How do I make my coding bootcamp experience a success? At LearningFuze, our instructors often hear this question with the start of each new cohort. A better question to ask would be: what type of mentality should you have before and during a coding bootcamp to best lead to success? Our Senior Lead Instructor Tim Davis crafted some helpful tips on the best practices to maintain a successful experience. 

Try Coding Before

It’s a no-brainer that you will be better at things that you enjoy. The same applies to coding. Before enrolling in a bootcamp, make sure coding is the right path for you. It is not for everyone. Dabble in JavaScript and Python. As Davis said, “If you get something to work and you get a little dopamine hit, that’s probably a good sign that coding is right for you.”

Check your Routine

A coding bootcamp is intense. At LearningFuze, our job is to enrich and inflame your passion for coding. This is accomplished through challenging and strengthening your abilities. You might have a set workout routine, a full social calendar, or family obligations. It’s important to understand that the heavy demands of enrolling in a coding bootcamp will take priority over these other commitments. 

Know Your Commitment Level

After checking your routine, you need to ask yourself two questions: Do I enjoy coding? And Can I organize my life around it? If the answer is yes to both, then you’re on the right path. The two key ingredients to a successful bootcamp experience are an innate love for the subject matter (coding!) and a willingness to organize your life around the demands of the bootcamp. At LearningFuze, we want you to be successful, and the only way we can accomplish this is if you’re 100% dedicated. 

Be Available 

Aside from rearranging your schedule, it’s also vital to ensure you are mentally and emotionally available. What do we mean by this? We aren’t talking about the time commitment. The intense nature of the bootcamp will challenge you. Outside mental and emotional pressures will only make your experience more challenging. Where possible, try to limit or eliminate any pressures that threaten to compromise your ability to effectively learn. 

Keep an Open Mind

The purpose of a coding bootcamp is to prepare you for a job as a developer. In practice, this means you will be introduced to concepts and tools which you have never heard of and may find interesting or challenging. It’s critical to keep an open mind. Just because you don’t enjoy a particular language or concept does not mean that you still won’t enjoy it after further mastery. Trust in the process. At times, it will be challenging and frustrating. However, maintaining an open mind will keep you headed in the right direction. 

Take Care of Yourself

We’ve said it many times before, but a coding bootcamp is not easy. You may feel the need to be constantly working or practicing with little breaks. This will only lead to fatigue. Take the time to see friends, to work out, and to visit family. Be careful to eat well and receive enough sleep. You want to make sure your mind is fresh every day to maximize what you get out of the bootcamp experience. 

Altogether, enrolling in a coding bootcamp will be both the most challenging and rewarding thing you do. Our instructors have guided students towards productive careers in web development for years. They’ve seen firsthand the practices which make for a successful coding bootcamp experience. So, trust the experts when they say organizing your life around the bootcamp and maintaining a positive mentality throughout the course are two of the keys to success.