Actualize

Actualize enabled me to learn an incredible amount in a relatively short amount of time. Before Actualize I was learning as much as I could through self study. I was able to learn about algorithms and other puzzle-solving style coding problems, but I... Read More wasn't learning much at all about practical programming and how to BUILD things with a computer! This is where Actualize excels, and I don't think I could have learned how to build a full stack web application in even 1/10th of the time on my own. Actualize gives you the tools you need to transition into a career in web development with actual skills beyond just theoretical computer science knowledge. There's also a great job hacking program where you're guided by career counselors, and there's an extremely supportive network of people who want to see you succeed. If you're like me and are burnt out from a career that doesn't value your skills as highly as you feel you deserve, I can't recommend Actualize highly enough.

I picked this bootcamp based off of reviews on this site, the schedule they had available, and conversations with friends. I didn't do as much research beforehand as I probably should have, and I feel lucky that I had made a good decision. Actualize's... Read More teaching philosophy is teaching us how to learn. They won't go over every possible technology simply because it isn't necessary. Instead, we dived deep into developing an understanding of how our code is interpreted by the system, how the mechanisms work beneath the surface, and best conventions to use. I feel confident that I can apply what I learned in this class to any coding environment going forward, whether it's backend or frontend technologies, or even if it's in a language I know or not. I'd recommend Actualize to anyone who is serious about pursuing a career in software development.

You may be interested in learning to program but confused about what a “Full Stack Developer” actually is. Let me explain. A Full Stack Developer is a web developer who works on both client and server software. This is often referred to as the “Front... Read More End” and the “Back End”. The Front End is what you see when you go to any website, how the page layout looks, how the buttons, menus, and forms all operate. The Back End is where a lot of the logic and data for the website exists. This would be where, for example, a website like Twitter would store all of the tweet data. So if that sounds like a field you’d like to work in, then learning to become a Full Stack Developer would be excellent. But Actualize also teaches general coding knowledge and just about everything you learn is transferable to another programming language. It was a great experience and I think the attribute that sets Actualize apart from other, larger coding bootcamp is how much they actually care about you. I had two friends who before me went to the two largest coding bootcamps and while they also enjoyed their experiences, we all agreed that Actualize cared the most about our personal success. This is most evident with the “Job Hacking” that takes place at least once a week that really prepares you to step into the world of a programmer after bootcamp. There are career counselors who meet with you personally 1-on-1 several times after the course of the bootcamp to get to know you and really tailor a plan to help you land a job, because that’s what this is really all about.

Living in Chicago, but applying to bootcamps in the pandemic, I was curious whether I should wait to apply to Actualize until things opened up back in-person, or if I should apply for the online class. After sitting in and observing a previous remote... Read More cohort, I went for it and am glad I did. Our instructor created a great atmosphere where I really got to know other students from around the country, we had inside jokes and met up outside of class to work together on homework. I also enjoyed the format of the curriculum, which consisted of short lectures, then a chance to practice the concept yourself on something different but related, and then a review if you were stuck/didn't quite get it. The whole vibe of the instructors and career advisors matches their pitch deck and you truly feel the Actualize staff is here for you, supporting you on a learning journey and invested in your success. The curriculum focuses on Ruby on Rails and Javascript and Vue.JS, which were great languages and frameworks to learn the concepts quickly and easily. I know I have a lot more to learn, but I left empowered to learn more and keep building things.

I found Actualize because a client of mine said a couple of co-workers went through it and they learned a ton. I liked that they offered a mid-day option and it was affordable for the amount of instruction and job assistance offered post-course. The course... Read More was unique because it had 5 weeks of pre-work which was self-led that gave you enough background knowledge to begin the 12 week live instruction portion. I felt that even with minimal coding experience before the 5 weeks of pre-work, this gave me enough experience that I could understand what was happening when the live instruction started. I also loved the instructors that I came into contact with. I had Dani as a lead instructor and she was awesome. Very caring, knowledgeable, relatable, very willing to help, and prepared us for the real world of web development. I would definitely recommend Actualize to anyone thinking about changing career paths. It helps build upon your current skill set and prepares you to enter the workforce as a web developer.

Actualize far exceeded my expectations of what I thought I could get out of a bootcamp in such a short amount of time. If you're someone that has to maintain a job while attending this class remotely let me be an example of how anyone can absolutely do... Read More it. I came into actualize being an insanely burnt out truck driver working roughly 65 hours a week ready to make a career change. Going to school during the week and driving on the weekends is one of the most daunting things I've ever done in my life and I couldn't be any happier in taking the plunge. Actualizes course is perfect for the student that starts with 0 knowledge of web development and still has a work-life balance to manage outside of school. Dani is the best teacher i've ever had including high school/college. Apply to actualize!!!!

I am very pleased to report that Actualize has been a wonderful experience for me as a whole. The people I got to know and the strategies I learned during this camp have already become invaluable to me. The professors here are fantastic, and the TA's... Read More as well. They provide excellent help and teaching in all circumstances. The resources provided for the technical side and the job hunting side are incredible. If you are looking to get into the best bootcamp at the best price this is your place! The online aspect also worked perfectly with my schedule and provided me with my first remote experience on a computer for school or work and I really value the online camp for that purpose. If you have read this far you should honestly just go check out the camp and apply.... Actualize for the win!

I just graduated from the Actualize Coding Bootcamp today!! It was honestly such an amazing experience. Actualize will provide you with all the support you need to make that career change to software development. HOWEVER, it is much more important that... Read More you yourself have the drive to become a software developer. No bootcamp will do that for you. In my case, I was extremely motivated to do well, and for that reason, I believe I was able to unlock the full potential of Actualize Coding Bootcamp. My instructor Dani was an amazing resource, and I'm grateful she put up with all the questions I asked her throughout my time there. My career advisor Sarah was also fantastic. She helped me through many job applications and gave me a lot of great job-searching advice. My classmates were also a pleasure to work with. I plan to make use of my unlimited access to both Actualize's bootcamp materials and career help to get my first job as a software developer!

Actualize is the best decision I've ever made when it came to deciding a bigger step in life. Not only were the other student's amazing but you become friends with everyone their and the environment of the classes are amazing. If you're having troubles... Read More they will help you to the best of their ability and they want to see nothing more than for you to succeed and grow as a web developer as well as a person.

Actualize was my choice out of four other coding bootcamps. I was initially impressed with their website and even more so when I went to linked in and, saw that Actualize had so many Alums. After a little research as well as some actualize tutorials,... Read More My choice was made and I couldn't be happier about the decision. The skills taught are necessary and the Actualize curriculum bridges all the gaps between languages wonderfully. I'd recommend Actualize to anyone.