Epicodus

I attended Epicodus a little over a year ago and had austerely minimal experience with coding beforehand. What I did have was a desire to learn and problem solve.

With a lack of experience came some nervousness, but that faded away after sharing my enthusiasm... Read More with Michael in our initial phone interview. What I had experienced over the phone came to fruition in class as well: what matters most is having the ambition to take the time to fully understand something and figure out how to make it better. Michael teaches you the "how" and "why" of coding. The class as a whole encourages how to teach yourself!

That's the beauty of Epicodus - you're immersed in a learning environment where no one knows everything no matter how long they've been coding! Everyone is learning all the time constantly having new ideas, creating and figuring out many ways to solve many a problem. While I took the Ruby/JS course, the point of an immersive coding class was executed in full at Epicodus. The objective isn't merely to learn as much as possible about the languages covered (however, that's awesome too), but to go beyond that and understand the building blocks of web development, regardless of the language.

Michael has a knack for spreading the excitement and fun in web development because he's a developer at heart. That's what makes him such a great teacher: always striving to make things better. Be it code, be it Epicodus itself.

Long story short, I recommend it :)

Hey there,

When I started Epicodus I had zero knowledge of computers. Previously, I had been a musician and worked in digital music for a bit, but mostly considered myself an artist. In going to Epicodus, I wanted to jump on the technology bandwagon and... Read More see where it could take me.

Epicodus was and is awesome!

Everyday was about pushing myself to learn and think like a computer/engineer. I loved it. I would do it again. Though there were points when it took a whole 8 hour day in order to understand a concept, once I got it, it was like a light bulb went off in my head and thousands of new possibilities emerged. Part of the program is about learning to persist, and finding resources and support from the people around you.

During the program, me and two others began a startup and spent many hours after class working out the details and arguing about the database architecture. The learning that takes place is a matter of what you want out of the program, and the more you put in the more you get out. The two programmers I worked with are still close friends and will tirelessly have technical conversations about JavaScript frameworks and new disruptive technology. We all ended up getting hired at the end of the program and our startup was put on hold. However, what we gained was the knowledge and experience (and code base) for putting together a company and working through it’s problems.

I highly recommend Epicodus. It reshaped my career and changed my life trajectory for the better. The program is run by a team of caring professionals, the curriculum will constantly push you, and the people you meet will be friends for life. Currently, I am studying IT project management in an MBA program, and do consulting side projects for startups and small businesses.

All the best and good luck!

Andrew

Epicodus has been the most challenging thing I've ever done but also the most rewarding. Michael is an amazing mentor and the program not only teaches you everything you need to know in order to be successful as a Ruby dev but more importantly, it teaches... Read More you how to keep learning on your own after graduation. 

This program is way better than other schools because Michael does not rush over anything and makes sure he adds fundamentals such as Javascript. The additional 2 months is well worth it. The coding challenges presented are comprehensive and structured to perfectly cover all the concepts you will need to understand in order to grow as a developer and being in the classroom. When you getstuck, it won't be that way for long because it is not only the teacher that helps push you in the right direction but also your fellow classmates. The pair programming environment ensures you are always thinking. 

One final thing I will say about this terrific experience is that Michael is really great at helping you understand things when you get frustrated and he keeps you motivated. No matter the difficulty you are experiencing, he is always there to get you back on track, I appreciate him for that. I highly recommend this school over all others for anyone who wants to enter this field. I wouldn't trade this experience for anything.

Epicodus has been the most amazing adventure of my life! I'm 12 weeks in with 5 more to go. 

The course effectively converts amatuer coders into well-groomed, well-equipped, full-stack web developers. This is accomplished by a steady diet of test-driven... Read More development, pair-programming, modern technologies and driven leadership.

If you want to be a programmer Epicodus is where you want to be. Whether it's front-end, back-end, database or the whole gammot, this course will get you there. 

Not only will you learn to code effectively and efficiently, you'll get the opportunity to work as a team with other programmers. This in itself will make employers desire to have you join their team because you'll have proven experience. That is something you cannot achieve on your own. 

On the other hand, if you're interested in creating a start-up the networking you'll accomplish here is bar-none. From meetups, to hack-a-thons, mixers and happy hours you'll have the opportunity to get to know like-minded individuals who are just as passionate about getting your idea off the ground as your are. Trust me.

I am currently attending Epicodus's Fall 2013 class.

Before I came to this specific bootcamp, I had researched, applied to, and been accepted to a wide variety of bootcamps. However, there was one clear factor that came with Epicodus over the other ones... Read More I had talked to.

What truly struck me was that Sean Daken, the proprietor of RefactorU (another bootcamp) even had recommended Epicodus to me if I wanted a very personal, longer bootcamp. This speaks volumes to Michael's character. He is quite literally one of the most genuine, passionate, and patient people I have ever encountered. He truly believes in every member in the class and gives it 100%. This class has been the best experience in my life thus far. I sold everything I had, packed 2 bags, and got on a plane to move across the country, drop out of college, and uproot my life for this; and I wouldn't change it for the world. The amount I have learned in my time here is incomplehensible before coming and actually doing it. The laid back (compared to some bootcamps that require 12 hour days) style and fact that you are actually coding 8 hours a day is what does it. Immersion works in languages programming as well as languages spoken, and this class is a mastery of that style.

Overall, I would recommend Epicodus wholeheartedly if you truly want to program. If you don't have passion, you will not be able to handle the 17 weeks. If you do, you will succeed and have a myriad of wonderful new doors opened in life. I know I seriously sound like a shameless plug here, but if you don't believe me feel free to shoot me a personal email. I gladly will talk more about what I have done here and what the experience could offer you. 

bobbygrayson@gmail.com

12 weeks in and things are going great, and I dont have any major complaints.

I really appreciate Micheal (the instructor) for all the work he puts into our education and his extreme patience.

He is extremely knowledgeable is always willing to answer questions... Read More concerning our current project or other.

I graduated almost two years ago with an architecture degree, and my prior knowledge of programming before the program was minimal (I had created two static HTML/CSS sites beforehand) 

This program is the hardest thing i have ever done, but I am extrememly grateful to have been given the opportunity

I think the progression of the class curriculum is well paced, and you will learn A TON.

I reserve my last two stars for after I have been hired :) , but i am not concerened