As the longest-running Orange County code school, we’ve seen numerous graduates go on to well paid (and highly rewarding!) development careers. BUT…we’ve been doing this long enough to know that full time development bootcamps like LearningFuze aren’t for everyone.

Specifically, here are three indicators that a coding school might not be the best fit for you.

You think of web development as no more than a potentially fun hobby.
Success at a coding bootcamp like LearningFuze requires more than simply a passing interest in web development. For the hobbyists and “dabblers” out there, the Internet is littered with free resources such as Codecademy and many others. If you simply include “programming” alongside surfing, fantasy football, and Netflix-ing on your list of pastimes, a coding bootcamp may not be the best use of your time/money.

The goal of development bootcamps is to provide you with practical coding skills that will catapult you forward in achieving your tangible goals. You don’t need professional coding experience or a computer science degree to get started, but you DO need to be serious about learning and willing to put in some serious hours and effort. Students who think coding “might be kinda fun” may lack the determination needed to stick with it through the tough times.
You like to think of yourself as a “one person wolfpack”.
Some people work best by themselves. They like to set their own course, be the one calling all the shots, be accountable only to themselves, etc. If this describes your preferred learning style and you have the discipline to make it work for you, more power to you, but it definitely does not describe how we work at LearningFuze. Since real-world development usually involves working with others, we believe that web development is best learned in a collaborative, team-based environment doing not only individual projects but also group projects, and we have structured our 14-week bootcamps to reflect this. Collaboration with fellow students and 1-on-1 interaction with instructors is the norm.
You work best in a low-pressure, low-stress environment.
Web development bootcamps are not called “web development day spas” for a reason. They’re fun, team-focused, and high energy, but they’re also challenging, fast-paced, intense, and sometimes downright frustrating. All of this is by design. We’re trying to cram a development education into 14 weeks which is far more condensed than a CS degree program! There will definitely be times when you are stretched beyond your comfort zone. Problems arise and are addressed on the fly. Here again, all of this is on purpose. Learning to code can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also be very hard – no different from mastering any new skill! There’s no shame in having a preference for a calm, quiet work environment. You’re just not likely to find that at most coding schools, especially ones serious about getting you to where you need to be quickly.

Don’t recognize yourself on this list? Live within driving distance of Orange County? Come check out LearningFuze’s next Info Session or contact us with any questions!