Flatiron Software Engineering Bootcamp: A Review
At the start of my journey entering the software engineering industry I scoured and poured over every single review, I could find on any and all coding boot camps that were available. At the time, I was very grateful for all the reviews that aided in finalizing my decision to apply for Flatiron’s coding boot camp. However, having had a first hand experience of the curriculum I would like to take the opportunity to offer an intimate review of Flatiron’s coding boot camp.
To start, let me preface by mentioning that I had absolutely zero coding experience and working fulltime. So yes it is very possible to complete the program while working fulltime, however, it is very very challenging and will feel like you have two full-time jobs because it is. Fortunately for me, I was let go at my full-time position which allowed me to fully commit myself to learn the material. I believe this was critical for me to not just survive the program but to thrive in it. So yes it is possible to work full time and do the part-time online curriculum but it will be exhausting both mentally and physically.
How is the quality of the curriculum? I thought the first three modules were terrific. Flatiron does an amazing job of balancing how much you can handle but still pushing the boundary at the same time. Every lesson feels like a stepping stone to the next concept and this felt like a high-quality education. The first few modules revolved around Ruby and Ruby on Rails which I think is a great introductory language and framework because the language is very readable and the convention norms in Rails are very easy to follow. However, my enjoyment of the curriculum took a precipitous fall when we entered the Javascript module. I firmly believe Flatiron could improve in this area but also I don’t think there is any silver bullet that can save a student from the drastic change between Ruby and Javascript. It’s just a really stark difference in how Ruby and Javascript operate. Yes, both are object-oriented languages and utilize similar data types like hashes and arrays but operationally, they are worlds apart. I would advise both the Flatiron educators and prospective students to make use of the video material in the Learn video directory, available for all software engineering students since I believe JS can be better taught with a more intimate touch as opposed to reading letters off a screen. After JS, we enter React which is just a JS framework. At this point, I have been exposed to JS for about two months and am growing more comfortable with it. It was only after completing my React project did I realize my fondness for JS. Ultimately, the curriculum is of high quality, yes there are areas for improvement, but I feel very satisfied with the learning track.
How is Flatiron’s support system? This is probably the strongest component that Flatiron offers its students, thus far from what I can tell. I cannot give enough praise for the amount of support that I have received. The educational coaching service provided alongside the traditional coding coaching service is, in my opinion, what set me on the right path to success. Believe my words when I tell you, that you will feel very encouraged and supported if you join Flatiron. The free 12 month WeWork hotdesk pass is definitely a sweet perk ;).
It is worth noting, as I am entering my job search, Flatiron’s career services module after graduation seems to be just as high quality as its coding support system. I feel very confident that through their career services I will find the job that I want. I would not be surprised if I retract my statement later on and say that Flatiron’s career services are its strongest service.
Flatiron seems like a no-brainer right, wrong. For one, you have to observe your local job market and identify what your skillset is required for employment. From my own research, I can tell you that Javascript and Python far outnumber Ruby on Rails opportunities in my city which is NYC. The case could be different for you local area but do check and invest your money into a program that will help you develop skills that match the job requirements in your area. Secondly, it seems like their feature for helping students online called “Ask a Question” gets occasionally overwhelmed with queries from students. It does force students to learn how to debug on their own which is great but it can be frustrating when you are waiting for a response for more than 10 minutes.
But I suppose a question that would culminate in my one liner review for Flatiron, would I recommend it to someone else? Absolutely yes! Even if the echos of “Ruby is dead” or “React class components are disappearing” reach your ears and instill some measure of doubt from applying to Flatiron, take these last words that I will leave you with. For its current price of $15,000 not including interest if you take out a loan which I did which resulted in a bill of just under $18,000 (I finished paying it off from my savings while in the middle of the curriculum), you will not find a better program that offers the amount of quality support both during the learning process and to help you find a job. I would 100% recommened the Flatiron option to anyone who is considering a career in software engineering.
