Bloc

I am currently a student enrolled in Bloc's 48-week, full-time Software Engineering track and 8 weeks in at the time of this review.

When I decided to pursue a career shift into software development I did extensive research on both local and online bootcamps before deciding to enroll with Bloc and have been more than pleased with my selection.

The Bloc experience has been exactly what I hoped and expected it would be. The curriculum starts out quick and introduces you to tons of awesome information which initially I found overwhelming, but by week 3 I started to feel some comfort. Assignments are fun and challenging.

My favorite part about Bloc is having a mentor to guide me through the progam. Bloc has an amazing group of mentors that you get to choose from. My mentor and I have three scheduled calls a week where we discuss current course work, industry related topics and sometimes just life in general. Between calls my mentor is always there for me should I feel stuck or overwhelmed and we comminucate frequently via email, IM and screen sharing.

I've signed up to Blocs new software engineering program, just completed the rails portion of the program and found that it has given me a good foundation to explore the more complex problems i wish to solve.

I went into this program with 0 knowledge or experience with ruby on rails, i have dabbled in html, css and javascript. I found the experience quite challenging, but whenever you get stuck you have a community on slack and your mentor to get you through them.

It is an amazing program and good place to learn the foundations of programming but you have to put in the hard work.

I'm currently a student about two months into the Software Engineering track. I've limited prior knowledge of the material. BASIC and Codeacademy was mainly the past experience. I picked this program after reading many reviews of all the new boot camp schools. Doing the 3 month, 100 hours a week program was not for me. Plus, most of those are only in the big cities around the country. Online suits me better as I live about  an hour away from NYC. This does cost more and takes more time but it dives deeper into the ever changing demands in the workplace of software enginnering. The advisor is there to help but not to do your work. He will help you, motivate you and show you ways of solving complex problems. You must have self discipline and great time management skills to be successful. The program is designed from scratch, not pulled from another site. The satisfaction comes and confidence builds slowly but the progress is definately visible only after a short time. This is not easy and not for everybody. It will get frustrating but debugging is part of life. Too early to rate the Job Assistance part. Time to code. 

I am currently enrolled in the Software Engineering track and loving it. I was skeptical when I first enrolled because I usually stay away from any online courses or classes; I don't usually do so well in them. I chose the Software Engineering track because I wanted to have a well rounded knowledge so, when I do go out and find a job I am well versed in all things tech. 

I went into this program with little to no knowledge in this subject and now when I hear myself conversing with other people and using the jargon I realize just how much I have learned in only three and a half months. 

Like I said in the beginning, I am not one to take online courses but, because I have a mentor to reiterate what I had just learned in the checkpoint, I am learning a lot. My mentor really helps me understand. He draws out diagrams with me and quizzes me sporatically to reinforce what I learned and make sure I know what I am doing.
I have been very lucky to have picked a mentor that works for me but, if one does end up with a mentor you don't like, you have the opportunity to switch mentors discretely.  

The cirriculum is set up in checkpoints and assignments. They both range in difficulty, some are harder then others and some are easier. 

With that said, I would recommend Bloc to everyone wanting to learn how to code and later get a tech job. Honestly, I love writing something and then being able to see what I did and how it works. I am really happy with what I have learned and excited to learn more! 

Prior too my bootcamp experience with Bloc, I had no idea how to code or build web applications. Just a dream pursuing a career as a web developer and working with some great people.

Overall the curriculum is very thorough and well written. In addition to having a great curriculum, they are really good about making sure their content is up to date. As a Blocster you'll always have access to your materials and the updates they provide. 

One of the best parts about my experience with Bloc was working with my mentor on the Frontend portion of the track. My only wish is that our sessions were a bit longer.

If you are interested in learning web development Bloc is a a great online bootcamp and very resonably priced.

I'm currently in the process of refining my portfolio and hoping to land my first job as a developer very soon. It's been a tough journey so far!

I enrolled in Bloc's UX/UI Design course a little less than 2 years ago. I was formerly a teacher with no technical or design skills whatsoever. The curriculum was thoroughly written and as a former teacher, this was greatly appreciated. I love even more that it has been updated and I now have access to the new curriculum. The relationship I gained with my mentor is priceless. He walked me through each checkpoint with such grace and encouragement. My mentor also provided honest feedback in order for me to grow as a designer. He asked open-ended questions that would cause critical thinking. I believe this course prepared me for what is expected in the "real" design world. Upon completion, I have been able to freelance consistently from home, which is exactly what I wanted to do. I have recently obtained a full-time contract position with a well-known software company. I am still able to work from home, but I get to interact with an incredible design team and get experience with working within a corporate setting. I owe all my skills and knowledge to Bloc. 

Bloc is an amazing program and I highly recommend it for anyone looking to delve deeper into the world of coding.  

I became interested in development because I have an entreprenuerial streak and wanted to learn how to build out some of my own ideas. Bloc has provided me with the skills to do just that.

Furthermore - I am going through the job-prep phase now and I am confident that this will further prepare me for finding work as a developer.

The recommend Bloc for the following reasons - 

1. Mentors - Bloc has amazing mentors - and I absolutely loved working with mine. The fact that you are assigned a single mentor - and they work with you one-on-one really allows them to cater to your learning style and customize the material so that it is presented in a way that is clear for you. Their mentors are very high quality, and my Mentor, Chris, was beyond helpful.

Furthermore - for anyone who has learned on their own and spent copious amounts of time banging their head against the wall - the mentor is there to make sure you do not get stuck and can progress forward. Having this help and not having to waste time was invaluable to me.

2. Curriculum - The curriculum itself is great and I liked the way it was strucutred. It allowed for more hand holding at the beginning and then worked its way to more freedom towards the end. The fact that you are able to build several applications by yourself throughout the course - allows you to see the progression of your own skills as you move thorugh the curriculum.

3. Cost and accountabtiliy - I wanted a program that would hold me accountable and push me - but also one I could afford. Bloc is much less expensive than the other bootcamps so I could actually afford it. Furthermore - it created a framework where between the curriculum and the Mentor - I was able to hold myself accountable and push myself. 

Again, I would highly recommend Bloc - it is a great investment in ones' skillset -but like anything else - you get out of it what you put into it. So if you are willing to work hard, Bloc will help you leverage that effort to get you to where you want to go.

I honestly feel like Bloc has the potential to change your life.  In many ways it has changed mine and the best part is that it will continue to.  

If I wanted to find a job as a developer I'm confident I could find one - especially if I'm willing to relocate.  I am an entrepreneur and wanted to learn enough to be able to create my business ideas.  What I learned in Bloc has given me power to make my ideas become a reality.  

I chose Bloc for three reasons.  

1. The first was it was online.  I simply couldn't relocate and I needed something flexible.  
2. Even though it was online I wanted something intense, something that pushed me, something comparable to an at-location bootcamp. I was so impressed with Bloc in this aspect. The first few weeks are very guided and directed and not that difficult. Slowly it becomes more challenging until you get out of the guided work and you begin building apps on your own with the help of your mentor.  There is flexibility here so for the person who finds this in and of itself challenging gets the challenge but for others who want to do more I was able to work with my mentor and do more advanced work. I loved that customization for me.
3. The leads me to the third reason I chose Bloc. The mentors. This is the heart of Bloc and what makes it stand out. I met with my mentor three times a week!  When I originally signed up I didn't realize it would be so often. I got to work with him on my capstone project which is a business idea I wanted to create. It was amazing to work together with my mentor to create a business.  Just this was worth it for me.  

I now have skills and knowledge I didn't have before. I am better. I have more potential. I couldn't put a price tag on this. Invest in yourself. But, that's just my opinion.  

Let me start by saying that I am fortunate in that my job was willing to pay for me to take the Bloc Front-End Course part-time (36 weeks). Had I not gotten this class for free, I might be writing a very different, much more negative review.

It's cool that they dive deep-ish into JavaScript and Angular, but the curriculum is ridiculously basic. Every lesson is broken down into checkpoints and assignments. Checkpoints are lots of hand-holding, telling you exactly what code to write while doing an OK job at explaining concepts. Assignments are abusrdly simple, sometimes as ridiculous as asking you to write less than 3 lines of code. I had assignments take me less than a minute to complete. Timewise, I'm 50% done but curriculum-wise I'm basically finished and working on my capstone/ portfolio site. I wished the program was more challenging.

The major plus of Bloc, as many mention, is the mentor relationship. My mentor was very talented and knowledgeable, but he wasn't very engaging. Also, there has been no pair programming as advertised, he'll type up something and not really explain his thinking despite my asking him. He has also been late to meetings, rescheduling at the last minute, and doesn't have the kind of energy I need to propel me through this kind of self-paced learning. Others seem to have lucked out more than me.

I will give Bloc some credit. This experience was a pressure test to see if I like programming enough, and the good news is I do! I'm basically considering this Bloc experience as my "Bachelors" before I apply to Flatiron School's Learn Verified program.

Having a mentor and the external expextations to pracice design everyday is amazing. However, for $5000 I'd expected the ciriculum to be waaaaay better. Each checkpoint is broken into 2 sections, the lesson + the assignment. The lesson leaves you wanting since it's just a really boring video of someone doing the assignment without explaining what the code or design tools means–he just says, outloud, the exact thing he is typing. How would the possible think that is useful?? 

In the same respect, the curriculum workflow is very off-puting at times. 

I also strongly belive that UX/UI course is title is misleading. There is only a short section on user research and testing, and very little information on what UX even is. While there are a lot of wireframes, it feels much more like a primer to front-end design than UX, and an incomplete one at that.