Bloc

I was initially hesitant about joining an online school because it's just not what I'm used to, having been in on-campus studios for eight years and learning that way. After someone recommended this program, I signed up and have had a great experience ever since. My mentor Hovsep is an attentive and thorough instructor and addresses any concerns I might have. The student success team, along with the folks on Slack, allow me to access resources upon request or a quick search. If you are a dedicated student, Bloc has you covered.  

A current student in Bloc's Part-Time Web Development track, I am really pleased with what I've experienced since beginning the program in June. I researched several bootcamps before ultimately choosing Bloc because of the promise of flexibility (100% online), support (mentoring), and career preparation (Job placement guarantee), all for a comparatively good value. Having very little programming background plus a full-time job and a family that demand so much of my time already, I was more than a little nervous that I would not be able to maintain progress or that I would lose motivation and quit. Fortunately, Bloc eased my anxiety in a number of ways, starting with an orientation experience where I got all my questions answered about the program, followed by mentor selection. I have to say that my front-end development mentor, Junior, was amazing! He made me feel so comfortable and gain confidence, responded super quick whenever I reached out for help, any day of the week, and pushed me to learn even more than what I would have through the curriculum alone. Junior helped me to power through during stretches where I hit a wall, never allowing me to feel stuck or alone for long. I don't know how I would have made it this far without him. The rest of the support staff have been great, too, promptly responding and resolving any issue that has come up along the way. I find the curriculum challenging, which I expected it to be, and I've learned how to research solutions and become more confident tackling problems that initially seemed impossible. In this student's opinion, Bloc is a great value for anyone with similar constraints of a job/family, who is serious about learning to become a web developer.

I am wrapping up my fifth week in the part-time web development program. I cannot express how happy I am I chose Bloc. 

1- My mentor is absolutely incredible. I always feel comfortable asking him questions and he is thorough enough for someone with no background in web development to fully understand the content. I leave our meetings motivated and feeling really good about what I’m working on!

2. The curriculum is perfect for my learning style. A good mix of visuals, practice, and reinforcement has been so helpful in retaining information week to week. It’s also a perfect pace for working full-time!!

3. When shopping around for a web development program, price is always a concern. This is hands down the best value out there. Plus, the interest-only option is what made this program possible for me! 

I’m only a few weeks in, but I feel like I’ve already learned so much! I’m actually excited to come home from work every day and continue my learning with Bloc!

Currently 8 weeks into the Software Developer Track (@ 15hrs/wk pace), and so far so good. I am coming into this program with very little to no coding experience, from the perspective of career change after already obtaining a BA.  I took a few codeacademy courses (HTML/CSS) prior to starting the program to help make the transition more smooth.

Going into the program, I wasn't quite sure what to expect, but everyone at Bloc was extremely helpful and supportive in the beginning phases of orientation.  Once I started the first Module and began working through everything, I started to see how well laid-out everything for the program is.  In the 8 weeks since I've started, there have already also been 2 updates to 2 of the modules, which is one of the best parts in my opinion.  Things are constantly changing in the tech world around us, so to be able to have access to a curriculum that is so adaptive is reassurring.  Addtionally, the mentorship is a very valuable aspect to going through this program.  As my only con is that the program can be quite difficult and challenging at times, which everyone at Bloc and all the testimonials attest to.

The farther that I am getting into the program the more excited I am becoming about what I'm learning and being able to put practical use to the skills I am learning throughout the process.

I decided to join the Designer Track at Bloc and that's probably one of the best decisions I've made in my life.

EVERYONE is busy these days. Peronally, I have a full time job and a part-time job. Not to mention everyday responsibilities and activites.

Learning with Bloc has been at my pace, on my time, in the comfort of my home and/or office.

Could not be happier and I'm really looking forward to continuing my education with Bloc as  not only a UX/UI Designer but other areas of the field as well.

Can't speak highly enought about Bloc; ENROLL NOW!!!

I'm on the Software Developer Track and almost done with the first module and this genuinely how I felt about the program so far.Right off the bat I'll let you know that this program is tough if you join this program without any prior programming experience  you will struggle, a good analogy of this would be learning Spanish or any other language for that matter you could learn it in a classroom and forget about it later on or you could visit the country and be forced to learn the language. this is what the Software Developer Track will make you go through.For example, in the first module, you are assigned to learn HTML CSS and JS.prior to taking this program I have spent two months learning HTML but in the program, they will expect you learn HTML and use it within the second week, which really enforces you to get into the habit of programming as oppose to doing it on and off.Secondly, the first thing you will learn in the SDT is terminal I had no prior experiences with terminal, and normally if I don't know something I would  watch a video on it, but when I started learning terminal on this program I ended up reading text and applying what they asked me to do (basically like reading a textbook) and that enforced me to google a lot of things I didn't know and that alone is what 80% of programmers do so it's a good habit to develop while you are in the program.The bottom line is this because it is an expensive program they will try to force you to learn as much information as possible in a short amount of time and by doing so if you survive the program you will be a much more suitable candidate than any other programmers who graduated from different boot camps.In other words, becoming a great programmer isn't easy so if you get into this program don't half ass it otherwise you won't even complete the first module.

I enrolled Full Stack dev course initially. I liked the curriculum and kept me going further so I transferred to Software Dev course. I learned rails, js, jquery, ajax, heroku, so many gems and so many more at Bloc. 

Things I like about Bloc

- The curriculum is really great and thorough. And I love the projects that I can actually practice skills that I learn from Bloc. Later I got a job, I found these experiences are really, really helpful. I have CS degree but didn't learn the actual stuff that many companies are using in reality.

- My mentors are really really amazing. It was a really great experience to pair with senior developers. I learned so much from them. They were dedicated to help me improve skills. And very supportive specially when I was discouraged by challenges along the way. 

- I can choose the learning pace. And I can pause for vacations. Sometimes I needed to have a break from coding. It was no problem to pause my program and then come back after fully charged. 

- Great support team. They are so kind and supportive. Any questions or concerns about the program, they helped me promptly and continuously kept me updated until it's solved.

With the skills and knowledges that I gained from Bloc, I was able to work on a Rails project for some company on the side while taking the program even before I got a job. 

As a junior developer now, I still need to learn. But Bloc helped me build the solid foundation and taught how to learn more. 

Happy coding!

I'm so glad I chose Bloc. It's challenged my way of looking at problems, pushed me to learn solutions on my own and taught me the foundations and thinking to be a successful developer. Being setup like an apprenticeship program more than an bootcamp has allowed me to absorb more information and grow my confidence in figuring out solutions. Having a mentor with you throughout the course is what really sets this program apart from learning on your own. I've had a professional developer to learn from and turn to when things are challenging. It's one of the best ways to learn how an experienced developer approaches problems and thinks through solutions. 

I recommend Bloc Academy to anyone who is interested in growing and developing both professionally and personally. 

After working in the journalism industry for two years, I decided to shift gears in my career. I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. I decided to enroll in Bloc Academy and learn how to code.

Nearly two months after I completed the intensive 18-week frontend development course, I landed a job as a web coordinator for a local industrial supply company. I still work there today.

While I plan to focus more on digital and content marketing, Bloc jumpstarted my new career path. Even though I don't plan to become a web developer, learning how to write code helped land my first job and bolster my skillset. 

Disclaimer: I am currently only two months into the program.    

                                                                          I work as a carpenter full time. I looked at many different bootcamps before deciding on Bloc. Some were very appealing, but were limiting due to having to relocate, or requiring prior programming skills to be accepted. Bloc seemed to have the best online program, which was perfect for me. The mentor system is another huge pro, I dont typically learn well in traditional classroom settings. I can only speak for my particular mentor, he is not only an adept programmer but an excellent teacher. It really is more like an apprenticeship than a class.

 What they claim for job assistance after graduating is incredible. They seem to live up to that promise from what I can see. As I said I am only a couple months into my program, but I browse the career slack channel and observe people on the other side. 

Overall I am thoroughly enjoying my time with Bloc. You will get out 100% of what you put in. Expect to be frustrated and learn to celebrate the small victories. It is very challenging but oh so fulfilling. 

I started seriously investing time into programming and web development about a year ago. I was making decent progress but felt like I kept getting distracted by different languages, frameworks, and tools. I didn't want to keep running around in circles and decided it was time to begin a structured program.

I spent a long time researching the different bootcamps that are out there and ended up deciding on Bloc. The main reason for my initial interest in Bloc was because a friend of mine had gone through the program and was able to build a very successful career in web development afterwards with minimal prior experience in the industry. When I started comparing Bloc to similar programs that are out there the main factors that I focused on were the ability to go through the program at a part-time pace, career services, rigor of the cirriculum, and online reviews. In all of these categories Bloc was always at the top of the list.

I'm about 2/3 of the way through the program right now and there are many great things about the program but I'll touch on a couple that I feel have been most beneficial to my learning. First, I can't say enough about the mentorship and community involved in this program and how helpful it has been to have such a wealth of knowledge available basically whenever you need it. My mentor has always been able to help me through tough assignments or give me great constuctive criticism on the code I've been writing. The assessments that are administered at the end of each module are a really great way to test how well you learned the material. The assessments are challenging but within reach and are a great way to get you used to talking about technical subjects with someone you haven't met before. Bloc also does a great job of integrating career oriented challenges throughout the whole curriculum by giving you resources and assignments that help you focus your job search and set you up for success. 

All in all I am extremely pleased with the whole program so far and think that both the skills learned through the curriculum and the focus on the job search will allow me to transition into my new career with relative ease. 

I am a month into Bloc and have to say that it's an amazing curriculum with a very passionate team. My mentor, Mike Branski, who I meet every week, is an expert at explaining down complicated ideas, focusing on my weak spots in my knowedge, and is genuinely a pleasure to learn from.

I have previously done General Assembly's Web Development Immersive, so I'm coming in from experience with the in-person bootcamp model to gaining more skills from just a junior software engineer to getting the skills as a more experienced and high-level software developer. 

I'll be updating my review as I go through the curriculum, but 4 months in, I'm very happy with my experience at Bloc.

I'm a graphic designer, currently obtaining my B.F.A., and one of my career goals is to become a product designer and eventually a creative director. Though back then, I knew I needed more than just graphic design. Thus, I decided to take this course to separate me from other designers. Honestly, the course has truly elevated my designs and personal knowledge, also I feel confident it has pushed me in the right direction. Not only did I learn UX/UI, but I got a taste of HTML, CSS and JS during this course. Which I must say, has been a massive aid for creating my online portfolio. I'm a college student, though I'm actively looking for a job to start my career early. Hopefully, I can find one with the experience I gained from this course. 

--- I put N/A for the job assistance, because I personally haven't reached out to them for help and I don't know how that process works.