| | James DeVore | I attended this school from October 2018-Feb 2019, as part of their 4th cohort. To sum up my experience, I absolutely loved this program. If you are reading this review, and weighing different schools/programs, trust me, we all have been there. Here is why I chose Project Shift, and here is why I am glad I did:
Classroom experience: I learn best when physically in the classroom, interacting with instructors and other students, and this program offers just that, 2 instructors and a TA working with 9 students. I loved being able to turn next to me, and ask my fellow students or an instructor with any question I had, or even help walk another student through a concept. An often-unmentioned skill in programming is being able to communicate your code to others, and in my opinion, an in-person classroom is the best place to hone that skill.
Instructors: The instructors are incredible. Sean is an experienced developer, teacher, team leader, and provides extremely valuable insight into what managers are looking for, and how the things we learn are actually going to be valued and weighed in a professional setting. The majority of the actual instruction is done by Aaron, who is also an incredible developer, he does a good job walking through all the concepts and keeping everyone up to speed. There is a LOT (LOT) of material, and Aaron balances the need to get through it all while also slowing down to get through the more complex / challenging material. Definitely knows what he is doing in this environment.
Career Services: Not all of these programs offer career services. Project shift does, and they do it right. Throughout the course they emphasize the importance of the personal side of chaning careers. Turns out, it takes more than just code to get a job. The career services representative (Morgan) has such a talent for explaining the ins and outs of networking, crafting a resume, interviews, communicating with hiring managers, and literally any part of finding a job that has a human aspect. They continue this support well after the course finishes, along with slack channels with real developers whom you can ask questions, set up times to talk, and just get a sense of what it is like to be a developer.
My final review / advice: I cannot emphasize this enough, you will get out what you put in. There are weekly projects, they are 'graded' and if you go through this program, doing the minimum to 'pass' the weekly projects, you'll get through just fine. But remember: Its your investment, if you want to become a stellar developer, you aren't going to get there doing the minimum. This program doesn't force you to put your all into it. There is room for you to jump in 100%, there's enough material to keep yourself busy well more than the ~750 hours the course outlines. I spent ~50-60 hours a week in the class, and I wish I had spent more. It's a once in a lifetime experience, take full advantage if everything they offer, you'll kick yourself if you don't go in absolutely 100%.
Would I do it again? Absolutely.
Is it worth the tuition? It was for me, I dropped most things in my life for the duration of this course, and I think it was well worth the cost.
If you want to ask any other questions, feel free to drop me a line (if this is allowed?) I'm not an employee of Project Shift, just a satisfied customer
here is my linkedIn - https://www.linkedin.com/in/jdevore4592/ |
