Skillcrush

I am a human that is is incredibly miserable in my current employment. I found Skillcrush after a few years of being miserable and hemming and hawing over going back to school and what should I do with my life. I refer to myself as computer stupid quite... Read More often and never in a million years thought I would be interested in tech. Somehow Adda caught my eye and made me curious to find out if in fact tech really was for me! Spoiler Alert: It is! I appreciate the warm and welcoming environment Skillcrush provides for people who may be incredibly new to the world of tech. The site is easy to navigate and the lessons are sectioned into just enough information so that I actually learn something but I don't get overwhelmed. Being able to get feedback on my work in a community setting is also amazing. After experiencing the cold demeanor of a well known free learn to code site I feel like it was worth the reasonable investment in a career blueprint for the humor and accessibility the Skillcrush team brings. I look forward daily to the always charming Adda guiding me through the world of code with a smile and a laugh or two instead of trying to slog through a cold clinical lesson. I would highly recommend Skillcrush to anyone wanting to dive into the world of coding especially if you are hesitant because you think it might be too intimidating and difficult to learn. I feel like for the first time in six years the Skillcrush team has given me hope that in due time I too can (and will) land a great gig in tech.

Ok, so I have to admit that I am a complete n00b at this coding thing and basically any new technology. The Web Developer Blueprint has broken things down and simplified everything so I actually understand what the different aspects of coding are, when... Read More to use them, and why you have to do them a certain way.

It combines fun little clips of video, text about the section we are learning, resources to use, and the best part--interactive learning!

I having a great experience so far and I am only almost through the first portion of the blueprint.

I need to find a way to work remotely to raise my kids. Thankfully, Adda created Skillcrush to save the day. I love Skillcrush. The navigation is simple and so easy to grasp. The lessons are friendly, cute, hilarious, and easy to understand. Adda and... Read More other staff members break it down for us and spell it out in Layman's terms that I can actually grasp. As a newbie, I really had no idea what HTML/CSS even meant and they made it so easy that I can officially say I know what I'm doing and I'm only three weeks in. I'm absolutely in love with the blueprint I'm taking and, if I ever get the chance, I'll take them all!

The coding bug bit me when I took the "10-Day Bootcamp" at Skillcrush. It seemed easy enough to do and they made it fun! In the meantime, I got a WIOA grant to go to another school. It was horrible...we used books that were already obsolete, and learned... Read More print design! I finally bit the bullet, and jumped into Skillcrush midway through the other school. The financial terms made it affordable for me, and even though I'm playing catch-up, I've learned SO much more in two weeks than six months of another school. The multimedia mix is perfect for retention, and the lessons focus in on the topic at hand...then build on that skill in the next section. Now I don't feel stupid, and I'm enjoying coding again! Keep up the great work!

The courses are in small bits that I can chew on and learn. So far I have learned about HTML and CSS and I can't wait to use the skills out in the real world! You do have to practice these skills and read up on all the supplemental material given throughout... Read More the lessons. The only thing I don't like is that I do work 12 hour days and have to find time to do the lessons. If you work full time, it may be a challenge to finish the lessons and attend the Office Hours. This is why I'm taking these lessons, so I can have a better work schedule.
The videos and lessons are fun and do keep my attention. I would recommend this to anyone that would like to change their careers to tech. I plan on finishing the front end web developing lessons and the Word Press lessons and find that better work schedule and job situation.

As a veteran of multiple online universities I was skeptical of Skillcrush at first. I assumed that learning something of quality required a large government loan and mountain of paperwork back and forth. I was very pleased to be proven otherwise through... Read More Skillcrush! You feel like you are working and learning with friends in a cooperative environment. I am disabled, so the flexibility was perfect. Overall I am very excited to continue working with the team there and don't tell them but I is still a bargain at three times what they charge!

Great foundation for learning...but like anything else...you have to want it. Ive done Skillcrush more than once, but I supplements with the resources Adda provides as well as doing Code Academy. I want it bad, so I make it work. Don't expect to take... Read More Skillcrush and poof have a job...it's just like going to college.

I am currently in my second month of the Web Designer Blue print through Skillcrush and am thoroughly enjoying it.

I was hesitant for a long while to sign up due to some of the poor reviews but since they have a 30 day money back guarantee, I went ahead... Read More and finally took the chance. I am glad I did. I have already done some HTML/CSS and Javascript through Codecademy, so I am not entirely new to coding and this is my reasoning for breezing through so far. The Designer course goes through User Interface/User Experience,Typography, Photoshop, HTML/CSS, Starting a Site, and then a Capstone course of sorts where you have to create a web page for a client for $100 as your last course. I have not gotten to the capstone portion yet. For those that have already done some HTML/CSS, as I've said, you will breeze through most of this but I took this blueprint mostly for the capstone type class so I can gain confidence and advice on how to pitch myself to a client and get started with freelance so I hope that portion is worth it as the rest of it has been so far.

I see a lot of reviews about it not being enough to really do anything and that you can get the content online for free. Yes, this is true and nothing in this blueprint is new or earth shattering, but this is not the point . I think the point of the blueprint is for you to get your feet wet and learn the very basics in an online class setting. I needed structure and the daily lessons and postings on the class forum (mightybell) did that for me. When I was using Codecademy I felt it was not progressing toward anything and I felt I was just "playing" and not really learning since I was just recreating what I was told. Skillcrush does this as well, but at the end of the HTML/CSS portion you start to create your own website so you can really let your creative juices flow instead of just regurgitating instructions and matching the example site that is given. During the daily lessons you also can create little bits of code on your own, using the theory and coding you've learned and I think this cements what you've learned a lot more than just "follow these code instructions and make your code look like the example." Using your own examples makes you really think about what you're doing vs a "cut and paste" mentality.

I've also seen complaints on mightybell. In my opinion, mightybell is one of the best things about the courses because it allows you to talk with instructors and other classmates so you can post your work and get feedback. My class is very active on mightybell so I am thankful for that, however, Skillcrush isn't at fault if you happen to have classmates that are not very active on mightybell so I would not dock Skillcrush for that if that is what you have experienced.

I also had issues with not receiving emails at the beginning of class. I did receive responses from my instructor and the help staff promptly. Yes it was frustrating and it took a few days but they did get it all fixed for me and I had no further issues. I am happy with the response time of the stuff and instructor so far.

Another thing I've seen that I wanted to address is the issue of having to Google things in order to solve an issue or get a grasp on a concept. I have had to do this too since it's been a while since I've used Codecademy. I do not think that is a complaint about the class to have to use Google to solve issues because doing that is preparing you for the real working world as a freelance or junior web designer. There will not always been someone to ask or to help you so learning now how to search for answers and learn on your own is an extremely critical skill to have when working in tech. It is better to be in a course like Skillcrush and learn to find answers on your own as well as bounce ideas off colleagues (classmates) now rather than be in your first position in web design or have your fist client and be lost.

Over all, would I take another Skillcrush course? YES I would and I plan to do just that. I have enjoyed the whole experience of having a class type structure along with classmates to give feedback to and get feedback from and I have learned things that I did not know before. Skillcrush won't teach you everything you need to know and the creator, Adda, has said this. I haven't learned a ton that I did not know about HTML/CSS, but I've gained value from the UI/UX lessons that I haven't experienced before and having the master class videos with tips and how-tos on how to get started in web design have been valuable.

Will this Web Designer Blueprint get you a job? Ahhh, on its own, no I don't think so. I think you need to take your skills that you've gained and practice more and gain exp on creating web pages and sites from scratch. This blueprint is supposed to let you leave it with a portfolio but I'm not sure if it will be substantial enough to get hired somewhere. The pages you will be making after you've went though the HTML/CSS portion are going to be very basic so don't expect to make flashy sites right off the bat. I would just tell everyone thinking of it and reading reviews to know what you are getting. Do not expect to be able to create fancy websites with interactive portions and drop down menus because that is way to advanced. This class is truly for the beginner and if you really have not experience any type of HTML/CSS or coding before it may require some Googling to wrap your head around it at first and I think that is ok. Use this blueprint to guide you through the learning, not as a be all end all...it's a stepping stone. I am hoping I will be able to get at least some freelance work with what I've gained and learned from the last class that I will take. I'm hoping it will give me confidence to start small and to remember that no one knows everything and everyone has to start somewhere. :)

I started the course in Web Development by curiosity. I'm unemployed and wanted to take my time. I always wanted to learn how to make websites. Already in the first week of the course , I knew that was the right way to start a new career. The content... Read More of Skillcrush is top . Like the support team. I recommend .

Skillcrush has been - and continues to be - extremely helpful in my gradual understanding of coding concepts and web design practices. Lessons are easily digestible and exercises are straight forward. (I've been able to consistently stay one week ahead... Read More of schedule.)
Is Skillcrush the be-all and end-all web development bootcamp? No. Does it claim to be? No. What it most certainly will do is set you on the right path, start you off, and keep you motivated. If you do the work, and consistently practice these ideas, you will make real progress. You will gain a valuable set of skills.
I got nothing but love for the Skillcrush community.