Thinkful

I heard about Bloc thru a friend. She was also studying in the designer track. I chose to enroll with Bloc because I heard it has a mentor program. Every week I can have a 30-mins online meeting with my mentor. I don't have any background with web design,... Read More so having someone to ask for help is very necessary. Bloc also has couple slack channels where I can chat with other bloc students, see their works and leave feedback. If my mentor is not available, I can ask other mentor questions via slack. As for the curriculum, it is well designed even if anyone has no experience with it. All the learning materials are easy to understand without tons of reading. Good for someone who doesn't have a lot of time doing reading. However, I would still suggest people read outside sources to boost your knowledge and keep you updated. All the information in each checkpoint is the very basic, important and necessary pieces that can help you to get it started. The workload is intense. People need to treat it seriously and plan accordingly to make sure you can contribute your time and energy into learning. I fully understand that it is hard to motivate yourself to work hard every day, so make sure you set up a plan for yourself at the very beginning. The grading team who access your checkpoint work is very responsive and professional. Although sometimes I felt frustrated to revise my work again and again, I learned a lot from them. I really appreciate the opportunity to receive feedback from different perspectives. Overall, Bloc is a good choice if you want to start a designer job without any experience. Even though it cannot guarantee that you can 100% get a job, it gives you enough skills and insights to boost your confidence to explore in this area.

For context... I am almost through the first phase of the course and getting ready to submit my first capstone project.

So far my experience has been fantastic and I don't expect that to change. The curriculum is challenging yet there is that flexibility... Read More of completing it on your schedule.

In my opinion, the way they have it set up is great. You get a mentor, program manager, career coach, and career services manager. So far I have only had the pleasure of interacting with my mentor and program manager, but if the career support team is anything like what I have experienced so far then I would expect 5 stars all day long.

For me, it all comes down to that mentorship. That is what really sold me.

Yes, I can sit there and read lessons and examples and comb through StackOverflow until my eyes fall out... but the fact that you have a mentor available to you that you can bounce ideas off of or just ask that one questions that helps you breakthrough with that thing you been struggling with, is invaluable.

I started in 2016 but not sure what month I started, I looked at my first Invoice and it was in November of 2016 so I know I started around that time most likely a couple months before. My review is really late and I decided today I want to write my experience... Read More because it wasn't a good one. When I started I was very excited and enjoyed it but about a month into the track, it started going down hill. First thing first is everything they teach you , you can learn on your own. There's so much resources out there especially on Youtube or other websites that offer a FREE curriculum and courses that cost $10 to $20. The curriculum is not anything special and like I said you can learn all of this on your own. Now when I started this program I didn't know this and that is why I was enjoying at first , but after finding out you can learn to code for FREE or for $20 a month , that is when I felt pretty upset with myself I didn't do enough research before this. I am currently a Full Time Web Developer in Los Angeles and I learned everything from online resources and courses that are $10 to $20 so I know for a fact what I'm saying is true. Now as for the teacher I had, he was smart but at times rude. I can't say he was the worst teacher because he did give good advice , just when you would ask a lot of questions he would get annoyed but I understand that a bit seeing he probably had a lot of students. I would give them one star but because I feel the teachers are actually smart I'll give them the extra star. The things that really just threw it off for me is the price , the curriculum , and the teacher being rude occasionally. You can learn everything from the program on your own without paying thousands of dollars. I hope this review will help some people.

Apologies for the wall of text that's about to follow—apparently I had a lot to say, and I hope that some will find it useful.

Overview (TL/DR)
Enrolling at Thinkful is one of the best decisions I've ever made. They have a solid curriculum with staff who... Read More are really invested in student success. Not only do you graduate the program having obtained a highly-sought-after skillset, but Thinkful continues to support you in your job search and provides the strategies, resources, and connections that will really help you reach your goal of becoming a Developer.

Why Learn to Code?
I assume that if you're reading this, you've already thought about the answer to that question. For me, I started coding as a side-project when my former company asked me to redesign their website—I had no prior experience, but it was so rewarding to dive in, solve problems on-the-fly, and emerge with something I was really proud of. After taking some time to reflect, I decided that my interests and skills were more aligned with a career in programming.

I found it helpful to figure out my own, personal "why" and think about what I really wanted to get out of this journey. Defining a simple, reasonable, quantitative goal gave me something to aim for and helped me to stay motivated and focused. The goal I came up with for myself was to "obtain a growth-oriented software developer job in the Chicago area within 6 months of graduating from boot camp with a salary that would allow me to comfortably start a family."

One of the first major steps I took was to complete Udacity's "Intro to Computer Science" course, which validated my feelings that this is something I would really enjoy doing. There are many similar resources out there (freeCodeCamp is another good one) where you can get a taste of what being a programmer is all about and decide if it's right for you. Additionally, Thinkful has a mandatory Prep Course (which I'll discuss in more detail later) that also allow you to dip your toes in the water before taking the full plunge.

Why A Boot Camp?
One thing I know about myself is that when I’m trying to learn something on my own, I can spend hours just researching the "best" way to learn it, often to the point of paralysis by analysis. That's why the concept of a boot camp really resonated with me—allowing someone else to handle the "what" and "how" of my education by curating a solid curriculum would help me stay focused and moving forward. My next step was… research!

Why Thinkful?
Using sites like SwitchUp and CourseReport, I created a comparison spreadsheet of all the boot camps I was interested in. Thinkful's Engineering Immersion program checked all the right boxes—it combined the ideal qualities of a modern, comprehensive, project-based curriculum, high-quality teaching staff, regular 1-on-1 mentorship, daily peer collaboration, and outcome-oriented career services. From the glowing reviews of alumni, I got the impression that Thinkful is constantly striving to improve and update the program to the benefit of future student cohorts. So, I decided to take the leap and applied for the July 2018 cohort.

Prior to Starting
After applying to the Engineering Immersion program, I had a phone call with one of Thinkful's program coordinators to make sure that I was a good "culture fit." They mainly wanted to hear about my background and why I was learning to code, answer any questions I had, and go over the next steps.

Then I began the Prep Course, the cost of which went towards the full program tuition. It was 4 weeks long and required a 30 hours/week commitment. The course is designed to get you up to speed on the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript. This was mostly self-guided learning using the curriculum they provided, however I was assigned a Mentor during the Prep Course, who I met with twice a week to go over what I was learning and discuss anything I was struggling with or had questions about.

The Prep Course also included a few short lessons on communication and other soft skills which provided some tools and strategies to help you work well in a group environment. I loved that they provided this and it gave me the impression that they really wanted everyone to have a great experience collaborating in our cohort.

Towards the end of the Prep Course, my Mentor helped me prepare for the Technical Evaluation, which you need to pass in order to be admitted to the full-time program. They asked some general questions about the topics covered in the Prep Course and then I had to complete 5 coding challenges using JavaScript.

Once I passed the Technical Evaluation and was admitted into the full-time Engineering Immersion program, I had an orientation session where I got to meet all of the other students in my cohort and got an overview of the program.

The Curriculum
There were four main instructional "units" of the program, each led by a different instructor. After each unit ended, we would schedule a mock interview (similar to the Prep Course Technical Evaluation) which would focus on the material covered in that unit.

1. The first unit (2 weeks) covered JavaScript, jQuery, and how to architect and build asynchronous web applications, culminating in a 3-day solo project where I built my own web app.
2. The second unit (4 weeks) was all about server-side programming, using Node/Express to build RESTful APIs, PostgreSQL and Mongo to build databases. We also learned how to write tests and construct user authentication strategies.
3. The third unit (2 weeks) was dedicated to learning React and Redux, an extremely popular framework for building web apps.
4. The fourth unit (2 weeks) was on data structures and algorithms, a very useful topic to prepare you for programming interviews.

Interspersed between and around these core instructional units, we had about 7 total weeks dedicated to working on projects, both solo and in groups. In the final week of the program, we focused on completing our online portfolios and polishing up our projects in preparation for the job search.

Overall I was extremely impressed with the quality and freshness of the curriculum. One of the program coordinators told me that they try to make at least one substantial update to the program after each cohort of students, and it really shows in the quality and attention to detail of the curriculum. You can tell that Thinkful really cares about what their students think. There are many opportunities to provide feedback, both solicited and unsolicited.

There were a few scattered instances of an outdated or broken link, but that just comes with the territory of a curriculum which is constantly improving and evolving to keep up with the pace of the industry.

Thinkful was really, really good about teaching us to be independent developers. There was some necessary hand-holding in the beginning as we learned the basics, but they pretty quickly transitioned us to working both independently and on group projects where it was really up to us to come up with an idea, organize the projects, research different technologies that might be useful, study documentation, and work autonomously.

A Typical Day
Class started at 9am (Central) every morning with a lecture by the lead instructor for that unit of the curriculum. This was typically about an hour long and was held in a group chat room where we could watch the instructor and ask questions via text, voice, or video. I really enjoyed this format and thought that the instructors provided a lot of great insights. They were also very good at explaining things in a way that was easy to follow and understand.

Next, we would break into pairs (we had a different partner each day) and work on coding exercises using a technique called pair programming—this is where you take turns writing code ("driving") and providing direction ("navigating"). This definitely took some getting used to, but quickly started to feel more natural as we progressed. It's great practice for learning to work with different people and different personalities, and it helps us pull each other along—I noticed on some days that my partner was teaching me a lot, while on others I was doing the teaching. Most days it was a mix of both. If you ran into any trouble, you could always message the instructor/TA's, who would join your room and help you figure things out.

After a 45-minute lunch break, we'd have an afternoon lecture, which was usually a short review or small addition to the content we covered in the morning lecture.

Then, we'd break into our pairs again and work on some more exercises until the end of the day (4:30pm Central).

In the evenings, we'd meet with our personal Mentors at an agreed-upon time for 30 minutes. Thinkful Mentors work regular jobs in the industry and provide mentorship on the side, so in addition to getting help with your coursework, they can provide valuable insight about life as a real Developer.

We'd also usually have an assigned reading each night to introduce the topic for the next day's class. Thinkful recommended that we dedicate at least 2 hours per night to studying outside of class. Obviously, the more time you put into it, the more you'll get out of the program, so it's important that your family/friends understand the time commitment you've made so that they allow you time to focus and study. I found that in order to keep up" at the level I wanted to be at, I had to devote more like 3-4 hours every night, plus an additional 3-4 hours per day on weekends.

Projects
The projects were a great way to really apply our knowledge in a practical setting and review and reinforce some of the lessons we had learned. They also provided great material for our portfolios.

The highlight of the program for me was our first Full-Stack Capstone project. We had finally reached the point where we had the knowledge to build a complete web application and then were given two weeks to brainstorm, plan, design, build, and deploy a full-stack project of our choice. While we still had regular progress check-ins with our instructor, it was so cool to have the freedom to flex our skills and creativity and dive deep into a project.

During the final Capstone project, I was on a team of five, where we came up with the concept for an app, decided on the features we wanted to implement, created user stories and wireframes, organized our tasks on a Trello board, and had daily morning stand-ups to discuss our progress and any hurdles we encountered. I think we all learned a lot about the importance of communication, organization, and version control when working in a collaborative environment. It was so cool to be put into an Agile development environment, simulating the type of tasks and interactions we might encounter in our professional work.

Pace/Difficulty
The pace of the program was very quick—it often felt like we were just starting to wrap our heads around one subject when another would get introduced. Some days were definitely more difficult than others, but the days seemed well-balanced so it never got too overwhelming.

I sometimes wished that I had time to read more about a few of the more complex topics we covered, but then you run the risk of going down a rabbit hole and losing focus, so overall I'm happy with the pace and structure. It did feel at times like I was literally just coding, eating, and sleeping, but I knew the program would be time-consuming, so it's hard to complain, especially when I look at how far I developed in such a short time.

Job Search
One of the key selling points for the program was the focus on giving me the skills required to land a Developer job, and that includes the soft skills. There was an entire section of the curriculum dedicated to crafting application materials, networking, and interviewing.

Upon graduating, I was also paired with a dedicated Career Coach, who would meet with me every 1-3 weeks (more frequently earlier on) to go over your application materials, talk about different job hunting techniques, and help you refine your strategy if things weren't working.

They definitely expect a lot from you during the job searching phase (see the specific requirements in their Tuition Refund Guarantee), but it's all designed with the goal of getting you a job as quickly as possible.

Thinkful is great about connecting with companies who are looking for Developers like you. Your mileage may vary depending on where you live, but Thinkful introduced me to quite a few companies in Chicago.

Outcome
I'm thrilled to say that, having recently been hired as a Software Engineer at Groupon's Chicago headquarters, I've surpassed my wildest expectations of what I'd be able to accomplish in only a year's time. Thinkful was absolutely instrumental in every step of the way. Not only did they provide me with the current, relevant skills I would need to impress during my interviews, but their incredibly hard-working Careers Team helped me get a foot in the door by making an introduction with Groupon and helping me cut through the high volume of applications they receive on a regular basis.

One of the highlights of my life will be the moment after I received the job offer and then immediately called my wife to deliver the good news and got to hear her cries of joy. This means so much to us and our aspirations of starting a life together. It's also incredibly significant to me, personally, to be doing something that I love in an environment where I'll be challenged and inspired to learn and grow. As I think about my future and start to set new goals for my life and career, I'm so grateful for the time I had with Thinkful and for their incredible team of instructors, mentors, managers, and coaches. I'll always look back fondly on Thinkful as the pivotal factor in propelling me along my desired career path.

Beginning to detail my time with Bloc and all of the value this Program/Team has brought me - is itself already another blog post. As I was a community college dropout, moving around the States, no real direction or passion other than art and travel-... Read More I want this review to reach those people who are possibly in a similar situation - You can do it, and Bloc has your back. The curriculum itself kept me focused, inspired, and motivated to reach my goal of becoming a Designer. The hard skills and soft skills alike, were a refreshing look into the Design world and gave me a whole new perspective on the way I view failures, goals, and hard-work. I just recently completed the program and the amount of growth I made in a year is inspiring and exciting- I feel that I could write so much about the positive impact Bloc has had on my life, and I see my future is a lot brighter now because of these skills Ive acquired. A huge standout that I didnt notice in other programs, was Bloc's Mentorship program. Being paired with a Senior Designer is so invaluable to online-curriculums such as this. Beyong having the personal relationship and someone to bounce ideas off - it was at the times when I felt discouraged, or that I had no one to reach out to - I always knew that my mentor was one message away. On top of that, the Student Success team was there for me when I was going through some personal tribulations, and they were able to help me stay focused and driven. As I said, I have a lot of writing to do about how this past year has changed my life so significantly- and Bloc's Design Track was the structure I needed that has given me the skills, confidence, and leg up to begin my Design career.

This was a great investment! This gave me an edge with my existing skillset and was such a great value when compared to other bootcamps. I had great help from the student success team and my mentor. This was a perfect fit because I was able to keep my... Read More job and work on it part-time and work as fast as I wanted. Definitely worth it!!

Thinkful's data science program provides the flexibility to continue working full-time without losing the support I need to succeed. I have a mentor that I meet with 1-on-1 twice a week, technical coaching for any problems that I run into that I can't... Read More solve on my own, and plenty of open office hours for other issues. The non-curriculum support team (finance, program manager, etc) has also been very helpful with anything that I need.

The work is challenging and rigorous. I've learned so much already and can't wait to continue my journey into data science!

I am currently in Thinkful's Full Stack Flex program. I work full-time and I needed the flexibility. I had some experience going into it, and I honestly think you need to have at least some of the basics down (know some html, css, js). The program is... Read More thought, and it’s recommended to dedicate 20 hours a week to keep up. From my experience you need to put way more time in to really grasp all the concepts and become confident in what you learn.

The course is layer out in modules and for each module you read the material and do the drills and projects. The material is very rigorous and provides tons of extra resources as well. If you get stuck solving a drill or need help understanding a concept, you can reach out to people on slack or you can go into office hours and ask your questions. You get a massive amount of support and there are always people around that can help. Plus, you get to meet twice a week for 45 min with your mentor.

The mentor sessions are super important because you use them as mini-interviews where the mentor give you coding challenges, or can help you when you need help building an app or understanding a concept.

They are 5 mock interviews that give you a taste of what a typical interview feels like. I failed my first attempt, and the feedback I received from that helped me improve my learning strategy.

So far I think Thinkful was a great decision for me, it gives me the structure and the safety net I need to learn to code.

Thinkful gives students a mix of 10% theory 90% application. They do not TEACH data science, instead they MAKE data scientists. They do this by assigning you a program manager, whose task is to be your accountability buddy and help you get to the right... Read More resources within Thinkful (payment team, career resources...etc). In addition, they assign you a mentor who meets with you twice a week to give you applicable experience (which is the experience I highly value as a job seeker). My mentor has a PhD and is knowledgeable in navigating projects and challenges.

On the career search side, I have not taken any of the 5 mock interviews yet but I look forward to. They guided me on starting to build and follow companies, job titles, and trend setters in data science. They also note in one of their lessons the inefficiency of online job search, which my history with career search confirms. They replace that with applicable ways to build your network, including a how-to on conducting interviews with leaders in your field.

They have many resources that students can use to learn anytime, including info sessions and slack channels. My mentor is open to emailing anytime and usually responds quickly. I believe I have made the right choice.

I have not completed my bootcamp yet, but I am happy with outcomes up until this moment. My mentor is professional, the payment team they use is professional, my PM is professional.

...quite thoughtful, if you'll forgive the pun. In my experience with the program over the last few months, I've come to this conclusion on more than one occasion. From the screening process to the curriculum development to the mentoring, there's ample... Read More evidence throughout that the community which designed & developed this bootcamp put a lot time and effort (and therefore a lot of thought) into its creation & maintenance. I think the most impressive aspect though is the confidence that everyone on staff has in the mission to prepare you for a job when you're ready, or upon completion (it's up to you, truly). And that goes for the resources that are made available throughout: it seems that there is a constant drive towards what is relevant whether it's a project management tool, or another Excel reference. Thinkful was indeed the right choice for me.