Turing School of Software & Design

When I decided to make the change from teaching to programming, originally I wanted to do an apprenticeship in Boulder. Then a friend made me go to a Try Coding for Teachers. I knew right away that I had met my people.

Fast-forward and I'm graduating today. It's so surreal. Turing provides such a unique experience and you can feel how much they care and want you to succeed. Don't get me wrong, it is a difficult 7 months. There are a lot of late nights and a lot of times you reach a wall and can't see how to get over it. But the skills they provide you to plan and climb those hurdles is beyond what I expected. I've felt nothing but support and the community both in the basement and beyond is more than I could have hoped for.

The more you put into your time at Turing, the more you get out of it.

The program is advertised as a 7 month program.  The program is broken into four 6 week modules.  In many cases, students have to repeat one or two of these modules.  The program will then take you and extra 3 months. That being said, the program was the best thing I have ever done.  It is NOT for everyone.  I spent an average of 60-70 a week either on campus or at home working on projects, in class or studying.  There are very few opportunities to take a day off.  If you remember that this program is less than a year, it makes the long hours easier.  Go to a try coding event if you want to check it out.  

The school is in a cool location in Denver.  Take public transportation if you have the option.  

TLDR: If you are ready for a dev-related career, can afford to take 7+ months to learn and are prepared to WORK HARD, go to Turing!

I made a career switch from Marketing to Frontend Development and went through the 3rd wave of the frontend program (1610). I wanted a career where I could solve challenging problems, work hard to improve my skillset and work remote. Programming (with Turing's help) gave me just that.

Turing was an incredible place to learn. The facility is great (you might think windows would be nice but when you need to stay heads-down on a project, a basement is the best place). The staff is incredibly knowledgable and does everything in their power to set you up for success. The curriculum was great then (2016/2017) and prepared me well and has been iterated on and vastly improved in the years since. Lastly, you are going through it with a bunch of other people learning the same things you are. These people will become invaluable resources for your learning, sanity and even job prospects down the road.

**If you work hard, the skills will come...but the community you immerse yourself in with Turing is the greatest value you will receive. **

The outcomes of Turing were incredible. They were supportive with the job search, helped prepare me for interviews and provided the resources necessary to build an attractive resume. Plus when you have access to hundreds of Turing graduates, networking is kind of fun. Within a few months after attending I was able to increase my salary by 40% and now on my 2nd dev job (almost 2 years since graduating) I have essentially doubled the salary I had before attending Turing. Not to mention I work remote which was a big incentive I sought out when switching careers (keep in mind it can take a while after Turing to establish the necessary skills to be successful in a remote environment). 

On top of the technical skills, Turing does an amazing job of reinforcing and enhancing what the industry calls "soft skills". Through weekly "Gear Ups", you learn a better sense of respect and how to navigate differing opinions. Code is written for human eyes at the end of the day and your ability to collaborate and effectively communicate with others will make you more attractive to companies, better to work with and let's be honest, a better person in general. 

So I'll repeat it here - If you are ready for a dev-related career, can afford to take 7+ months to learn and are prepared to WORK HARD, go to Turing! The admission cost is a tiny price to pay for what you get in return.

Some final thoughts and opinions:

• Be ready to WORK! The classtime/worktime hours are only part of it. I put in 60-80 hour weeks regularly while attending Turing. 
• Don't try to work while attending Turing (if you can help it). Things will get intense quickly and the stress levels are high enough. If you can manage to take out a loan to afford your cost of living on top of Turing, the average salareis being reported from graduates will be more than enough to pay it back quickly. 
• I've seen some folks drop out because they feel they didn't get what they paid for...First off the cost is nothing when you think about what you're getting. More importantly, going to Turing does not guarantee you a career in programming. They will do everything in their power to help you succeed. What you get out is what YOU put in. You can't "buy" a new career. You will need to work your ass off and earn it. 
• ​Turing is an "All In" experience. If your plan is to pick and choose the lessons you attend and skip out on others, Turing is not for you.

If you're still reading this I hope you found it helpful. Turing changed my life. I love what I do for work, am constantly learning/growing and am able to live where I want to because of the skils they helped me acquire. If you are prepared to work for it, Turing will get you there. 

They gave me a sense of purpose.

They taught me what hard-work looks like, what it leads to, and why it's important.

They challenged me to be a better me. They asked me to challenge others to be a better them.

They gave me a sense of empathy for those I assumed had always had had a similar experience to mine, which was a wildly inaccurate assumption.

They gave me a skill. Then, they gave me another skill. They gave me skills that build on skills.

They gave me their effort. They gave me their support.

They gave me a community to be inspired by. They gave me people I can depend on. They gave me better firends.

They gave me an opportunity to be proud of my self. They gave me the chance to lift up others.

They gave me a chance to contemplate impact and responsibility.

They gave me tough love when I needed it. They gave me perspective.

They didn't give me a choice to do it my way, instead, they showed me the right way to do it.

They gave me a chance to help make the community feel more like it was mine when I was a student.

They gave me a career.

They gave me ladder.

They threw me a life preserver when I was floundering.

They listened to me.

They gave me a hand when I was down.

They cared about me and my success. They care about me and my success.

They gave me an opportunity to change my life. They gave me an opportunity to change the lives of my grandchildren.

I don't have any grandchildren.

They gave me a place to belong. They gave me a sense of what equality actually looks like.

They gave me advice on how to grow. They grew me. 

They keep giving to me. They will never stop giving to me. 

Every day this community grows in size, so do my future prospects within this industry. Every time a Turing alumni does their job well, my name gains respect by association. And, every time I represent myself well, I have the opportunity to fuel that respect as well.

What else will Turing give me in a year? In five? In ten? 

These are questions I feel privileged to ask.

How can I ever give enough back to them? 

Truthfully, I can't. They've given me a new life. A better life. How do you repay that? 

But, I will still keep giving, keep trying, keep growing, because I know they will never stop doing the same for me and our community at large.

I am but a small slice of Turing. But, I am Turing. And, Turing is an extension of me. But, more importantly it is an extension of many who are not me. And, it is an organism that will never be complete. It will grow and evolve and iterate to become more than any one person ever could be. It already has done that, and it will only grow stronger.

Thinking about what Turing might give you? All the above and more. 

But, more importantly, one should be thinking about what one can give to Turing. For this is the mindset that will enable one to obtain the most successful outcome.

Giving yields getting in this community. 

If you give yourself, your effort, your trust, your energy, and your mind to Turing, you will get more than you had ever dreamed a "code-school" could possibly provide.

Thank you, again and again, thank you Turing. 

I attended the backend program at Turing school in March 2017 (1703). I worked in public libraries for about a decade before discovering a passion for coding. Code school seemed to be the most efficient way to accomplish a career change. I chose Turing because it was the longest, most in depth, and most well-reviewed of Denver's options. I also appreciated that it was non-profit.

I did the backend program, graduated after 6 months or so, had a job within a couple weeks of graduation. I'm about a year and a half into my software engineering career now. I’m a full stack engineer, which means I do front end, back end, and devops. Turing prepared me for this. I am absolutely loving every moment if it. 

Of course, while I was in the Turing basement, I don't think I'd describe it as love. I worked 12-16 hours a day, seven days a week throughout the entire program. For seven months, I didn't have a day off, I didn’t see my family or friends, I didn't read or hike or have any hobbies. I’m not usually a crier, but for seven months, I coded and I cried; and, because Turing time is precious, I coded while crying because it’s more efficient! Part of that is my fault for being overly intense about achievement and learning, but part of that is the stressful nature of the program (there’s a row of small rooms near the kitchen that are officially called “phone booths” but are unofficially referred to by students as the “crying rooms”). But, I learned what I needed to learn, I finished, got a job as an actual software engineer, have the tools I need to be good at my job. And, you guys: my job is super dope. 

I absolutely recommend the program, but feel the need to point out that my cohort lost about half of its students along the way. Either they left the program entirely or stayed back to repeat a module. It is one of the hardest code schools — that’s why it has such a great reputation with employers — but not everyone makes it through. That’s part of the stress of the program is seeing this happen to other people and being terrified that it might happen to you in a few weeks. What if you work as hard as you can and it’s not enough?

I don't say so to discourage you from attending, but rather if you choose to attend, I encourage you to set yourself up for success: Do all the pre work, including the extra extensions. Don't plan long hikes on weekends or camping trips during intermissions. Say “farewell for now” to your family and friends. Budget for eating out a lot if you don't have someone to cook for you. Invest in dry shampoo. Listen to the teachers and don’t get mad at them when they tell you to Google it. You need to hear that. And show up every day ready to work harder and longer than you probably have ever before. It's a long 7 months, but it's only 7 months.

If it’s what you want and you’re willing to put in the work, it’s totally worth it.

I was a struggling musician with a Master's. Now I'm a well-paid software engineer thanks to Turing, and I couldn't be happier. If you are considering a boot camp to learn software, look to Turing first.

The program lives up to its reputation. It is very difficult and time consuming, and the staff is extremely knowledgeable and caring. If you get through it, you'll have a portfolio full of web apps to show to potential employers that students coming out of universities with CS degress lack. And there is a very inclusive atmosphere that invites a diverse group of people to share ideas and experiences with each other to develop all kinds of empathy, a desparately needed skill in any industry. 

Just go there already and make your life better while making everybody else's life better with the technology you will build. 

I graduated from college in 2011 with a major in Political Science and a minor in "International Studies", whatever that is.

I have never, ever used the "skills" I gained in college. No one has ever asked to look at my resume, or asked me about my college education.

The skills I gained in Turing, on the other hand, are extremely relevant. I'm now a software developer, and I'm about 1.5 years into my first job.

I suspect my entire working career will fall into two categories:

1. Pre-Turing
2. Post-Turing

I'm feeling really good about my post-Turing career. I enjoy the work I do every day, and I'm well paid. I have significant growth opportunity in my career, and I have a healthy work-life balance. I can spend time with my wife and family, friends, etc.

I appreciate what Turing does every day, and contribute time (and money!) to their efforts. I mentor students, I donate to the school, I refer many friends to Turing. To date, FOUR of my friends have gone through the program, and all are equally thrilled with it.

After I finished Turing, I paid off the $15k I owed for Turing, and the $15k I had left in student loans, in less than a year. Now all the extra income just goes straight to savings.

I wrote up a bit about my experience here: https://josh.works/turing-retrospective

I think Turing is a great use of time and money. I strongly suggest you do the work of setting yourself up for success at Turing, across financial and emotional domains. Take out a loan if necessary, but don't try to work a job while in Turing.

Plan on putting your regular life on hold while at Turing. Work hard to get through the prework, and then some. Work hard, and sleep at least eight hours a day. When you're done, do what they say to get a job, and you'll get a job. Your life will be changed.

I graduated from Turing in June of 2017. I attended the program for eleven months after having repeated two modules. I'm currently at work and want to be quick so if I don't mention something assume it was amazing, 5/5. The professional development I found to be mostly busy work. I already had a LinkedIn set up and in a healthy state. I knew, given my personality, using Twitter wasn't how I was going to find connections and therefore wasn't valuable. College had taught me already how to assemble a decent resume so that wasn't a learning curve. The most valuable part of all the PD was the mod 5 content. I'll link to part 1/3. That put a fire under my butt to really nail my interviews and treat each with great care. Those videos basically showed me to never assume you've made it until you've made it. The only other thing I thought wasn't maximum potent value add were weekly gear up sessions. Every Friday we would take a couple hours to dive in on a topic of controversy and while this is a fun exercise at best you leave it being on the "right" side of the argument and at worst you lose ground with peers and instructors. I think just leaving that off the table for consideration would be a benefit to Turing.

Briefly, let's talk about the amazing. Turing is hands down, the best education regarding any subject matter I have received. Everyone at the program is there because they want to be and that makes a world of difference in how much effort I put into the work. There are no games around work that can be skipped and work that really matters. No, it all matters and someone has thought deeply about why that content shouldn't end up on the cutting room floor. 

8 months ago, I was working as a financial aid officer at a small school and I was bored out of my mind. Career growth was small and I knew I wanted to do something that challenged me and elevated my current level of living. Through a lot of research and talking to alumni, I settled on Turing School. I started in June 2018 in the Back End Engineering program and just graduated a few weeks ago (January 2019). The down and dirty is Turing was the most difficult, yet rewarding thing I have ever done.

The work load is intense. I spent the better of 50-70 hours per week working on projects and studying. Stress levels were high, work-life balance was very very hard to maintain and most of us really didn't have much of a life outside of Turing. We were in it together though and the support amoung my classmates and the staff was amazing. The friends I made over those 7 months will be my friends forever, no doubt! I have a family and kids and juggling those responsibilites with school was very very difficult. But holy crap I learned so much!!! More than I thought I was capable of! I didn't have a background in software, just some exploring here and there, but I can now create full web apps! I surpassed all expectations I had of myself and Turing surpassed all expectations I had of the school. The community is amazing, there is tons of support and resources if someone is needing technical help, emotional help, job search help, etc. The mentor and alumni community is strong and they are almost always willing to help however they can. 

From my graduating cohort of 16 people in the Back End program, one of us had a job offer at graduation. Many have had multiple interviews and are progressing in the job search. Turing has great support in this area and if you do the things they tell you, you will be successful! 

If I had to do it again, I would in a heartbeat. Those 7 months were emotionally strenuous, stress levels were crazy, I cried many a time, but Turing helps you push through, dig in, and learn how to code. The program is extremely immersive as it needs to be to teach you so much in such a short period of time. The in-person structure was key for me. Having that community and accountability was the reason for my success. We did individual and group projects which allowed us to learn more from our peers and to build our collaborative skills as well. (Read: great for employement!!!) 

I could go on forever about why Turing was so great, but if you really want to see what it's like, talk to an alumni, attend a Try Turing event, or attend some sort of information event.

I would absolutely recommend Turing, but one who might attend should be aware of the time commitment. If you have questions, you can find any Turing alumni on LinkedIn and they will most likely be happy to talk to you about the program! 

I attended Turing for eight months. I had a decent overall experience, and ended up getting an amazing job after only completing 3/4 of the program. I learned what I needed to in order to excel in my current job. I think that there are several things that could be changed at turing however. Firstly, Turing promotes transparency, yet doesn't release statistics on how many students end up repeating a module. Most of the students that I knew ended up repeating one or more modules. Turing should release these statistics and realize that in order for people to save up an appropriate amount of money and plan ahead, they need to be honest about the module repetition system. I also think they should re-evaluate how they assess and deal with possible cases of academic dishonesty, especially when it comes to accusing entire classes of cheating. My entire class was accused multiple times, even though we all knew that the accusations weren't legitimate, and as far as I know, no one was actually singled out(which would be pretty easy to figure out in that its CODE). Overall, I met a lot of amazing people, learned a lot, but was dissapointed in the general management.

Making the decision to go to Turing was terrifying but I've never felt better about a decision in my life. 

The curriculum is intentionally designed to give you the skills and underlying understanding that it takes to succeed as a developer. The instructors and staff are passionate and lovely people. The program is very demanding (60 hrs a week minimum to get by, and you'll probably want/need to do more), but with dedication is totally doable and the community really comes together to support each other.

I absolutely love the job I have now, but I miss that basement.

Attending the backend program at Turing was hands-down the most challenging and rewarding educational experience of my life (previously I completed undergraduate and master's degrees from a large state university). I chose this program for its strong curriculum, educational integrity, and non-profit mission, and I am so happy I learned to code at Turing. With any immersive/intensive experience, you must go into it expecting to do nothing else while in the program; you cannot work outside of the program, you must line up help with childcare and household duties, you should not plan any trips or weekend getaways over the seven-month period, and you must put your entire focus on your learning (and in many cases relearning how to learn in a context like Turing). I basically told my friends and family, "see you in seven months." If you cannot manage your time in that way while also getting 8 hours of sleep each night and other self-care you may need, you may struggle in this program. You must limit distractions and become incredibly self-reliant when it comes to asking for help (from other students, mentors, etc.) and seeking solutions outside of class. If you are the type who always did well in school, this program will humble you (which I find appropriate given how humbling the career of software developer can be). You will learn how to communicate well and collaborate with a team through group projects.

You will be expected to manage your own job hunt (there is no "placement service" although Turing is well-known/respected among hiring managers and employers often come to Turing to find candidates), but the Turing curriculum includes great professional-development sessions and resources to prepare you to do so successfully. Turing provides excellent instruction and a lot of wonderful resources, but in the end, you are in charge of your success in the program and job hunt. If you get behind or need more instruction, you have the option to repeat a module (there are four modules in the seven-month program) for an additional charge.

Turing is hard, stressful and relentless in ways I'd never experienced before, but it's also fun, inclusive and definitely worth it. If I had to do things over again, I would have done considerably more pre-work and online learning before starting the program—possibly like six months' worth of part-time solo studying since I didn't come from a technical background. I also highly recommend attending one of the "Try Coding" workshops Turing runs on weekends before deciding to enroll. Once you're in: Keep repeating to yourself, "This is really hard, but I can do this" because it's true, and just keep going.

Before attending Turing, I researched a lot of bootcamps. I transitioned my career from a completely different field and wanted to make sure I made the right choice to launch my new career as a software developer. After all the research, it still felt a bit like a leap of faith, but I could not be happier with my choice to attend Turing. My impression of most bootcamps is that they are "pay-to-play" and regardless of whether you retain any meaningful knowledge or skills, they ship you out in to the world and call you a developer. That is not the case with Turing and you will be thankful for it later. The Turing program is rigorous and ever changing to keep up with the latest technology. Their staff is unbelievably skilled and knowledgeable and if you want to move forward through the program you have to pass legitimate assessments. You will see some of your new peers/friends fall behind, or even drop out - this is a good thing. The academic rigor and refusal to graduate someone who is woefully unprepared is what has set Turing apart from their competition and, at least in the Denver, I think the tech scene has recognized that. Turing is doing a great job of breaking the stigma around bootcamps with employers that other camps have created by churning out underqualified devs in the name of profit (Turing is a non-profit). 

Turing does a great job with professional development and preparing you to find a job, but they won't just hand you a job. That being said, most developers bounce around within the 'gig economy' that is software development and taking the time to learn how to craft your resume and a nice portfolio is worthwhile when you are ready to put your name back out in the market for your 2nd or 3rd opportunity. The teachers are great, but a special shoutout goes to the supporting players that run the professional development and personal growth side of the curriculum. 

10/10 would do it again. 

TL;DR - This isn’t a place you come to just to get good grades and earn a certificate; this is a place to get job ready. Along the way, you’ll likely be part of an awesome community and meet some amazing people.

Before continuing, I’ll preface my more detailed review with a reminder that this comes from own experiences which, of course, can/will be different from others’.

Regarding the technical curriculum, I think it was generally well structured in that there’s an initial focus on the basics of programming before they dive into more practical and applicable skills. Throughout the program, there’s a common theme that I think worked very well - that is, they often position students to explore a topic on their own before formally teaching it. As difficult as this was, this did two things for me. The first is that it allowed me to have context for any particular lesson/topic being taught. The second is that it allowed me to be confident in exploring unknowns and being self-sufficient as a developer. I think the second is a necessary skill for developers to practice.

The instructors and staff are an amazing group of people who really care about the growth of their students. They range from Turing alumni to individuals with years of experience in the field. As an aside, for those like me, I initially had some concern about being taught by alumni with no experience in the field. But not only was this a non-issue (they were all very knowledgable), looking back, I’d now view this as a positive.  It was great to learn topics from someone who could easily “meet me where I was”, which I think the alumni-turned-instructors were all very good at doing. Lastly and maybe most importantly, all of the staff (including Jeff) are not afraid to make changes to the their teaching styles or curriculum based on student feedback or relevant changes in the field.

Finally, I’ll speak very briefly about the overall community. I really felt like this is a place designed to push individuals to grow personally as well as technically. There are plenty of non-technical sessions that explicitly did this, and I think those were extremely useful. But aside from those, I think the personalities of the staff and students collectively add up to a community of people that want to make a positive impact on the tech and larger community.

(Like a lot of things in life) Turing is what you make it, but the school's done a great job of providing the environment for you to grow in a lot of ways. Overall, I really appreciate my experience at Turing.

I want to preface this by stating that these are my experiences.  I can only speak for myself, and hope that this review is seen as singular, not an accurate portrayal of every experience at Turing.  These are my opinions and should be consumed as such.

Turing is a special place.  A strong, tight-knit community where there is almost a 1:1 ratio of giving and recieving.  When I started here, I had zero experience working with computers.  I was worried that I wouldn't be successful, or able to perform to the standards of Turing, my instructors, or my peers.  I did not come from a math or science background, and was worried, especially as the first week passed, that there were others who might be more successful than me, due to their previous experiences, or their "programming-brain-type".  

What it really came down to was putting in the work.  For someone like me where things did not necessarily come right away, I had to put in the work.  I had to study every day before and after school.  It wasn't easy.  It wasn't glamorous, but I eventually ended up having a lot of fun doing it, and looked forward to practicing concepts I had learned.  

If you're thinking about taking the leap, know that you are landing in a community of people who care about your development as a learner, a thinker, and a human being.  This is not a place for a quick fix.  It is a place to build a foundation that allows you to learn whatever you set your mind to.  That being said, the time required (in my experience) to be successful is huge, and should not be taken lightly.  If you are not sure if you will be able to devote the majority of your time to learning, Turing might not be the place for you.

I am who I am today, in large part, because of my experiences at Turing. Coming into the program, I had a very slight "edge", in that I had taught myself some code over the period of about 6 months. By the end of the program, though, that edge was non-existent. We were all equals.

I have never so consistently felt that I was surrounded by individuals (staff and students alike) that wanted nothing more than to better themselves and those around them. It's absolutely infectious and I can guarantee that,  if nothing else, Turing will inspire you to transcend your former self and you will try to become something more. As many of the other reviews have stated, you can expect 70-80 hour work weeks here. There will be incredibly intense struggles, moments where you feel like you can't.

But then you will. 

 And out of that process of living somewhere between the edge of success and failure for 7 months, you'll become a well rounded software developer who is more than ready and capable to join the work force. More importantlty than that, though, you'll become a well rounded human being. The relationships I developed while at Turing are some of the most dear I've had over the course of my entire existence. It's a family. I walked away with numerous mentors, people I know will be in my wedding party someday, endless professional contacts, and a sense of pride I had never previously experienced. My perspectives were challenged, my paradigms shifted, and I became a little bit more of the type of person I'd truly like to be.

That said, you can absolutely expect to make intense sacrifices. Friends from outside the program, family, and other relationships will become strained. At the time of writing this, I am the 10th or 11th known (thanks for loosely keeping track of this stat, Jeff) engaged person to leave the program no longer engaged to their former fiance. While this may sound like a tragedy, it's the best thing that ever happened to either one of us. We both grew due to my experience at Turing, into individuals that no longer fit in a pair. And out of that, came the opportunity to pursue who we truly are. 

I use that example to (hopefully) paint a picture of just how intense this program is. You will leave different than you came.

But, it'll be the best thing you've ever done.