Background: I got out of the Army back in 2013 and have hopped around quite a bit due to life circumstances: I've owned a franchise, worked in the trades, and now have completed a a software development bootcamp. Having experienced similar coursework, I think I can provide a pretty decent assessment of the program and my experience. I will discuss devCodeCamp with the assumption my reader is wondering whether they should give a boot-camp a try. Before discussing devCodeCamp, I'd like to offer a random insight: know that devCodeCamp (or any other boot-camp) isn't a magic pill. If you are not 100% committed to the program of instruction and diving into a boot-camp, do not sign up for one, because you will not succeed. It's simply not worth anything less than your undivided attention for a period of 14 weeks. That said, I very much enjoyed my time at devCodeCamp. They take the GI Bill, so that was sweet, too. The curriculum is scaffolded: at the beginning, you tend to meet with your instructor / mentor daily. As the course goes on, your interactions with instructors are typically focused on lectures and demonstrations, though, if you have a question, someone is readily available. Toward the end of the course, the emphasis shifts to group work. I didn't particularly care as much for this phase, but I also realize this is how real-work software development will be taking place. So, good practice! Lastly, any new material was introduced in a live lecture. This helped with immediate questions and was distinct from some self-paced programs where content is delivered primarily through recorded lectures. I also particularly liked the deep dive into the C# language during the first six or so weeks of the program. Some of the more straightforward / easy aspects of learning development, like CSS and HTML, was focused on less so that more attention could be paid on the "meat" of diving into object oriented programming. This was 100% the right move, curriculum-wise, IMHO. The instructors: I enjoyed all of the instructors. They were able to "walk the dog" on material, and were very quick to respond to difficulties and help you through questions when you'd get stuck on an aspect of coding. They also displayed positive, encouraging attitudes: they were all a combination of mentor, coach, and teacher. It's obvious instructors are hired for both subject-competence and attitude. Great job gents! Career services: This aspect was a big selling factor for me, personally. Having just graduated, I can't comment on career services from start to finish, but I can say I've been impressed thus far by the structure provided as we transition into our job search. Graduation has not been a send-off so much as a transition into the "next phase" of the program. Finally, the ultimate question: Would I do it again? YES. I feel prepared to tackle my first job as a software developer. I say this as one who tends to focus on his weaknesses and under-appreciate his strengthes. But, yes, even for someone like myself, I feel 100% confident in the program and in myself as a result of the program. If you are ready to commit to learning programming, and especially if you are a Veteran with the GI Bill, devCodeCamp is a no-brainer. | 