| | Kevin Neag | This is a review for the CodingNomads cohort taking place in Playa Del Carmen, Mexico between September 23rd, 2017 through January 7th, 2018. The program consisted of 8 weeks on-site learning at a co-working space in the center of Playa Del Carmen, as well as 5 additional weeks of full-time remote work, where we are still currently working on our final projects.
Overall, I think that this boot camp was a great investment in my both my time and money. I highly encourage anyone that is serious about learning Java to consider attending for the following reasons:
1.) The technologies you learn.
Most coding boot camps are centered around learning web-development, CodingNomads differs in that the course is structured around java, which is the most used back-end language in the world. During the course, you go from learning the java fundamentals all the way up to be able to able to write complex data structures and algorithms. You will also learn spring, a popular Java framework that allows you to create secure web applications, create your own Restful API services, be able to integrate your code with relational databases as well as much more. During the course, you also learn how to use the command line, git, SQL for managing databases, and many services on AWS, including EC2 which allows you to deploy your code on remote servers. Most importantly you will learn to think and solve problems like a developer.
2.) The Instructor.
Ryan is extremely knowledgeable with over a decade of experience working as a professional developer. With his recent real-world experience, he is able to organize the course so that you learn the technologies and best practices currently being used. Ryan is really good at breaking down complex topics so that they can be easily explained. Above all, he is extremely generous with his time. On several occasions, he has spent over 12 hours in class helping students, and he routinely offers time on Sunday’s for students to review the material.
3.) Getting away from distractions.
The concept of traveling to a foreign country to learn computer programming might sound like a pretty strange idea, however, for me it provided the perfect learning environment. Traveling really helped me step away from all the distractions of everyday life, so that I could solely devote my time to learning as much as possible. During the course, you are almost exclusively surrounded by like-minded people who are also trying to learn how to code, which I found was something that was extremely beneficial and something that not every boot camp can offer. The co-working space we used was a short walk from my apartment and Playa del Carmen provided nearly all the everyday comforts of the United States.
4.) The price.
I think that you will be hard-pressed to find a better deal on a boot camp than CodingNomads. The base price for the course was significantly cheaper than all the other boot camps that I researched, with the added benefit of a decreased cost of living from being in a foreign country. Additionally, the cohort I was in was very small, so I was able to get lots of individual attention, something that you might not find in some of the larger more expensive boot camps. |
