DevLeague

Hello review seeker, I just finished DevLeague a couple weeks ago… be prepared for a long but genuine review of Hawaii’s only coding bootcamp. Let me also preface this review by stating that other than knowing a bit of HTML / CSS, I have absolutely no... Read More coding knowledge or experience.

Before enrolling myself in their immersive full-time program, like you and many others… I did my research and tried to find any review or resource I could get my hands on about this school. When I stumbled upon CourseReport and saw all their 5 star reviews, the cynic in me couldn’t believe this boot camp (let alone one all the way in Hawaii) could achieve so many positive reviews, so naturally I assumed most were fake. It wasn’t until I personally met (or saw around school) a lot of these “rando” names that were being used on CourseReport, did in fact belong to actual people and these are genuine reviews from REAL DevLeague alumni.

Taking the plunge with DevLeague as my sidekick was a huge risk for me as I was working full-time in a non-tech job but one of the major deciding factors in choosing this coding bootcamp was the fact that I WOULD be able to make this big career switch in just a few short months and I didn’t have to step foot out of Hawaii.

Being the premature baby dev that I was with no coding background, I enrolled in their JavaScript prep course so I could gain enough knowledge to submit my coding challenge entry. Vic was our main instructor during the 4-week prep course and he was (and still remains) one of my favorite people I’ve met through DevLeague. It’s hard to say *favorite* because honestly, pretty much everyone at DevLeague was awesome and I’m really glad to be a part of this community.

I remember when I first started attending prep class, I was really shocked (but impressed) with the sense of support and community from everyone at DL. Previous graduates would come back to help out or various alumni popped in to give some advice, even students from other classes would stop by to see how we were doing. Needless to say, I really felt the support system there and it’s obvious it trickled down from the top.
I wouldn’t be sitting here today, a DL graduate, if it weren’t for the help and support from Russel and Jason. I can’t count how many emails were passed between Russel and I before I started DevLeague. He was incredibly responsive and resourceful especially when I was going through the process to apply for scholarship, which I was generously awarded. I’m truly grateful for the opportunity they’ve given me.

It’s clearly impossible for me to write a shorter review, especially on something that has had such a big impact, but I’ll try to summarize my experience of the actual bootcamp program:

If you’re looking at the full-time program of 11 hour days, 6 days a week… it seems long, yes, but honestly it passes by pretty quickly especially since you’re jamming on code 70% of the time. My other classmates have the same view as me in this regard.

It’s extremely challenging. I felt so overloaded with information at times that I barely felt like I actually retained anything. That led to me asking myself “Did I make the right decision going through this program?” or “Maybe I’m not meant to be a developer?”

In the beginning, I felt like nothing made sense and it wasn’t until towards the tail end of bootcamp that the pieces started coming together to form a whole picture.

The curriculum is well thought out, projects on point for the topic and I enjoyed the humor in the slideshows. The readme docs are at times confusing (probably getting us used to reading real docs, lol) and some needed updates.

In the end, I wholeheartedly join in and agree with the others in saying “It was the best decision I made” career-wise and if you’re on fence about taking the course or want to ask me for more details about my experience, I’ll be more than happy to answer them for you… shoot me an email jennahscriptAToutlookDOTcom

I recently completed DevLeague's full-time "JavaScript Web Engineer" track, and I highly recommend the program to anyone who is considering entering the world of web/software development without a CS background. The course offers broad and deep exposure... Read More to the fundamental concepts and technologies upon which the Internet is built, so you will be able to jump aboard even without prior CS experience.

Instructors:

The two core instructors of the full-time "JavaScript Web Engineer" course are highly qualified software developers with many years of professional experience. They excelled in explaining technical concepts in a manner which was easy to understand, and they consistently demonstrated patience and a genuine willingness to help and educate all students in the class (even on an individual basis).

Curriculum:

The curriculum was presented in the form of lectures and coding projects. In addition to the fundamentals of JavaScript, the covered topics included, inter alia: React, Angular, AWS (EC2 and S3), Node, Express, XHR, HTTP requests, relational databases (SQL, PostgreSQL, and related ORMs), CSS preprocessing, debugging (Chrome and VSC), database indexing, database normalization, algorithms, data structures, big O notation, object-oriented programming, automation tools, unit testing, templating, hashing, and encryption.

Job Assistance:

The founders of DevLeague are extremely proactive in helping graduates find jobs after completing the program. Prior to graduating, all students are provided with assistance in developing their resumes and practicing for technical interviews. Following graduation, one of the program founders (Russel) continues to make himself available as a valuable resource in your job hunt (locally and abroad). Moreover, the DevLeague community has a strong network of alumni who regularly share job opportunities with other graduates.

Overall Experience:

My overall experience in DevLeague has been extremely positive, and I am glad that I took the plunge. If you are living in Hawaii (or considering moving to Hawaii) and are serious about entering the field of web/software development, you will not regret your decision to attend DevLeague. However, be aware that the time and effort required to succeed will be substantial.

Hello,

I'm a graduate of DevLeague's fullstack JavaScript development track. I've gathered some information that would have been helpful for me to know before I started my journey in the hopes that it'll find you well and offer guidance in your search... Read More for a new career in tech.

First, DevLeague, or any other bootcamp, is not your fast-ticket to a high paying salary. If you're looking to join up at DevLeague looking for a quick way to hit that 6-figure salary, you'll be sorely disappointed. Take it with a grain of salt, since there probably are people making a lot of money with DevLeague credentials, but don't be fooled into thinking it was easy for them. Those of us "legends" (DevLeague graduates) making a decent income is from hardwork. Not from any big shiny spoons feeding us new job opportunities.

Second, the staff are awesome. Simply put, all of the TA's, administrative personnel, even the outsourced HR mock-interview provider are genuine, awesome, people. They are helpful and passionate about what they do and it shows in their guidance and work. Instructors may vary based on your preference: some of them are brilliant coders, but lack the ability to lead a teaching environment. Others excel at teaching, but might not have the "know-everything" expertise. However, the DevLeague staff make an excellent team, as a collective, and are great at what they do.

In terms of curriculum, it was decent but not all-inclusive. When I say it wasn't all-inclusive, don't take that as a negative remark because you have to understand that it's probably impossible to learn many languages in the depth that I learned JavaScript if the curriculum contained multiple languages. This, however, was a bit of a disconnect for me: Most tech firms in Hawaii (which is where this school is based and has the most amount of connections in terms of employment) uses enterprise stacks, like Java or .NET. If the curriculum had a brief introduction and project based on those languages, I might have had a better experiece.

Lastly, job search is very much self-directed. The school offers an expansive network of employers, but given that not many of them are hiring, it makes job searching a grind. If you have dreams of being a developer in Hawaii, then honestly DevLeague is probably your best bet, but even if it's the best bet, it's most definitely not a sure bet. If you don't have a preference for Hawaii as your home, then finding a school and network in the up-and-coming tech hub might be most rewarding. I personally wanted to work in Hawaii, which is why I went through DevLeague.

In closing, I just want to say that my experience with DevLeague was phenomenal. From not knowing how to write a single line of code to writing fullstack, scalable applications in under 6 months is something that this school can help you achieve. I'll say it again, "something that this school can help you achieve." In the end, it comes down to how much grit you have and what you're willing to do to get into this field. I honestly worked my ass off for 6 months and it's paying off now. If you're slacking and waiting for opportunities to drop into your lap, you'll probably be searching for another fast-ticket to a better career not long after a coding bootcamp. So if you're considering a coding bootcamp, make sure you reflect on what it is that you want, first.

Regards,

My time at Dev League was definitely one to remember, a whirlwind of constant information, long hours, and the persisting thoughts of WHAT THE HECK AM I DOING HERE?!?! But amongst the never ending chaos that is Dev League lies hope, a light at the end... Read More of the tunnel. From the bond that is created between fellow students with the support to keep trudging forward to the insight and guidance of the amazing staff I was always able to shake any doubts that I had along the way.
Now with all the warm and fuzzies out of the way lets talk about the technical side of this bootcamp, a month before the in person classes begun we started with a "Init" program which consisted of group skype calls several days a week with daily check-ins to see what we were working on to ramp us up to the 11 hour days we were meant to become accustomed too. In this first month we covered Javascript fundamentals and what to expect in the upcoming months. This was a nice step and a good introduction into the bootcamp life style but did not reflect how hard we would hitting the ground with the expectation to keep running from the first day on. Before I continue let me say that Dev League does offer a prep course outside of the actual bootcamp which I did not take and still deeply regret not taking. It is not impossible to finish without the prep class but I spent A LOT of my own time playing catch up.
The course itself is a mad dash of learning and completing assignments, some of which you will not be able to complete in the allotted time. Most days start with a warm up, then a lecture, and the rest of the day is spent working on a related assignment. It is difficult to almost impossible to retain everything from the lectures but there is always staff members available to answer any questions you have. Even late at night after everyone has left I was able to message one of our teachers for help and get a response. The teachers really do an amazing job at getting you understand as much as possible in such a short amount of time, this field really is gigantic and ever changing and I commend Dev League to whittling down these subjects to important need to know information and having the patience to teach it to someone like me with almost no previous experience.
Besides learning code they also prepare you for the real world after the bootcamp has ended, there is always talk of best practices what the culture of our career will be like and how to become successful in this field. They really do cover everything you'll need, working on your resume, preparing you for job interviews, what to do when you get a job, even what to do to move forward to a better job. It is also very evident that Dev League keeps strong communication with past students who will often drop by to catch up and drop knowledge which is very comforting.
All in all Dev League in my opinion is great, not only do they do an exceptional job at teaching you what is in their curriculum but they have found the perfect balance of pushing you to the edge while taking the time to make sure you understand the details. I come away from this program with the knowledge and work ethic to feel confident in pursuing this career. I also firmly believe no matter who you are, whether programming is completely new to you or you are looking to further your career, Dev League will prove to be invaluable in your future as a developer.

DevLeague is an incredible coding bootcamp that offers two different options for becoming a Javascript Engineer. Either a 12 week full time course or a couple months PT option, I chose the 12 week FT course. From the very beginning they provide you with... Read More a strong foundation in software engineering, and continue to provide you with all the neccessary skills, knowledge and tools required to begin a career as a software engineer.

- They provide an immense amount of support, lots of encouragment.
- During the 12 week program they become your family and afterwards they continue providing support via Slack, introducing you to alumni/legends, supporting you at Hackathons, provide continued support at their campus.
- Jesse and Ed the FT instructors have lots of experience with software development and equally strong skills in teaching.
- They provide challenging and highly rewarding projects that help you feel comfortable with working with Javascript, React, Angular, Nodejs, RDBMS, etc.
- The supporting instructors are always available and willing to support with your learning experience.
- After graduation they provide resume and job search support, by sharing job openings, introductions, stories, and continued tech classes.

After being out of Dev League for a little while now and seeing the caliber of developers out there on the market, I'm realizing that Dev League instilled VERY high quality developer skills and best practices. Their network of developers that are both... Read More instructors, managers, or previous students, is huge and some of the nicest and humblest people who are there to help all students. It's an incredible program built by instructors who really care about each student.

I am enrolled in Devleague's JavaScript web developer program.
Pros:
Quick pace of class allows us to get a feel for real-world learning on the job. Definitely a boot camp feel.
Topics covered are relevant and useful to current job requirements
Instructors... Read More are knowledgeable
Nice class environment and surrounding area with monitors, bathrooms, couch/tv, restaurants
Opportunities for hackathons around Honolulu and getting involved with the dev community
Great jobs support and advice
Cons:
Pricey
Often the class feels unstructured with lots of straight coding time. The instructors are around to help but there's only 1 or 2 instructors for a large class. They encourage us to take breaks but that often leads to students going off on their own and there's no sense of "class" time and collaborative learning.
Instructors are not always clear or concise in their teaching. Sometimes they go off on tangents, cover something irrelevant that is more confusing, or don't answer the questions asked.
Would be nice to have a syllabus to know where we are going and what will be covered.

I attended the Full Time Javascript program at DevLeague from September to December of 2017. In February 2018, I accepted a full stack developer position with the City and County of Honolulu.

Pros:
- Highly knowledgeable and dedicated instructors. The instructors... Read More are there because they want to be there. This is reflected in how much effort they put into helping students learn and understand concepts.
- Wide but deep coverage of current and relevant topics. Saying that there is a lot to cover is an understatement. The instructors did a great job at covering as many topics as possible while providing the depth of knowledge on topics we needed to hold our own in the industry.
- Numerous individual and team projects. You will work in both environments during your career so it is helpful to gain experience early on.
- Post-graduation job assistance. DevLeague has good connections within the tech community. Keep in mind that they won't hold your hand during the job search but they give great guidance and will make introductions if possible.
- Helpful and responsive community. I continue to reach out with questions even after the program. The DevLeague community is more than happy to help.

Cons:
- Not enough time to learn everything. This is to be expected. Learn what you can with the time that you have.

Attending DevLeague was one of the best decisions I have ever made. It was challenging, rigorous, exciting, and fun! I spent three months on the edge of my seat, trying to absorb as much information as possible. Like anything else, the more effort you put into this program, the more you will get out of it. If you're on the fence about taking the plunge, just do it! You will come out on the other side ecstatic that you did.

Hey hey! I attended DevLeague from Sept - Dec 2017 with no coding experience except for their prep course. Feb 2018 I accepted an offer for a non-entry-level position as a backend engineer for a game company in Tokyo.

Pros:
-Good curriculum. After DevLeague... Read More your skillset will match a good majority of web developer job listings (**a lot of time spent on front end frameworks)
-A lot of team projects, so you get used to that GitHub flow
-We had about a month of exercises & online sessions before the actual cohort began, so we didn't have to waste as much time on basics
-Instructors were insanely dedicated, and totally "on" & present every hour of the day, which is crazy. They actually cared about our success, which might be a "Hawaii" thing lol

Cons:
-Some very talented instructors left during my cohort (**Note to my personal secretary: bold this sentence)
-Located in Hawaii, so if you're looking to get a job anywhere else it'll be more difficult to network
-DevOps lectures were ALL OVER the place
-Didn't let me bedazzle my keycard

I am so thankful that I stumbled upon Devleague. I can tell they genuinely care about their students from start to end, and even after graduation. During the screening, they could have just admitted me while being pregnant, but because they care about... Read More my well being, they advised me to delay my admission instead. From that experience alone, I already know that I will be in good hands.

Devleague instructors were really passionate on what they're teaching and has been truly patient. They also give precise feedback on how to improve your learning style. Overall, the curriculum is great and Devleague is expecting that you play your part as a responsible student. I also want to add on how cool the co-founders and the whole team, very approachable and truly supportive.