It’s always a little scary changing jobs. It’s frightening changing careers.
Fortunately, I chose the right one.

In January 2018, my experience with coding was, well, Myspace layouts in the mid 2000’s to junior computer science courses 7 years ago in high school. In July, I went from barely getting my way around a command line prompt to pumping out full-stack web applications I could be proud of.

I will say, this is not a magic pill you can swallow, nor is it to be looked at like a passive investment you can throw money at to instantly become a coding wizard. It’s a serious amount of work that takes serious dedication. You MUST have an inviting, open-mind with a desire to learn, yearning to go home and research more about what you didn’t digest in class, discipline in practice, and you need to be able to handle rejection. Your computer will (likely) reject every problem you try to solve 9 times out 10 until you try that euphoric number 10, and your current solution works as desired (sometimes).

Ultimately, everything you do boils down to 0’s and 1’s. If you do not have any of the traits above, you will be hitting 0’s and not meeting the necessary conditionals, yet if you can do all of the above, you are a perfect, sweet, beautiful 1 and can do whatever you want.

The class begins by walking you down memory lane of the beginnings of the internet and how absolutely horrible we had it. You’ll learn how to operate a command line, HTML and CSS (Myspace anyone?), then you’ll get into Javascript and Jquery and you’ll feel terrible about every life decision you made to that point. But don’t panic, the class will move fast, and you won’t feel confident and comfortable with every step. But you will practice, and you will learn on your own, and then you’ll practice, and then you’ll watch some kid on YouTube breeze through something you thought was practically impossible, and then you’ll practice, and then you’ll do your homework, and then you will get more practice.

You’ll learn what an API is, move on to database management like Firebase and MySQL, and those together will change your views on how the world handles, stores, and processes information (sometimes, a lot of the times, your personal information!). You’ll get into Node.js and not have any idea what it is until you start doing it and continue to do it and, of course, practice. And after that, you might still not know what it is, but you might, probably just know what it does but, eventually, you’ll get into firing up an Express server and BOOM, you’ve created a full-stack application with no clue on how to replicate it aside from looking at previous class examples and/or your code.

And that’s okay, keep doing that.

After that, holy smokes MongoDB, why do we even use SQL databases anymore? To make a long story short on that, it’s flexible, easier to query (and store data) and there are dozens of free services that do most of that for you. But, on the other hand, SQL has the upper hand when it comes to joining and organizing two or more sets of data. But that’s not relevant right now.

What I was getting to this entire time was the mac-daddy React.js. This is going to be very painful, but it is going to be the MOST IMPORTANT PART OF THE CLASS. I said that right, it will combine your entire set of skills up to that point and test your patience on multiple levels. React.js is a front-end framework (what does that mean? *answer: GOOGLE IT*) that the lizard people over at Facebook developed that changed the game for web development (I’m leaving Angular and Vue out of the conversation because I don’t know them and I don’t talk to strangers). But for real, it’s a tough-TOUGH part of the curriculum because it leaves a lot of what you’ve done with HTML/Handlebars/Jquery by the wayside and makes you rethink the way you construct your applications. Luckily, elements of the above still apply which means you can squiggle by, but it will be an essential part of your hiring process as multiple companies are looking for Full Stack MERN (MongoDB/Express/React/Node) Developers.

This class will not hold your hand through the experience. You will be challenged. You will need to practice. You might be in luck, like I was, and have an awesome, engaging, experienced instructor and supported by patient, graduates of the program in teaching assistants and it will make your life easier.

I landed a contract position with an IT service management company two months after the course ended, and you’ll see me in February as a patient, graduate of the program, teaching assistant.

I recommend this to you on the previous conditions of 0’s and 1’s.

var student;

if(student === 1) {

student = fullStackDeveloper;

} else {

student = unsuccessful;

}

Remember, Google and YouTube are your friends, reviewing your, or other people code is your partner, asking for help is your doctor, and practice is your job.

Good luck!

February 11, 2020

I have just finished and graduated from this program couple days ago.

Before this course, I found couple alumni on linkedin and asked them some questions regarding the course. After hearing positive responses from them I had decided to apply.

Our program was 24 weeks long and we had classes on Mondays, Wednesdays and Saturdays. It was a flex program, so I did not have to quit from my job. Majority of the classroom were full-time employed people.

When I started this course I had no prior knowledge about web development and coding.

This course is not definitely easy, but with hardwork and dedication you will absolutely learn a lot of things that you never achieved by yourself. It requires at least 20-25 hours self study each week. At the beginning of the course,we were clearly told that this course requires self study. This course provides excellent resources and free online tutoring. Also each lessons are recorded, so you can watch them again when you need them.

Instructors are very knowledgeable and each classes has at least two TA’s to make sure students understand lesson content. During the course we have learned HTML, CSS, Javascript, Node JS, Express JS, MySql, MongoDB, React JS. At the end of the course, I was able to create my own ecommerce website.

Overall my experience with SMU Bootcamp is very positive and I highly recommend this course to everyone who is looking for a new career in this field.

April 15, 2020

Why choose SMU?
Not only does this program provide incredible support and resources, well versed and experienced instructors, and some of the most dedicated TAs, but you have the added benefit of the SMU name when you leave which looks great on resumes and lets potential employers know you are serious.

How is SMU’s bootcamp different from the others?
There are multiple reasons in my opinion that make SMU stand out. One is the overall passion the staff has for seeing their students succeed and doing everything they can to help you be successful. The instructors are experienced, not only in web development but in teaching fairly difficult subjects to students of various backgrounds.

Another reason is the time and flexibility presented in this course. Many bootcamps are 3 month full-time programs(and SMU does have the option I believe) but for a lot of people like myself it can be very trying even down right impossible to cram all that learning into a three month period, let alone maintain a job throughout. SMU offers a 24 week(6 month) part-time schedule which is far more achievable and allows extra time to really absorb everything you’re learning.

Final Thoughts
I highly recommend this bootcamp! The amount of support received throughout my experience was wonderful. I personally got a little behind early on and my instructors and TAs reached out with genuine concern and support, finding any and every way they could to assist me through difficult times and ensuring my success. Not only is this program manageable, affordable, and enjoyable, but the entire community is there for you when you struggle. Instead of leaving you behind when you fall, they help you up and walk along side you to make sure you meet your goals. SMU is #1 in my book and I guarantee your experience here will truly be life changing.

June 17, 2020

I just graduated from this course and it was an extremely good choice for someone that is ready to start a carreer. The staff is incredibly helpful and willing to help no matter how stressful or complicated the problem is that you are experiencing. the TA’s not only just graduated from the course but continue to expand thier knowledge of the subject which in turn helps the students. after six months of extremely hard work and dedication I would recomend this course to anyone that has a good work ethic and is ready to change carrers.

July 20, 2020

I just recently graduated from the course this past weekend, and I am very satisfied with it. The instructors are phenomenal, career services is very helpful, and I definitely feel like I learned a lot. I entered the course with some programming experience in Python, but no experience in web development. I am happy to say that I am now more than capable of building functional, complex websites and have already landed two job interviews, so clearly the skills that I’ve learned and projects I’ve created are of interest to employers.

My only complaint with the course is that at times the curriculum feels a bit outdated. We spent a lot of time on jQuery and Bootstrap, but neither seem to be particularly valued by most employers. We spent only a small amount of time on React, but most jobs I would like to apply for require it, and I feel that spending more time on it in class would have been greatly beneficial. Overall, this isn’t a huge problem, as with the knowledge I have now, I don’t feel like it will be difficult to polish my skills in areas we didn’t spend as much time on, and it is useful to have skills that are no longer cutting edge so that I can work with older code bases. However, it is still a tad bit disappointing that I feel like I have no real use for some of the early technologies we learned in the class.

That said, I would still highly recommend the course to anyone who is interested in becoming a web developer. It is definitely worth the price.

August 4, 2020

I just finished and graduate 2-16-19

Should you attend?

This is an easy yes! I tried teaching myself how to code for about 2 years (on and off) before joining SMU Coding Bootcamp. Once I got HTML and CSS I got to javascript and I just couldn’t get myself to learn it. The reason was that I wasn’t consistent and I never tried building anything with the knowledge I had. I kept bouncing from tutorial to tutorial. Attending the boot camp fixed that and my ability to learn and understand javascript and the other technologies I learned skyrocketed.

Is it easy?

No, but it is VERY, VERY doable! Do not join without knowing you will dedicate at least 20 hours of self-study each week. We were told from the very beginning that we spend 10 hours in class and need to study 20 hours on our own, so the majority of the leaning is done on your self-study time. However, the boot camp gives you structure and excellent recourses with your instructor, TA’s and free online tutoring (1 hr per week).

Frustration and Doubt

You WILL be frustrated and you will think you’re not getting and just falling behind. Trust me, everyone feels like this! I’m pretty sure my last 8 to 10 weeks were nothing but frustration. You will not be able to see the improvements you’re making but your Instructor and TA’s can see it. Do not give up. You will get it and you won’t believe what you know on the last day from the first day.

Veteran’s

If you are a Veteran the course is 100% paid for by your 9/11 GI Bill and you get a housing stipend. Nothing better I can say about that!

Career Service’s

For reasons that fit my situation, I did not make full use of career services, but I did attend some of the online sessions. I was very impressed with the quality and knowledge of the team that is set up to help you land a job at the end. The sessions and “assignments” offered by Career Services are not mandatory so it’s very easy to ignore them and think you’ll catch up later. If you want/need a job after graduation DO NOT fall behind with this.

Final Thoughts

This is obviously the only boot camp I’ve attended so I don’t have anything to really compare it against. That said, I know that I never would have gained the amount of knowledge I know now on my own…I tried. The instructors and TA’s were awesome and ALWAYS available and willing to help. SMU Coding Boot Camp was one of the best choices I made in 2018.

If you want to get a better idea of my journey you can check out my YouTube channel where I document it. https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPq8rboAHlocWzbrTGIlQw

Feel free to reach out if you have more questions.

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/julio-sanchez-a41404b9/

Twitter: @TechLifeJulio

October 14, 2020

I found and enrolled in this program shortly after graduating with my Bachelor’s. I already knew I wanted to pursue web development, and I figured having a program like this on my resume would help get my foot in more doors. I must say, the content of the course and the backing of the career services has provided me with the confidence to hop back into the job market armed with the right tools.

Is it right for me?
I am but a humble computer programmer who was looking to add more tools to my toolbelt. Many of my classmates were from all walks of life, looking to mix things up a bit. Whatever the reason, if you are interested in knowing what makes the latest web applications tick and want to be part of that, then you are definitely in the right place.

Is it difficult?
They don’t call this a “bootcamp” for nothing. You will be tested; your problem-solving skills will be exercised to the max; you will be frequenting StackOverflow and online documentation until your brain hurts. But nothing can top the sheer satisfaction making a complex program FINALLY produce the expected output. I want to be able to look back someday at a complex program I had a part in operating in the wild and say to myself “Hey, I made that happen.” So save yourself or BUCKLE UP!

How’s the workload?
The brochure said to expect about 20 hours a week outside of class on homework and prep-work in addition to the 10 hours of lecture per week. That’s a pretty accurate estimation on average. Some of the more trivial projects for me took 5 to 10 hours at most on some weeks. However, some of the real tricky monsters had me buried in documentation and tests for close to 30 or more on other weeks. If you already work a significant number of hours at your current job, be prepared for some late nights.

Do I need a programming background before starting this course?
It helps, but it’s not going to make or break you. You may have to go through a bunch of examples and get down in the weeds before something finally clicks, but it’s not impossible.

Career Services and you
The program offers career services for students who are interested. Should you choose to opt-in to it, they help get your resume and online presence spruced up to show employers the key points they look for in potential hires. They also offer a bunch of resources to peruse and make use of. A great support system if you need some guidance in the job hunt.

Should I go for it?
Some things in life aren’t worth achieving if they’re easy. Believe me, you will be tested, but the challenge was worth it. Now is the right time to jump into the tech field, because who knows what computers will be capable of in 10 years.

October 21, 2020