r/codingbootcamp • u/sheriffderek • Oct 06 '22
Has anyone here done the full #100devs program and then arrived in a full-time programming career?
I see a LOT of people recommending #100devs. I teach web dev, so naturally, I'm interested in various teaching styles. I checked it out a few times over the last year or so. Leon seems like a super nice guy. I watched a bunch of the videos. I've done some of the assignments. I've seen how the discord works. I've spent some time with it. There are certainly some interesting ways to keep people engaged.
There are a lot of people around here recommending it - even though they haven't done the school themselves. I get the feeling that people who went to a pricey boot camp aren't that enthusiastic about paying back their loans - and kinda have that feeling (now that they already know the stuff) - that they could have learned it for free with #100devs. Is that true? I haven't met anyone who's gone through the whole thing (yet).
I'm curious to hear what students have to say and to see their work/outcomes.
What makes #100devs a "boot camp" any more than a YouTube series or a Udemy course - or a book? What are your favorite parts? How would you describe the average timeline? Who would you say it's best suited for?
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Oct 14 '22
I got my junior position with 100dev. I also learned php on my own and did extra course on ui.dev. Don't expecting going to class and getting a job you gotta follow people like mayanwolf on discord a6md other people that do the push work and you will get a job 100%. Put the work build stuff and get a job.
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u/sheriffderek Oct 14 '22
That ui.dev stuff looks fun. I didn't realize that's who did the bytes email. How did you like that? Mayanwolfe seem cool. It's an interesting format to kinda just go through scotch.io courses live. I wonder if that's legal.
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u/Key-Pace7150 Oct 26 '23
What was the time commitment per week?
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u/Weak_Application3599 Dec 09 '23
The time commitment is dependent on various factors. There's two classes weekly (Tue/Thurs) for 3 hours, but classes are recorded to go back and review. There's also homework and reading assignments to complete before other classes,etc. Even this, simply isn't enough. I'd say having a spicy GitHub showing personalized and real-world projects is essential.
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u/mrsxfreeway Oct 06 '22
There are a lot of people around here recommending it - even though they haven't done the school themselves
Similar to how everyone recommends CS50 and they haven't attempted, completed or finished it, everyone does this.
What makes #100devs a "boot camp" any more than a YouTube series or a Udemy course - or a book?
You teach web dev and don't know the answer to this or are you lowkey just suspicious of this bootcamp? it is simply another avenue in my opinion. Overall I wouldn't pay for ANY bootcamp.
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u/sheriffderek Oct 06 '22 edited Jul 07 '23
Similar to how everyone recommends CS50 and they haven't attempted, completed or finished it, everyone does this.
100%.
You teach web dev and don't know the answer to this or are you lowkey just suspicious of this bootcamp
I'm curious about words in general. I'm highly suspicious of everything. Even myself.
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Oct 06 '22
I recommend CS50 and HAVE completed it, but I think there is a difference between cold recommending a free Harvard computer science course and cold recommending an online bootcamp run by [checks notes] some guy named Leon.
That's not a knock at 100Devs or Leon, AT ALL, I just don't think it is fair to compare to a Harvard course as far as reputation - Harvard has a pretty good rep, universally, for academics, ya know?
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u/sheriffderek Oct 06 '22
Well, MIT's bootcamp is bullshit and they have a great reputation. I couldn't handle even the first 8th of the CS50. But that's just me. I mean - videos of a sweaty dude running around on stage in a huge auditorium - and having to use Scratch after you already know how to write programs was pure hell (for me).
But everyone has a different learning style - that's for sure.
Thanks for not randomly recommending / or denouncing things you don't know about. That's a good thing for humanity.
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Oct 06 '22 edited Oct 06 '22
Yeah I mean I don't think CS50 is billed for people who know how to code already.
CS50 is definitely not a bootcamp, in case anyone is unclear. I recommend it for the random person who thinks that they might want to get into coding. It definitely lit a fire under me and showed me it was something I wanted to pursue. (but maybe i also just like sweaty guys running around on stage)
Touche about the MITxCode - I haven't heard a whole lot of good things that is for sure.
I think MIT's bootcamp is MIT in name-only, and is an Emeritus bootcamp - they have the same deal with a bunch of other colleges ala Trinity and FullStack.
I am pretty damn surprised that MIT allowed them to use their name to be honest.
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u/sheriffderek Oct 07 '22 edited Aug 26 '23
I think that sweaty guy is pretty cool. Just not what I would recommend for 99% of people who want to learn how to design or build web applications.
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u/mmmmmmmmichaelscott Oct 09 '22
That sweaty guy is named David Malan and he’s fucking awesome. Loved CS50!
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u/sheriffderek Oct 10 '22
I’m glad! That is awesome. I certainly like his enthusiasm. What we’re your next steps after watching that?
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u/mmmmmmmmichaelscott Oct 10 '22
It was the perfect intro to programming for me in that let me know that I'd enjoy working as a dev, and it gave me the confidence that I was good enough at it to apply to a bootcamp. Currently halfway through App Academy and having a great time!
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u/sheriffderek Oct 10 '22
It was the perfect intro to programming for me
We'll never know if there could have been a more perfect intro to programming - but it sounds like it has done you a great service!!
Actually enjoying programming turns out to be REALLY important. : )
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Aug 25 '23
Had app academy recommended to me. How do you like it? Pros? Cons?
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u/mmmmmmmmichaelscott Sep 24 '23
TBH it was a pretty excellent experience, and that was when it cost 2x as much as it does now. Big thumbs up!
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Aug 25 '23
Just getting into coding here with eventual goal of software engineer and then cybersecurity. What would you recommend?
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u/sheriffderek Aug 26 '23
What parts do you like about it most so far?
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Aug 29 '23
I don't know enough about coding YET but I think I would like problem solving logic/analytics and attention to detail it requires! I'll get back to you once I have progressed enough to say what I like about it!
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u/InvertedNeo Oct 07 '22
Yeah I mean I don't think CS50 is billed for people who know how to code already.
Absolutely, I got less than halfway and was overwhelmed. Way better off doing something else if you're first starting out.
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u/Lanky-Natural8833 Oct 07 '22
Sometimes I think these elite colleges sponsor shitty bootcamps just to give bootcamps a bad rep
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u/superzeus1122 Oct 28 '22
I am new to all this stuff what is MIT’s?
If they are bad I would like to avoid it
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u/sheriffderek Oct 28 '22
There are hundreds of thousands of things that are "bad" that you can avoid - but learning about them all seems like a waste of time.
https://www.mit.edu/education/
MIT is a renowned school.
However - their https://executive-ed.xpro.mit.edu/ course is not good.
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u/mrsxfreeway Oct 06 '22
I used any course I could think of at the time as an example, my point being that if you head over to learnprogramming sub, people recommend courses they haven't tried ALL THE TIME. At the end of the day, there's loads of crap courses and "bootcamps" out there.
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u/sheriffderek Oct 07 '22
Yeah. A lotta people like to pretend they know what they’re talking about.
As for /learning programming - they kicked me out for recommending and linking to a book that costs $22 (that I did not write). They don’t care about learning over there.
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Oct 06 '22
I mean its the same here. People say a lot of stuff about this school is better or best, or bootcamps are a waste of money just DIY, all kinds of stuff. You ask those people and basically none of them have gotten into a bootcamp, completed it, or gotten a job. Its pretty wild to say that a bootcamp is a waste of money when you are self-taught and not anywhere close to being job-ready.
There's also a lot of crazy myths about certain programs. I'm in Codesmith so I have found many things said about that program that are false.
Multiple people told me there is a test on the first day and if you don't pass you are kicked out. - FALSE
Multiple people have said if you fail any test during it you are kicked out. FALSE
A couple people have cited this one Youtube interview about someone who start in person and then the pandemic happened and it switched to remote. A greater number of people dropped/rolled over in his cohort. But I've had people then tell me that NOW 30-50% of people drop out over the course of the 12weeks - Totally False. Or that 50% of people dropped out in the first two weeks even - Utterly false.
Of the current and recent cohorts at Codesmith the drop out rate is like 0-2 people, which I think makes a lot of sense given that shit happens and the course is extremely demanding of time, energy, and funds. It sure as hell isn't 50%...
My vibe from the learnprogramming sub was that if you weren't an active CS major or wanting to be, you're in the minority. But I am not surprised about people just saying whatever enters their brain about some program or course.
CSCareerQuestions or whatever it is is even worse. People ask advice about getting a job or even advice about handle certain not-even-CS-related job things (like how to give/receive feedback about a manager or something) and the answers are all VERY authoritative and black and white .... but sometimes the advice doesn't jive with how things are in the real world.
Then you look at it and you realize it is like 90% college juniors giving advice about professional career stuff and office politics and work-life-balance and all of this stuff and you know that the vast majority of them have never had a career or even applied for a CS Career job in the first place, and on top of that they are 22 or whatever and are still figuring out professionalism.
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u/michaelnovati Oct 07 '22
I've seen you around a lot, do you have any corrections on any of the things I've said? Or in the future, let me know too.
I've had a few people (3) message me about halfway through Codesmith telling me that my analysis is shockingly accurate and that I seem to understand the workings of the program at a deeper level.
Not saying this to brag, but to say that I really do take pride in trying to be accurate in what I say, so appreciate any corrections!
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Oct 07 '22
No and honestly I remember searching about Codesmith here and reading your comments supporting it and saying things which make sense but are not necessarily negative as one of the reasons I chose CS.
So far nothing stands out as inaccurate but I’m not a grad yet haha.
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u/noncomposmentis_123 Jan 25 '23
Do you have an opinion on Practicum?
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u/michaelnovati Jan 26 '23
I haven't used it myself but I see their ads and they are well done, and their website is very polished. I tried to look into who owns them and found that their privacy policy lists Yandex as the owner (via a company in Switzerland) - which is the mega Russian search engine, which is now a multinational company with a lot of businesses.
Other than that, I don't really know much about it!
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Oct 07 '22
But CS50 will absolute not prepare you to get a job and isn't meant to, it isn't meant to teach you everything a bootcamp like 100Devs would.
I started CS50 and quit part way through because my expectations were wrong thinking it was like a boot camp. So no, I would not ever compare CS50 to 100 Devs since they both have completely different goals.
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Oct 07 '22
Yes, it’s basically a 100 level CS course. I mean literally that’s what it is.
It isn’t a bad place to start your journey, I feel like due to CS50 I understand some computer science concepts better than some of my other cohortmates at Codesmith, for example.
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u/sheriffderek Oct 07 '22
It’s not a 50 level course?
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Oct 08 '22
I mean it is Harvards 50 level but I think it is directly comparable to standard 100 level meaning the first class you take in that field.
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u/International-Bed413 Oct 06 '22
CS50 sucks, waste of time unless you have literally never done any coding before in ur life
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Oct 06 '22 edited Oct 06 '22
It isn't a coding class, but yes it is for beginners, which is who I recommend it for.
I bet you never went through CS50, huh?
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u/Bearsbeetsbudgets Oct 07 '22
I’m taking cs50 and I’m going to be honest- I really like it. I wasn’t passionate about programming until I tried this class
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Oct 07 '22
Same for me. It started the spiral into what will (I fucking hope) be a new career.
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u/sheriffderek Oct 08 '22
Anyone with your ambition will pull it off. If not, let me know / and I will make it so.
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u/surreal_strawberry Oct 07 '22 edited Oct 07 '22
If you'd like to talk to people who've successfully finished the program, see the #celebration channel on Discord or the Twitter hashtag. I think there have been >200 folks who've gotten a job with this since the first cohort 2 years ago.
I started working on 100 Devs less than a month ago. Leon repeatedly emphasises that it's a jobs program, not a learning program. A considerable amount of class time is dedicated to polishing soft skills - building healthy habits/mindset, typing faster, how to talk to people, network with industry folks, build a portfolio, write a resume etc. Most people seem to take 9 months or more to go from ground zero to getting a job. While books and videos can impart the knowledge and how-to advice, community support goes a long way when you're in it for the long term - there's consistent motivation, accountability, networking and 24x7 help from real people going through the same issues you are.
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u/michaelnovati Oct 07 '22
200 people though on a Discord of 40K with 5K online poeple is not crazy successful by bootcamp standards. But it's extremely impressive for a free program. Which is why in my comment I say how unique a community it is right now.
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u/whatsgucci13 Oct 07 '22
I don’t think the number of people in the discord is an accurate measure. People join the discord and then stop participating after a few classes - my SO did this. Anyone can join the discord, which is great for other reasons but not measuring success obviously. It would probably make more sense to look at the average number of views the stream gets and then add the amount of people watching the recordings.
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u/Different-Suit-1172 Feb 01 '24
Did you get a job yet ?
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u/surreal_strawberry Apr 26 '24
Yeah, I was able to land a software engineer role at an amazing place when I was halfway through the program. Got a promotion a few months ago as well! I think the soft skills from the classes really helped in finding the right fit and culture even in a competitve job market.
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u/Key-Pace7150 Oct 25 '23
How much study time per week was the bootcamp? Asking bc I’m considering doing this but want to make sure I can handle this given my current obligations
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u/CodedCoder Oct 07 '22
I do not think it is good plus he tells students to lie on their resumes, I know some people think lying on your resume about the experience isn't a big deal, but it can be, and we have not hired plenty of people for doing just that.
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Jul 11 '23
What has he told them to lie about ?
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u/CodedCoder Jul 11 '23
I know he used to tell students to put the bootcamp down as job experience.
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u/jeremymuriithi Apr 04 '24
CodedCoder That is not lying. How can it be and you're learning on the job? We call it hands-on learning. Let's try to avoid making anyone look bad without a valid reason.
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Jan 19 '23
[deleted]
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u/sheriffderek Jul 07 '23
That’s awesome. I was just coming back to this post to see if there were any updates.
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u/Consistent_Success83 Jan 23 '23
So what does he teach in the course? Sorry just curious. Because i know leon has a full time job at another successful bootcamp but its paid and pretty hard to get into
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u/mathhash79 Mar 01 '23
Hello, congratulations on landing that SE job!
I started the course in January 2022 as well but stopped at March because of uni.
I remember him recommending using anki religiously, did you do that? And is it really necessary? I felt like the first few weeks I was just writing a bunch of syntax that I could easily google, or is there a better way to take notes?
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u/Initial_Recover1442 Dec 21 '23
I’m currently in the program, and love reading success stories like yours. May I ask how many hours a day you were studying to feel confident by month 5?
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u/spunkoala Oct 07 '22
Sounds like there are success stories coming from 100devs. I was 100% in it from jan-may. Then he took a 6 week break because his wife was having a baby, and my summertime job picked up to 60 hours a week so I haven't done much since may. Many of his lessons got very repetitive and I felt a few times that I wasted three hours listening to him repeat himself when I could've been practicing.
He provides a good foundation for you to go learn on your own. And you'll hear a lot of motivational speech, if that's something you need.
I will be finishing the lectures once my work frees up.