Prime Digital Academy

Attending Prime Digital Academy was the best decision I ever made. I always wanted to get into software development but I didn’t have the time or money to go back to school and get a degree. When I came across Prime I knew it was exactly what I was looking for. The instructors are caring and knowledgeable and the support personnel go way out of their way to help you in any way they can. Not only did a learn so much about full stack software engineering, Prime also takes time to work on soft skills, interview prep and resume assistance. I could not be happier about my experience at Prime.

I'm posting this because my instructor asked me to write an (honest and unvarnished -- their words!) review. Let it be testament to the value I derived from this program that -- though I was the one who spent the five figures, and I was the one who spend all those thousands of hours at the keyboard -- I feel it would be a betrayal of the effort they invested in me not to reciprocate by writing such a review.   TL;DR If you're ready to fully commit half a year of your life to rebuilding your professional skillset, then you won't find a better vehicle to do so.    Reasons why:

• The curriculum is consistently being improved upon (this was the value proposition that initially convinced me to enroll at Prime over a similar institution.)
  • The content is derived from needs analyses from employers across the Twin Cities metro area, and continually refined for relevance (hello, ES6 and TDD...)
  • Equally important, the syllabus is based on solid pedagogy: it moves from teacher-guided presentation, to controlled practice, to lightly-directed student application (both at a micro level, within a given day's lessons, and at a macro level, across the span of the months.)
• The instructors all had successful careers in software development that they set aside because of their love for the classroom. Each instructor comes from a slightly different programming background, but a passion for instruction and learning is the common denominator among them: and it's utterly impossible to fake.
• The administration is thin, accessible, and deeply invested in your success.
  • More importantly, they're invested in your success as you define it: you want to build websites for an NGO? They can give you tips on how to make that happen. Want to spend five years in the cubicle farm at an F500 company, honing your skills before you depart for the coast? They've got ways to help you with that, too.
  • At the most cynical level, your success is their success -- as a career-training school, they live or die by their graduates' employment rates.
  • In my time there, though, I noticed that the commitment of the staff goes far, far beyond that: they understand, many of them at a personal level, the (various) circumstances that impel someone to apply for a coding boot camp. They know where you're at, and they're emphatically on your side. 

Smaller notes:

• It's an actively inclusive program, and they go out of their way to expand on this commitment.
• The atmosphere is professional, and hard-working, but lighthearted and unpretentious.
• The curriculum includes a parallel career-preparation thread; it is absolutely invaluable. (Had I known about it at the beginning of the application, I would have been mildly skeptical; had I fully understood it, I wouldn't have bothered applying anywhere else.)
• The network of alums only grows in value each week, and that's not a naturally-occurring phenomenon. Prime works hard to leverage connections within their community, and the (mentorship/shadowing/etc) results are quantifiable.

I've spent a lot of time talking about why Prime is close to the ideal full-stack development bootcamp. A few granular qualifications: 

• The "six months of working pretty much all the time" is no joke. You will socialize much less than normal, and other obligations will need to be put on hold. 
• There will be times when the stress of unemployment leads you to view your intra-cohort progress competitively. That's natural, but also fallacious: there's not a shortage of jobs in the Twin Cities area, and a collaborative mindset will open you to more successful learning.
• By its nature, the software development field is ever-progressing: your learning doesn't stop at the final week (though the program prepares you very well for this.) You'll always be picking up some new library or framework in your free time, even post graduation: there's no relaxed lawnchairs-in-the-sunset after week 20.

That's about all I've got! The Peace Corps motto at the time I served was "the toughest job you'll ever love." Well, Prime was easily the toughest course I've ever loved, and I feel very, very lucky to have participated.

A good friend of mine, with a similar degree and job status, enrolled in Prime's program. He disappeared for a several weeks, and emerged a happier, fulfilled, and importantly, employed as front-end developer. 

Dissatisfied with my life as a pre-press operator with a degree in multimedia design that went nowhere, I decided to follow in the footsteps of my friend. I hated my current job so much, despite enjoying the people I worked with. Eager for change, I completed the application and resume challenge pretty easily considering HTML and CSS were part of my multimedia background. Functional programming however, a skill almost every designer should have, was definitely lacking. To my surprise I heard back quickly and was interviewed and later accepted into the program. 

The first few weeks were online code courses, which I would be lying if I said I didn't struggle through. I spent nearly 12 hours a week fumbling thru the labyrinths of loops and the variable vallies, juggling my hated job and my new passion. What eased my stress was the weekly video meetings with my group (cohort) and instructors. You could ask them anything. I even went into the building early and sat down with one of the instructors who took the time to slowly step me thru a problem my dumb brain couldn't quite get. It was at that moment I knew the faculty actually cared about my success, and pushed me to achieve it.  

Classroom began, 6 weeks of intense lecture. I quit my job to do this. 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, with weekend assignments. I was not the top of the class by any means. I wasn't the middle of the class at any means. But I didn't give up. In 6 weeks I had a deeper understanding of HTML, CSS, Javascript, AngularJS, Express, Mongo, SQL, Node.js and SQL. The next 6 weeks I spent developing a solo project and working with a team in a group project to reinforce and explore the ideas I learned during lecture. There were road bumps for sure. But I developed one of the most important skills a Primer can get: I LEARNED HOW TO LEARN CODE. Suddenly that while loop didn't seem so scary. New library? Let me google the docs, look at some examples, write up a smaller scaled verison of what I'm trying to do on codepen or jsfiddle, then try it on my own. 

And that's really the best thing I got out of Prime, not to discount my new friendships, the support from the staff, or the sweet job I landed 2 weeks after graduating. Prime taught me how to put that imposter I thought I was away, and understand functional programming at a deeper level. A level they gave me the tools to explore on my own. 

It was the best, hardest, most frustrating yet most rewarding thing I've ever done for myself. In 18 weeks I was more marketable to employers than after 7 years of college (art school, I am no doctor, remember how I said 'not even middle of the class?'). The job market for young devs if competetive for sure, but it's definitely not lacking in careers. Suddenly I had many other options other than "pre-press operator." 

If you're hear to ask "Should I go to Prime?" I'd answer back with a question:

"Do you want to change your life?"

i was a graphic designer before applying to prime. in fact, the application was the first bit of code i ever wrote. after a great interview and application process i was accepted to prime. 

the first 6 weeks of the program are the worst part in my opinion. it is all code academy type online courses. but i know they are creating a custom plan for the initial 6 weeks which should be launching soon (maybe it already has). 

the 12 weeks in the classroom goes crazy fast, but also is really intense (in a good way). expect to be a little MIA from friends and family during this stretch. weekend homework usually takes up ~10 hrs a weekend for the first 5-6 weeks of in classroom—so expect to have one day 'off' a week.

after that, it is on to solo projects where you create your first web application on your own and present it in front of the school. this application can be anything, but make sure you pick something that you will want to talk about to potential future employers.

the remainder of the program revolves around the group project where you take a real world problem that a local company is facing and help them solve it. it was a great way to network and work with your fellow classmates. this final project is presented in front of ~150 people (of whom are recruiters, companies that are hiring, and the whole prime school). 

on top of all of that there are speakers who come in and talk about the industry, what to expect, bits of encouragement etc. prime also provides free bananas, cereal, ramen, coffee etc. there is a mock interview day where you meet with recruiters to tailor your resume and your interview skills, as well as a career day where you are interviewing for real jobs.

other than that, it took me a week after graduation to get a job. the hiring network, was fantastic and there were a lot of potential opportunities to connect with companies and recruiters.  

on top of ALL of that, the people are the best part. there is a real sense of community and genuine support from both the teachers and students. 

TL;DR? do it! it'll change your career path in less than 6 months.

At some point in life everyone has that moment they can pinpoint as being completely life altering, my moment was my acceptance into Prime.

I started Prime as a college drop-out floating through life with no idea of what to do. I left a completely different person. I'm strong, confident (most days), independent, and I feel prepared for the future. Prime doesn't just teach you how to code, it teaches you how to be a better you.

Prime is aware that you have a life outside of school, no matter how limited your interactions with the outside world may be while in the program. They have resources for students in need and are always willing to help; if it gets to be too much even with everything they offer, you are allowed to drop back into a different cohort when things calm down.

I actually had to drop back into a different cohort due to events outside of Prime. The staff was very helpful, my classmates in my first cohort were supportive and endlessly kind. The curriculum itself changed a surprising amount in the month between cohorts. I learned things day one of cohort two that hadn't been covered before. The curriculum is ever evolving into the best possible combination thanks to some very dedicated staff. Student feedback also plays a large part in the curriculum; there are daily and weekly (optional) feedback forms that the staff uses to make these changes and keep general tabs on the students. They care about the wellbeing of each and every student in the program.

The atmosphere is incredible. Everyone supports each other regardless of where in the program you may be. You grow to be close to your classmates even though you only spend 12 weeks with them face to face. I've made multiple friends in the program that I still keep in touch with and hang out with even after graduating.

 

TLDR Prime is awesome. Absolutely life changing. You'll learn code, soft skills, and how to be a better person. Would recommend!!

I attended an open house at Prime before applying and from talking to alumni and current students, the experience at Prime sounded exactly like what I was looking for. A boot camp for fast, yet high quality learning and a fantastic experience and environment. What I didn't realize is how much of an impact Prime had on my life.

Students and alumni kept talking about getting close to your classmates and becoming good friends with them throughout the process of this intense learning. The realization of how close you'd get and the impact these people have on you struck me after only about three weeks into the course. The learning process is intense and the teachers know how to push you to the edge of your abilities and then watch as you make things happen that you wouldn't have thought possible. The amount of knowledge you absorb and utilize is incredible. It's also stressful. It's fast-paced and you move quickly. What you find is that your classmates and the Prime staff is there to support you throughout the entire experience. 

What I kept discovering is how I was doing things I didn't think I would be capable of, over and over throughout my Prime experience. You have two large projects at the end of Prime but before that, you watch the cohorts that are ahead of you present their projects. What you immediately tend to think is that there's no way that you'll be able to create something like that. It seems leagues away from where you are. Once you get to that point in the program though, you end up discovering that you CAN do that, and probably even better than the cohorts you followed.

One of the benefits of Prime that I didn't expect was their focus on not just development skills, but also on soft skills. Every week, students have Toastmasters and speak in front of their classmates, developing their public speaking skills. You also get prepped with knowledge about interviewing, updating / creating your resume, using LinkedIn to your benefit and how to structure it, as well as having multiple chances to meet with recruiters and companies looking to hire students. Those same recruiters will also be able to provide you insight into interviewing and making sure your resume works well and stands out.

Prime's curriculum focuses on the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS and Node.js). You also learn how to use jQuery, Git, Bootstrap, PostgresSQL, and how to interface with APIs amongst other things. Once you are finished with this program, the learning doesn't stop, but you are now prepared for a lifetime of learning and can start your development career.

In the end, I can't recommend Prime enough as the entire experience can be a life-changing event. At the least, you'll meet some amazing people, gain some new friends, and learn to develop web applications over the span of 18 weeks. Well worth the time and investment to start a new career in development.

My experience at Prime Digital Academy was transformative. I've never experienced education in a more immersive, well-supported, and holistic way.

The instruction is primarily on the MEAN stack (MongoDB, Express.js, AngularJS, and Node.js) but the focus is not simply on imbuing you with "the stack." There is instruction in life-skills, job search, work/life balance, and more. The instructors' don't consider you just a number (as I've experienced in so many mainstream institutions); they really want you to succeed. Everyone at Prime Digital Academy works toward that end. There is a ton of support.

Beyond that, althought the coursework is focused on the MEAN stack students will come out with a more diverse skillset. Studetns learn HTML, CSS, jQuery, SQL, and how to use APIs. Weekly Toastmasters meetings teach attendees public speaking. On top of that there are multiple group projects that acclimate students to working in a team setting (which is prevalent in the industry).

I left Prime as a more well-rounded person, not just as a Programmer. My life has been forever changed for the better, and I owe much of that to them.

Overall, this was an incredible educational experience.

During this software development bootcamp, I learned how to use a variety of skills and technologies to create a myriad of projects, including an in depth project for a real world client.

The focus on specific technologies was effective, but even more importantly, I learned how to get up to speed and develop effectively using new tools and technologies. I didn't just learn how to write code, I learned how to do research and problem solving to add additional tools and skills  to my inventory.

The curriculum was well thought out and structured, starting from a foundation of HTML, CSS and Javascript, and working up to full stack project development, including meeting with real clients, designing a project from start to finish, task management, problem solving, how to create and connect with multiple databases, and working with various frameworks, libraries, and APIs.

The instructors are knowledgeable, experienced, and supportive.

The application process is rigourous, and the students I learned with and worked with were an exceptional group of people.  The collaborative learning experience was an effective and essential preparation for working effectively as part of a softwaredevelopment team.

The support staff work hard to make sure that graduates have all the skills they need to land a job in their field.  

This program was so much more than I bargained for.  I can't reccomend it highly enough.

 

I came to Prime Digital Academy with virtually no coding experience. Not only did I learn to code in several different languages, I also built a talented, supportive network with my cohort, other Prime students and Prime staff. Yes, I had moments when I felt lost, frustrated and overwhelmed, but because of the positive and supportive environment, I was able to keep moving forward. I surprised myself by how quickly I learned and how much I learned. My one recommendation, if you decide you want to take on this challenge, is to have self discipline, and never be afraid to ask for help. Overall, an awesome and life changing experience.

Prime Digital Academy is a fantastic program that teaches you more than just coding. Although you learn an incredible amount about different technologies (JavaScript, jQuery, Ajax, AngularJS, Node.js, Express.js, SQL, MongoDB, Grunt, Git, Gulp, Bootstrap, Angular Material, just to name a few) but you also learn a lot of important soft skills that are important to the industry. Some of these soft skills are public speaking, working together as a team, communication, handling conflicts with non-violent communication, and many others. I would recommend Prime Digital Academy to anyone who is willing to accept the challenge and is willing to make a change in their life. 

As a former part-time college student taking the traditional Computer Science route, and a full-time blue collar worker, I left in order to pursue something that would kickstart my professional career as a Software Engineer. Prime did that, and more. 

While learning in-depth knowledge of full-stack programming, I was also taught a wide variety of soft-skills that are prudent when working on a development team. Not only is the curriculum cutting edge, I truly believe that every teacher in the school genuinely cares about the students' well being's, and fosters their immense growth as a programmer. 

After graduating from Prime, I can wholeheartedly say that it changed my life. I will be the first to admit that it was a very intense program, but It was well worth the journey. I'm making way more money at a job that I love doing and that I'm extremely passionate about, and none of it would not be possible without the support from Prime. 

Needless to say, I would highly recommend Prime to anyone looking to kickstart their career in Software Engineering. 

After spending far too long in retail management, I decided to go back to my love of math and logic and attempt a career in programming. I had pretty close to zero technical knowledge -- my last programming class was an AP Pascal class in high school, so that should tell you something. I really didn't know what to expect from Prime. I was in the second cohort ever, so it was clear that not everything had been ironed out with the curriculum yet. But, really, tech is ever-changing, so the curriculum should not be static, and should be flexible based upon the current market's needs.

The skill of the instructors was astounding. I attended a fairly well-respected liberal arts college known for the quality of its instruction, and I can say for sure that Scott was one of the best teachers I have ever had. He has a knack for communicating technical concepts to newbies in a way that is just utterly impressive. He also was extremely empathetic to the needs of the class - if we were stuck on a concept, he changed his lesson plan accordingly. This is some highly tailored instruction that you and your classmates will receive.

I know not everyone has had the same experience, but I was lucky enough to get a job with one of Prime's business partners through the Career Day held the week of graduation. The staff at Prime cannot guarantee job placement, but they do their damnedest to make sure you are given every opportunity for success.

After worrying about my decision to attend Prime, pay the tuition, and give up work (and a social life) for several months, I can honestly say that all the worry was worth it. My decision to attend was absolutely life changing, and I don't regret a thing. If you're up for an incredible challenge, with the potential to shift careers and experience a level of personal growth that shouldn't be possible in such a short time, then Prime is for you!

Some People Like bullet points...

PROS:

1. Intensive, immersive experience
2. Flexible curriculum
3. Excellent staff and instructors who care about you.
4. Free coffee, bread, milk, cereal (SO YOU DONT STARVE!)
5. Activly trying to be inclusive of women, people of color

CONS:

1. Expensive. Save your sheckles, even if you get a loan. You'll need a macbook of some sort, so account for that too. Even if you get a job right out of the school, it would be far safer to expect not having a job for a couple months after graduation. You cannot work and do this at the same time. 
2. Open main area. Classrooms have doors, but the commons area for breakout work can get loud.
3. Difficult to get feedback if you are doing well. Squeeky wheel gets the grease.

 

Some People Like words...

I came from a completely non-techical background, but have a passion for tech, people, and learning. This program was tailor made for me, I think. You must love to code. If you've never coded before, make sure you check out other free resources like codecademy to get your feet wet. If you are honest with what you want, and that desire is to get into software development, then you should really, really consider Prime.

Prime focuses on interpersonal skills HIGHLY. It doesn't matter in the end if you can code all languages and churn out crazy complicated applications. There are people that do that already. You have to be able to work with people, communicate, and convey complex ideas in non-complex ways. If you are honest with yourself, and you love people, then you should really, really consider Prime.

Prime is a very flexible, non-accredited school. What that means: No, you can't write this off on your taxes. Yes, they change curriculum constantly to reflect the class, the market, and the situation. Some projects are more challenging that others, but all are useful, especially if you are of the mindset that learning is the goal.

Prime doesn't end when you graduate. The people and relationships you've built will still be there. So will access to the building and the staff. The community manager helps you navigate the job search, offers, and the psycologist will help with worries and anxieties. I graduated on January 15th, and while certainly not the majority of people in my cohort do yet, I already have a job offer. The staff asserts that about 50% of a cohort will have a job after 6 weeks. 

Some people like code. 

if (code && attitude && people) {

    attendPrime();

}

Ooh, that was nerdy.

My experience at Prime was overall positive, but I feel the need to counter-balance some of the other reviews here.

- Curriculum was shaky. Tech stack isn't focused on actually learning strong fundamentals, and there was sometimes the feeling that *actually* learning how to code wasn't the top priority.

- Hiring slower than advertised. Staff had to manage expectations after perhaps overestimating the appeal of bootcamp grads in the Twin Cities market.

- Non existent hiring network--at least while I was there. This is probably something that has to develop over time, but 95% of our "mock" and real interviews were with recruiters or companies that weren't actually hiring.

- Wide range of quality of client projects--from doing really cool work for awesome companies/non-profits to developing fake apps for Prime or Prime's parent company.

Prime is a group of amazing people coming together with the goal of learning and sharing insights as a team. I arrived at Prime due to a potent mix of curiousity and desperation - I had always been fascinated by coding but I never believed I'd be able to learn it without a LOT OF HELP. 

I got that help at Prime and a hell of a lot more. Prime is a community of peope who are genuinely interested in each other's best interests. The support I recieved and continue to recieve from Prime staff has been lifechanging. If you plan on attending just make sure you are bringing every ounce of work ethic you have in you and a willingness to be open, humble and genuine - it's not easy but it is absolutely worth it!

I graduated from Prime in January 2016. My experience at Prime was absolutely exceptional. Cohorts are 20-22 people with 2 instructors and a floating TA for the whole school. As I was somewhat early on in the program (fiifth cohort) they were still working the kinks out of the curriculum, but I thought it was fantastic. Like all other programs, like life really, you get out of it what you put into it, but I felt like the atmosphere was set up so well that it was nearly impossible not to throw a lot of energy into the program.

I found the instructors totally capable and enthusiastic, though sometimes unwilling to answer questions which strayed too far outside of the curriculum. Most of them are young and come from a variety of backgrounds (UX, Angular, Game Design, et c.) with (from what I could tell) 8-15 years of experience each. From what I could tell most of the staff there did not have traditional CS backgrounds, for what it is worth. At least a few had outside projects that they were getting off the ground at the same time as teaching.

The curriculum is 18 weeks total: 6 weeks of guided (and required) pre-work, they essentially give you a log-in to Code School and give you weekly assignments. The pre-work period is pretty laid-back and meant for students to complete while still working or preparing for the in-class portion.

The in-class portion (currently located in Bloomington, MN just south of Minneapolis) is twelve weeks. There is a heavy emphasis on soft skills: public speaking, working in teams, simulating working in large groups and with clients that change their minds. It seems that the curriculum is changing with every cohort but my cohort spend two weeks rehashing HTML/CSS and vanilla Javascript. The third week we went through the full stack, building out a basic app from front to back with Angular, Node.js/Express and Mongo. They have also started teachiing Post-GreSQL. The next three weeks are solidifying the basics of full stack programming. There is generally a decent sized assignment (6-12hrs) over the weekend which incorporates whatever was learned over the week. One or two nights a week there are small assignments, but there were very few nights where I felt rushed for time. One of my few complaints with the program was that there was very little feedback on assignments or progress, though all the intructors and staff seem very open to suggestion and resonsive to any big concerns.

After the in-class learning portion there was a two week personal project. This time was fairly hands off for the instructors, though they are always around to help. They 'Okay' a scope of work then send you on your way. I found this to be a great way to learn, but this might not work for everyone.

The last 3-4 weeks are spent on a group project doing pro-bono work building a full stack app for a non-profit client. This is a real project with a real deadline and expectations and while it is demanding there is a lot of support provided. They put a lot of work picking high quality clients and you can see that these folks tend to be very responsive and helpful (we calculated the value and the project would cost something like $70,000+ if done by an agency).

The last week is spent wrapping up any loose ends of projects, doing interviews with hiring partners and working though common interview questions.

Prime is closely linked to the Nerdery and there is some cross talk between students and Nerdery folks. The nerdery has only hired a handful of grads though and this is more a friendly connection than a direct pipeline. 

I like to think that I could have learned all the tech stuff on my own, but it would have taken a year rather than four months. The emphasis at Prime on people is massive, though. They make sure the cohorts are diverse (in gender, race as well as backgrounds) and it is a great way to network and make friends.

I found a range of reactions to Prime in the Twin Cities tech community, many postive and exciting reactions and some who had not heard of Prime. I have yet to hear any substantive negative feedback or poor opinions yet, though they may be out there.

Placement rates as reported to us are very good, but also vary by cohort. They make this clear, though not till the end of the program. It seems like 75% of grads get jobs by three or four months post gradutation, and 95% have jobs by six months out though these numbers will probably get even better as Prime's name gets more recognition. It has been about a week since i have graduated and I have three in-person interviews and have been recieving contacts from recruiters at the rate of about one every other day. Reported salaries out of Prime are 42k-68k/yr and while they don't say anything specific they recommend asking for 50-60k, more if you have relevant experience. They do make it pretty clear (again, at the end of the program) that it is much easier to get a position within the Twin Cities than outside. So don't expect to come to Prime then go off and get a 120k job in the Bay.

Overall the experiance was great. There were some pretty tough parts, and I definitely have a few criticisms of the program and staff, but overall I'm super greatful I got to go through it.

Before I went to Prime I was stuck in a job that I did not enjoy and gave nothing back to me as person, or a professional. After going through Prime I'm happy to say the exact opposite. I'm exicited to go to work every day, I have a better paying job with unlimited potential that I have control over, not someone else. Not only did Prime help me perform a complete change professionally, but it also helped me personally become a more well rounded individual. My wife noticed hands down my mood not shifting out of control after a long day of work, but rather excited to talk about what I did that day and who I got to work with. All of this brought to you by Prime Digital Academy!