Actualize

There are a lot of bootcamps out there, so it was hard to decide on one, but I did narrow it down eventually to Actualize and two others. I decided to go with Actualize because the classes are live, either in Chicago, or the one I attended which was done via live video online. The learning is fast-paced and they teach a lot in 12 weeks (plus 4 weeks prework), and by the end, I had built mulitple apps, all from the ground up. The instructor and TAs really care about students and do everything they can to help students grow and succeed. The job assistance is fantastic as well, ranging from technical interview prep, to resume-building, networking and how to search for jobs. They have a dedicated career counselor who meets with us on a regular basis and provides us job assistance as needed. I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone who wants to learn a new skill and possibly open the door to a new job field. I would also add that anyone can succeed in this program, so long as they are willing to put in the work. 

This was a wonderful course and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to kickstart their programming careers.

I chose the daytime class because I knew if I wanted to become a developer, I would need to be fully committed and it would be to my benefit to have as much time as possible devoted to learning. If you have the opportunity, I can definitely recommend this timeslot. 

My lead instructor, Josh, is phenomenal and can answer most any question, or at least will problem-solve with you if it is not immediately clear to him. He is a natural teacher, so try to absorb as much of his knowledge as possible in this time. 

Good luck!

The online bootcamp was everything I wanted in a course that would provide me with the tools I need to start a new career in web development. My instructor Dani is always high energy, enthusiastic, and ready to teach us new concepts and coding skills every day, which made learning how to code more enjoyable. She truly is a great instructor and it would be a blessing for anyone to have her as a teacher. There is a lot of material to learn but completely manageable and the pacing is great. I have no complaints and the course was perfect and it was everything I could have asked for and more. 

I could not be more thankful for the experience I've had at Actualize. The support and encouragement from all of the instructors, the hands-on tutoring and instruction, and the valuable job search training are all reasons why I'm thankful that I chose Actualize above other boot camps. 

I would recommend this boot camp to anyone who is even considering learning to code. Although the course material is challenging, I never felt like I didn't have enough resources to get through tough projects or concepts. This boot camp gives you such a great conceptual understanding of programming that by the end of it, you will feel confident to take on any programming language.

Truly grateful to everyone at Actualize for my experience, and I'm happy to be a part of such a warm and encouraging community.

My experience with the online bootcamp has been amazing. There were 10 people in my class and we all got along really well. The instructor, Dani, is a badass. She knows the material backwards and forwards. Every instructional section of the class is recorded and uploaded so we can review as often as we like. I always felt comfortable asking questions. The use of breakout rooms made one-on-one time with Dani or one of the TAs easy to arrange. I never felt like I was missing out on instructional time because the course was taught online.

Classes start on time, and there are generous breaks so the class time is manageable. The course can seem overwhelming at times, but the pace of instruction is well thoughout. The final capstone project brings everything together at the end. I almost wish the course was one week longer to give us more time to fine tune and adjust our project prior to the final presentation. Even though I only know the other students via Zoom, I feel like we got to know each other well and will definitely keep in touch with each other long after the course ends.

I have had a really incredible experience at Actualize. I started the bootcamp with no background or experience on coding or web development. The amount that I have learned in the past 4 months amazes me. One thing that makes Actualize stand out is how the curriculum breaks down complex coding concepts into lessons that are easy to understand. My instructor, Peter, is a natural and patient teacher and made class a positive and enjoyable experience. I would definitely recommend Actualize to anyone looking to attend a bootcamp.

I did the Online Live Bootcamp and it was great, I can now confidentally say that I know how to code and more importantly how to learn how to code. Actualize focuses on teaching you how to learn, because no one ever will be a coding master in all areas, it's just too vast. Online sounds kind of anti-social but it really was Online Live. Actualize uses Zoom and it really works very smooth. My one bad part is the price, it costed me $12,900 total which is pretty hefty for only 3 months + 1 month of non-live pre-work. But Actualize is about the same price as most bootcamps, some are even more expensive, so it's all good.

I reccomend! If you work hard with the Job Hacking you can defineltely land a job but it's not for sure. I didn't look for a job after, I'm in College.

I first heard of Actualize through a random comment on a Chicago subreddit. I reached out to the user and asked about their experience. It sounded right up my alley so I sat in on a class. I was immediately drawn to Peter's teaching style. I also spent a lot of time talking to the TA, Jennifer, about her own experience. She was also wildly helpful in my decision making process.

Fast forward eight months and I just presented my final capstone project. It is an amazing feeling of accomplishment. Would highly recommend. 

TL/DR: 10/10 would recommend.

Actualize has been an amazing experience. Over the past few months I have learned so much about coding but more importantly I am coming away from this program with a belief that I can figure out just about anything in terms of coding. 

Actualize focuses on teaching you how to teach yourself how to code so that you feel comfortable about tackling any problem. It's not about memorizing syntax or best practices. 

I specifically took this course because of the remote video-conference structure. Since I was working full-time, I needed to take a course in the evenings. I was deciding between a course at a nearby college and Actualize but ultimatley went with Actualize because I realized there were a lot of extra logistics required with attending at a physical location, such as: parking at the school, dinner, coming back home after class would be even more difficult to find parking by my house....etc. Actualize gave me a near-as-makes-no-difference in-person experience without the hassles of being there in person.

The teacher, TA, and job-hacking instructor were all stellar. Concepts are explained at a challengning, but attainable, pace and everyone is generally available to you outside of class time as needed.

I have never learned so much in four months, and I definitely didn't expect to have as much fun as I did doing it. One of the best surprises from this was that I feel so close with all of my classmates. I was worried that the remote nature of the course might lead to people not being as engaged in class but it couldnt be further from the truth.

The learning and classroom experience in the online cohort of Actualize was far more personal and welcoming than one would think when considering joining an online class. The instructors have a real passion for their work but it's their passion for wanting to teach others that really makes the miles between each student shrink. They are very understanding and want to help you with every problem that you have as stupid as it may seem to you, because they understand that you're learning and that you have tons of information being thrown at you. The growth mindset that Brian and Lisa taught us made moving forward and learning new concepts easier every day and that makes me very confident transitioning into my future as a web developer.