Codesmith

Codesmith’s Software Engineering Immersive was one of the most demanding, rewarding, and unique experiences of my life. I entered the program after 10 years as a professional musician, with no technical background, and am leaving with the skills and confidence to work alongside seasoned software engineers.

In my search for a software engineering immersive, I went through considerable research to find the ‘best’ option. For options in Los Angeles, the search led me to Codesmith and Hack Reactor. To evaluate these programs I worked through their respective online prep materials, attended in-person info/coding sessions, and spoke with company representatives. While I experienced Hack Reactor as high-quality and professional, Codesmith was a cut above. In the areas most important to me, curriculum and culture, Codesmith impressed.

CSX, Codesmith’s online prep platform introduced advanced JavaScript topics and provided challenging exercises to reinforce learning. (It took me 2 days to solve Intersection on the Callbacks & Higher-Order Functions module! This was my introduction to one of Codesmith’s teaching paradigms, learning through struggle.) Their live workshop series, ‘JavaScript: The Hard Parts’ provided an opportunity to connect with aspiring engineers, current residents, and faculty. The people I met were personable and encouraging. They didn’t make me feel self-conscious about my lack of prior experience but created an environment where I could build confidence in my nascent coding skills. These observations, of Codesmith’s high technical standards and supportive community, convinced me to enroll in their full-time Software Engineering Immersive.

My time at Codesmith as an engineering resident was intense, in the best possible way. The pace moved quickly through advanced material. As students, we were constantly being stretched to the edge of our ability, which served to accelerate our learning. Every two days we were assigned a partner to pair-program through various units on Algorithms & Data Structures, React, Redux, Node, and SQL databases. We were provided high-level lectures and support from Engineering Fellows, but much of the learning came through reading documentation, struggling through prepared challenges, and collaborating with other students. This helped me to see that Codesmith has designed its process to not only teach software engineering, but to build meta-skills of collaboration, navigating uncertainty, and learning how to learn.

Codesmith balances its academic rigor with a supportive, inclusive learning environment. Prospective students are screened for cultural fit and soft-skills like empathy and cooperation. It shows. My cohort consisted of brilliant, driven people who supported each other through the process. In a setting that might easily become competitive, my peers were humble, team-focused, and committed to helping others.

Lastly, Codesmith’s hiring program is incredible. Hiring lectures are thorough and battle-tested. Students receive detailed feedback on resumes, online profiles, and outreach strategy, along with one-on-one support for salary negotiations. CEO and co-founder Will Sentence personally reviews and signs-off on each resume. I was so impressed by his investment in the success of every resident!

I realize a review so positive might be met with skepticism, but I’ve found Codesmith to be exceptional at every turn. (Time and again I felt the value provided far exceeded the cost of tuition.) For those who are determined and willing to push through every obstacle, I’d recommend Codesmith without hesitation.

I don't know where I'd be if I had chosen to attend any other bootcamp instead of Codesmith. As a recent grauduate from UCSB with a Financial Math and Stats major, I was unsure of my future as I began having second doubts of my career that I had selected. Codesmith took my interest in coding and turned it into a passion to learn more about the technology that is affecting our world today. In such a rigorous yet rewarding course, I've constantly been challenged to improve myself in critical areas, technical and non-technical. From tackling problems with the right mindset to the ability to communicate clearly to colleagues, I consider every skill I've picked up critical to to myself and the future of my career.

Getting into Codesmith isn't easy, and it doesn't better once you get in. However, with such a careful selection process of cohort members and supportive staff, I found myself so immersed in my work that I didn't mind staying longer than regular hours. It'd be a mistake not to consider Codesmith.

This program is parallel to none.  I went to undergrad at Berkeley, and my three months at Codesmith was more academically rigorous than any semester during college.  But there is a great deal of support.  The instructors, TAs, and fellow students all put in the extra hours to support each other and make this place feel like home.

I had another friend who went to a different coding school in the same city two years ago, and he's been working as an engineer in industry since.  I'll be commanding a higher salary than him upon my graduaduation here from Codesmith.

To me, CodeSmith can best be described as an accelerator. If you're a self-driven learner, CodeSmith will challenge you with a very intense and in depth JavaScript based Computer Science curriculum. Every day, you'll be pair programming with a group of like-minded students and pushed to explain your thinking and build up your technical communication skills.

By the end of the experience, you will have multiple projects in your portfolio and feel confident going out to the search for a mid-level or senior-level software engineering role. More than teaching you Node.js, React and Redux - Codesmith teaches you how to tackle and conquer any new technology.

 

While the computer science education is fantastic, perhaps the greatest value CodeSmith provides is its rich career development program. The insights you get from the founders of Codesmith - who teach the career development curriculum themselves - is worth the price of tuition alone. 

 

Codesmith is probably one of the top 3 bootcamps in the US. I was skeptical about their average starting salary report, but now that I've graduated and begun my job search, I definitely believe it. The way that you talk about technologies and the level of code you write when you leave is really impressive.

I initially became interested in Codesmith because I was really impressed with their curriculum. After researching and attending an in-person workshop at both Codesmith and another Los Angeles bootcamp, I was pretty sure Codesmith was the best program in Southern California. I highly advise attending free workshops at whatever camp you’re considering! I attended a Codesmith JavaScript Hard Parts (JSHP) Meetup and was very impressed at the level of detail they went into how JS works under the hood. My mind was left reeling, trying to understand the single thread of execution going through the code, how execution contexts were being popped on and off the call stack, how closure worked due to JavaScript’s lexical scope, etc. I also saw that some residents were actually C.S. grads! So I knew that Codesmith was pretty technical and probably had a decent filter for admits. When I joined, a number of my cohort-mates were actually bootcamp grads from other bootcamps! Codesmith was their 2nd bootcamp. :O

About the culture/people: there were definitely times I felt our cohort was warm and fuzzy and supportive. Each cohort is very different, but they do a good job of picking the right people and building an inclusive, collaborative culture. They also support women/minorities in tech and educate about imposter syndrome and gender/race biases, with the hopes that we as future senior-level engineers can be cognizant about these issues. Thumbs up.

That said, I don't think Codesmith is necessarily for everyone - there is a high degree of autonomy in the last 6 weeks, and you have to be strict with yourself. In the first 6 weeks, the curriculum also moves quickly in 2 day units. The instruction is excellent and I think the curriculum is extremely well thought-out, but since you only get three 1-hr lectures for each unit, you must challenge yourself. You learn to read documentation and problem solve aloud via pair programming. This mirrors real-life and sets you up for future situations in work. For future improvement, I did wish they enforced punishments as it'd be good motivation! I also wish they provided a teeny bit more guidance as we struggled through the challenges haha~ but the on-site fellows were amazing and often nudged us in the right direction whenever we needed help.

The hiring lectures and job preparation/resumes were phenomenal. The advice they give you is gold, and it's quite a transformative process when you look back at what you were like before. You make back your monies in those workshops right there. 

I don't think you'll regret it - it's a worthy investment in your own future. Just attend a JSHP and check it out for yourself! :)

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. 
 

"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.

 

Cs prep helped strengthen the weaker areas and gaps in my software engineering knowledge and helped me feel more confident in applying for the full-time Codesmith program. The instructor did a fantastic job of covering each topic in a way that was engaging and inspiring. He also was open to answering questions and made sure that some of the more challenging concepts were understood at a foundational level. This was helpful because the people within my cohort all varied in their level of experience. Cs prep also put a strong emphasis on pair programming as a learning tool and I couldn't agree more with how beneficial it has been to my overall growth. The program ends with the building and presentation of a group project. During this time, you get the opportunity to apply what you learned to something more tangible and although it is challenging, it is really nice to see it all come together in the end into something you and you group can feel proud of. I would definitely recommend Cs prep to those who are serious about applying to Codesmith but are still on the fence about their technical communication and foundational software engineering skills. I am happy to say that after I attended cs prep I got accepted into the December 17 cohort and I am really looking forward to all that is to come. 

I chose to enroll in CS Prep because I had started to learn to code on my own, but with no prior experience or community of fellow programmers I felt stuck. I was drawn to the part time schedule and short time frame, along with small group size of CS Prep, and the syllabus seemed thorough in covering the fundamentals of Javascript.

I appreciated that there were students of all different experience levels, and the instructor (Ryan) was incredibly encouraging while still pushing everyone to extend their individual knowledge. The class was structured around empathetic learning which helped everyone feel at ease, and encouraged all of us to really care for the learning of others, not just ourselves.

  By far the most effective part of the course for me was pair programming. Since I had only learned to program on my own, it was amazing what working with one other person could do for the growth of my learning, and it especially enhanced my technical communication. I think it was important to pair program in the context of this course because we were easily able to check in with the instructor or other classmates if we had questions or clarifications.   I learned so much in two weeks that I decided to take the course again and learned so much more because I had created a solid foundation to build on. I highly recommend this course to anyone who is starting to learn Javascript or needs to brush up on fundamentals.

This review is only for the CS Prep Course but I look forward to reviewing the full immersive. As a person who has completed 3 bootcamp prep courses - including CSPrep - I can honestly say CS Prep had the most advanced curriculum, was the best taught course, and had the best people. I took Fullstack and HackReactor's prep courses before and I'll outline the differences below
FS
-----------
- Too easy, instructor didn't care and just recited from powerpoint slides, students weren't serious and dropped after a few classes

Hackreactor SSP
------------------------------
- Literally 100 people in a videochat with instructors that can't explain concepts well even though I don't doubt their coding ability. No structure - you're left on your own. The only thing I really got out of it was doing the 150 toy problems which really helped my ability to use array methods but I could have done that myself.

I am glad I went through those 2 first because it really prepared me for CS Prep. CS Prep is NOT for beginners! You learn things that go past beginner javascript like ES6 syntax, execution/callstacks, closure, recursion, HOF, AND Big O Notation, concepts either rarely or never taught in other prep classes. The curriculum was great but the best part was the community. Ryan, our instructor, was one of the most eloquent, funny, and understanding teachers I've ever had the pleasure of learning from. The members were also great and made the learning environment enjoyable where we all helped each other. Even after taking the class, I still keep in contact with the instructor and students who I pair program with as we continue to become software engineers.

Every program has its cons however and I would say the price is one of them. It is way steeper than every other program but it's really for those serious about the full program and so in that case, it is pretty much a free class. 
The second thing is the duration. The concepts taught are way too advanced for beginners so either they need to increase the standards to get in or make the classes longer (which I believe they are considering). I got a lot out from it and was able to keep up but I also took 2 other prep courses before. I believe some of my other classmates were struggling toward the end unfortunately.

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.

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.  

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.

COMMUNITY:

Everyone coming to CodeSmith is looking for a change, and this makes for an environment that is unrivaled by any other that I have experienced in my life.  By design, CodeSmith is a cooperative experience and cultivates a culture in which everyone is helping each other to succeed, be it the senior cohort providing voluntary lectures to help the juniors or one of your own cohort mates taking time to walk you through when you are stuck.  The community that develops is truly inspiring and entirely made up of people I wish to stay in contact with. Unlike other boot camps in which the fear of getting a job at the end creates competition, CodeSmith’s outcomes mean that it is an environment of cooperation. At boot camps where 50% of graduates get a job, there is a need to be in the top half in order to have a chance for a job in the end.  However, when the outcomes are high enough the environment changes from being one of competition to one where everyone is trying to lift up those around them as much as possible, creating a group of friends rather than a collection of competing classmates.

Every single person in my cohort provided value, not only to my time at CodeSmith but to my life.  I have fond memories of every person I interacted with, and I intend to keep in touch with all of the people that were a part of my CodeSmith experience.  The staff also played an important role in shaping my CodeSmith experience, through the warm emails when I was just starting the application process to all of the people that taught.  Everyone on the staff is happy to be there and outwardly projects their love to help others succeed. It is not the cold cookie cutter environment that many boot camps have become, but one driven by people who want to see a wonderful change in the life of everyone who comes through.  The personal touch here really does a lot in creating an environment where you feel great about putting your time.

I am not a fellow, but the idea thrown around in reviews that reviews by fellows somehow don’t count is misleading.  Becoming a fellow is a way for CodeSmith graduates to give back to a community that has already given them so much. Reviews left by fellows show those that are truly dedicated to the CodeSmith community, willing to give so much back to the community that they truly love.  However not being a fellow doesn’t mean I love that community any less, I can honestly say that coming to CodeSmith was one of the best decisions of my life.

 

LEARNING ENVIRONMENT:

The great community isn’t the only part of CodeSmith that sets it apart from the others.  CodeSmith also shows a dedication to understanding that isn’t seen at colleges, let alone other boot camps.  They provide in-depth explanations of the way the Javascript and the libraries that you learn work, rather than the typical explanation that only provides how to use it.  It is this dedication to teaching how they work, rather than just the how to use them that drew me to CodeSmith and it is the reason that I will always recommend CodeSmith to others.  CodeSmith is the learning environment that I had been looking for my entire life, and as is repeated at CodeSmith all the time they aren’t trying to teach you, rather their goal is to teach you to effectively teach yourself.  Of all the multitude of skills that one must learn to become a programmer, none will carry you further than the ability to effectively teach yourself as the technologies that you work with will change it is important to be able to quickly pick up new technology.

Another major focus of CodeSmith is technical communication.  Being good technically with the material isn’t enough at CodeSmith, which has a focus on enabling its students to be able to succinctly explain complicated subject matters.  It is this focus that makes CodeSmith graduates stand out; while engineering prowess is important, being able to easily carry a conversation about technically challenging concepts means CodeSmith graduates are able to pass technical understanding to others an invaluable skill.  CodeSmith accomplishes this growth in technical communication through the way its units are designed.

CodeSmith structures its units to grow, community, technical communication, and technical understanding.  CodeSmith’s use of pair programming enables each lecture to be a practice in technical communication and technical understanding.  In every unit, you are faced with a challenge in understanding new material, and effectively communicating that new material to another person.  It also grows the community aspect of CodeSmith, as approaching new technical challenges with another person is an immense bonding experience forming a new connection and further engrossing you into your cohort.

 

RECOMMENDATION:

Everyone’s journey with programming will be unique but if you are serious about learning it, I wouldn’t recommend any other place than CodeSmith.

 

TL-DR:

CodeSmith provides a community of people looking for a change, those interested in progressing forward.  Additionally, it provides a team of people who want to help you on your journey for change, and it provides an environment for learning deeply about the intricacy of the tools you use, rather than just an overview of how to use them.

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.

To give you some background of me and what I came to Codesmith with: I graduated with a dual major in Computer Science and Business in college and had worked for startups in business roles after graduating. I got tired of being on the business side of things and wanted to get my hands dirty and use some of the CS skills I gained in college. But having had no technical internships or professional coding experience, I knew I needed something to give me credibility to get a technical job as a post-graduate applicant.

Codesmith gave me that baseline credibility and a lot more. Being able to speak in depth about full stack frameworks and develop projects that are based around bleeding edge technologies was really important in my job search. The critical difference between Codesmith and college CS courses is that Codesmith gives you practical skills and understanding while my college courses always stayed at a more theoretical level. You need to be able to talk about ways to build a system and their benefits/tradeoffs if you want to break past the junior programmer level, and I don't believe that's possible with a pure undergraduate degree.

For people considering Codesmith who have a background like mine (technical degree, no technical experience) I think the numbers make a lot of sense. You may be thinking that devoting 3 months and the cost of tuition is a big investment (and it is), but if I would have tried to get a job without Codesmith it would most likely have been a junior level job and paying much less than the offer I got now. Given that programming jobs don't always promote very fast, going it on your own and starting with a junior level job means you could be stuck at a lower salary and wouldn't get to work on meaningful technical challenges for years. Before Codesmith I did try to self teach some web development, and I have to say there's just no feasible way you could teach yourself as much and as fast as you would learn from Codesmith.

So to me, it's a logically good investment. And as you can see from other reviews, the support network you get from being in this community is something really priceless. I plan to keep in touch with my cohort mates and the Codesmith staff for years to come. It really is a life-changing program. So for those of you who aren't happy with your career and dream of getting a cushy, spoiled developer job, Codesmith is the path for you.