5 Reasons You Should Learn to Code Overseas

Feeling the need to widen your horizon in both your professional and personal lives? Why not learn to code overseas? As hard a challenge as it may seem, it is actually one of the most efficient ways to get the maximum benefits of a coding bootcamp. Le Wagon offers their two cents on the benefits from learning to code abroad.

Travel and learn to code along the way

Whether you're a true adventurer or simply looking for a second chance to study abroad, there is nothing like immersing yourself into a new environment when learning a new skill. Imagine learning to code and surfing around Lisbon in the morning, chilling near a canal in Amsterdam in the evening, wine-tasting in Bordeaux during lunch break or even hiking the Pao de Açucar in Rio during the week-end. At Le Wagon, you can do all that and more!

Learning to code is intense, but if you do it in an amazing location you could bring home skills from the bootcamp and souvenirs from the country you chose to learn in. After all, Le Wagon offers courses in 18 different cities around the world!

Take a step out of your normal life

Learning how to code abroad puts you outside of your comfort zone. At Le Wagon, we see this as a positive. One of our objectives is to give students the developer's mindset in 9 weeks. For 60+ days you will get to explore new ways of thinking and new skills.

We have noticed that students who learn to code abroad don't struggle as much with committing to a fully-immersive 9-week challenge. Away from their usual life, students are able to choose an objective and stick to it. They aren't distracted by friends, family, daily commitments, and it is easier for them to take a step back and focus 100% on learning the new skills. It can also lead to a great source of inspiration, and many students realize great project ideas from their time abroad.

Broaden your network - Globally

New place, new people, new network. This may seem like a daunting endeavor to dive into, and it is important to keep an open-mind. You will meet more people the farther away from home you go and with that the opportunity to widen your network, both socially and professionally.

Le Wagon is a community for life where you can ask tips, share your thoughts and get advice from professional developers. Plus, instructors and course managers remain invested in students even after the bootcamp is over. Having an invested group is one of the best ways to ease yourself into a new environment and achieve your professional goals. Upon completion you will have gained not only a practical skill, but also a strong alumni group.

Break into a new tech ecosystem

Each city has a different tech ecosystem. Because Le Wagon has such a strong global network, you will be able to build an international professional connections right from day one of the bootcamp. This can bring amazing added value for future professional experiences. You never know what opportunity might be waiting: by knowing a foreign culture or language you could bring a different perspective and background, and develop a finer tuned intuition when it comes to managing interactions with people from different cultures. There is a world of opportunity out there!

Learning abroad can be more affordable

That may come as a surprise, but depending on where you are from and where you are going, learning to code abroad may be more affordable than doing it at home. For example, bootcamps in the US are often triple what they cost in Europe - look at Le Wagon Paris vs a major bootcamp in NYC! Other elements to take into consideration are the cost of living, local currency and the local way of life!

What you'll learn at Le Wagon

In every location, Le Wagon fulfills the same mission, teaches the same curriculum, and hires and trains instructors with the same exacting standards. Le Wagon is a product-driven bootcamp, and knowing that you will receive a strong education no matter where you decide to learn, our advice to would be:

• Pick a country/city where you might want to build something: either to take part in its tech community or find a job
• Keep quality of life in mind: can I afford it? What is the climate like? etc.
• Do you know the local language, or do you want to learn it? Knowing the language can be key if you are looking to stay long-term or get a job.

We expect 3 things from our students: be motivated (very motivated), be curious, be social.

Whichever Le Wagon location you choose, you will be surrounded by teachers and teacher's assistants (TA's) who will be there to teach you new skills and give you as much help you need. You will be doing so in a premium location, learning through practices that have been sharpened and improved for three years, while benefiting from an amazing community which will be there for you indefinitely once you join Le Wagon!

Learn more about Le Wagon's programs, explore cities, and see what some of our 1180+ talented alumni are up to now and read verified reviews.