| | Tommy Hoang | Background: I was a public school teacher for most of my career and recently worked in an education technology startup. Having worked closely with the designers and engineers at that job, I really enjoyed their responsibilities and am trying to transition into software engineering as my primary gig. I live in San Francisco proper so needless to say there numerous coding bootcamps here. After researching all the top ones and even attending their workshops, I landed on The Odin Project for a few reasons which I'll detail below but primarily for the sake of saving my hard earned money for other things -like the cost of living in the Bay Area!
Why TOP?
-For one, I love the focus on getting you to use the tools of the trade. Right from the start you set up your own development environment and learn to use github. At my former startup, the engineering team was constantly on this and the command line so I see the direct application already.
-Two, I've heard time and time again that to be a good engineer you gotta have a the thirst to continue to learn on your own. The curriculum definitely helps you builds this mindset while also being honest about the challenging road ahead. By the way, the community is great. The veterans are always lurking online and I've personally have had extended conversations with guys encouraging me and helping me along.
-Three, this program is free.99! As a teacher I would always scour the web for free resources for myself and for my kids. The tough part is finding the right resource for the kids to use at the right time. The curriculum here curates the content for me, so I can focus on keeping up with the rabbit instead of falling down the holes.
Some Challenges
-Some of the resources can be a bit dense as you're learning the how and the why behind things. I had some experience with HTML, CSS, and Javascript and was able to keep up pretty well but I can see it being a little daunting for complete beginners.
-No other big issues from my point of view.
Overall
-My experience with the online community and curriculum of The Odin Project has been great. I definitely enjoy learning at my own pace and recognize the challenges that come with that. If you're looking for a place that keeps it real with you, this is it because your growth is on you -although don't feel like you're alone, there's a community here for you. |
