Bloc

I was at a party a few weeks ago and something really amazing happened.  I got everyone’s least favorite opening question, “What do you do for a living?” and without thinking I said “I am a web developer.” I’d didn’t caveat it with “want to be” or tell them I was in school or give some long winded answer about changing careers.  I simply told them what I was, I’m a web developer.  And it was in that moment that I believed it for the first time.

I started my first week at Bloc with equal measure of hope and fear.  It’s a big crazy unknown and I had the same three questions as everyone else does. Am I smart enough? Will it be too hard? Will Bloc accept my carefully cultivated selection of cat gifs in lieu of payment? (FYI: No, they won’t.)  I quickly came to realize the best part of learning to be a developer in this day and age is that no matter what your problem is someone else has had it already. Google, Stackoverflow and Chrome Dev Tools became my new best friends.  And like human best friends I cry on them and tell them all my problems and they give me advice (unlike human best friends they don’t take my side and tell me that I’m too good for Ruby anyway and it's her loss and feed me cookies). Of all the things I’ve learned from Bloc the most important is to be a better problem solver.  How can I break down the problem? What can I do to isolate it? Test it? It is an absolute necessity to be able to critically evaluate the problem, though like most problems eating cookies really does help.

Take a penny, leave a penny.  That’s how I feel about Slack.  Since everyone starts at different times there is always someone ahead of you in the program and someone behind you. There is a beautiful symmetry in that. Both someone to ask for help when a checkpoint is tricky (I’m looking at you Bloc Chat!) and someone to offer a hand to. That is our responsibility as a community. It’s also a win win, it has also given me leagues of practice in parsing and debugging code that isn’t mine, an invaluable skill to have.

I was so excited to start my first projects and to make them my own, it made me realize really early on how passionate I am about crafting beautiful front ends. I’ve always been the teacher’s pet and am certainly no different as an adult. So I began digging into more front end principles like accessible design, responsiveness and playing with CSS preprocessors like Sass and LESS that aren’t covered in the curriculum. One of the many things I love about Bloc and my mentor, Caila Blanton, is the freedom and encouragement to explore interests that will only further my professional development and make me a more well rounded developer.

My capstone has been an amazing learning experience.  It’s the first time the training wheels really come off and it’s all you, steering into a parked car (true story, I definitely did that as a kid). With all the freedom in the world I settled on the challenge of taking on a real client for the first time. A local boutique owner here in Chicago I’ve known for ages was in desperate need of a new site.  The old one was outdated, bland and not nearly graphic enough to show off the 100+ artists that she carries.  We worked together to design a site that served her needs, not just in a final product but in terms of maintainability.  A real client comes with the added pressure of needing to get it right. This isn’t hypothetical anymore, a real person, a real business is now relying on you. I wanted to push myself so I decided on building a custom CMS with Ruby on Rails, postgres and AWS S3. Starting out I had more questions than answers, which was a great sign as far as I was concerned, that I would learn a lot. This was, after all, a chance to try as many new things as I could.  The finished project is beyond my expectations, clean, modern and easy to use and navigate.  And most importantly my client couldn’t be happier!

“Mommy, look! I am coding just like you!” my son sits on the floor next to me with a laptop he made out of cardboard, merrily tapping on the drawn on keys. I’m teaching him by example that intellectual curiosity never ends. And that no, I will not buy you a real laptop, you are five years old. There is a certainty we instill in children from such an early age that they can be anything they want to be.  If you ask my son he is a coder, an engineer and a paleontologist (and sometimes a tiger). At some point that certainty in who and what we are goes away and the nagging feeling of imposter syndrome becomes real. But when I look back at all progress I’ve made since starting Bloc, the skills I’ve developed and the fully fleshed out projects I’ve created I know in that moment who and what I am.  I’m a web developer and I’m ready for the next challenge.

I am two months into the Designer Track course at Bloc. I started Bloc on the 15 hours a week pace, but a month in I switched to 25-30 hours a week. I am currently working a full-time job while completing the Bloc course work. 

I graduated with a BFA in illustration in 2015 and two of the reasons I chose Bloc to study UX Design was because the curriculum seemed robust, structured, and intense. To become good at anything requires a significant amount of time and dedication. Committing to a thousand hours at Bloc is a great start. The fact that it is remote is a huge plus for me because I need to work full-time. One of the downsides of an online course is it can lack a sense of community, however, the designer slack channel has been great to resolve that. A huge part of any creative discipline is getting feedback and iterating. The slack channel is always active and the feedback you receive from fellow students and other mentors is great. In addition, the mentor sessions (1-3 depending on pace) are extremely useful. My mentor, Chris Gillis, has over fifteen years of experience in the field and has provided me with great advice and feedback each session along with directing me towards great UX content to help me grow.

With all that said, I think a common perception of any bootcamp is it's seen as a quick way to get hired. My college instructors used to tell us that you can learn a discipline/field on your own if you truly put in the work. They saw a lot of students go into debt to get their masters degree simply because they needed structure. With Bloc, I think the curriculum and price is a fantastic middle ground between learning on your own and having a formal education.

As far as the job guarantee, I see it this way. If you dedicated yourself, supplemented your learning, networked, gave 100% the entire course, and still can't find a job after six months you get the $9,800 tuition back and you keep the knowledge and connections. 

As I go through the course I'll update my review and give some real feedback on the job process. 

I highly recommend the Bloc virtual Rails Web Development program if you are interested in jumpstarting a career in web development. It was perfect for me, especially given that I live on a small island wherein access to high quality technical training programs are virtually unavailable. The curriculum was developed in such a way that each lesson builds upon the previous lesson, almost guaranteeing that each lesson's goals are attainable, provided you are willing to put in the effort. Along with the curriculum, one of the greatest strengths of the program is the mentorship. Take full advantage of the mentor that you've picked, and you can accelerate your learning. Just make sure that it's the right fit. Read the mentor reviews, that goes a long way. Hint, Brittany Martin!

It's a lot of work and requires a lot of discipline, things that every developer should have. 

I join Bloc in February 2017 & am at about the 1/3 mark of the longest track (Software Development).  I would assume like any other school or bootcamp, there is some risk associated with attending if you don't fully commit yourself, make the time, apply the concepts, and read supplementary material that furthers your learning (software development requires CONSTANT referencing to Google/Stack Overflow/language docs, etc.).

I came in with 3 goals in mind: to make a change in my career (move from sales to something more tech-savvy), to further my knowledge of coding & engineering that made me more attractive to employers no matter what position I landed in, and also to start my own business some day and not have to rely on others to build my website, etc.  With that said, my goals may be more ambiguous/flexible than most and I will probably still consider the program a success regardless of if I actually land a job as a developer, per se.

That leads me to what I've noticed from other students...the ones that have a great time and do very well are the ones that are flexible, understand that it takes a LOT of hard work to reach their goals, but also don't get disappointed if they don't see results immediately.  If you ONLY want to be a well-paid developer right out of school, you might be disappointed in Bloc...but that means you will probably be disappointed in any bootcamp and/or 4yr school.  It doesn't happen overnight, but I promise you will come out of this program with the skills necessary to be a developer some day soon.  Full disclosure: I have also seen people who only get about 1/5 through the program and land a job as a developer, but I think there are a lot of variables in play to make that happen and it isn't common.  But at the end of the day, if you had told me 6 months ago that I would know (reasonably well) HTML, CSS, Javascript, jQuery, AngularJS, Ruby, Rails, Rspec, Git, Bash, SQL, & many other concepts or languages, I would have told you that you are insane.

As far as the curriculum goes, the "checkpoint" modules do a lot to introduce and reinforce knowledge, while keeping you on track to finishing apps in a reasonable amount of time.  A lot of bootcamp "haters" make it clear that there are a lot of free ways to learn out there, but there is no way I could have done it without somebody pointing me in the right direction like Bloc does. The early Javascript material leaves something to be desired at times, but is mostly ok & I've been told Bloc has updated a lot of the material as of late.  The Ruby material is fantastic and at that point in the program, I started to hit my stride and learn at a much faster pace.  I cannot speak for the later software engineering material yet, but I hear it is good.

I think Bloc's recommended "time commitments" per week are pretty aggressively stated bordering on unrealistic and if you did my track (software development) and aren't in a huge rush to graduate, I would highly recommend doing the slowest pace or the middle pace at most.  The fastest pace is grueling and I would only recommend if you don't work at all and have a huge amount of free time.

Mentor meetings are where Bloc really shines.  You meet 1-3 times/wk with mentors who specialize in whatever module you are currently in, and they walk you through processes to get you past your struggles.  Most of them also do a great job of pointing you to other materials to read and identifying weaknesses in your code that will help you learn faster.  I would definitely talk to other students about which mentors are most helpful for your style of learning, but in my experience Etan Berkowitz, Charlie Gaines, & Tim Barnes have been fantastic for me (Tim hasn't been my mentor, but has graciously taken time to help me many times).

Overall this has been a great program.  There have definitely been times where I wanted to bash my head against the computer, but if you are patient, clear about your goals to both yourself and Bloc, document and explain questions that you have, and remain active in the Slack groups, I think the program is well worth the money.  

Happy coding :)

I completed bloc wayyyyy back in 2015 before any of the recent (and substantial) curriculum changes. Even though I think the curriculum now is probably a lot more advanced and robust (as it's gone though several iterations - design, amirite?), it still pushed me to be successful in a lot of ways. Design is hard, and I'm by nature a both insecure and highly motivated person which makes for an odd combination. My mentor worked with me through my struggles, ups, downs, design blocks, etc., and ultimately propelled me toward landing a job in New York City about two months after I finished the 3 month full-time track. While I do not yet have my dream UX job, I''ve got my foot in the door in a fascinating and growing industry in a highly competitive city. It's up to me to grow and learn from here, but Bloc certainly put me at a good starting place. I only wish I had my mentor (Chris Courtney) to guide me through life at all times :) 

I decided for Bloc after trying the self-paced approach, and I have to say it was the key decision that transformed my coding from a hobby to a tool for building production-ready web applications and other kind of coding projects.

The content is of very high quality, it's constantly being updated and you get to access it even after the course is over.  The approach has the right level of demand and resources needed to get you going.

In particular, I had a project I wanted to built, and spent a couple of years trying to launch it with a self-paced learning approach.  Once I started with Bloc, I was able to build it from scratch, in parallel to the learning path and with my mentor's assistance, and finally launched it before my graduation. Since then, and with the confidence I gained, I have launched a number of other projects myself.  So for me this was the tool for taking my ideas to real things.

The course work covers a great breadth of languages and libraries, including some of the most relevant to the field currently: JavaScript, Ruby, Ruby on Rails, jQuery, Angular, and more. Part way through the program, I began to question the overall value of it, considering that much of the material is available online for free. But the fact is, without the structure of Bloc, I would have had no idea in what order to learn the endless amount of material out there, nor which topics are the most relevant to the field.

Bloc's curriculum updates regularly, which shows that they are keeping pace with the ever-changing industry. The great benefit of the online format (other than the obvious convenience of working from home) is the structured meetings with your personal mentor. Your mentor will help keep you accountable to do the work, as well as illuminating some of the more vague concepts and processes that don't come so easily by just reading material online.

The software engineering track lasts about 36 weeks, which gives time to cover a wide range of material. Ultimately, your portfolio, which by the end of the program will have at least 6-8 robust projects, is what will sell you as a potential employee. I still think the price is a bit high, but it is still comparable with most of the other bootcamps out there. I can recommend Bloc to the aspiring coder.

I live and work full time in a very remote location (rural Alaska) so I had some very specific criteria when selecting a bootcamp. I was looking for something remote and part time. Bloc handily met both criteria. The program is entirely online so it can be done from anywhere, and I am able to complete the curriculum at a part-time pace. The timeframe can be quite long (mine is two years for the Software Developer Track) so I can do a little bit of work while not at my full time job and still learn a ton of new information. On the other hand, the work is independent enough that I can work ahead at a faster pace when I am able, which I love.

The curriculum is a mix of outside-created online tutorials and projects crafted by Bloc. The one minor drawback is that during the projects, which are the heart of the program, one is expected to do quite a bit of independent learning, but this is fine with me for two reasons. For one, the project-based approach simply works for learning new skills; and for the other, there is a mentor to guide you through the process.

I love learning new skills independently online, but this approach often leaves me frustrated by the lack of human touch and interaction within the process. Sometimes it's nice to talk through the things one is learning. Bloc provides the best of both worlds by allowing students to go through the bootcamp remotely, but having a mentor to work with. The presence of a mentor was the number one reason I chose Bloc from among the online boot camps, and I am not disappointed. I enjoy working with my mentor and had a difficult time choosing from among the many qualified candidates.

I can't speak to the final quality of the job assistance because I am not quite to that phase of the program, but the job prep I have done so far has been insightful and seems to be preparing me well. Overall, I would recommend Bloc to anyone who is able to accept the price tag of an online bootcamp and who is willing to put in the independent work.

If you're looking for an online learning experience for coding, you should definitely consider the Bloc approach. But, before you even click accept, make sure you have done your homework and worked through as many free/cheap tutorials as possible. 

Your time in the course is a WAVE of information. You'll be in a much better place psychologically and economically if you understand the basic concepts of what you are about to get into. Plus, if you work one-on-one with a mentor (pretty sweet) you're not wasting his/her time by having to walk you through a ton of basics. 

Learning to code is a challenge. Don't make the decision lightly about who helps elevate you closer to a level of mastery. Stay cool and remember that if you do choose Bloc, you always have somebody at your back. 

Before selecting Bloc I reviewed several programs and their respective preview courses. I found that every online boot camp had one thing that they excelled at. But these boot camps also seemed to focus so vehemently on that one thing, that other areas of the program suffered. That is not to say that these other programs were bad, but for me, they didn't strike a good balance of affordability, support, education, and potential results.

My biggest reason for choosing Bloc was the overall balance of their program. Everything is executed well with a great blend of all the elements that were important to me. Not only that, but the frequency of one on one meetings with my mentor is awesome. I could write substantially more about how great this program is, but let’s face it, you don’t want to read a five page review, and I’ve still got a ton of code to write; this code’s not gonna’ ship itself (totally stole that line from my mentor).  Do yourself a solid: If you're serious about a code school, check out Bloc, you'll be happy you did. 

-- This post was written while enrolled in the program, although I have seen great support from their job assitance team already, I chose to give a score of "N/A" as I have had little need to use all the support they provide.  

I can seriously say that Bloc helped me get out of a job and gain a career. After going to college for two years wasting money on courses I was never going to use in real life situations. I decided to seek a better alternative. I researched boot camps and landed on Bloc's site. Being able to learn from home and having a mentor with years of experience in the real world of UX/UI Design, was awesome. My mentor was always available for any concerns or help I needed. Creating work that I could actually put on my resume was the key in getting my foot in the door and being considered for job opportunities, above other graduates with just a degree to show. My mentor helped me understand that companies and recruiters want to see actual work that you've done that will speak for itself about what you're knowledge of UX/UI Design is. Natalie Hatter was my Bloc Mentor and I recommend not on her as a mentor but also Bloc as the perfect fit for those looking to gain not just a job but a career. After I finished Bloc I immediately had interviews. 3 months later got my first job at Unikey Technologies where I learned a lot before moving onto a more stable role at FanHero where I just celebrated my 1year anniversary. Hope my review/testimony will help those needing guidance on their decision to join Bloc and become a Bloc alumni.