| | Christian | In the months before I got my Ph.D. I had been seriously considering enrolling in an undergraduate program in computer science once I finished. My degree is in an interdisciplinary hybrid of computer and biological sciences, Functional Genomics, but even though I created a novel algorithm for analyzing brain wave data, I had done so in a vacuum - I’d never worked with software developers, I had no experience of how software development was actually done, and I wanted to change that to be able to fully participate in exciting possibilities that we could be facing in coming years.
There is considerable evidence indicating that we are heading towards a future replete with personal biological data and web-based tools for analyzing and interpreting these data, following a 21st century version of the Socratic adage “to know thy (biological) self”. If realized, these technologies could transform, inter alia, how people learn, make discoveries, and bring novel ideas to fruition; citizen science and maker movement are incipient forms of this possible future. The path by which I could most effectively contribute to the realization of this future, I surmised, was to acquire the skills and methodological approaches of real software developers.
Then I heard about software developer boot camps, and thought, “This looks like a promising alternative to a C.S. degree.”
Being a researcher, I did my homework spending hours in my off-time hunting down all of the coding schools not only in the US but also abroad. It was difficult to see through the potentially hyped claims and criticisms to arrive at a realistic assessment of any of these programs, particularly as there was considerable overlap in their curricula. The most conspicuous distinguishing factor among all of the options, however, was housing. Coding House’s full immersion live-in plan meant that, relieved of worry about room and board, I could focus completely on the coursework.
I was nervous but took the leap, and I’m so glad that I did! In addition to all that I’ve learned about software development from front-end to back end, I’ve befriended an amazing group of people not only in my cohort, and among the excellent TA’s, staff and instructors (you all know who you are), but also the founder, Nick James, who’s one of the most gracious and fun people I’ve ever met. These will be the people, my fellow Coding House alumni, who I’ll be calling in the coming years to pitch my crazy start-up ideas of the future!
One more very, very important piece of advice: take a good, hard look at your intentions and expectations when contemplating any coding boot camp, including Coding House. It is not called a “boot camp” for marketing purposes – it will potentially be the most demanding thing that you’ve done in your life. If you’re ready for the challenge, though, Coding House is the place to be. |
