Bloc

I started Bloc while majoring in CS. After a month of Bloc I was able to find a job as an iOS Developer at a fast pacing startup and 4 months later started my own and dropped out of college.

HeyCheff started to take off later last year (2016) and through the entire journey I was able to develop not only the iOS app but also help and assist with the Android and web dev.

Bloc is great, the community is strong and really important, but the most valuable thing for me, is been able to learn directly from an experienced developer, such as my mentor (Falko Butler)

Can't recommend it enough. Best of luck for everyone joining and happy coding.

I finished the Rails Development program two years ago.

I entered with very basic coding experience (variables, loops, conditionals) but I didn't know how to build web apps at all, just some very basic HTML and CSS sites, at the end of the course I knew how to build complex web apps in Ruby on Rails.

My struggle two/three years ago was that I had a lot of ideas I wanted to build but didn't know how to start, I read tutorials and books but I didn't know how to build real stuff, and that was a real frustration because I couldn't call myself a programmer, but now I am thanks to Bloc and its amazing mentors.

Now I can dive myself into documentation sites and learn new stuff in a couple of weeks, I know Javascript, jQuery, React, React Native, Vue, Webpack, Gulp, Ruby on Rails (of course) and databases and deployment (among other development stuff).

I'm very happy I entered Bloc!

Bloc has worked out exactly as I had hoped. Nothing more, nothing less. As an online bootcamp I feel that there is only so much support you can get from that setting but Bloc has been very prompt and the community is very supportive (ie. slack, facebook, support services, mentors). I started out with a degree in a completely different field and zero experience in development except a couple of codecademy courses I had done just prior to enrolling to make sure I actually enjoyed coding. Now, I'm a full time developer for a 'unicorn' company and I have earned back the tuition cost through contract work on the side while still learning in the program. So really, I've already broken even before any discussion about my career change and the amazing life change that has been. Bloc will show you what to do, but it's up to you to actually do it and figure out how to do it. The longer time frame and working with a mentor will allow you to explore your own interests and go beyond the curriculum which I would encourage. You get what you put into it just like anything, but that very much applies to this as well. Mentors are there to guide and coach not cram it into your brain. It takes hard work on your part too. No curriculum will just instantly make you a developer including 4 year degrees, I know plenty of people that just graduated an undergrad and are in programs just like this still. Try hard, work hard and Bloc is definitly worth it.

I just graduated from Bloc's Part-Time Web Developer Track. I did the 27 week pace, 2 mentor meetings a week. This was a very rigorous program and pace but I was able to take the time off work to do the curriculum full-time. (Whatever time Bloc says you need, just double/triple it.) It is a tough program.

I was a pro photographer for 20 years. I knew a fair amount of html and css. I knew how to set up Wordpress sites, tweak a WP template here or there. I also managed a Drupal site for a while, but that was about it. No real code or logic. I took several one-off courses before Bloc, but struggled to grasp tougher concepts.

Why Bloc? I am a 40-year-old mom so leaving to NYC or else where for 6 months was not my jam. Bloc offered a rigorous online program with the one-on-one with weekly mentoring. You can start and stop your program (with some limits) which is great for when my kiddo got sick, or my family needed me to work at our studio... basic life stuff. 

As a female, I was awarded the Bloc/ Women Who Code #Civic Hacking Scholarship which was awesome! I think the tuition was worth it, scholarship or not, for the education you receive with mentoring.

I prepared for 6 months prior to Bloc by doing as much free online coding classes as possible just to get my brain ready. I knew this program would be tough for me.

Learning to code is emotional. There were many times I wanted to give up! But you get out what you put in! I kept showing up and fighting. I worked my tail off and sacrificed. It was well worth it.  Painful at times, but the pain is short and in the end so so so rewarding. 

My mentor really made this an amazing experience. Bloc has great mentors. Alex was so knowlegable, a brilliant Rails developer with tons of real-world tales about how he solved problems for his clients. He is also THE best teacher. He was always so understanding-- knowing when to push me  and when just to help. I can not say enough about the Bloc's mentorship program. I would have never made it through without it. BUT, by the end of the program I was creating web apps on my own with confidence. Thanks Alex! Amazing!

I live in the small town of Portland, Maine and enjoy running a business so will likely freelance and create my own shop now. However, if I were in a mid-sized city, I could get hired with Bloc's training, no doubt. They offer a lot of help and training on finding work.

I highly recommend Bloc if you are willing to work hard. Loved, loved, loved  it and so excited about my new career!

I am 7 weeks into the software developer track and so far, my experience has been awesome.  I started learning to code on my own before enrolling in Bloc using a variety of free and paid online courses through Coursera, Udemy, EdX, etc.  While those were good introductions to programming, what I have learned so far at Bloc has far exceeded what I had done on my own.  Since I am stlil working a full time job, the online, self-paced format was a key part of my decision to go with Bloc, and I have not been disappointed.  The content and order of topics (organized in modules and checkpoints) is very well thought out, and breaks down development into bite-sized pieces that make learning it seem much more feasible.  At the same time, they are challenging and push me to learn, and so far have never felt bored.  When I initially chose Bloc for the online platform, I now think that one of the best parts of the program is the 1-on-1 mentoring.  I loved that I got to pick my mentor (from a huge list of qualified people), and so far it's been awesome.  My mentor and I clicked right away, and she is very supportive and responsive to my questions, even outside of our weekly meetings.  She has a great balance of helping me and directing me on how to solve/debug issues on my own.  

Overall, I am so glad that I decided to start this program with Bloc.  This has been a great fit for me based upon my stage in life.  I am married with two young daughters, so this program has allowed me to still pursue a dream of learning software development and eventually switching careers into the tech industry, while still mainting my current job since I am the main breadwinner/insurance provider/etc.  I can't wait to keep learning more in the coming months!  

I enrolled in the Designer Track course (6 months at full-time pace) and accepted a job offer 4 months in!  I spent a lot of time researching the best option to get into the digital design industry.  I came from a financial consulting role, so support when switching from another industry was important to me.  Also, I loved that in addition to the entire design process, front-end development is also included in the curriculum.  it's helped me a lot so far in my new product designer position within a software development agency in Chicago.  The best part of Bloc, however, is the mentorship.  3 times a week I met with my amazing mentor Terry as he helped guide me (and push me when needed) as I discovered the world of design.  His guidance throughout the program and specifically on my projects directly influenced my confidence as a new designer and is not only the reason I got a job - but the reason I'm doing well in my new role.  I can't imagine I would have gotten the same level of education in another online bootcamp as I did with Bloc. Additionally, the ability to interact and work with other students and mentors in the very large Slack community is extremely valuable.  Highly recommend if you're ready to take the leap into design or development and looking for a bootcamp/apprenticeship.  Hard work but worth it.

I am currently in my second month of the UI/UX Design Fundamentals with Bloc. I really like and appreciate the fact that this course is built around projects. We might not have accomplished too many designs, but we’ve been hands-on in every single stage of the whole designing and coding of an actual product / service. And in most checkpoints, we have the chance to practice and transfer what we have learned from the instruction videos to our own designs or projects. I think this type of teaching style is providing us with real ability and skills, as it can be very hard to keep the project going without knowing what we are doing. It is also very helpful because as UI/UX designers we will need to work alongside people that are in charge of different stages like visual design and front-end development,and we need to have at least working experience with all the necessary tools to understand their job. 

My company sponsored me to learn more about programming so I could help with maintaining some of our internal tools (I'm an HR technology specialist), and after doing some research I decided Bloc fit my needs and schedule the best. Prior to enrolling in Bloc's full stack web developer track, I had some working knowledge of some basic web languages like HTML and CSS, but I was very intimidated to learn more about Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, and the like. Bloc's guided self-paced curriculum in conjunction with 1:1 mentor meetings made grasping the complex programming topics involved in the curriculum not only manageable but also fun. My mentor Alex has been fantastic throughout my entire time with Bloc; always responding to inquiries quickly and providing support and expertise whenever I need it. Because of the great program and expertise Bloc and their mentors provide, I've gone from being intimidated by programming to confident in my abilities and I've even landed a more specialized job as an internal product developer for a major tech company. I would highly recommend this program for anyone looking to build skills and make a lateral career move into programming.

I am glad I chose BLOC to be a catalyst in my career change.

I have been in the Design Program for a couple of months now and I already feel I have learnt a lot more than I would have anticipated. The BLOC curriculum is structured quite well and helps you build your skills in an intelligent manner.

Having the continuous guided support of my mentor accelerated my progress, helped me get over my obstacles, and pointed me in the right direction.

BLOC Slack community also allows us to communicate with any BLOC member to discuss concerns, ask questions, share knowledge and much more.  Even though the program is online, it really gives me a feeling that I am learning with every student at BLOC as they share their experiences, frustrations and achievements. 

About 3 months into the program, and a veteran of Codeacademy and TreeHouse and just about every other website you can think of trying to grind my way into web development. I can honestly say that in the 3 MONTHS enrolled i"ve learned more than all my combined time just punching away on these websites. It's challenging and fast paced and above all stressful, but don't let that discourage you. This course is fun and rewarding and there is a safety net of experienced mentors that are just an email away.  

I am currently 6 weeks into the Part Time Web Development Track and my experience with Bloc has been awesome. I am truly happy with how much I've learned in this time. I've tried to learn web development on my own but never made this much progress. Admittedly, the work is difficult and you really need the mental and emotinal stamina to push though. I give credit to Bloc for providing a great curriculum to follow. My mentor has also been an INVALUABLE source of information and support!