Actualize

I chose Actualize after researching many different coding bootcamps and finding that Actualize matched what I was looking for, a bootcamp with an emphasis on teaching its students how to learn and think like a software engineer and a staff that is available... Read More to work with you on all aspects from coding to learning how to conduct your job search.
The four-week pre-work was an excellent preparation for the 12-week online course that was to come and all throughout the course I felt a very strong sense of intentional teaching. From how our instructor built up the lessons and structured homework assignments to how the TAs interacted with us, it was apparent that the curriculum and its delivery were masterfully designed with the intention to provide us with the resources needed to begin a new career.
I sensed that the approach at Actualize is genuine. Between the instructor and TAs there was a very good teacher to student ratio and I think they truly live up to the teaching philosophy described on their site.

Like most people reading these, I spent hours upon hours researching and sifting through reviews after choosing the bootcamp route. Narrowing my choices, Actualize stayed at the top because of their emphasis on learning how to learn and developing the... Read More mindset of a software engineer.

That philosophy stayed true throughout the cohort. Instead of having code thrown at us to memorize with or without comprehending, the curriculum is designed to understand the logic behind the code and put it to practice. That made a huge difference with it being a lot of information in a short amount of time. Additionally, and maybe most importantly, we learned how to problem solve and develop the skills to learn any programming language, much like the actual job of a developer.

Our instructor, Dani, was very knowledgable in not just coding but also the current industry from her real world experience. She and the TA's (who were extremely helpful Actualize grads) were always available to answer questions, guide us in the right direction, and make us think our way through concepts and issues. They also have career support that begins early in the cohort and continues after graduation, and the career counselor, Lisa, is readily available and helps keep you accountable.

While you can't learn everything within a few months, you can go from barely able to use an app to creating one, and leave with the skills to learn languages and frameworks beyond what's used for the class.

Actualize was such an incredible experience. I learned the most critical components of web development and more. I am finishing up the course with a plethora of resources at hand. I had Peter as my instructor and he explained everything crystal clear;... Read More truly one of the best teachers I've ever had! Him and all staff I interacted with at Actualize were always so helpful. Lisa, the career advisor, was instrumental in helping me land my first job. Thanks so much Actualize!

I did a lot of research on which bootcamp I wanted to join and I picked actualize because of their focus to be teachers first. The curriculum is designed to actually teach you how to think like a software engineer. My instructor Peter and TA Kevin were... Read More always there to help when needed. I spoke to many big name bootcamps and I just felt like a number where at Actualize it was a bit more personal. The pricing was way more realistic as well! The job hacking lessons really helped me with my confidence in applying for jobs and prepared me in ways that I never would have gotten teaching myself how to code. Id would recommend Actualize to anyone who is ready to make that commitment to a bootcamp that delivers beyond what you paid for.

Actualize teaching style is what brought me to this Bootcamp and I was NOT disappointed. The amount of support provided and the way the teaching was presented, made it easy to learn and FUN. I would definitely recommend this Bootcamp and if you are looking... Read More to start a new career, Actualize is the place to start!!!

I was deciding between a bunch of bootcamps and had interviews with almost every bootcamp out there. However, when I interviewed for Actualize I knew it was the one. Their staff was so friendly and warm and their curriculum really made sense. I was definitely... Read More hesitant leaving all of the other bootcamp options behind but this one was definitely the right choice. The pace was perfect, and I learned so much. The instructor (I had Peter Jang) was the greatest teacher I've ever had. He was so good at explaining complex topics in a clear and simple way and always had a good joke to tell. He was with us every step of the way and made sure we understood the material. He also always made it so fun and enjoyable and gave us good tips to deal with the stresses that come with coding as well. I not only learned the fundamentals of coding, but also how to learn new coding skills and languages and grow in the tech field in general. The job hacking was also amazing as they helped us build our resume, make connections, network, build a personal website, and do mock interviews. Overall, the bootcamp taught me more than I ever thought and made me ready and excited for my first step in the coding world!

I choose Actualize because I know a lot of successful Actualize graduates and it has a great reputation in Chicago. They also have an after-hours program that makes it possible for folks who are working to attend the boot camp.

I loved the program. We... Read More started by learning ruby on rails which is an easier programming language to understand. When we moved to JavaScript I was able to recognize the concepts we learned in Ruby. The pacing of the course was great. I cant stress this enough. Feeling like I was being pushed but still being able to keep up kept me engaged. Peter our instructor was fantastic. I think he might be the most experienced Bootcamp instructor in Chicago and maybe the US.

I'd recommend Actualize to anyone who is looking to make a career transition. +1 if you are looking for a bootcamp that you can do while still maintaining a day job. +2 if you have tried programming in the past but got stuck. Actualize is run by educators who are developers which makes all the difference.

I chose this bootcamp because it allowed me to continue working my full-time job and attend class. I applied for the online night classes which Mon-Thurs from 6PM-9:30PM CST and SUN 9-5AM CST. This is a full-stack web development so expect to learn a... Read More lot! I came into this bootcamp barely having any knowledge of what web development was and this course has given me a better idea of how the web works. My instructor was Peter and he was definitely one of the best teachers I ever had. He does an amazing job breaking down the different parts of each language and framework and will always take the time to answer any questions you might have. Be prepared to consume a lot of information! You're not supposed to be a perfect developer by the end of this class because I definitely am not, but I can honestly say I feel like I'm way more equipped to tackle and learn various programming languages, frameworks and databases on my own. Another great part of this bootcamp is the accountability and job prep this course provides. Lisa is an extremely resourceful career advisor who is always willing to take the time to work with you and help you improve your resume, job profile, and answer any questions you might have. I'm beyond thankful for the bootcamp and I would highly recommend this if you are looking to make a change in your life and get into web development!

The main reason i chose Actualize was for the online night classes and the Job assistance. I feel like the main focus of this bootcamp was not just the coding and building your skills (though it is a massive part) but also finding and landing a job in... Read More Web Development. If you're looking for a course that is going to help you through the process of learning and finding a job definitely check out Actualize.

I really enjoyed Actualize Bootcamp, It is fast paced but they do everything they can to help you. I looked forward to going to class everyday and I learned a lot of good information. I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone that was looking to start... Read More a career in software development.