Origin Code Academy

After the 12 weeks at Origin I left there with an incredible understanding of multiple programing languages, a ton of great friends, and a job doing what I love. I couldn’t have asked for a better experience from a coding bootcamp. The Instructors were very knowledgeable and helpful. They have been in the industry for a long time, gave great advice on how to problem solve, and prepared me for my career. It was very easy to contact them outside of classroom hours and get help with anything I was working on. I gained a great understanding of programing fundimentals, while having a blast doing so. Being hired just 2 weeks after completing the course, I felt confident going into my new job. 

I had worked for a while as a jr dev in San Diego and wanted to jump start getting into roles that were more advanced. My old job didn't use any frameworks and I was having a little trouble learning on my own.

Cameron Wilby (my teacher at Origin; there's two, soon to be three) was able to guide a class of all levels (no coding experience to a little experience) and within 12 weeks were able to create full stack apps for the demo day. While the curriculum could have been a little tighter (I thought there was no need to teach jquery, and wanted more time learning unit tests) it was a pretty thorough course for 12 weeks.

Our class size was on the larger end of their range at 17 students. It never felt like too many people, and those of us who picked up on things quicker helped out other students who had questions. It was a very collaborative atmosphere.

There were no expectations of crazy salaries after graduating, with the staff being realistic that we'd mostly be evaluated as jr level developers which can be anywhere from $40-60k in San Diego. Due to my experience I was able to get $75k, up from $50k at my old job.

The job help is on a few different angles. They prep you for interview questions, both technical/whiteboard and HR. For my class there were at least two resume reviews. They help you identify who to contact on LinkedIn to bypass the dreaded resume black hole. If they know someone at the company you want to work at, they'll work that connection in your favor. They setup a trello board with labels for you to fill your status with every company you apply for. They'll even take a professional-looking photo for your LinkedIn so you don't look like a schlub programmer.

I had fun, I worked hard, I almost didn't have my project done by the Demo Day, pulled through at the last minute, learned things I didn't know I didn't know, and got the job I wanted. It was a great investment for me.

Origin Code academy provides a fantastic curriculm that mirrors a real world stack.  Not only is the technology stack great for job seekers, the Main Instructor and Co-Founder Cameron Wilby is superb.  You could not ask for a better teacher.  His instruction and guidance will help you grasp concepts much faster compared to reading books and self practice.  Not only is he a good teacher, he also has many years of real world development experience. He can quickly pick up topics and become well-versed in new areas which makes him an amazing teacher for new programmers.  His instruction will accelerate your learning ten-fold.  

Origin code academy will give you all the tools you need to succeed.  Its up to you to put it to work.

My 12-week cohort at Origin Code Academy was awesome! Growing up, I was always interested in computers. I was building them for friends and family before I even turned 13. Knowing a good amount about computer hardware was great but I couldn't really make a career of it. I tried the whole college thing and it just wasn’t for me. I ended up working in real estate for a few years after dropping out of the university I was attending. This was great and I enjoyed real estate for the most part but I still wanted something more.  

I had been hearing a lot about coding boot camps and wanted to see what they were all about. I talked to a family member of mine who works in San Francisco for Dropbox as a developer. He gave me a few good starting points and books to check out. The sites I used to learn were ok, they were definitely lacking though. If you want to get any sort of real world job you’re going to need more experience than what a few websites can offer you. 

Frustrated by the lack of depth I got from trying to learn online, I started looking at code schools. The previous conversation with my cousin brought to my attention some of the powerhouses in the boot camp world. After looking over what they had to offer I just wasn't sold. Sometime later I came across Origin Code Academy. I looked over the curriculum, talked with the founder, and met with the instructor. They really helped reassure me and helped plan a path for my success. 

During my time at the boot camp I learned an incredible amount. I went from honestly not fully understanding what a string was, to writing and designing full stack applications. My instructor Cameron was incredible. I cannot say enough good things about him. He is smart, understanding, and patient, which says a lot when working with a group of new coders. The way he explains things and breaks them down for you really is what made this class so enjoyable. Cameron would go above and beyond to make sure all of us understood what was being taught. He was available anytime I needed him via Slack which was awesome when getting stuck on classwork from home. 

After graduating from Origin I started freelancing full-time from, get this... wherever I want! As of writing this review, I currently have four happy clients that I do Web development for and it's growing fast. Being entrepreneurial, freelancing, and being my own boss was what I wanted for myself. Origin has helped me achieve those goals and I could not be more grateful for that.

If you are in the market for a code school, then look no further. I cannot recommend Origin enough. Be prepared to put a lot of hard hours in though, after all you only have 12 weeks. But, if you are up for a challenge and are ready to improve your life…. Apply!

I just finished my first week as a full-stack .NET developer, and that would not have happened without Origin Code Academy! The technology that is used at my job is very similar to what I learned at Origin Code Academy, with a few small differences to make it interesting. 

I went to college a while back and got a B.S. in Computer Science-Mathematics, and worked as a developer before Web development existed, but then stuff happened and I ended up in other jobs. When I heard about coding bootcamps, I realized this could be my way back to development. I was nervous realizing I would be older than the average bootcamp student, but felt it would be worth it to try, and that some employers might value workplace experience.

I had recently returned from living overseas and was staying with a relative, so attending Origin Code Academy would mean paying my own living expenses in addition to the tuition. The job guarantee made me feel more confident in my decision, as a guarantee means the bootcamp is motivated to offer a curriculum that teaches the necessary skills, and is motivated to have contacts with employers. 

From the first day, I was sure that I'd made the right decision. Cameron is a great instructor, and knows how to present topics in a way that shows how they are relevant to industry usage, and how to use them in applications. When there was something I didn't understand, he was always available to help. I liked that he assigned basic features and extras for homework, so that I could challenge myself to try to get the extras done.

Be prepared to work hard; after all you have only 12 weeks so you need to put in the time. I usually worked until 8-9pm, and worked on the weekends too, probably 70-80 hours a week, even more towards the end. I loved every minute of it, it was so fun to learn all these new concepts and write code and see my applications running on the Web! I had some challenges with my final project, and was not sure that I would be able to get it done, but I managed to complete it, and I was able to put a link to my final project on my resume!

If you are trying to decide whether to attend a coding bootcamp, then do some online coding courses to see if you like coding. If you have decided to go to a coding bootcamp, investigate the various curriculum offerings and compare them to job listings in the area where you want to work. The more prework you do, the better. Another student did a lot of Team Treehouse projects before the cohort, and I could really see that he had a very good grasp of CSS/HTML/Javascript.

The curriculum: The curriculum simulates your typical software dev environment - they provide you the necessary materials that you'll need to go through the lesson plans, then you go about your day solving the practice problems at your pace, and the instructors will be available throughout the day to provide assistance as needed. The main takeaway from this learning style was that it helped us build good habits, develop help-accountability in owning up to our work, and over time build our confidence in independently solving problems.

The instructors: The instructors are amazing! They provide all the technical assistance that you'll need, as well as the humor, and the enthusiasm to keep you motivated to keep grinding. Their support system has helped me extensively--from the day that I first made my very own website, to the point where I already graduated and needed to prepare for my technical interviews in my search for a new job.   

Job assistance: They are very much aware that for most of us, this is a career change, and so finding a job is of utmost importance. In addition to hosting monthly networking events at the office for recent grads/alumni to attend, they also help out in building your resume, and refining your interviewing skills by holding practice interviews and whiteboarding sessions.

Overall thoughts: Origin provides you the necessary tools to succeed, and depending on the talent and (more importantly) the amount of hard work put in by the candidate, all graduates are guaranteed to come out with a hollistic perspective on the tech space, and will be armed with the base tech skills that are in demand. Expect to work a ton, go above and beyond on your deliverables, and you will be handsomely rewarded by landing a fulfilling career!

I decided to take on a career change, and ended up deciding on software development. After looking through several different code schools, I landed on Origin Code Academy. Everything about the course was awesome. The teacher, Cameron Wilby, is an awesome dude and excellent teacher. Their curriculum is relevent to the job market and they encourage you to go out and learn as much as you can on your own as well as with the class. 

With NO prior experience in anything relevent, I was able to land a job in software development within 3 months of graduation, and received constant assistance in my job hunt the entire time. 

Highly recommended.

Not to be over the top, but this course truly changed my life. I was able to change careers without spending years in other, more traditional programs and spent a fraction of what it would have cost to attend a more traditional multi-year program. The curriculum is more up-to-date than when you would find in your average college, and was highly applicable to the job market I was in.

The teachers are incredible and are constantly tweaking the curriculum to keep ahead of the curve (not a small task when new hot tech is coming out every day!). Not only are they incredibly talented, but they genuinely care about their students and will go the extra mile for you.

I was in a new job within a month of graduation, which I competed head-to-head with computer science majors for. The practical skills I learned at Origin were exactly what the market was looking for!

Origin has changed my life immensely. Within months following graduation I started out as a developer intern, was then hired at a start-up, and then landed in my current role, tripling my salary from my last job. I could not be happier with my decision to start a tech career in San Diego. For those prospective students considering attending Origin, the student-to-instructor ratio is perfect to allow maximum individualized attention from the best teachers in the business, while also receiving constructive peer feedback and support. The day-to-day practical projects help immensely after following up with the morning learning topics, and the interview prep covers  a number of scenarios to help build confidence when the student is eventually placed in front of a hiring manager or dev team. Origin will give you every resource and opportunity to be a skilled full-stack developer, but it is up to the student to put in the discipline and the hours required.