Intensive programming "bootcamp" in California?
August 16, 2013 3:16 PM Subscribe
I'm interested in taking a month or possibly two off work and focusing intensely during that time on a very practical course of study related to web development. What are my options in California similar to this program?
I'm not completely averse to a focus on ASP.NET, Ruby on Rails, or Django, but I currently do most of my work in PHP and JavaScript, and wouldn't mind something centered around Drupal, WordPress, Laravel, Symfony 2, or similar.
I currently only have experience with PHP, Python, and JavaScript.
I'm looking for:
I'm not completely averse to a focus on ASP.NET, Ruby on Rails, or Django, but I currently do most of my work in PHP and JavaScript, and wouldn't mind something centered around Drupal, WordPress, Laravel, Symfony 2, or similar.
I currently only have experience with PHP, Python, and JavaScript.
I'm looking for:
- Peer and expert code review of projects
- Learning through practical application
- Experienced instructors
- Networking opportunities
- Job placement as an integrated part of the program
- A physical, shared space for the class (not online)
- Strong JavaScript component using a framework like Bootstrap or similar
- Condensed timeframe
- Strong teaching component: instructors who actually are good communicators and take student failures personally
- Git as an integrated tool, using many of its features
One option would be Dev Bootcamp. It hits most of your bullet points, but it's focused on Ruby on Rails.
I would strongly suggest, if you're actually going to do something like this, that you *not* focus on a CMS or a JavaScript framework, but rather on the languages they're implemented in and more general programming skills. CMSes and frameworks come and go; time spent on the lower-level skills will make you a better developer and more employable not just next year but several years from now.
posted by asterix at 3:49 PM on August 16, 2013
I would strongly suggest, if you're actually going to do something like this, that you *not* focus on a CMS or a JavaScript framework, but rather on the languages they're implemented in and more general programming skills. CMSes and frameworks come and go; time spent on the lower-level skills will make you a better developer and more employable not just next year but several years from now.
posted by asterix at 3:49 PM on August 16, 2013
Actually, scratch that: you want to look at BootCamper, which lets you search for bootcamps by language/focus and location.
posted by asterix at 3:51 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by asterix at 3:51 PM on August 16, 2013
The intensive boot camp programs I've seen take approximately 12 weeks.
posted by Nomyte at 3:56 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by Nomyte at 3:56 PM on August 16, 2013
Response by poster: 12 weeks is fine. If I have to take three months, I'll take three months.
posted by jsturgill at 3:58 PM on August 16, 2013
posted by jsturgill at 3:58 PM on August 16, 2013
This is a reasonably comprehensive list of current programming bootcamps: bootcamps.in, and it lets you filter by location. I'm actually in one right now (but not in CA) and the ones I looked at ranged from 9 to 12 weeks.
On preview: whoops, didn't realize that this link had already been posted.
Wait, my link is different. Maybe. But looks very similar.
posted by mskyle at 4:20 PM on August 16, 2013
On preview: whoops, didn't realize that this link had already been posted.
Wait, my link is different. Maybe. But looks very similar.
posted by mskyle at 4:20 PM on August 16, 2013
App Academy is also worth looking it. I've interviewed a couple people from there, and we ended up hiring one of them.
Their model is that you only pay them if you get hired as a developer after the program.
But, if you are looking at other states and would be wiling to go six months I highly recommend gSchool out of Denver. These guys really know their shit, and more importantly the employers in the Denver/Boulder area know this as well.
gSchool does the "head hunter" model where the company that hires you pays for the school.
posted by sideshow at 5:16 PM on August 16, 2013
Their model is that you only pay them if you get hired as a developer after the program.
But, if you are looking at other states and would be wiling to go six months I highly recommend gSchool out of Denver. These guys really know their shit, and more importantly the employers in the Denver/Boulder area know this as well.
gSchool does the "head hunter" model where the company that hires you pays for the school.
posted by sideshow at 5:16 PM on August 16, 2013
This thread is closed to new comments.
posted by jsturgill at 3:19 PM on August 16, 2013