Coding Temple

I had long dabbled in coding using some books and web tutorials, but could only get so far on my own. Coding Temple gives you the basis to jump into a career in tech. The program is primarily Python based but with other languages like HTML/CSS, Javascript/jQuery, and SQL mixed in. You also work with frameworks like Flask and React to build out applications. 

Class structure usually starts with early office hours, then a class whiteboard, and then lecture for much of the rest of the day, followed by some king of nightly assignment that varies in difficulty. The difficult part is finding what works for you and how to approach the material on a weekly basis. Some weeks you'll be able to code along with the instructor and take in the material at the same time. Others, when the material may be more foreign or dense, it's best to simply follow along and take general notes. Regardless, the process I found that worked best for me was a "rule of three" where I followed/coded along during lecture, revisited the lecture videos that night to recreate that day's project, and then code the project myself and revisiting the material when I felt lost. 

Homework/projects vary from nightly to every other day depending on the material and every weekend usually has a longer form assignment. The challenge in all of this is time and knowing when you need to work the problem or need a helping hand. There is a night TA and early morning office hours, I do wish there was someone available to contact on the weekend though. There is a strong element of self agency here. The important thing to remember throughout the program is that, the program and the people are there to see you succeed, but you need to communicate your needs.  Knowing when to contact your TA, contact Nicole the Student Relations Manager, and also networking and leaning on your cohort for additional help are the keys to success. Given everyone's range of backgrounds and aptitude there is no perfect cookie cutter guide to success for every person and it's guaranteed you will feel lost or overwhelmed at some point.  BUT ASK QUESTIONS, PRACTICE, AND COMMUNICATE. That being said, there is a moment when things start to tie together and hopefully by your final project you can implement most of what you learning and also try to integrate something new into it as well. 

Post graduation, career coaching is much more freeform (a lot of graduates understandably went on vacation post program) but the tools are set in front of you. Marlene, the Alumni Director/Career Coach is a powerhouse of knowledge and utilizing her is a must. Staying motivated, continuing to code everyday, and developing your image are the next steps. I do want to give a shoutout to my instructors, Derek and Sam, and Nicole, for working with me. In addition to working part time to maintain my health insurance, I also experienced some personal loss during the program and they were more than willing to work with me to make sure I didn't fall behind. 

My time at Coding Temple was amazing. I learned so much in 10 weeks it made me realize my hidden potential. It was a lot of work and by a lot I mean each week felt like a final at a University but it was worth it. If you have the time and the drive, Coding Temple will give you the tools to become a programmer.  The great thing is that you don't need to be an expert in coding to do this bootcamp but you will have to work twice as hard if you don't have a background in it. The best part was how many resources you have to do well and how informative they are. My instructors knew everything in an out I don't think they ever had a question that they couldn't answer. So fear not you are not alone and you will meet people that are taking the leap just like you!

CT's Full Stack Web Development with Python and Data Science online course covers: HTML/CSS, Python basic and advanced, SQL, Flask, JavaScript, React, Numpy, Pandas, and Data Science. You end with a final capstone project.

This course is more than fair for the price you pay!

I am now being interviewed for jobs starting around 70k. I also have prior experience and education.

I strongly recommend any who take this course to study the above material BEFORE taking the course.  Because it is a very fast paced, immersive, course.  They will not pass you unless you can demonstrate that you can get a job.

I did this course while married, having many kids, and working two jobs.  I don't recommend working while doing this course. If you fall behind, they will help you, but the course is tough. That's why after graduating, you can approach employers with confidence.

So, if you are already a working professional like me, with kids or whatever else, they will work with you. And you will get trained. But it will be harder. You may want to look into saving up for expenses plus a loan if you need it.  That way you can really just focus on the course.  It is doable the way I did it. But I don't recommend it. Unless you learn fast, and can handle the course work.

Come prepared regardless, and you should be fine.  Again, this is a FAST PACED course that covers a lot of material.

Best of luck.

I completed the Coding Temple Online Full-Stack Python bootcamp in May 2021. My experience with Coding Temple has been fantastic! I came into the program with a background in business and survey data collection and results reporting, minimal exposure to coding, and the hope of learning enough during the program to be able to try using Python on my own to perform basic data analysis and produce actionable/understandable results. I was able to surpass my initial goal, which I am thrilled about, though I realize that we only had time to scratch the surface and there is still so much more that can be learned. For those who are more interested in the web development side of things over the data side, we also learned how to create and deploy functional, user-friendly websites.  I would encourage anyone who signs up for the Coding Temple bootcamp to complete the pre-work before the cohort begins. The program is fast-paced and challenging. I felt that the pre-work gave me a base-level understanding going in, and I really feel that I would have been starting a step behind if I had not done the pre-work. While everything moves fast, there is daily homework to help with understanding the topics covered in class and weekend projects to build on and practice everything learned throughout the week. For me, in order to get the most I could out of the program, I put in extra time every night and weekend to practice or expand further on what we were learning. I found that putting in extra time was really helpful for getting a better grasp on things. There were daily whiteboard problems to simulate the feel of a technical interview, and although it can be uncomfortable to be in the spotlight, it is definitely a good practice opportunity. There were additional opportunities for practicing code offered throughout the program, as well as multiple guest speakers who are currently in the field.  All of the instructors and TAs at Coding Temple that I had an opportunity to interact with are extremely knowledgeable, responsive, and very willing to help. I was fortunate to have Joel as a main instructor and Terrell as a TA during my cohort. They are both incredibly patient with student questions, demonstrate a strong understanding of the subjects, have an impressive ability to answer questions on the spot, and both have huge amounts of helpful tips and resources to pass on. Coding Temple overall has a very welcoming and helpful community. They want their students to succeed and have a really great team to help. Nicole, the Student Relations Manager, checks in with each student individually on a regular basis, so you know that you are being held accountable and that you have someone there you can go to for help or support if needed. Marlene, the Alumni Director, is laser-focused on getting students into a job post-graduation. She is incredibly responsive and energetic, has tons of valuable resources, and has endless advice for job seekers entering a new and competitive field.  Ten weeks is not enough time to cover the enormity of what can go into learning to code, but Coding Temple seems to have appropriately narrowed the focus to what is currently in-demand, and has an impressive team to do it! I leave the class having resources to dig deeper into the topics I’m interested in expanding on further. I still have so much to learn and look forward to that, and I really appreciate that students have continued access to the Coding Temple team and alumni network for questions and support even after the cohort ends. I evaluated several bootcamps before deciding on Coding Temple, and now that I have completed the program, I can confidently say that I am happy with my decision!

I think the best thing about any boot camp is the structure and the discipline created for what is being learned or done.

On the other hand, Coding Temple made sure that every person has the tools they need to get into the career they are searching for in coding. So much information about how 'it' actually works as you go through the transition from whatever you were before to thinking like a computer and coder. I was very surprised at what all I learned about and around coding from this group that had nothing to do with any language or syntax but about the different cultures in companies or what the experience would be like, I'm very glad to have gotten all of that information too because it helped me decide what direction to look for job-wise. 

The course itself is great; I wish there was a slightly different focus on a few specifics but that is more about what I want to do with my coding experience than what might be needed by anyone so I can't really disparage them for that. 

The job assistance has been better than I expected (I'm currently in that process). I did have some different thoughts on how it would go but after realizing that it kind of cant be what I was thinking; the amount of devotion to graduates and the help we are getting after the course is amazing.

Both the instructors and the staff are helping a lot with the imposter syndrome that everyone that comes through one of these will feel. 10-14 weeks (depending on the one you select) does not feel like enough time to be an expert. That's not what we're going for though and it's been really helpful that everyone at Coding Temple has been supportive and understanding as the students become graduates and find ways to figure out that we are ready to work. 

Coding Temple has been worth it on so many levels for me.

Although I've only recently graduated from the program, I am happy to say that my experience with Coding Temple was phenomenal. Every single staff member I've met with genuinely enjoys programming and only wants that for each and every student coming through the program. Particularly Joel and Terrell (dynamic duo) take ample time in making sure students understand what's going on. Not only that, the class sizes are small ~10-12 people so it's easy to speak up if you're having trouble with something. 

If anyone is taking a leap of faith by switching careers or even might've been in the programming industry for a while, Coding Temple definitely has the flexibility and vision to cater to all experience levels. They understand that some people just need to take extra time in order to understand different concepts and work tirelessly to provide avenues for everyone to succeed. Whether you decide to try to solve your bugs on your own or you need some extra pointers from any of the great TAs, Coding Temple walks with you in whatever direction you choose to go. 

If you're coming from a background of programming and are looking for bootcamps that might supplement that part of your education, I would say coding temple is definitely more suited for those that don't have that sort of background. They really teach things from the ground up and the curriculum is set up in a way that allows one to build up fundamentals. However, if you're like me and coming from a background in healthcare and biology, the curriculum allowed me to really wrap my head around all of the concepts. Coding Temple's curriculum definitely moves at a quick pace, but they also have enough time for students to catch up on assignments as well as rest in between tough weeks. (Looking at you React)

As was mentioned before, coding temple walks with whatever you decide is YOUR direction. If you're unmotivated of where you want to go or if you're constantly leaning on the instructors and staff, it might be difficult to understand all of the concepts and ultimately stand on your own two feet. It would have been really easy for me to complete the assignments receive a grade from the instructors and then go about my day, but I believe coding temple is there to give you the push forward when you need it. As with anything worth fighting for, you reap what you sow. That phrase is cliché for a reason... because it's the truth. 

Since I've just recently graduated it's difficult to say what the job assistance portion of the program is like, but Marlene has already given us the rundown of what's expected from us and how to really put in the work to be stand-out applicants. I will amend this portion of the review after I've signed my offer. 

After recently completing the Coding Temple Online Full-Stack Python + Data Science bootcamp, I find it is incredibly hard to give a simple rating - since many things determine the quality of a bootcamp. These things include things that the bootcamp itself has control over, and things it does not. 

As far as what Coding Temple has control over, I have nothing but good things to say about my experience with them. The course was definitely heavily python focused (as advertised) and I leave feeling most comfortable in that language - but very familiar with the other ones covered. While we didn't dive as in depth into other languages, the bootcamp did show how approachable/easy to transfer these languages are - setting me up for easily going way further in depth should I desire. The quality of instruction was great, both the instructor and TA assigned to my cohort were knowledgeable and I found myself really impressed as to how fluidly they were able to answer questions (ranging from double checking a simple concept to debugging a deeply embedded bug during code-alongs). Additionally I felt there was always help if I needed it, I approached the course wanting to solve any bumps I encountered on my own - but in the situations where I reached out for help I was quickly assisted by either the instructor, main TA or evening TA that they have around to assist with homework.

Now for what Coding Temple can't control - personal motivation or investment. Like any teaching/education environment it is very easy to just coast by doing the bare minimum, for me the true value from this came from digging deeper into homework assignments (they encourage going the extra mile/above and beyond on homework submissions) and looking deeper into subjects than what we went over in class (which the instructor and TA's were happy to provide additional resources on as well as helping 1 on 1). Hence the cliché 'you get what you put in'. The pace of the class definitely felt fast, but I personally felt I benefited so much from this class due to not letting my foot off the gas when it came to doing the bare minimum on assignments/paying attention to class. I believe that you have to take this element of personal accountability/investment into consideration when reading other people's reviews, which is why I wanted to include this tangent/side element to mine. 

*As far as job assistance goes, I only VERY recently completed my cohort so my journey on that front is just beginning. I am very impressed by what I see so far on this front and have given it the rating I believe it deserves, but will try to amend/return to that rating down the road should that change.

I've never been interested in tech before. I always thought I wasn't smart enough or that I needed to be a math wiz. But the decision to get into coding was because I wanted to challenge myself and I wanted to learn a skill that I could develop and could benefit from. 

Having no knowledge of coding or programming languages, Coding Temple did an amazing job at explaining things to me and many other beginners in my cohort. They took their time explaining the important concepts of the programming languages they taught. The TA's and the instructors are always open to answer questions and they always encourage people asking to ask questions. I also really enjoyed the tutoring sessions, and I recommend getting as much sessions in as you can. 

Now, the career support alone deserves at least 6 stars. Marlene is the best person you can get to help you on your career journey. She's so passionate about what she does and she's committed to helping every single student during and after the program. You can always count on Marlene for any type of career and life advice. Marlene along with the entire Coding Temple community never let you feel like you're going through the process alone.

I interviewed and researched many many bootcamps before deciding on Coding Temple because of the small cohort size and curriculum and since not having any prior experience coding other than tutorials, I knew I needed the accountability of a smaller class. What I gained in addition was more than what was advertised. Coding Temple is extremely supportive with extra night time TAs and staff who created a sense of community with the overall school through game nights, guest speakers, algorithm nights. The career support is also truly amazing and you don't know this until you are in it. For an online bootcamp, it's quite remarkable that I felt in community with the school and especially with my cohort. Everyone cheers you on and I think that's the culture at Coding Temple. I thought I could do it alone with online tutorials but now I know for certain that Coding Temple was the right choice if I consider where I am now to 3 months ago. I highly recommend doing as much prework as possible because this course is challenging and fast paced. The instructors are top notched and current in their knowledge and because of the small cohort size, there is no where to hide! You will gain a ton of knowledge/experience and support to successfully make that career shift.

I took the class in Feb 2021 and graduated in April that same year. The course was both challenging and informative. We covered topics that could land you a full stack roll. They cover a huge range of topics but to really be successful, you have to put in a lot of time outside of the regularly scheduled class. We used third party practice problems like codewars and leetcode to continue to brush up our skills.
They have weekly "projects" that push you to implement all of the things learned during the week. What you put in is what you get out.  If you do everything so it is barely satisfactory, I feel like you would not retain the information. With every project, I tried to go above and beyond by implementing aspects from previous weeks to make it feel like a real/presentable project.
We have access to our instructors as well as TA's which really helps whenever you get stuck, but debugging your issues on your own can be very rewarding. 
Overall, this course was everything I hoped it would be. In regard to price, I think it is very fair especially compared to the others I've seen listed online. I can't imagine a more comprehensive and well organized course. The speed at which we traversed the curriculum was also manageable. The pace was neither too fast nor too slow.  Our instructors were very kind and knowledgeable, and more importantly, taught us how to think rather than solve our issues for us. 
Finally, with regard to job assistance, they have dedicated team members that help us with resume building and overall professional outlook. There are several master classes/ presentations from other industry professionals that are organized for the students. Since I'm writing this review in April, it hasn't been 2 weeks since I've graduated, but they've help me feel prepared to get on the Job Search grind. 5 stars.

About me:

I had been in and out of a very non committal relationship with coding for about 3 years when I started with Coding Temple.

I've learned mostly from sites like Free Code Camp and Udacity and have often felt dissuaded from completing the programs by the lack of  community support. When I came to Coding Temple, I had zero experience with python, and had never built and hosted anything outside of templated Wordpress sites.


About the Program:

It starts with the Pre-work: 8 chapters of an introductory Python book and a couple of web pages on html and css. I feel like getting this introduction gave me loads of context for the program. I wasn't an expert on the concepts afterwards but as we learned and the instructor explained things in class I felt pretty comforted by the fact that I had been introduced to these concepts prior. 

Class moves quickly and that's what I was hoping for. Things that I found most supportive were:

1.  Having classmates who were also present and serious about coding. 
   •  It was great to know that I wasn't the only one struggling sometimes and I learned a lot of things collaboratively. 
2.  Instructors were helpful, direct, and knowledgable. 
   •  Joel is the savant you'd hope for as a teacher in this type of program. He had a well studied answer for nearly every question, and developed resources for the class as we were learning to highlight the concepts that we asked enough questions about. 
3.  Coaching and help on the problems from TA's who've been there. 
   • The TA's were great too. I don't wanna say that they helped to dumb it down but they helped ground things and provided feedback and support on completing the projects and assignments. 

It's not just that I learned a lot of the tools and processes for engineering that makes me grateful for Coding Temple, I really feel like I've learned how to learn things on my own. I approach projects and problems differently now and feel like completing this program is a huge milestone along the path to becoming the developer who I want to be.