Epicodus

I rarely write reviews about products or  services I purchased.  However, I am making an exception for Epicodus because it was such a positive and  amazing journey for me.    I searched all the programs available at the time (late '13) and Epicodus was the only 4 month program, by far the  longest and also cheapest program out there.

 I knew that i needed at least  4 months to learn programming.    While I do I have a BS and MS in Information Technology,  i was by no mean  a programmer.  I was successful in my career but deep down the work did not excite me any longer, and I I decided to  do something about it.   Right after my interview with Michael, I knew that Epicodus was IT.    

I have lots of respect and love for  Michael.  He's one of the most genuine and kind hearted persons I've met.   Michael allowed every student to pay AFTER the end of the class and that WITHOUT even asking for your ssn, dob or anything… How amazing is that in today's world?  All other schools demand  a credit report before even considering to put you on a payment plan.   

To me, these schools are businesses and not learning institutions.   Epicodus  is a learning institution.  I would do the program all over again in a heart beat if I could.  I loved the vibe of the city, the people, the beer, the daily tech meet ups, the gorgeous hikes and I am certain  you will too. 

All the best, 

Raouf 

I went to Epicodus after working in a few different unsatisfying careers and thinking I might like to code. Of all of the bootcamps I researched, Epicodus seemed to provide the best value in terms of knowledge gained vs. price, not to mention it’s situated in the heart of the “Silicon Forest” of Portland, OR, a city buzzing with techies and tech companies.

The environment differed from any other formal schooling I’ve been to in that the onus was definitely on me, the student, which is as it should be. What I mean by that is the lessons were given as homework to be read and/or watched on video at home at night, then the following day activities and projects were given to reinforce the learning from the previous evening.

All programming was tackled in pairs to help avoid some of the hair-pulling frustration associated with getting “stuck” on a problem. This also helped us get to know our classmates better, thereby building our network.

The curriculum is constantly updated to stay current and provide the best information available. In fact, lessons would occasionally even be updated the same day they were being taught.

Instructors were knowledgeable and helpful. Michael, the head of the program, and some of his assistants helped set up month-long internships with local code shops in the area at the end of the program to help us gain real world experience. During those internships, we also focused on getting resumes and LinkedIn profiles setup and fine-tuned to prepare for the job hunt.

All told, I learned Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, jQuery and some SQL in 4 months, made a bunch of new coding friends, and got a job making decent money, all because of Epicodus. I’d call that Success! I would recommend (and have already recommended) Epicodus to anyone wanting to learn programming.

I came to Epicodus with a graduate degree in the arts, and a desire for a more prosperous career and lifestyle. My time spent at Epicodus was worth every second, and their job placement team is unlike any that I’ve experienced before in academia. Epicodus’s dedicated staff checked in with us weekly, kept us informed of new job postings and network opportunities, provided empathy, and helped us stay positive. Thanks to this amazing and supportive team, I landed an sweet new developer job with a company that suits me perfectly!

I arrived knowing HTML/CSS and how to make a simple if/else statement -- nothing more. I was definitely driving the strugglebus for the first two months of the program. It's hard work, don't let anyone say otherwise. You have to work for it if you want it, but that's why Epicodus is so great -- the instructors and the owner, Michael have built a very supportive environment. Epicodus is designed around pair-programming and a D.I.Y. attitude. It's unconventional, yes, and I was a bit jarred by the structure at first, but you have to find your groove. I chose Epicodus because I believed in the owner's vision of making tech as accessible and affordable to anyone who has never had the luxury of being exposed to it before. As for job prospects, let's just say this little engine could and I am gainfully employed thanks to the efforts and continuous support from the Epicodus staff. It's been a good ride. 

If you're just getting started with programming or struggling to learn it on your own then Epicodus is definitely the way to go. Without prior coding experience working a full-time job, it was quite a challenge to get myself going on programming. After a few months of wrapping my head around with Javascript and Ruby, I realized that in order to accelerate my learning process and make it more fun I needed to collaborate with other self-learners like me and make my studying full-time. Here's where Epicodus comes in.

The course is structured that way that you get challenged enough every day by working on real projects with a partner. The instructors are always around to make sure that nobody gets stuck and to clarify any stuff you don't understand. After finishing each section you are encouraged to complete a coding assignment (it is not required but highly recommended). This way you can indicate whether you’re ready to move on or need to spend a few more days on the previous stuff and also get a feedback from instructors on your piece of art :) There are also weekly check-ins with instructors to make sure that you’re doing alright and going at the right pace. Michael, the founder of Epicodus, and the instructors always try to make students’ experience better, so any ideas and feedback from students are taken into account.

At the end of the program most of the students (if not all) get a one-month internship in one of the local companies. Some of them get hired there afterwards. For those who don’t Epicodus provide job support by sending out new opportunities daily, setting up mock-up interviews, checking in cover letters and resumes. After finishing my internship, I spent about a month before I landed my first job.

Epicodus was the best learning experience I’ve ever had and I can’t emphasize it enough. I recommend it to anybody who want to learn how to code and start a new career in programming.

I picked Epicodus because at 17-weeks it was the longest of any other bootcamp I could find. This was important to me as it meant we would spend more time digging into the programming languages, developing good habits, building more projects, and exploring more technologies.

This type of in-depth immersion into programming gave me the skillset to build and develop applications, side-projects, and interact with other professional developers with confidence.

Employers could tell Epicodus produces great talent as I landed a full-time software engineering position in Atlanta within a month of graduating.

I recommend Epicodus to anyone looking to become a professional developer and want to get the most bang for their buck. Epicodus sets real-world expectations but over-delivers on results. 

Before Epicodus I was working freelance in the entertainment industry and knew nothing about web development.  I decided to take the risk and move to Portland to take Epicodus.  

Curriculum:
The course is set up so you watch videos at night and work through various problem sets during school hours.  There were times that I was frustrated when I didn't get clear answers from the instructors but have come to appreciate that a lot.  They were teaching us how to problem solve.  The course is set up to help you get a job as a developer and I've definitely used the problem solving skills I learned at Epicodus at my new job.  We learned by pair programming.  While I was nervous with pairing with a stranger everyday, I quickly found some great friends in my program.  I'm pretty sure I learned as much from my classmates as the instructors.  

Job Support:
At the end of the course, the instructors helped us with our LinkedIn profiles, resumes and online presence in general.  I never felt like I was floundering while searching for jobs.   Epicodus was there helping me find job openings and helping me with my interview skills.  Even though I'm in Washington DC right now, I know that if I ever wanted to return the area that Epicodus would be there for me to help me out in my job search. 

Overall I had an amazing experience at Epicodus.  Be ready to be thrown in and don't expect a lot of hand holding.  Even though you might not understand why some days are not more structured, in the end I believe it's made me a better developer.  Epicodus is 100% the reason I've been able to transition careers smoothly.  The price is also an amazing part of the program.  I moved to Portland and paid for the course and I still ended up paying less some more expensive bootcamps. 

I attended Epicodus not knowing what to expect or what I would get out of it. Now, looking back, I can accurately say that Epicodus teaches the right way. The program is designed to provide structure and support without coddling or providing more than necessary. The best way to learn is through experience and Epicodus enabled me to experience failures in a way where I felt secure enough to push through them on my own but had the support of students and staff there to support me if I needed it. The program pays great attention to providing you with professional opportunities after it ends through their internship program and even to this day almost a year later I still am contacted by the staff asking how I'm doing, if I need anything and keeping me plugged into their network. If you're on the fence, apply already.

I entered Epicodus as a complete beginner. I had studied and prepared for class, but other than that, I zero background in anything related to computer science. Epicodus is an intense 40hr/wk Javascript/Ruby on Rails class that involves pair programming every day, along with extensive practice with test driven development. The best part about Epicodus is the hands-on learning every single day. No lectures, just coding all day long, which is great preparation for a programming job. I know I learn best while actually making and creating things, and this was no different. Our teachers were supportive and helpful, but even more than that, they had a great sense of when to help us, when to give us some thinking points to prod us along, and when to let us figure it out for ourselves. Epicodus has a wonderful staff who are dedicated to doing all they can to help junior devs get their start in the tech industry. I had an excellent internship experience, which Epicodus organized. Quitting my job and attending Epicodus is one of the best decisions I’ve made.

Epicodus was a really good way to get my mind online. I did Epicodus in my first summer after graduating from architecture school — I naturally gravitate toward designing experiences and systems, but I realized about halfway through my degree that I was in the wrong domain and I wanted to move toward making digital things. I just needed a good environment in which to start learning, and Epicodus provided that for me.

I already had an pretty strong interest in the web before going. Hadn't made much with code before, but I had a rudimentary understanding of the bones of the web, and a weird background in studying philosophical issues of the internet (like property, privacy,  identity, etc) so that was helpful. Also had an high-level understanding of visual design from my degree, but take note that Epicodus isn't focused on cultivating or building design skills. 

I treated Epicodus like an investment in myself — I was hoping to get a development job afterward (I did), but I figured that at the very least, I would be able to build my own web experiments and use those to show prospective employers my process for other projects.

Pair programming every day, well-designed curriculum, help when you need it, other learners around you, an awesome location, and a lot of career support. My internship company hired me so I didn't do a lot of interviewing aside from the rapid-fire week of internship interviews, but I'm employed and that's awesome considering I didn't know how to code six months ago. 

In Portland alone, there’s no shortage of web development course to choose from. Epicodus really stands out due to the learning environment, post-graduation support, and value.

The course is structured around pair programming with fellow students. You learn a lot about problem solving, patience, and how to relate to all different types of people when you code full-time all day with a partner. In addition to help from in-class instructors, there are weekly talks from folks in the web development community. I learned an incredible amount about programming in three months and built up a substantial portfolio of sample work, but the most important thing I learned is how to learn how to program. Languages and frameworks are always going to change, and Epicodus helped me develop the skills to keep learning.

Most students have the opportunity to do a month-long internship when the course is over. I was lucky enough to get a job at the company I interned for, but the Epicodus staff works very hard to find and create opportunities for their students as junior web developers at local companies. I had relatively little experience with programming before starting Epicodus, and one of my biggest worries was not finding a job after the class was over, but there’s a ton of demand in Portland for folks with the skills and experience my fellow students and I gained.

The time and money investment was relatively low compared to other schools--and especially compared to college courses--and it definitely paid off. I can’t recommend it highly enough!

I entered Epicodus as a complete beginner. I had studied and prepared for class, but other than that, I zero background in anything related to computer science. Epicodus is an intense 40hr/wk Javascript/Ruby on Rails class that involves pair programming every day, along with extensive practice with test driven development. The best part about Epicodus is the hands-on learning every single day. No lectures, just coding all day long, which is great preparation for a programming job. I know I learn best while actually making and creating things, and this was no different. Our teachers were supportive and helpful, but even more than that, they had a great sense of when to help us, when to give us some thinking points to prod us along, and when to let us figure it out for ourselves. Epicodus has a wonderful staff who are dedicated to doing all they can to help junior devs get their start in the tech industry. I had an excellent internship experience, which Epicodus organized. Quitting my job and attending Epicodus is one of the best decisions I’ve made.

I have my degree in Marketing and worked in an office for a few years before deciding I wanted to move on and try something else. While going back to school, a friend of mine told me about her experience at a web development bootcamp. After a bit of research online, and a lot of support from my husband, I decided to apply to Epicodus (it had a more diverse curriculum and for a much better price than the other programs I found online). The choice between spending $50K and 3 years earning a second degree or attending a 4 month long bootcamp for a fraction of the price with skills I could use right away, was easy.

Prior to the program I had basic HTML and CSS skills and by the end I had a well rounded full stack familiarity. The program is challenging - 8 hours every day paired with a partner trying to figure out programming problems can be wearing - but the effort is definitely worth it. We had access to Michael and two instructors when we had questions. They do a great job of giving you the space and encouragement to solve things on your own, but guide you in the right direction when you really need help.

Michael and the instructors spent countless hours setting up internship opportunities for each Epicodus student. I got a three month long summer internship with a great company in downtown Portland when the program was complete. I am now working alongside my husband, a senior developer, on our own web development company as well as working on our first consumer web product. I would highly recommend Epicodus to anyone considering a career in programming.

Epicodus is a fantastic bootcamp. The cost is very competitive, and the quality of instruction is absolutely first rate. I joined the program in the spring of 2014, and got my first paying programming job 2 months after I graduated. It wasn't an easy walk in the park though. When I finished the program I spent most of my days developing a side project and most of my nights sending out applications until I finally landed that job. But Epicodus was right there by my side every step of the way even after graduation. As long as you're willing to put in the work the staff at Epicodus is willing to support you as best they can. They're just as invested in your success as you are.

I had a great experience at Epicodus in Portland. The instructors were top-notch and it cost less than most boot camps I’ve heard about. Folks pair pretty much every day, which I thought I’d find annoying, but I came to really appreciate the benefits of pairing—especially in interviews!

Within three months of graduating, I was a full time junior developer making 50% more than I made before I attended bootcamp. My educational background was in the liberal arts before I went to dev bootcamp, so I was starting pretty fresh with just one programming class in C# to call my name! I never coded outside of class (though I am sure I would have come out even stronger if I had--many did that), which some people worry about, I guess. I would say there can be an unstated peer pressure to do it, BUT the staff/instructors are REALLY good at trying to persuade folks not to learn and do it all outside the classroom. They wanted us to learn together. I took them at their word and rested my brain at night (after watching any brief homework videos)! I still dreamt in code! I was a slow mover, and I rarely drove when we paired, but I felt I learned more on days when I didn’t finish everything. I was perfectly fine with not being one of the fast ones who knew ALL THE THINGS!

Epicodus wasn't very selective when I joined (thank goodness!), but even so, only two people that I paired with were clearly weaker programmers, and we worked with new people just about every day for three months before our internships.

I was hired by a company that came to our job fair. So, my current success is really all about Epicodus, and I am so glad I did it. Changed my life! 10/10, would attend again!

Attending Epicodus is one of the best decisions I have ever made. Everything about the class perfectly prepares you for the working world. The learning environment emulates the workplace so well that transitioning to a job afterwards was effortless. The curriculum heavily focuses on programming concepts and learning how to learn that even if you are studying in Ruby on Rails (as I did) you can easily pick up another language to excel at whatever job comes your way post-Epicodus. Last, and certainly not least, are the people. Every member of the Epicodus team helps to create the perfect environment, built to challenge you on a personal level, as well as foster incredible connections with your classmates and the programming community as a whole. All of which will last long after the Epicodus class has ended. Anyone who is remotely interested in programming would greatly benefit from attending Epicodus. 

As a seasoned product manager and marketing business owner, I always wondered what it would be like to program every day and improve my skills in web development. I took the opportunity and time to invest in myself during Summer 14, and chose to come to Portland and Epicodus after comparing them to SF Bay Area alternatives.

Epicodus was less established than some well-known programs in the Bay Area, but offered both a longer 4 month and more “sane” program, with a 9-5 type schedule and an amazingly affordable price. After speaking with MIchael in a phone screen and reviewing their program online, it seemed like the best choice for me.

The experience was amazing, in that I paired with a variety of fun and diverse people from all kinds of backgrounds. I had some programming experience, but learned much more about Ruby, RAILS, TDD, and Javascript. Because of the flexibility and gradual buildup of the curriculum, people could move at their own pace and choose to pair with different or the same people who were at the same place in the curriculum, while being helped by a talented teaching staff.

The “discovery” learning approach that Epicodus uses puts the emphasis on learning by trial and error, driven by your own motivation rather than lots of time listening to someone talk at you about programming. This is very similar to working in the real world, you have to just jump in and do it, and build your problem solving and debugging skills. I think that this approach allows them to successfully mix students with very different backgrounds and skill levels.

For students who prefer a lecture type format, with everyone at the same experience level or lots of continuous instructor interaction I would not recommend Epicodus. It will also not be a good choice for those who like lots of structure and metrics in their learning as with the academic computer classes.

Things I would have liked more of in the curriculum: algorithms and data structures, design patterns and refactoring, and optimizing code for performance and maintainability. But that is too much to ask from a 4 month curriculum, better for a boot camp level II.

I was impressed by how fast many students new to programming were able to pick it up and produce working code, and learn the skills of collaboration, pair programming, daily standups, interviewing, and eventually got job placement.

The office is convenient to the excellent public transportation and bike-friendly streets here, and there are some great food carts all around the office for lunch. Each student shared a stand-up desk (which I really miss), and the office is close to the riverfront for lunchtime walking.

It also turned out that we really like Portland. We moved our consulting company here, and  I am now working in a senior role at a small company, and we have hired a total of 4 Epicodus graduates who are actively developing both front-end and back-end code for our e-commerce company.  

The many tech resources in Portland include frequent meetups, lots of tech startups, and a growing number of large tech companies who are opening offices here. Leading tech companies like Tilde (Ember JS), New Relic, Intel, Salesforce, and Nike all have offices here. At Epicodus we had weekly lunch presentations from several of these companies, and job “fairs” to help graduates make the employment connection as interns and later as junior programmers.

The thing about programming is that getting good at it requires daily practice and time, and I think that the 4 month program gives you more time to develop skills and apply the concepts to small projects. Many of the other programs are much shorter, and only focus on one language like Javascript.

None of the bootcamps will make you an experienced developer, that is up to you to build skills every day. I do believe that bootcamps are more effective than many of the academic programming courses that I have taken in building real-world programming skills, especially using some of the newer technologies and approaches like pair programming, agile development,  javascript frameworks and TDD.

I would highly recommend Epicodus.