University of Arizona Boot Camps

Why choose this one?

I saved up for a year to do a boot camp. I didn't discover programming until my last year of college. I felt like it was too late for me but then I heard about different boot camps that were gaining popularity. I interviewed with countless boot camps for web dev but never had the courage to take the leap especially when they would lay out their requirements to work for a company of their choice afterwards and move to a location of their choice. I was scared to spend my money on that.

It wasn't until I heard about this coding boot camp that provided a certificate from a legitimate and academically recognized organization such as the University of Arizona, that I finally decided it was worth it. I wanted my certificate to come form an organization I trusted and that I knew others would trust. Now people will see my certificate and know it is U of A approved. I'm proud to add a U of A certificate to my resume.

What's great about doing it at the university?

Being on campus made it easier to hop on over to the library afterwards and get awesome study hours in. Being in such an academic setting/environment personally helped me stay focused throughout. I've been able to take advantage of the university career fairs and be close to a location where recruiters like to visit.

In the boot camp, I was able to network with many people from different walks of life and meet professionals in the field. It was inspiring and still is. The career services helps to refine your resume and prep you for interviews or freelancing/contracting. They've provided me with great freelance materials also.

Advice you would give to other prospective students to ensure success.

Difficulties for me: 

Time management - I did the part time camp so I got out of work at 430 pm and then I would go to class every other day until 10 pm. Also, I have a family, I work full-time, I was trying to stay healthy with moderate exercise, and I'm finishing my masters degree so..... The first 2/3 of the class were fine but then my actual school semester started and we started more intensive final projects in the boot camp at the same time for our final demo presentation day where different companies would be present. I had friends in the same situation and they opted to just quit their jobs for the last month and hope to get a job right after the class ended. I decided to keep my job and continue my masters but I definitely owed my family some quality time after.

How I managed:

Ask for help and give help- I was always been given the help I needed. Don't get stuck on homework for hours on end because you think you're going to figure it out eventually or you're too embarrassed to ask. I often slacked the TA's or teacher for help and was able to save lots of time this way. Also, for student who are struggling more than others, there is free personal tutoring available. The best way to learn is to turn around and help someone else who has the same problem as you were having.

Perspective- It wasn't until the end that I realized how far I had come. I look back at the first homework and realize I could do it in less than 30 minutes now even though it took me 5-7 hours the first time I did it. The entire time I felt like I was always falling behind because of my schedule. So stick with it even if you do bad on a homework or a few because in the end you will have learned so much more from trying than if you had given up. You will also become independent in your ability to learn new languages and web development tools. 

Just do it- Do it all even if it's not going well at times. Every programmer has ups and downs, brick walls ...you name it. Some things make more sense to others than it does to you but even you will have your moments where something just clicks. I've had weeks where I totally understood the material and I was helping others and then there were weeks where that was completely reversed. It's an educational process.

I signed up for this Bootcamp as I felt "stuck" in my current position.

I am a Front End Web Developer for a small (quickly growing) company that makes websites for companies. I really liked my job, but got panned for any promotions that came my way. 

I took this course, and learned Node, React, Mongo, and so much more and it quickly raised my value. The career services portion walked me through how to tighten my resume and online presence. I think overall this helped me the most. Before the program was over I was getting a TON of calls offering me positions in the valley. 

My employer quickly took notice and made me an offer. I really enjoy where I work, so I ended up getting what I wanted all along. I honestly can't thank the team that handles this bootcamp enough. Totally worth every cent paid!