Coding Temple

When I reached out, I didn't know anything about coding/programming or even how to read any of these software languages. The process was simple, and they even helped me with a tuition grant through the State of Illinois for displaced workers due to COVID. I feel much more comfortable with reading and writing the different languages and feel as if I can get a job easily with the help from their career coach as well. Coming as a recent bartender and car sales for the last 10 years, I can now start a new career path to help support my family.  Yes, the full-time commitment was extensive, but well worth it in the end. I highly recommend Sam as the instructor and Shoha & Tatyana as the teaching assistants - although everyone is readily available to help with any questions/comments/concerns. 

The amount of support I received from Coding temple was phenomenal, from all the instructors we had (Joel, Terrell, and Ryan) to the Amazing Nicole, and ending with Marlene AKA Tiger Mom. Great communications, even around times when everyone is asleep there were always someone there to help when I had an issue. 
I am way more confident now in everything I am doing, and I hope one day I get to meet everyone in person.
I highly recommend Coding temple, I know for a fact that the people I met here are friends for a very long time.

I’ve always had this dream of learning to code and understanding the ins and outs of what actually went on behind the scenes of my favorite games, websites, applications, etc… but since I didn’t “go to school for it” years ago, I never really envisioned chasing that dream in any capacity until earlier this year.

The pandemic put a lot into perspective for me, including the importance of continuing my education and chasing my passions. I figured the only way to do this would be to go to school at night while working during the day, so I did… I started at Coding Temple with the hope of broadening my skill set and learning more about something I’d been curious about for so long.

To keep a long story short, I graduated recently… it was one of the most challenging sprints I’ve ever been a part of but I’m incredibly proud to say I did it. I went from knowing absolutely nothing about programming to presenting a full-stack application built from scratch in front of a room of peers and staff members.

So what’s my point? This experience continues to reinforce the idea that “the most difficult road oftentimes leads to the most beautiful destination.” This applies to everything… I’d love to challenge anyone reading this to give that thing you’ve always wanted to learn a little extra thought and really ask yourself, “why haven’t I started?” If it's related to coding, you've found the right place. You will get what you put into it without a doubt. Try not to let the fear of coming up short keep you from starting.

If this review can get even a single person who is on the fence to actually go ahead and attend Coding Temple, that would be incredible. Do the things you want to do, people. It’s awesome…

After graduating from University, I spent almost three years in and out of jobs, searching for the right career. When the pandemic hit in the early Spring of 2020, I quickly became unemployed and realized it was time for a bigger change. I spent the next few months teaching myself to code through various resources, but constantly felt lost and struggled to make routine make progress on my own; that's when I turned to Coding Temple.

Unsure whether I was ready to commit entirely to Data Analytics, I joined Coding Temple's Full-Stack Python and Data Science live (but because of Covid) online course, where I was given exposure to both front & back-end web development as well as many of the tools used in creating, extracting, and analyzing data. With a small cohort of only 9 students, a clever and smart TA in Sam, and a brilliant teacher in Derek, I always felt like my questions could be answered and ideas explored. 

The way the course is structured prepares you for long-term success. I always tell people, I not only learned how to code at Coding Temple but also how to keeping learning more. The curriculum is designed around fast-paced, live learning during the week, and in-depth projects on the weekends to solidify everything you've learned. That, along with regular practice problems in- and outside the classroom keep you continuously building your repertoire. It's tough, but good things don't come easy and coding is a use-it or lose-it skillset.

Lastly, I was extremely appreciative of and impressed by the administrative and operational staff at Coding Temple. Nicole, the student relations manager, was incredibly helpful in empathizing with students, keeping them on track for success with regular chats and check-ins, in addition to the bi-weekly game nights that helped loosen up a ton with one another. Ripal, the founder, made sure the graduates were prepared for success the moment they graduated, providing many networking connections to jumpstart your search as well as the opportunity to attend educational webinars, practice interviews, and skill-building workshops. Finally, there was Marlene, the career coach, who excels at providing each and every graduate the support they need to find just a job, but the right job. The energy she brings keeps you going in the inevitably long job search that comes with any career change, especially when things seem slow and you need her most. I haven't thanked her enough but her guidance is an invaluable asset to the bootcamp.

As with any bootcamp, the course is only the beginning. You have to be ready to put in even more effort to continue learning afterward while keeping your foot on the gas with job applications. I am confident the Coding Temple prepared me entirely for that endeavor and I am thankful to have changed my career for the better with their help.

I loved my experience with Coding Temple and would recommend it to anyone wanted to go into Software Development. It offers small class sizes, live instruction, great career support and a curriculum that is a mix of Software Dev and Data. 

If you've never heard of Coding Temple, don't worry, neither had I when I decided, after a ton of research, to attend their Python+Data full time bootcamp in April 2021.  At the time I had been doing self-study on Coursera and Codecademy for a couple months when I decided to attend a bootcamp. I was looking for real-time instruction (not just pre-recorded content) and I wanted a carefully thought out curriculum that reflected the stacks and skills potential employers were looking for  I researched several bootcamps, but ultimately chose Coding Temple for the following reasons:  #1: At the time I wasn't sure if I wanted to go into Data or into Software Dev, and Coding Temple's curriculum has a mix of both #2: By my count, their 10 week full time program includes 250-300+ hours of live (via Zoom) instructor lead content. #3: Their cohort sizes are small, averaging 12 students per cohort, which means way more one-on-one opportunities. #4: Lower tuition compared to many similar bootcamps out there.  

The day I sent in my deposit for Coding Temple was simultaneously one of the most exciting and most stressful days!  Had I made the right choice to go with this program that most people I asked had never heard of? 

Answer: Choosing Coding Temple turned out to be the BEST decision! From the first day of class, I loved every minute of my experience, was sad when it was over and HIGHLY recommend this program to anyone looking to launch a career into the software dev / data field. While the bootcamp is--as you would expect from the word "bootcamp"--an intense and time-consuming 10 weeks, it was SO fulfilling and so much fun! Of course it was challenging and I had my moments of struggle, like when trying to grasp to concept of Object Oriented Programing made me cry.  Coding Temple Staff were great. My main instructor Brian and teaching assistant Kevin were great! They know "all the things" but are simultaneously able to boil down complex topics into concepts that noobs like me can understand.  They teach with limitless patience. They watched me struggle thru simple python problems, but were always helpful and supportive.  Nicole is the student experience coordinator, but I like to think of her as the Coding Temple "cruise director."  She was always there to talk to if I had concerns, for those times I was struggling to learn a concept in class, and also for the exciting times!  It was nice to feel like there was a person who I could reach out to for any reason at all. Finally, Marlene is the career coach and, boy is she a great resource!  I joined a bootcamp because I wanted to make a career transition from a non-tech field.  I've never been super awesome at the job hunt and self-promotion type stuff. Marlene is there to provide tons of guidance on how to approach your job search, how to answer interview questions, how to set up your Linkedin and personal Portfolio. I think without Marlene helping me in the job search journey I'd be totally lost!

My only caveat about Coding Temple is this:  While the curriculum we covered in class was exactly true to advertising (aka: the topics we covered were exactly as they were outlined in the week-by-week course description in their marketing materials), in my opinion its a bit of a stretch to call the program "Python + Data Science", because the curriculum is a little weak on the Data Science portion.  The only data-specific part of the curriculum consists of 1 week on Numpy/Pandas/Matplotip and 1 week on SQL.  We did not cover any statistics or machine learning topics, which seem to be cornerstones to a lot of Data Science jobs. The rest of the curriculum was pretty much all Software Dev topics and projects.  In my opinion, if you know for sure that you want to go into data science, the curriculum as it was during my cohort may not be the best fit for you.  But, if--like me--you are going into a bootcamp undecided as to if you want to be a Developer or a Data Analyst / Scientist,  then Coding Temple is good in that it gives you a taste of both... its just that the Software Dev taste is bigger. 

In summary, Coding Temple was a fantastic experience and I'd recommend it to anyone wanting to go into software development! Putting down a big chunk of money on a program like this is stressful, but I have absolutely no reservations or regrets about spending the money to attend this program. I feel like my life is now slit between BCT--before Coding Temple--and ACT--After Coding Temple. Looking forward to my future as a python developer! 

Wow, what a lovely time. Sometimes I look back to Ryan from a year ago and think how sad it was that past Ryan couldn't code. I wake up every morning with peace of mind knowing I did past and future Ryan a great service. 
This bootcamp is great and not once did i have to crawl under barbed-wire. The staff at Coding Temple is insanely patient, perhaps more patient with me than I was with myself. This stuff is hard but I can't imagine learning it from anyone or anywhere else. 
Nicole is super sweet and always provides encouragement and a shoulder to cry on when the stress is high. She brought in relevant industry professionals for Q&A's. These sessions were amazing and really helped shape my idea of what I wanted to do after finishing the course.  

Derek sensei is an incredible instructor who provided excellent lectures accompanied by real world advice from his time as a Software Engineer. It was really good insight into what to expect post grad. 

Speaking of post-grad, you might be thinking "Oh no I'm going to finish this course but I don't know how to look for jobs and my resume hasn't been updated in 7 years because i haven't job searched since college and settled into a low-paying, non-profit job that ended up laying me off anyway"

WELL TO THAT I SAY:
You get a Marlene who knows everything about everything when it comes to the job search. Sometimes it seems like she invented the process. You can ask her anything, there are no dumb questions and as mentioned above, she is super patient. 

Everyone here is great, the staff and the students. They really nurture community so you have resources during and after your time at Coding Temple. But really, your time at Coding Temple never ends because the knowledge and friendships you gain along the way are eternal. 

This bootcamp is perfect for you if coding is perfect for you. Find out beforehand, not during. Whether you are considering software development or data, two things are the same: you will be at your computer all day, learning new, difficult concepts. This is true during a bootcamp, it's true during your first coding job, and it will true 10 years into coding. I highly recommend spending two weeks straight, 9-5, at your computer learning about computer science, following along to tutorials that build applications (or analyze and graph data), and then building a project of your own (not following along to a tutorial, but instead reading documentation when you are stuck). It will give you a realistic sense of whether or not this is for you. Getting stuck is the name of the game in coding, especially while first learning. Being intermediate at coding and computer science is a huge advantage for entering a bootcamp, though it is okay to be a beginner and learn only what they give you for pre-work. I say so because it can be easy to get lost during a lecture and not catch up. No questions are dumb, and most likely many others are wondering what you're wondering, so speak up, but the fact is it is extremely advantageous to already have had many concepts click before you show up for your first class. You will save yourself from being overwhelmed, from getting lost for the rest of the lecture, and you will be able to turn homework assignments into beautiful, functioning projects that can go in your portfolio, rather than scraping by the skin of your teeth. Being convinced and excited about all of the benefits of being a data scientist then committing and paying for a bootcamp means little when you spend two hours working with data and realize it's not for you. So do the 9-5 that I recommended, and if you find yourself fascinated at computer science, love to keep learning more and more everyday, and are satisfied by a finished project, then a bootcamp will be perfect for you, and from what I understand, it doesn't get better than Coding Temple. Read Jonathan Male's review for more specifics of the bootcamp, it's a perfect, legendary review. I'll add, don't have a job during the bootcamp. I had a job where I could pick my own hours and some weeks even 4 hours felt like too many, while other weeks I could work 24. The reality is I could have used those easier weeks to get ahead. Instead, I had one foot in coding and one foot out. How do you get both feet in? Well, finding out if coding or data is right for you and then picking Coding Temple. Their job support is worth it's weight in gold, there is no shortage of good people that want the best for you, and a good community is waiting if you need it. If you are committed to coding and you are self-taught, there is extreme value in having someone around to give you quick help for a problem you are stuck on that's taking you several hours when you know the fix is surely simple and quick. I once had a whole squadron of TAs hop on a call one after the other when we were trying to figure out a problem I was having. I don't know if there's anywhere else you can find that.