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Kristin Hoppe
I’ll just tell you what nobody else wants to say on this.
Yes, you can. I have no doubt there are genuine success stories out there. There are also successful developers who are self-taught from a variety of methods and websites — just take the founder of Flatiron School (Avi Flombaum) for example.
It is possible. All that said, the odds are probably lower than if you take a more rigorous programming immersive. There are several factors involved with that, ranging from depth and scope of the program to the outcomes those schools have produced in the past. Moreover, you’re another big factor in this equation. For example, how do you learn? Do you have some kind of mentorship so you know that you’re going in the right direction?
Ultimately, whichever program you decide to take, you should put these elements into consideration:
Are you looking for a career, or just for fun?
If you’re not looking to code seriously, don’t drop a bunch of money on a program that won’t mean something to you. Dabbling in free platforms is a good way to tell if you want to make the commitment, or if it’s just something fun that you want to do on the side. Once you have committed yourself to that idea though, you’ll probably want to evaluate which platform best fits your need and budget. Learn, for example, only admits people who want to use it as a tool for professional advancement. I have a few other Quora posts stacking up similar schools, too, here and here.
Would you benefit from a placements team?
Finding that first job as a developer can be a real challenge. Have you considered if you’d benefit from a job coach or some kind of mentor to guide you along what employers look for in a junior developer? Research the programs you’re looking into and see if it’s worth it to you to seek that out. I’ve also written a blog post here about what Flatiron School’s employers look for in developers if you want to glean a little more knowledge.
How much structure do you need?
Online learning programs — no matter what kind — take a lot of self-motivation. Depending on the community support you have, some may be more challenging than others. Are you prepared to commit every day to learning code? Do you get sheer joy out of learning a new way to execute that next big project you’ve been planning? What is your motivator to finish? Be sure that whichever program you choose gives you the foundation you need. You can also check out this article I wrote about whether learning code online is right for you.
How will you factor in community?
What kind of community support will you have when you choose one of these programs? You should look to Slack channels and real-life meetups at the bare minimum. Also consider finding something that has an integrated community or chat feature for when you need help. Because you will have questions when you’re learning how to program.
tl;dr: Make sure you’re picking the right program to invest your time and energy based on what outcomes you want. Only you know what’s best for you, but it’s best to do your research first.
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I’ll just tell you what nobody else wants to say on this.
Yes, you can. I have no doubt there are genuine success stories out there. There are also successful developers who are self-taught from a variety of methods and websites — just take the founder of Flatiron School (Avi Flombaum) for example.
It is possible. All that said, the odds are probably lower than if you take a more rigorous programming immersive. There are several factors involved with that, ranging from depth and scope of the program to the outcomes those schools have produced in the past. Moreover, you’re another big factor in this equation. For example, how do you learn? Do you have some kind of mentorship so you know that you’re going in the right direction?
Ultimately, whichever program you decide to take, you should put these elements into consideration:
Are you looking for a career, or just for fun?
If you’re not looking to code seriously, don’t drop a bunch of money on a program that won’t mean something to you. Dabbling in free platforms is a good way to tell if you want to make the commitment, or if it’s just something fun that you want to do on the side. Once you have committed yourself to that idea though, you’ll probably want to evaluate which platform best fits your need and budget. Learn, for example, only admits people who want to use it as a tool for professional advancement. I have a few other Quora posts stacking up similar schools, too, here and here.
Would you benefit from a placements team?
Finding that first job as a developer can be a real challenge. Have you considered if you’d benefit from a job coach or some kind of mentor to guide you along what employers look for in a junior developer? Research the programs you’re looking into and see if it’s worth it to you to seek that out. I’ve also written a blog post here about what Flatiron School’s employers look for in developers if you want to glean a little more knowledge.
How much structure do you need?
Online learning programs — no matter what kind — take a lot of self-motivation. Depending on the community support you have, some may be more challenging than others. Are you prepared to commit every day to learning code? Do you get sheer joy out of learning a new way to execute that next big project you’ve been planning? What is your motivator to finish? Be sure that whichever program you choose gives you the foundation you need. You can also check out this article I wrote about whether learning code online is right for you.
How will you factor in community?
What kind of community support will you have when you choose one of these programs? You should look to Slack channels and real-life meetups at the bare minimum. Also consider finding something that has an integrated community or chat feature for when you need help. Because you will have questions when you’re learning how to program.
tl;dr: Make sure you’re picking the right program to invest your time and energy based on what outcomes you want. Only you know what’s best for you, but it’s best to do your research first.
See Questions On Quora
Continue reading...
