Bloc

I finished the Fullstack track a month ago, already having years of programming experience, and I can say without a doubt that Bloc has helped me tremendously! Their curriculum is well thought out and lays a great foundation for you to become a well rounded developer. They introduce you to revision control. They present their material in a way that makes the complicated stuff seem easy! They also introduce you to various API's and libraries that have use in the real world. I am really happy with my time at Bloc, with my two different mentors who were always there to answer my questions, and with the career assistance staff, who are encouraging me to kick into overdrive since I graduated. Go Bloc!

As an IT professional with over a decade of experience, I've had a longstanding love of code since I was a kid.  Even though my job took me a bit away from that, I've always wanted to gravitate back but just didn't have the wherewithal and structure to really tackle modern development technologies, languages and frameworks via self-study.  With the advent of bootcamps, I finally had the in i've long been waiting for.  

Unfortunately, I didn't have the time to devote to a traditionally compact, fulltime coding bootcamp experience - so Bloc's more freeform, online scheduling really fit the bill.  This had an unexpected benefit as I was able to supplement what I learned with the Bloc lessons with additional studying and research.  

Bloc was a perfect way to ground yourself in current dev knowledge on a your own timetable, and with the mentorship component, you have a dedicated one-on-one tutor/manager/instructor and sounding board to help your progress along, motivate and inspire.  This individual instruction is where Bloc really proves its worth.  More so than any compressed classroom experience or through directed self-study, Bloc gives you a dedicated partner as invested in your success as you are.   That right there is worth the tuition and then some.

I've never learnt coding or even heard about anything objective-c related prior to this course. I took this course wanting to get a good fundamental understanding of objective-c as a language. Without any prior experience or knowledge I found that this course was flexible and worked for me, so I tried it out. My mentor Steve was great, he was patient and broke down questions that I had step by step so that I could understand. Whenever I had any problems or if I was stuck he would email/message me within an hour. I had a lot of fun, and that's important, I found that this course was filled with checkpoints and they were fun to learn. 

If you're looking for a flexible meeting schedule (because you're working) this is the program for you. The one on one mentorship really helped me get through with a lot of the core fundamental exercises because I knew nothing prior to enrolling in this course. I would recommend anyone who's a real beginner to strongly consider taking this course. Don't be afraid! You'll get it as long as you put in the work! I feel a lot more confident now writing in objective-c.

I enrolled in Bloc's full stack web develment program in November 2015. I have enjoyed the program so far and would highly recommend it to anyone looking to make the leap into the web development space. I chose Bloc because of the flexible schedule, competive cost, hands on curriculum, mentorship aspect, and projects to showcase my skills to prspective employers. While the curriculum provides a solid base for someone new to the field, I would encourage applicants to supplement the program with other materials such as online Udemy courses or web development books. The mentors are great to work with. They provide support and keep you on pace. This is a program that anyone can do. While I have struggled at times given that I had no prior programming background, I feel confident in the work I am doing and look forward to completing the program. 

A little background -- before I joined Bloc I had never written a single line of code. I was a full-time middle school teacher for four years, and had never delved into anything beyond simple computer skills. 

Enter Bloc. I started my apprenticeship in October 2015 with Ruby on Rails after doing the assigned prework on Codeacademy and other sites. The curriculum is laid out in a structured, checkpoint format, growing in skill and difficulty as you move forward. It continually builds upon itself. The curriculum does, as some other reviewers have mentioned, hand-hold on the early stages. Though this can seem off-putting to some, this technique is essential when it comes to teaching a student with ZERO coding experience. Other coding schools require you to have some sort of pre-existing skill, and they only accept students who pass certain benchmarks. Bloc doesn't do this. It accepts anyone who has an interest to alter their trajectory, and eases them in to what anyone initiated knows is a challenging skill to learn and master. 

Checkpoints present you with a lesson and then giving you coding challenges / problems to complete afterwards. None of these lessons are beyond the scope of what you have learned and many of them challenge you to think beyond a rote use of the code presented -- it challenges you to think of new ways to learn code you have been presented with. This structure is a great entry into the way the coding world actually exists - taking knowledge you know and extending it towards new uses. There are video solutions associated with all problems that are available to watch if you feel like a barrier is too much. 

After the primary coding skills are learned, the projects begin. This is where you come to acutally start building applications and a true portfolio. You will be challenged to take a short use case with some direction, but you are primarily responsible for discovering and coding the solution. Bloc offers a lot of projects that cover the prime foundation of the technologies you will use. You don't build massive, epic applications, but you get the skills and knowledge necessary to start crafting such software monoliths. 

The main squeeze of Bloc is the mentorship model. I admit that my first mentor experience was off-putting. My first mentor was late often, offered only small pieces of advice and did not push me beyond answering simple project based questions. As some other reviewers have mentioned, this sent me looking for answers elsewhere to extend my knowledge. In the second half of my program I had a completely different experience. I was paired with a mentor who was always on time, pushed me to learn new skills and came to meetings prepared to challenge me to learn new technologies or coding concepts. If you speak up about a poor mentor, Bloc will readily switch someone in to ensure that you are having the best experience. The support team at Bloc is not only responsive, but concerned with ensuring that you get the most from your experience. Any email or concern that I have had has been answered within a few days with solutions readily available. 

I have been a student at Bloc for 7 months and before graduating from the Full-Stack course I already have two active interviews, one of which reached a third phase, complete with whiteboards and company-wide meetings. This would have been impossible without Bloc launcing me towards a love and passion for code. As I said before, I knew no code before Bloc, but I am now being considered for full-time Frontend Software Developer positions at established companies. The portfolio and range of projects are of great interest to employers (I suggest you do as many as you can!). 

My one (and really, only!) caveat is this: Bloc is not the end all be all. If you rotely complete the curriculum and projects, you will not be ready to perform in job interviews. Though your education and portfolio might get you calls, all the calls I have received are looking to see if you have a fluency and interest / passion for coding. Anyone can learn to write loops and simple jQuery calls. But do you love to code? Do you want to do it for hours a day, week upon week? A simple portfolio will not display this. While as a student of Bloc I have attended meetups, worked on Open Source projects and read books about code to really master the fundamentals. I live on Codewars, completing challenges every day. However without Bloc as my foundation, my ship upon the seas, I'd be flailing about websites creating mediocre projects with fumble grasps on many concepts. Bloc, as it states itself, is the launching pad of a new career -- but you have to be the rocket. 

Overall, I highly recommend Bloc. If you put in your passion and interest, and find you love code, Bloc will lay the ground work for a new career and a new trajectory in life. I have gone from teacher to software developer with a passion in a career that a year ago I didn't even consider. Go and get it. 
 

Bootcamps were never on my radar. I was learning to code via Meetups, Hackathons and online MOOCs. At about the 2 year point of doing this, I hit a plateau. I really couldn't learn anymore without either a structured day to day job doing what I learnt, or a structured environment. So I started researching bootcamps, and took my time.
After a ton of research I chose Bloc for several reasons.
1.) It was all online and allowed me the freedom of time and scheduling to keep working my freelance gigs while attending.
2.) One on One genius Mentoriship is the golden ticket to why Bloc is successful. The caliber of mentors that Bloc chooses may happen behind the scenes, but as a student I see and experience their expertise everyday. 
3.) Content is challenging and project based, which is what potential employees want to see.
4.Bloc-Support. There is a ton of support for you on this journey. There is a Slack channel where everyone is awesome and no one makes you feel stupid. There is support if you need more time to grasp concepts, and mentors are availible via email and respond within 1 hour, even with time difference. 
Bottom line, Bloc was the best investment I have made in myself in a very long time. 

I picked Bloc after some thorough research into coding courses. I decided their 6 month full time Full Stack Track was the best choice for me for a complete career change (I was in Accountancy). I was awarded one of their scholoships in diversity, which made the investment in time and money more affordable.

I am proud of what I have achieved and know that the projects I have built and the knowledge I have gained were only possible becasue of the way Bloc works. The track I am on was guided enough that I knew what I wanted to achieve that day or that week, but it was also flexible that if I was struggling or speedng ahead, it could adapt. 

By breaking down the projects into 'checkpoints' it means you don't get overwhelmed with a hug task and when you move onto your own projects, you know how to tackle them. Plus it's super satisfying when your mentor marks them complete! Without a doubt my favourite part (and most needed) was my weekly meetings. I got three a week! 

My mentor is superb and whatever I want to talk about he can help. In the beginning we mostly talked through stuff I was stuck on but this became less and less frequent because I'm able to work through things on my own (shocker!). He would point out things that are or are not used in industry and give me real examples so I could see what I was working towards. 

It was hard work and quite challenging at times but if you put the time in, you'll get there. It's also a process. I'm still learning and expect to be learning for the rest of my life. Sometimes the most challenging part was not to watch Netflix all day.

There's a facebook group and a Slack channel so you can ask fellow students, other mentors and alumni for help, support or just send a funny gif! That way you feel more connected to other people. The staff are also super helpful and quick at getting back to you if you have any issues or want to change pace, or whatever. During my course the curriculum was updated a couple of times and some really cool projects were added. 

I'm now coming towards the end of my course and am applying for jobs. Bloc has a career and job prep section which has a wealth of useful info. They help you prepare you LinkedIn and Github pages and even run mock interviews so the first dreaded 'white board' test isn't so scary. In less than a week of sending a few applications out, I've been contacted by three companies, I went to interview yesterday (so fingers crossed). Bloc has definately prepared me for a career change and given me the tools to do so.

I'm currently enrolled in the Full Stack course on the 72-week track, and have loved every minute of it! Originally, I enrolled part-time while still working a full time job, but now the online model works perfectly as I'm currently on a year-long RTW trip so I can study and work on my own pace, and still have mentor meetings regardless of the time-zone that I'm in. 

Bloc does a great job of pairing up students and mentors based on your needs. My mentor is super flexible and responsive to my questions, even during the times between our meetings. I really appreciate the flexibility to study at my own pace and from any location, as those are some things that I wouldn't have been able to do with a 2-month intensive in-person bootcamp. My learning style works better when I have control over my own time and my own pace, so I believe understanding your learning style is very important when it comes to choosing a bootcamp. 

I found the curriculum challenging, but well structured. At the end of the foundations section, I was surprised at how much I had learned and what I had built. Now working on the capstone, and my mentor has been great in sharing resources outside of Bloc (which I feel is a great tool in terms of future work/knowledge). 

If you're a prospective student interested in a bootcamp that gives you time to let concepts "sink in", is flexible, and provides 1-to-1 mentor-student interaction, I would highly recommend Bloc! 

I looked at bootcamps for a while.  I really wanted to go to a local, two month bootcamp-- I wanted the hands on experience.  I had tried to teach myself to code, but when I didn't get something, I kept going down an online rabbit hole trying to find more information, and just ending up more confused then when I started.

Bloc kept coming up, and I kept ignoring it because it was still just "an online school."

But it's so much more.  I'm glad I decided to get more information, and ultimately, sign up.  The mentorship program makes a world of difference.  I don't feel like I'm at it alone.  While I'm learning at my own pace, and most importantly, I'm learning HOW to learn coding, having a mentor there to clarify confusing subjects makes it truly feel like I'm learning hands on.  Make sure your mentor is a good fit for you.  The mentors seem to mostly be top notch, and the advisors really helped with finding me a good one.  But unfortunately my first one wasn't good at all.  I was able to switch (another great feature of theirs) and now have a mentor who is perfect for me and the way I learn.

Now that I'm in Bloc, I realize that cramming this information into 2 months would be a mistake.  Either my understanding of the topic would be hazy, at best, or maybe, the other school's curriculum's aren't that good. 

The other wonderful part about Bloc is that I don't have to quit my job, I don't have to spend 10+ hours on a campus, in a lab, hammering the information in.  You can pick your pace with Bloc, and learn at the speed that's best for you, and will really make the difference in the end.  

Just for a bit of background information, I enrolled in the 9 months Rails Web Development course. At 3 months mark I had finished ~100% of the course (2 projects and capstone). At 8 months mark I had finished ~250% (documented).

You will not regret going to this boot camp. Make sure you find a mentor who is able to meet your needs (your learning style is the most important). Every penny I have spent on this boot camp has not gone to waste, and I would 100% come to Bloc again for another program.

For the 9 month course, it was expected that I put 10-15 hours a week into coding. I ended up putting around 30-40 hours a week (thus 'unofficially' finishing in 3 months). What I really want to talk about though is my apprenticeship experience with my mentor (because this is really what you are paying for).

My mentor saw my motivation and determination to excel and he went over and beyond the amount of hours and meetings that we were meant to have. Even though we are meant to meet once a week over skype for 30-60 minutes, we would end up meeting for 1 - 2 hours, quite often even twice a week. This alone showed me that my mentor was someone who cared for my success. I would also like to say that each mentor that Bloc hires is very experienced in what they do and you should use them to their fullest. Don’t ever be afraid to ask them a stupid question (your mentor won’t judge your question), and they will spend the time with you to make sure you understand everything.

If I was to ever recommend a boot camp, Bloc would be the first on my list (my list of 1). I can tell you for a fact that every program Bloc has to offer is very well made and always improving. People have asked me about my boot camp experience and all I ever tell them is how amazing it was. There is really no other way to explain it aside from it being amazing. Deciding to enroll at Bloc was the best decision I had ever made.

I researched coding bootcamps for a while before deciding on Bloc. Their program appealed to me the most because it allows you to learn from home, set your own schedule and work one-on-one with a mentor. I didn't want to have to spend hours in traffic going back and forth to a school every day and I like that they allow you to pause your program if you need to.

Enrolling in the Full Stack Program has turned out to be a very good decision for me. I came into this with tons of print graphic design experience but no experience at all with any sort of web design or coding. I was afraid backend would be too hard but, although it's been challenging, I've been able to keep up. 

My mentor is very helpful and Bloc connects you with other students for support. I really didn't think my mind was capable of this sort of stuff but it is! I'm currently entering the projects phase of the backend course and I'm look forward to putting what I've learned so far into action. 

I'd highly recommend Bloc to anyone looking to add to their skill set or even completely change careers.