Wyncode

I really enjoyed my Wyncode experience. The teacher is very knowledgeable, approachable and patient. You really get what you put into it like most education programs. I immersed myself in the program and dedicated my life to the bootcamp for those 8 weeks.... Read More In doing that I got the most out of the teacher, guest speakers and my peers. I will say that related previous careers like design, psychology, information architecture, software development, etc will help you out a lot more than if you have no related previous experience. The only bad thing I can say about the program is that it's marketed as a education-to-hire, and this is not the case. There's no guaranteed job at the end of the program. You have to work and network in order to get a job in a new industry (if that's the case), but it's the same concept as in the program itself, you have to work hard and be passionate about it.

Wyncode is the best bootcamp in South Florida!!! I visited other competing bootcamps and I can tell you that Wyncode has the best teaching staff and everyone is super friendly. I did their full stack program and after graduation I found a job through... Read More their hiring connections right away. The skills that you gain are incredable and you will always feel challenged, no matter what skill level you start with. Wyncode is absolutely the best and they have the biggest network of South Florida!

This is a long review but please hear me out ...or you'll skip out on the scholarship!

I had the immense opportunity to join Wyncode in the summer of 2016 (cohort X) for the full-stack web immersive program when it was still 9-weeks long. Although the... Read More school has grown and changed quite a bit since then, there are still many things I can share about the experience...since, of course, it was so memorable.

Don't get me wrong...it was definitely a challenging experience but a personal one every student had to go through. Despite the crunch of learning so many skills in 9 weeks (now the curriculum is 10 weeks), it certainly filled a lot of gaps in my self-education. The last few weeks were the most difficult as I had to wrap my head around advanced concepts in a short amount of time, like being given one day to pick up ajax or authentication. Practice is key though. In the last week, in preparation for Pitch Day, there were limited TAs available to help, which at the same time, may have been a good thing because you were forced to be creative with the final app to make things work.

One of the main reasons why I chose Wyncode was for its well structured curriculum and the support not only from the instructor and TAs but also from the other students, surprisingly. I got my first impression when I went to Pitch Day of cohort 9 and felt the enthusiasm and energy of accomplishment from the group. It was as if they all had been on the best ride of their lives. However, it wasn't until I actually started the program that I experienced the same sensations and reaped up all the benefits, some of which I'll share with you now.

First.

Ruby is definitely an easy language to learn and although, it may not be as in-demand as other languages, I think it was a good choice that Wyncode made for students who are spanking brand new to coding. Later on, I would use the programming concepts I learned with Ruby when working with python and javascript.

Second.

I, personally, loved the one-on-ones, the morning briefs and the group self-reflection meetings held frequently. As introvert as I am sometimes, it gave me an opportunity to self-reflect, help others, confess challenges (whether personal or coding-related) within the group and contribute to the improvement of the learning experience. With the cohort's feedback, Wyncode coordinators made adjustments sometimes and I think that was very wise for a coding bootcamp to do that.

Third.

I think it is very important that teaching/mentoring be in a way that guides students to think for themselves on how to come up with solutions to problems. That way, it stimulates creative juices. This is one of the reasons why I enjoyed the one-on-ones so much. Of course, you also have to have the drive and determination of trying to understand what you cannot understand (temporarily), but it helps that the TAs don't go straight into giving out the answers ...neither do they spoon-feed. They question your decisions and force you to take time to let things sink and let the lightbulb turn on naturally.

Fourth.

I like the diversity of activities. One day, we were given the opportunity to do some quality testing on an iOS app, ...another day, we had a networking opportunity with a Wyncode partner, ...another day, we had a shindig at the wynwood yard, ...another day, we had a Friends & Family event to present our first app. It was never a boring moment.

Fifth.

Wyncode partners are many and there's definitely many opportunities to get employed even before graduating, provided you put in the research and are interested in working for them. However, before and after graduation, you also have free access to Wynwork, a bi-weekly job support session that helps Wyncoders with interviews, resumes, negotiations, etc. I went to a few sessions before I left for a master degree program abroad and I can say first hand that the resources and advice they provide is very valuable. The more you go, the better it is to get in the right mindset and in preparation to present well,...the business of you.

So...all in all, you are what you make of it. If you are ready to take the next step in creating web apps or making them intuitive and interactive with UI/UX design, Wyncode is it.

Before you enroll though, just fill out this form: https://goo.gl/forms/UJouC7etDNJX5olm2 and you'll receive a partial scholarship. On top of that...you don't have to pay tuition back until you're employed. Whoop! Whoop!

Feel free to reach out to me on twitter @naestevez if you have any questions. :)

I came from an established career and knew very little about web development and project management before I came to Wyncode. I had been curious about it for years; I self taught when I had time using Codecademy and Treehouse, but nothing came close to... Read More the rigorous structure and guidance provided at Wyncode. I was very happy with the quality of instruction and the range of topics covered. Our teacher was an MIT alum who taught the practical side of webdev, but also made sure to elaborate on the history and theory of the concepts, so it felt more like a "CS Lite" course than anything. The result was a deeper understanding of WHY we do certain things in a certain way, and more well-rounded educational experience overall. The main teaching method at Wyncode is trial by fire: a lot of times, the students are given challenges and problems and are expected to dive in headfirst. In my humble opinion, this is the best way to learn. Having training wheels on all the time never taught anyone anything; you have to overcome a problem by attempting it, chiseling away at it, coming at it with different approaches until you overcome it. Luckily, the TAs and assistant instructors at Wyncode are absolutely fantastic and will help you and guide you every step of the way. The only thing they won't do, is do the work for you.
My only gripe about the program is the near-worship of the Ruby language and the Rails framework. I have been spending the last couple of weeks applying for jobs and have been hit with the rude awakening that not a great deal of employers demand Ruby knowledge in particular as a skill. Focusing on JavaScript and its related libraries and frameworks would have made more sense from an employment standpoint, but that's just my opinion. Outside of that, I am very happy that I decided to go through this bootcamp, and I found it to be a valuable investment.

My last-minute application to Wyncode’s 24th cohort was nothing short of a blessing, but not for reasons you might expect. Along the way I was pushed to the edges of my sanity with projects, but somewhere along the way I woke up to the weird realization... Read More that I had found something meaningful to do with myself. As a college graduate with a soul for the arts, a tendency towards analysis paralysis,and a slim pocketbook, I really needed Wyncode more than I’m willing to admit.

I quickly hustled my way to employment within a month of graduating (not the norm), and though I still struggle to target where I fit in the vast possibilities of my coding journey, it feels pretty neat realizing that I just learned this stuff like 15 weeks ago.

Maybe it isn’t for everyone, but it IS for anyone willing to put in the work. I’m not a genius but I’m a grade-A workhorse, and I inevitably learned a ton.

If you want to coast with chill nights and weekends off, this is not the program for you. Naturally some people have it easier than others, but there’s always something new in the air worth learning. The latest iteration of their program includes a lot more react and js, which is the good stuff too. I kind of wish I waited a couple more months to start. React is LIT.

If you want 24/7 access to a nurturing hub of friendly coders with eclectic interests, this is your spot. :)

Note: I went to this school while the head instructor was still there teaching classes on-site, so I cannot review based off how the current instructors are. I DO know the curriculum has improved since I been there, but I don't know if the new instructors... Read More are an improvement.

The TAs and staff are great, curriculum is in-depth, but do not expect a handout. It is very much a sink or swim situation, and you will only succeed if you demand attention for your questions. Basically, be annoying and you will have your needs met. Yes the TAs care, but there's alot of people you're competing with. Remember, it's technically a for profit school, so get your money worth.

Also, be prepared to be job hunting for 3 to 6 months. That's with applying the same kind of intense focus you did while going to class. Be annoying, and they will help you. If you're not okay with that and want something to coast thru without shaking it up, don't go here.

The pros of the program is that it can show you how to use resources online to teach yourself programming. Technologies are going to continue to change and grow, so you need to learn how to adapt with the trends. I got much further with their instruction... Read More than when I tried free courses online on my own. They cover a lot of material that is not only relevant for getting the job, but keeping it as well. Things I learned during my cohort is still relevant for day to day conversations in the industry, how to handle tech meetings, evaluating level of effort, etc. You also get a network that is invaluable. You can meet so many people that might help you get a job, learn a new language, make friends, support. You can always reach out to Wyncode after the bootcamp ends. They also help connect you with potential hiring companies and hackathons.
The cons are sometimes the class moves too fast or too slow depending on the day. However, they have weekly retrospectives which give you a chance to give feedback and for the cohort to improve towards your needs. The teaching assistants are not world class instructors. A lot of them are brand new to programming as well, but this is a minor con to me. You still learn how to go about solving a problem that you don't know the answer to. The classroom is a little bit noisy so it's a little bit hard to study there all the time after class hours. Their homework grading feedback could use more consistency and more in-depth explanations.

Wyncode embodies "boot camp" to the T. Since day one, they were explicit that the only way to make it out successful is to give it your all. It wasn't possible without their support and push through the entire experience. Their Operations Director, Bianca... Read More was a huge support through my experience. She would give us pep talks every morning to push us through the day. She taught us growth mindset and agile practices. In addition, my lead instructor Ed provided us with in-depth information on the topics we'd learn. He provided notes and references and we'd also code along with him. We had homework every day for 6 weeks straight. They provide us with TA assistance every day and weekends. Week 7 - 10 we are working on our final projects.
The location, environment, and staff make this school ordinary. Its been my most rewarding accomplishment ever! I recommend it 1000%, yes one thousand!
As for cons... I don't have any, we have coffee, cold brew, tea and snacks on campus 24/hr campus access and 24/hr online support.

Post-Wyncode, they provide us with job placement support. Every Tues/Thursday we meet with Miguel and go over job postings. He is always attentive and willing to help throughout the job hunt.

Thank you Wyncode for changing my life for the better!

I joined Wyncode because I was very unhappy with the career field I was in and wanted something drastically different. I had an interest in code but did not have the time to pursue it with my work schedule, I thought about joining for over a year until... Read More finally the right opportunity came up and I signed up for the full-time course. The experience was life changing, being able to show up every day and work on learning code was the best option for me. It allowed me to completely dedicate myself to improving a skill for 10 weeks. The staff and other students at Wyncode have become like a second family, and I would not have been able to learn everything I learned without them. After the course, I worked with the Hiring Director at Wyncode to secure interviews and get introductions to hiring managers. Within 3 months I was able to land a job as a Front-End Developer for a large corporation.

Wyncode is great and the curriculum is awesome! I have to name drop because I owe my success to a few people who went above and beyond. Angel is an instructor there and is one of the most real people I've met. Angel strolls in a little earlier than he's... Read More supposed to and stays a little later as well. The man always has a smile on his face and won't hesitate to support you in your toughest week emotionally or technically. The other two names are the dynamic TA duo Patricio and Keith. These two will help with any problems you have, continue to help after they've left and will follow up with you even on their days off. They are another of the most genuine people I've met in my experience. Thank you Wyncode!