LearningFuze

I am writing this review from the perspective of someone who had no prior programming experience before attending LearningFuze. Before I delve into the actual review, I want to take a moment to forewarn anyone who is currently mulling over attending a... Read More full immersion accelerated program. You should be 100% certain that you are able and willing to devote yourself entirely for the duration of the program. That means 12+ hours a day of schoolwork and studying. Every day. That also means that you should enjoy what you are studying. If you have a passion for what you are learning, you will soon be wishing there were more hours in the day. Your days will fly by.

Tldr; be absolutely positive this is what you want to do. Passion is key. You get what you put into it.

Now that we are on the subject of passion, every single instructor at LearningFuze has it in spades. If you are local, do yourself a favor and attend one of their info sessions. I attended numerous info sessions throughout Southern California and while all of them were very informative, none came close to the impression LearningFuze gave me. They were (are) completely transparent and they just give off such a genuine and friendly vibe. I trusted my instincts and went with LearningFuze.

My advice is simple, attend their info session. Keep in mind that whichever bootcamp you do end up choosing, you will basically be living there for the next 3-4 months. I don't know about you but a friendly environment with positive energy is at the top of my list.

I came from a career in the finance industry and had zero training prior to attending LearningFuze. Dan (lead instructor) has the rare gift of using the perfect analogies to explain a new concept to someone with no prior experience. His knack for finding the right wavelength for each individual student is something else. For those who are worried about not being challenged enough, he will make time to give you something more challenging. For those who feel afraid that they are falling behind (you will feel this way at some point - look up 'Impostor Syndrome'), he will make time to help you until you understand the subject at hand fully. LearningFuze is the top-rated bootcamp because of this man. The rest of the staff is great as well. They all have this infectious positive energy that resonates throughout the school.

On a side note, taking the two root level courses before the full immersion will help immensely. I could not see myself getting through the full immersion without first going through Root Level One and Root JS classes. Do yourself the favor and take them. Do not rush yourself into attending the next available full immersion course if you are not ready, you will only be cheating yourself. You can read the other reviews below to get more input into the curriculum, instructor availability and job support. I have rated them all 5 stars.

I have just wrapped up on the program and I am in my first week after completing the program. I wanted to throw in my two cents regarding my experience with learningfuze . Before I decided to join learningfuze , I did a lot of research regarding bootcamps... Read More in fear that they may not be as beneficial as I have heard. I had read a ridiculous amount of reviews and attended many info sessions and spoke with a great number of alumni spanning across multiple bootcamps i have narrowed it down to. The key things that had stuck out to me regarding learningfuze were transparency , post graduation support , in general all the support you are given and have access to during the entire program and after you graduate , with the one goal of getting a development job.
My experience as I went through the program was exactly what all the reviews said , the testimonials I got from current students and alumni. You start the program learning fundamentals which will set you up for success down the road. You are constantly working on projects , pushing your boundaries , learning new things , and so much more. During my time here , I always had access to the resources I needed to succeed , if it was questions regarding code or resume or anything in between. One thing that I constantly heard was you get out what you put in , and that holds true here. It was tough work and there is a lot of work , but if you stick with it and put in the effort you will get everything you want out of this program .

I have just wrapped up the 12-week full immersion program at LearningFuze and wanted to share my thoughts because I know when I was looking for a boot camp I wanted to read as many reviews as possible.

LearningFuze was not the first boot camp I attended.... Read More I started out at another full immersion program in the area and I realized very quickly that I had made a mistake. Having spent two weeks at another program, I feel I have a unique perspective on the quality of instruction that LearningFuze offers.

Here are a couple of the things that I found most important.

LearningFuze focuses on coding fundamentals. You need to start with the basics and work your way up. The lead instructor, Dan, takes great care in making sure you understand the code you are writing and that you aren’t just memorizing the syntax without grasping the underlying concepts.

If a boot camp is trying to teach you React.js in the first or second week of the program when you can barely write a for loop in Javascript, run away! You need a solid foundation in Javascript first, not just a couple weeks of "pre-work" classes.

LearningFuze has plenty of instructors available to help you. One of the most frustrating things about the first boot camp I attended was the lack of assistance. There was one instructor for 14 students. If I had a question, I had to put myself in a queue and sometimes have to wait a couple hours if I was stuck while he was helping other students. What a waste of time! LearningFuze has at least seven instructors. I think the ratio of students to instructors is about 5 to 1. This makes it so easy to get the help you need. I have never had to wait very long at all to get the help I need and there are instructors on site almost every Saturday also.

Once the boot camp ends, the instructors are still there for you, assisting with getting your portfolio put together and polished. There are also career services available that I will be using now that I have graduated. I haven't rated them yet, since I am just getting started with that part of the program, but I am confident that I will be satisfied with that aspect of the program as well.

What you need to know:

Doing well at a boot camp requires a tremendous amount of time and dedication. If you are not able to put in the effort, it won’t matter where you attend school. You should expect to be putting in about 12 hours a day and working on the weekends too. Make sure your friends and family know you will be MIA for about three months.

It is challenging, but it is a great experience!

I am writing this review from the standpoint of completing 7 out of 12 weeks of this intense full immersion program. I still have 5 weeks left and everything about the program has been constantly exceeding my expectations.
------------
My prior programming... Read More experience:

-HTML/CSS/JavaScript from codeCademy/freeCodeCamp
-Java exposure from my previous logistics job

I had a lot of holes in my understanding of programming concepts and didn't know how to bring it all together. It was difficult learning on my own due to my limited knowledge and lack of mentorship.

Which prompted me to start my search for a coding boot camp where the environment would push myself past my limits and build a stronger foundation in programming.

How I found LearningFuze (LFZ):
I inquired several coding boot camps around OC/LA through SwitchUp, CourseReport, and info sessions. LFZ stood out the moment I took up their free offer of sitting in on some of their lectures.

The staff, current students, and alumni are very transparent about their boot camp experience. It was a breath of fresh air compared to some other institutions around the area, especially for someone who was brand new to programming.
------------
Why I chose LearningFuze:
After a few days of sitting in on their lectures, I discovered that I loved the teaching style of Lead Instructor Dan. He breaks down problems to a human level/plain english to solidify the concept and then correlates that idea to the code.

After a few weeks of sitting in on lectures here and there, I decided to bite the bullet and enroll into their Root Level One class (1 of 2 of the pre-requisite classes before joining full immersion)

It was after taking the Root Level One class that I decided to really try and join the full immersion by moving on to their RootJS class (the second pre-requisite class before joining full immersion)

I was amazed at how well the other staff could explain concepts and really relate to the student because guess what? The majority of staff have been through the full immersion and excelled at the program. There is a student-instructor ratio of 5 to 1,
so help is never too far away.

No need to worry about office hours because everyone at LFZ (including alumni) are reachable through the LFZ Slack channels. Whether it's fellow students, alumni, and staff; everyone is friendly and open about code that I feel it nurtures a great environment to have focused learning on programming.
------------
What is the full immersion like?

The curriculum is INTENSE.
A prospective student should take a Root class at LFZ and really see if programming is for them before proceeding any further.

JavaScript, JavaScript, JavaScript!!!!!
If there is something I could have improved on before joining full immersion is more practice with JavaScript. This was the same advice I was given by alumni, current students, and instructors. They were 200% correct, but I do not regret too much about beginning the full immersion at the level of JavaScript I knew at the time.

Although the curriculum is well structured, it is fast-paced. I struggle every day, but it is all worth it because what I learn is so invaluable. Students are not only taught programming languages, but how to approach a problem and think of a solution. We are taught to break down problems down to a human level and translate our human solution to a coding solution.

Expect to spend 10-14 hours Monday-Friday to learn from lectures, practice-problems, and projects. Maybe 8 hours on Saturdays to help catch up for when you fall behind (yes almost everyone will fall behind)

The program is designed to have students fail. This is because the faster we fail, the faster we learn from our mistakes and keep moving forward. Students would rather fail during the boot camp than to fail at an actual job.

The curriculum also covers whiteboard interviews and resume / portfolio building.
As many other reviewers have stated before. You really get everything out of this program depending on how much time/effort you put into it.
------------
Advice:
Be 100% committed, you will have to make sacrifices. Especially with Netflix, friends/family/significant others. Just communicate well with who need to keep in touch with.
Communication is KEY! If you have questions, don't stay quiet! Just ask if you don't understand or else you will fall behind.
Attitude. We are all here to learn, don't ruin it for others by being a jerk.
DO NOT COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS!
To be honest, I still struggle with this everyday. I need to constantly remind myself that there will always be those better/worse than me. What I learned is that everyone from all walks of life can bring something to the table. So don't count yourself out so early in the game
It's a marathon, not a race.

LearningFuze is a great bootcamp with instructors who will do their best to solidify your JavaScript skills. I was always asking Cody for practice problems in the beginning to build my foundation and he was always willing to help and come up with new... Read More problems. Dan is excellent at breaking problems down and trying to make sure everyone is on the same page and understands thorogougly before moving onto the next topic. For any future students reading this, make sure you are disciplined enough to put in 10-12 hour days and even weekends. For the most part, I was always the earliest to arrive and last to leave because I knew that I would be distracted at home. It will be tough to want to study and code on the weekends, especially Sunday but it will make a significant difference. What's great is that LFZ is open on Saturdays with instructors being present. I took a part-time Javascript course for about 3 weeks at a previous bootcamp in the Irvine area and made the switch over to LFZ and I have no regrets - at the part time program, our homework was to do codeacademy and freecodecamp... The prototypes and the curriculum at LFZ are superior and you will get what you put in.

It has definitely been a wild ride at LearningFuze…I only say that because your really taken out of your comfort zone when you enter the world of development. From things you never thought you would have to think of and breaking down your own logic, piece... Read More by piece. Despite all the challenges that came from being a part of the cohort and changing my career completely, the staff and even the people in my cohort were very helpful and supportive. The environment was definitely filled with down to earth people that really cared about one another and would be some lasting friendships for years to come.

One thing that I especially liked about LearningFuze was that despite graduating, all the lectures and materials are still available to you for however long you may need them. They definitely keep in contact with each cohort to see how everyones doing and to make sure that everyone is on the right track in terms of getting a job; as well as providing mock interviews, resume reviews, and portfolio reviews/approval even after the cohort.

Seeing where I stand 6 months after I officially started in development, I would say that I am definitely grateful and glad that I went through the cohort…I finally found what I’m passionate about and coding happens to be it!

If you’re passionate about programming and/or serious about becoming a developer, then LearningFuze is the right place for you. You’ll learn so much about web development during the course of the program. It won’t be easy but if you have the determination,... Read More then nothing can stop you.
The instructors at LearningFuze are very friendly and helpful. They will stay late after class to help you with questions and concerns. After the program, there’s also help available with portfolio building and job hunting.
I was an accounting, but now I’m a web developer. I’m very happy with where I am right now

I had programming experience prior to joining this boot-camp but many of the people in my cohort did not. Learning Fuze does a great job at sparking interest in new comers while also giving veterans the challenge they want and need. If you're planning... Read More on becoming a web developer, this school teaches you everything you need to get your foot in the door.

They also do a great job fostering a fun environment. You're always welcome so even if you don't walk out the door with an opportunity, their doors are never closed and they are always very willing to help you on any project (even if you have a job, they are still willing to help).

This program is beyond exceeding my expectations. Coming into a program that is as condensed and accelerated as a boot camp, I was very concerned on the quality of education I would be receiving. I was quickly relieved as the instructors are extremely... Read More knowledgeable. Of course they teach the material, showing great knowledge of the code itself, but they teach more than just syntax and language. A main focus is the thought process behind every decision, and how to arrive at the correct solution for the problem you are currently facing.

I would suggest this program to anyone that is looking to get into software development.

My first impression from attending the Learning Fuze info session was that it seemed most open, organized and welcoming.

Unfortunately, I ignored my gut intuition to go to Learning Fuze and chose to attend a different program... it was a huge mistake... Read More a waste of time. I spent 6 weeks going to a different bootcamp that had no proprietary course materials and the coursework/homework that was given was from free learning sites such as CodeAcademy. After about 6 weeks at the other bootcamp I decided it was not right for me, and I made the switch to Learning Fuze.

Unlike at the other bootcamp, in order to even get into Learning Fuze I had to take a skills assessment, and two interviews (in person and over the phone). I also had a white board with the lead instructor due to trying to get into the current cohort. The questions during the white board session showed me how much I did not know. I decided to take the two root courses and then start the next cohort. During the root courses (the pre-courses before starting the full immersion cohort) I learned more than I did at the other bootcamp in 6 weeks!

The full immersion course was paced well and had great flow. The first week and a half or so was review from the root (pre-courses) but with more depth and detail. Instead of simply memorizing how to do things, you learn what, why, how, when etc... to use/do things properly. Also the course is geared towards helping with job interviews and on the job situations. There are hackathon projects, solo projects and a large group project along with other problems/projects if you choose to take them on. Learning Fuze also hosts meet ups, employer talks, alumni talks, etc..

I believe that structure and organization is very important in any business/school. Learning Fuze has that in spades, but Learning Fuze also believes that everyone learns differently so while following the course, they are willing to go the extra mile to help you succeed. They will try and answer your questions in different ways with examples and analogies, so you can try and relate/understand things. I understand why they're rated so high and ranked #1 in Orange County.