to answer a question (he doesn't work 24 hours a day) I have access to my peers and other mentors. Someone is always ready to assist. Another huge benefit of Bloc is its career services. I won't complete the program for sometime, but I'm already preparing for my job search and engaging in mock interviews based on what I've learned so far. This prep is invaluable! I'll update this review later on, though for now I feel confident that not only will I aquire the skills to be a talented developer, but I will also have the wherewithal to find a job soon after I graduate.

I always knew this was the career path that was right for me and when I was at college I was taking these types of classes but also all the other classes that would have no impact on my future or what I want to be when I enter the work world. I came across Bloc on countless of review websites and immediately knew it was right for me. Bloc is amazing. The mentors are always there to answer any questions that you have and when you have your meetings they go into detail of any questions you have on what you are doing to whatever part of programming that you are not learning. The community on Slack is awesome and will help you if you do not want to keep bothering your mentor with questions. I am currently in the Software Developer Track and I love the curriculum, I love the freedom, and I just love I made the right choice by choosing Bloc. 

I have been about one month into the web developer track and the experience so far has been the best. The mentorship is by far my favorite thing about Bloc. When you are confused and second guessing yourself, your mentor is there to answer all questions you have. This is something that learning by yourself just cannot provide for you. The checkpoints and assignments are fun and challenging. The Bloc slack community always has interesting links for you to read. I would definitely recommend Bloc to others. 

"Design, build, debug and maintain web applications. Additionally, architect databases, improve performance using algorithms, modify extensive code bases, and solve complex problems." Bloc Webpage. 

I am in the second phase of my course and loving it. Bloc has been super responive and the material engaging. I have been finding it a great balance of difficult and career driven. The onboarding and quick responses are very profesional and helpful. I have been finding the mentors willing to go above and beyond what my expectations were for helping when I get stuck, suggesting different resources and being realistic.

I've been a part of Bloc's Software Development track for about a year now. I've always had a heart for computers, but I never had an opportunity to chase that dream. This was the first time that I was presented with the opportunity to dive into the Tech field.

At first, I was extremely skeptical. Bloc claimed that they could take me (someone who has never coded before) and take me on the path to building fully functional websites. Not only did they claim this, they guaranteed it. I can honestly say that I have a lot to learn, but I am excited with where I am for now.

Lastly, Bloc's program is heavily dependent on mentors. They give the students the freedom to choose their mentor that they would like to work with. I really enjoyed having someone to help me answer my questions and pair program with. This was the best method for me which may not be the best for everyone. My first mentor was not a good fit for me so I asked to be reassigned to another mentor. Bloc took care of this with no problem. I've had two mentors since then and they are amazing. I would recommend Wilson (Web Development Section) and Shannon (Software Development Section) without hesitation.

I am currently enrolled in the Part-time Web Developer Track. This month will be 2 months since I started. I picked Bloc because there program provided many benefits such as one on one mentor meetings, option of F/T or P/T track, practice and quizzes to help student understand concepts of programming language. 

What mainly attracted me to block is having a mentor that can help me when I don't understand a concept. The mentor I have right now is Carrie who is helpful and breaks coding problems down and makes it easier for me to get it. 

Bloc curriculum makes me stay on track and gives me the motivation to keep going even when I feel stuck or uncertain. I would definetly recommend Bloc to others.

I am currently enrolled in the Bloc Web Design Track at Bloc. I'm about 30% done with the program so far on the 36 week track. I don't normally write reviews but I felt I needed to because Bloc has already had an amazing impact on my learning. I completed a full stack web developer bootcamp through another popular online program and when I finished I realized that I needed to continue learning to even come close to switching careers. I think some bootcamp programs create this belief that after a few months you will have all the training and knowledge to become a designer or developer. This was not the case at all. What I did realize was that I knew I wanted to continue to learn and pursue my dreams and that's when I found Bloc. It's not a bootcamp, It's an apprenticeship that pairs you with a one on one mentor that works very closely with you on a day to week basis. I have been challenged so much during this process so far and know that when I complete this program I will have the skills and confidence to make the change I've been wanting.

I graduated with a bachelor's in Poltical Science about a little over a year ago, with the intent of going to law school and pursuing a career in law. However, as my time out of school passed while I was studying for the LSAT, I began to have doubts whether or not this actually was the career choice I wanted, and if I would truly be satisfied with this years later.

Many nights I found myself unable to sleep, dreading that if I were to simply ignore my doubts and continue on to law I would regret that decision and curse myself for doing so. I was extremely hesitant to make any sort of movement to find out whether or not law was comfortable with me, and it wasn't until many pushes from a friend that I began to learn code; however I found myself struggling with it tremendously.

It was then that I started to look more into UI/UX Design, and took a free intro course on coursera. Upon completing it, I discovered that this was a career I would enjoy, and was something I genuinely felt interested to learn more about. I contacted a Bloc student advisor, and after an extremely informative and helpful conversation, I realized that Bloc was the course that would lead me to eventually reach my goal of becoming a designer.

I started the Designer track just a little over 2 months agao, and I feel extremely satisfied with everything I've learned so far. The curriculum has been informative and I haven't had any trouble understanding the lessons as they are presented. The lessons are very interesting due to them introducing concepts, then asking you to apply those concepts to actual tasks for the assignments in order to prepare you for future designwork. My mentor has been extremely helpful so far as well, and I look forward to working with him more during my course.

While the prospect of getting a job is quite a ways away for me, I feel confident that if I apply myself with this course, then pursuing a job after I graduate will be a non issue. 

Hi everyone. I had to drop a review for Bloc.io. These guys are awesome! I had no programming experience but I had heard about these online academies and thought that I should give it a try. I studied for 2 months and got excepted to AppAcademy(they only except 2.5% of all applicants so I was extremely excited). But, in less than 3 weeks I reallized that I was in way over my head. Places like AppAcademy are great but it's a completely different format than Bloc. The main difference being the pace. In these bootcamps if you fall behind you get left behind. For a guy new to programming and supporting a family this was a difficult task to achieve. The level of commitment and stress was much greater than I had anticipated. So, less than three weeks later I was enrolled in Bloc. WOW!!! What a difference. I could go as fast or as slow on any particular subject matter making sure I understood it before moving on. Infact the curriculum for Bloc is designed so that you can't move to the next module unless you've mastered the one you are on. Not only that!!! You get a personal Mentor! Any time I got stuck or just had questions that went off on tangents I could speak with my mentor. How can you go wrong with a setup like that. I have complete confidence that I'm going to become a Software Engineer now and at my own pace. Very professional! Top Notch Curriculum! Great Mentors! 

Bloc is very well designed to teach you a large breadth and depth of subjects and to hold your hand along the way through mentorship.  There is a large component of creating your own portfolio of projects to showcase to employers, and also a large component of helping you apply to jobs.  The program even makes the learning fun with things like coding challenges.  Finally, I love the flexibility and part-time nature of the program I'm in.  This information is difficult to learn, and for me, 40 hours a week would be a lot.  I'm on the 20 hour per week track and that is ideal for me.

I started the 40hr/wk designer track just over a month ago at Bloc; I am very impressed with what I've learned in such a short period. My mentor and I meet three times a week - he's never late, is always honest with me about how I can improve and on what I should focus. He responds to my skype messages within the day, and when he's not available, there is always a mentor on slack. No matter where you turn in this program, there is always someone willing to help you and whether it be with the course or with stress. While Bloc has incredible curriculum - the most up to date I've found. What makes me enjoy the course so much are the people, I always know there will be someone there for me if I need and that's hard to find anywhere else. 

Not to mention their job guarantee (which is offered to everyone) giving them a little incentive on their end to continue being amazing (besides being wonderful people that want to help others).

I am currently a restaurant manager and was looking to make the switch to the tech world. I did research on TONS of online coding boot camps and chose Bloc because of it's flexibility with my busy work life. I am currently into module 2 and I have already learned so much!  The work is challenging, but rewarding.  The course teaches you the content you need to know to code, but also challenges you to find the answers through your own problem solving techniques.  My mentor has been a tremendous help and is always there to help guide me to solving the problem at hand without giving me the answer. I would highly recommend this program to anyone wanting to get into the coding world. I can't wait to see where it takes me!

I spent nearly nine months researching and comparing programs in the dev bootcamp and online learning space. At the end of that research, I chose Bloc, and was able to convince my company to support me and two colleagues with serious financial aid to go through Bloc's Designer track program. 

Now, I'm six weeks in. And I truly can't say enough good things about the Bloc experience. 

Bloc has crafted a model that's as good as I've ever seen for learning, well, anything! The secret sauce to Bloc's success? It's really not all that secret. It's just smart. 

Bloc's engages students by calling on nearly all the major learning styles — learn by seeing (visual), learn by hearing (auditory), learn by doing (kinesthetic), learn by reading and writing. In addition, Bloc allows for learning through solitary exercises and social exercises. Here, in short, is how they do it:

• Curriculum dashboard: Students get access to a curriculum roadmap that clearly shows what's ahead and how long it should take to get there. Real-time progress tracking lets students know whether they're staying on track to complete the program at the recommended pace.

• Weekly lessons: Each lesson is well writen, well researched and comes with a ton of hyperlinked examples, screenshots, occasional videos and other resources. I learn best by printing out my weekly reading, highlighting and marking up printouts, then re-reading them and their hyperlinked resources online before starting on that lesson's assignment.

• Weekly assignments: These are the companion pieces to the weekly lessons that allow students to learn by doing. These are a ton of fun.

• Relationships with dedicated mentors: At the start of each major phase of a student's chosen program track, students select a mentor -- someone who is well-versed in the curriculum and who puts the curriculum's tenets into practice every day as a professional. Students and mentors engage in problem-solving conversations via weekly video chats as well as email and Slack messages. Mentors may be the single biggest key as to why this program works so well. Not only do they champion students through moral support, but they offer a ton of technical support. 

• A community built for learning: While the four pillars above (course dashboard, weekly lessons, weekly assignments and mentors) comprise the core of its ecosystem, Bloc uses Slack and Facebook groups to faciliate community learning and resource sharing. Hit a serious obstacle? Reach out to the Bloc-osphere — made up of active mentors, students, program directors and alumni — to help punch through. Curious as to what software, frameworks or web apps are the right ones for a task at hand? Cast a net to see if anyone else has tried out some of the candidates you're considereing.

• Support system: In addition to the community of learners, Bloc offers a dedicated support staff to help students navigate payment structures, scholarship and tuition reimbursements, logistics and lots more.

• Career support: Bloc does everything it can to prepare students to land a job in fields directly related to their learning tracks, including: portfolio reviews, resume and cover letter reviews, job search planning consultation, mock interviews and personal networking opportunities.

• Ongoing curriculum and program evaluation: Bloc has built its business for the longhaul. It consistently offers students opportunities to share how Bloc can make its program better. And it routinely consults with world-class technology companies to determine how Bloc's graduates can be even better prepared to thrive in the real world.

I could go on, but I'll simply say this — if you're looking for a one-stop shop for true learning and/or career transition as a developer or front-end designer, Bloc's program is as close to "one-stop" as you're going to find.