Actualize

About me: I have just finished my capstone project after attending Actualize for months. I am in the IT field already (sys admin, wifi design, network infranstrure) and took a couple of years of C++ in college a long long time ago. I hated code at the time because of the haphazard and antiquated learning patterns of my university (having to write C++ functions in pencil!).

Before choosing a bootcamp, I interview many people in the field to get their experiences. Actualize came up repeatidly for both in-person and online.

I attended Actualize online after work. Despite my hesitations about a online class I really felt supported and empored at Actualize. With a 11 hour work day (with commute) they were still able to keep me engaged and motivated with a perfectly balanced curriculum...

What an experience. I am a recent grad of Actualize and I have nothing but good words to say. I was apart of the online evening/weekend course with six other students. The level of support I received from the instructor, TA and classmates were unbelievable. Everyone wants to see you win and start a career as a web developer. 

My background is in social work and I never thought I could become a web developer. It takes a lot of patience and determination to finish this course, but if you're truly passionate about learning how to build web apps and challenging yourself, then I say go for it. I have no regrets whatsoever. 

I took the Actualize course coming from a background in neurobiology and physiology with no background to speak of in coding. I had always dreamed of learning how to code and changing my career course but I was nervous about investing time and money in a bootcamp. I picked actualize because it covered not only the learning elements of web development but also how to get a job in this field that was foreign to me.

My experience with the course was positive and challenging. I really enjoyed the teaching style and all of the material we learned. I like how we were constantly pushed out of our comfort zone and not babied along too much when we had trouble. The curriculum was challenging and diverse and covered heavily used frameworks and elements in web development today. My teacher was...

My experience at Actualize has been fantastic. The curriculum is excellent, the instructors are extremely helpful and knowledgeable. I came into this program with very little coding experience and I learned more than could've imagined in just a short amount of time. I would not hesitate to recommend Actualize to everyone!

When I first made the decision to attend a coding bootcamp, I knew it would be a challenging experience. Taking that into consideration, when I was making my decision on which one too attend, I was sold on the fact that Actualize had instructors with both teaching and programming experience. As a graduate of the winter cohort, I can gladly say Actualize held up to its expectation. The amount of support was great and there was never a time where I felt like I wasn't getting the help I needed. My instructor was Peter Jang and he was always on top of game. Setting a good tone for the class, set expectations that helped you properly prepare for upcoming challenges, and did a good job of keeping the stress level down within the class. There was definitely times where the experience got ov...

I had a wonderful time taking this course. I was able to learn so much more then I ever thought I would. It was definitely extremely challenging, but it was so unbelievably rewarding that it was worth it. Actualize has done a great job at setting up this curriculum. I took the online class, and it felt just like an in person class. I was able to ask as many questions as I needed to, and always got tremendous assistance when I got stuck. Brian Rice was my instructor and did a fantastic job teaching this cohort. Thank you Actualize for the amazing course. I am so grateful for the experience!

What's up fellow Course Reporters!

I am here to tell you about my experience at Actualize. In short, fantastic. Great teacher, assistants, and overall community environment. Would recommend 10/10.

I will mention however, if you are not determined and completely focused on these 12 weeks of your life then it will be a waist. Coming into this program I new that I would be sacrificing a social life, sleep, and many other things get the most out of this class. I took on this challenge while maintaining my full-time job. I am not saying this to gas myself up by anymeans, but to ensure you that it can be done. This balance was not easy and I was dreaming in code almost everynight, but that is not a bad thing by any means. I would also like to take the time to review my instructor Peter ...

I’m willing to tell anyone who is interested nothing but great things about Actualize. On the first day, they connected us with other students who were halfway through the program and allowed us to pick their brains. I don’t know how they manage their applicant selection process, but every one of the 14 other students I went through the bootcamp were fantastic and were equally motivated to make the most out of the program. They instilled a sense of community amongst our group, and we each spent time lifting each other up.

The teaching was equally fantastic. I had some initial skepticism about bootcamps specifically because of the qualifications of the instructors, and I was proven to be completely misguided about those reservations. They focus on finding teaching candidates w...

I graduated from Actualize in Chicago in December 2018. My experience was excellent. The course was structured very thoughtfully and thoroughly. The head instructor was my teacher and he was excellent. He always made the material interesting and interactive. It is a bootcamp. The hours are long and you must put in the work to achieve what you want out of it, but Actualize is totally worth it if you as an individual are willing to put the time in.

As a graduate with a undergranduate degree in computer science, I felt I was lacking the skills needed to do web development. I tried to learn on my own with codeacademy and codewars. Those can only take you so far. I did further research and came upon coding bootcamps like Actualize and Fullstack Academy. What drew me to Actualize was the curriculum and the flexible schedule (Weeknights and Sundays)

Actualize is perfect for those who want a carrer change or for those who want to obtain the skills to make an app. The first part of the experience requires diligence and perseverance. You will only get what you put in. You learn the fundamentals of Ruby on Rails and Vue JS which will help you in future endeavors. The other half is the interaction between your peers, the instructor, the ...

I came to this bootcamp with limited knowledge in coding or development. I met teachers, teachers' aides and student who were more than willing to be open to help and be a listening ear. I never felt as if any question was unnecessary. It was definitely intensive but everything was put into immediate practice. I look forward to applying all I learned toward my future career.

I have many associates that are coders. So I had a fair amount of resources to ask aobut which bootcamp to attend. Even when I was in the self study phase of my path, Actualize was always among the top choices. Now, many of the other "top choices" are no longer around. Actualize continue to crank out good graduates, and I believe that reputation will help when going to the market place to seek a position.

The experience was great. My instructor constantly bafled me with his knowledge and ability to teach and convey subject matter. They love to code, they love to teach code and it shows. The TA's were fun and former graduates that provided assistance and information from the perspective of an employed former student.

I'm a recent graduate, and I'm happy I chose to atte...

When I first set out to go down the road of coding I wanted to be very particular in which school I attended. After spending many nights reading reviews and comparing boot camps I quickly narrowed down my choices. I set up an in person tour to go see Actualize. As soon as I toured the school I knew this was where I wanted to spend my time learning. My lead instructor was Josh. Let me start by saying I was amazed by how knowledgable he was about the different languages he taught in his class. He was always willing to help out and dive deeper in any section we felt that we needed that extra explaining. Class moved at a quick pace but in a good way to push yourself. I have to give a shout out to the TA's you all were incredible and helped shape me as a developer. Do not hesitate and sign u...

I was a little reluctant to join a coding boot camp, I knew it would be a huge commitment. I can say that I am so happy with my decision to join Actualize. I learned so much from beginning to end, that I would not have been able to learn on my own. The support and help you receive is incredible. The instructors go above and beyond to help. This experience was really worth all the time and effort I put into the program. I encourage anyone to join Actualize.

I would highly recommend anyone to commit to an Actualize course who has a goal of becoming a full-stack software engineer. After researching several different bootcamps I made the decision to attend the Actualize bootcamp and it was absolutely the right decision for me. The instructors are excellent educators. Their teaching methods, support, and guidance are superior and allow students to be successful throughout the entire course. This course is not only phenomenal for the skills that are developed in programming but the career advice and support that leads students to being successful in finding a job.

After getting my degree in marketing and spending the first five years in sales roles that never felt fulfilling, I needed to make a change in my career to something that would give me more flexibility, better upward mobility, and overall happiness.

I had completed a few Codecademy courses in the past, but needed something that would supply me with a bit more structure. So after seeing Actualize's great reviews, especially for their in-class Chicago campus, I applied and was accepted to the July 2018 cohort.

Over the next few months, I learned more than I ever could have possibly imagined. The course is fast-paced and challenging, but once things start to stick, by the end you have a strong foundation and jumping off point for your future career in development. I met some amazing...

What if I were to tell you that you could change your life, prove to yourself that you can accomplish and overcome difficult tasks, and have fun in the process; is that something that you would be interested in? If so then Actualize if for you! What an unbelievable experience. There are few times in my life that I can think back on and honestly say "this was one of the best decisions I have ever made" The pride I feel inside for changing my life is something that I will never forget. The instructors care so much about each and every student that comes through. If you are willing to work hard then they are willing to help you with anything. It is an incredibly supportive environment and I had an experience that I will cherish for the rest of my life.

I took the 13 weeknight course and it was intense. It is a coding Bootcamp and it is intended to teach you full-stack within 13 weeks. It is a short-term commitment but it will take all your free time.

I begin looking at bootcamps due to a need and drive for a career change. When I started looking at bootcamps, I was stuck between Actualize and another bootcamp that specifically offered a guaranteed job.
Actualize was recommended to me by a friend in the industry who has helped out with the program directly, and personally vouched for their success, not only their education but their graduate hire rate. He told me that while Actualize does not guarentee a job, I would have no issues finding one based on their course content and passion for teaching.

Having completed the course I can whole heartedly agree. I came from a background of only minor HTML and have gained the knowledge to not only create a full stack web application, but to learn whatever it is I need to in order to adva...

I will start with the Cons and that is not being able to meet the cohort in person you go through this challenging course with, they will become a rock for you and good friends.
The pros are the staff us true to caring about the students and what they come out with instead of just getting through the course and getting the next cohort in. The Instructor I had Dani did an amazing job communicating to each different learning pattern that students had allowing for us all to come out with a great project and confident on continuing to learn programming. This course was amazing and I would recommend anyone who wants to get into the development career to attend Actualize because they really do help you learn how to learn languages instead of just teaching you one language or library. I am g...