Best Coding Bootcamps For Beginners
Can you become a software or web developer without earning a bachelor’s degree in computer science? The answer is yes, you can attend a coding bootcamp for beginners. If you are interested in a coding career, here are some introductions and suggestions for you to take coding bootcamps.
What Is a Coding Bootcamp?
Coding bootcamps offer a fast track to gaining the knowledge and skills required in the information technology field. Many bootcamps are available online and allow learners to study at their own pace, from anywhere in the world.
Coding bootcamps provide condensed, practical training in many disciplines. These programs often explore up-to-date coding and development skills. Depending on your needs, bootcamps can complement traditional college programs or offer alternative pathways to tech employment.
Organizations and colleges offer many different types of coding bootcamps. Some explore broad topics like data science or web development, while others hone in on specific areas, like cybersecurity and Python bootcamps. Regardless, most coding bootcamps feature accelerated, intensive, and career-focused training.
Coding bootcamps can cover many areas, including entry-level, intermediate, and advanced disciplines. Depending on the subject and level, these programs may provide programming fundamentals or more advanced engineering and data science skills. Along with coding-specific abilities, bootcamp students can develop soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Why Should You Join a Coding Bootcamp?
The speed of the tech world's transformation has created a skills gap in the field. Bootcamps can help reskill and upskill the workforce, helping them adapt to emerging technologies. Coding bootcamps also help learners who cannot or do not want to pursue full degrees.
Coding bootcamps offer intensive training programs for professionals who want to break into the technology sector. Bootcamp graduates often have competitive tech employment rates when compared to bachelor's degree graduates in the same subjects.
Do Coding Bootcamps Get You Jobs?
One of the primary benefits of choosing a bootcamp over a college program is that bootcamp providers are often more invested in helping their graduates find work. A few bootcamps have job guarantee policies, meaning they refund students' tuition if they cannot find work. Many bootcamps also offer career services that can help with networking, writing a resume, and nailing an interview.
Both large and smaller tech companies are changing their perceptions of the importance of a computer science degree. While previously mandatory for many tech jobs, now many employers see that bootcamp graduates can often bring more hands-on experience to the table.
Many prospective and current professionals choose bootcamps for the career opportunities they may provide, including entry-level IT jobs. More experienced professionals can use bootcamps to develop specializations or advance their careers.
The top coding bootcamps maintain exceptional placement rates and can qualify graduates to pursue some of the leading computer science careers.
How Can You Choose the Best Coding Bootcamp For Yourself?
1. To choose the best coding bootcamp for you, look for a program that meets your specific set of needs. Think about what you want to learn and whether you learn best in person or online.Software engineering and web development are popular choices for those new to the tech industry. But you should choose a bootcamp based on what you want to learn and do rather than what is best for beginners.
2. Another important consideration includes finding programs that fit your financial needs. Also, check if bootcamp providers offer scholarships, financing options, or income share agreements. There are many good options out there, so chances are, if you do your research, you'll find something that fits your needs.
3. Many coding bootcamp providers design their programs for students new to the field, so many programs are suitable for beginners. However, a few programs require a certain skill level for enrollment. Some bootcamps that require previous knowledge may also offer an introductory class to bring students to the appropriate starting level.
4. Coding bootcamps can cover many areas, including entry-level, intermediate, and advanced disciplines. Depending on the subject and level, these programs may provide programming fundamentals or more advanced engineering and data science skills. Along with coding-specific abilities, bootcamp students can develop soft skills, such as communication, collaboration, and problem-solving.
Top 5 Coding Bootcamps For Beginners
1. Actualize
Actualize is a 12-week software development bootcamp in Chicago and online throughout the US, offering both part-time and full-time options. Instructors with professional educational experience teach students full stack web development including Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, VueJS, SQL, and Git. Both the in-person and online programs use the same immersive, instruction-driven curriculum, with the Online Live classes conducted in real time with video conferencing. Actualize has a deeply integrated “Job Hacking” curriculum focused on the personal branding and networking skills necessary to land a new job, which Actualize feels is just as important as learning to code.
After the 12-week program, students have the option to join its unique Career Support program, which contains additional training for Job Hacking, a job accountability group, and team projects to add to one’s portfolio.
To apply, students can submit an application via the website, then go through a series of two interviews with an admissions advisor. There are no coding challenges, but students must complete 4 weeks of prework before the program starts.
The daytime course takes place Mondays through Fridays, while the part-time course takes place on Sundays and weeknights, designed to allow the working person to attend a coding bootcamp while still working a daytime job.
2. Altcademy
Altcademy is an educational institute offering intensive online programming courses. Courses cover back and front-end technologies including JavaScript, HTML, CSS, Node.js, React, React Native, and Ruby on Rails. The school was founded to meet the huge demand for programmers in the Asia startup community. It is aimed at beginners with no experience and has a selection of online courses that help students become software developers. Students can choose between an Immersive Path that includes all curriculum materials, online chat, and a Q&A database, or a Personalized Career Path, that includes additional 1-1 mentorship, career guidance, interview prep, and more.
The program has no prerequisites and is designed for beginners to learn from scratch. Students can enroll and start the course at any time.
Career Path students receive resume guidance, networking tips, and technical interview preparation. Altcademy works with partners in Silicon Valley to keep up-to-date with the latest technology trends. The quality of graduates is the only measure of success. Altcademy aims to go the extra mile to ensure students get the best out of their programs.
3. Clarusway
Clarusway is an IT training school based in Virginia, offering a variety of specialized programs in fields such as Cloud Engineering, DevOps Engineering, Data Science, Data Analytics, Machine Learning, Deep Learning, Full Stack Web Development, Front End Development, Back End Development, Cybersecurity, Salesforce Admin & Developer, Blockchain & Web3 Development, and Software Development Engineer in Test (SDET). Clarusway's goal is to provide affordable and effective IT training programs that give individuals the practical knowledge they need to succeed in their careers.
Students at Clarusway can expect mentorship programs, peer learning, and project-based group study methods. Students gain the necessary classroom knowledge and hands-on experience required by the fast-paced tech industry. To further the learning process, Clarusway has implemented a Learning Management System (LMS) that allows students to access recorded training sessions, manage individual training requirements, and track progress. It also includes a vast question bank to help students stay organized and test their knowledge as they go. The LMS can be accessed at any time, making it convenient for students to review content, submit assignments, and keep track of their schedules.
Clarusway offers beginner to advanced-level programs and welcomes applicants of all IT training and experience levels. Clarusway also offers Career Management Services (CMS) to help students build and achieve their future career goals. Clarusway incorporates extensive market research experience and a market-driven productive cycle to prepare students to succeed in the competitive IT market.
4. Code Platoon
Code Platoon is a non-profit coding bootcamp located in Chicago, Illinois specifically designed for veterans and military spouses transitioning into the civilian workforce by providing technical training and career placement. Code Platoon offers a 14-week, full-time immersive bootcamp and a 35-week, part-time bootcamp. Both programs are available to attend in-person or remotely via video conference. Students are taught technical skills that leverage the core competencies of problem-solving, teamwork, and discipline.
The Code Platoon curriculum immerses students in learning full stack web development, including Python, Django, JavaScript, HTML, and CSS. The Python and Javascript track includes five modules: computer science/programming fundamentals, the World Wide Web, data science, Amazon Web Services, and creating applications. No prior programming experience is required to enroll. Upon graduation, students are eligible for paid internships with Code Platoon’s corporate sponsors.
Code Platoon accepts the GI Bill and VET TEC. General scholarships are also available to eligible students. The majority of students have 80% or more of their tuition covered through VA benefits and/or scholarships.
5. Codeworks
Codeworks is an immersive coding bootcamp with campuses in several locations around the world. Students can attend Codeworks courses in-person or remotely. Programs include 8-week and 12-week, full-time, software engineering and full-stack web development courses. All programs cover HTML, CSS, JavaScript, Node, Express, SQL and NoSQL databases, Angular, and React, with the 12-week course also covering DevOps, continuous deployment and systems architecture.
The courses are divided into two sections: theory and advanced programming topics, then applied learning through building complete products. Codeworks aims to help students build complex apps and gain an advanced understanding of JavaScript. Graduates should be able to build entire applications and contribute to coding projects of any size.
Codeworks is tailored for people at any level with a three-part program process. To apply, candidates must first pass an admission challenge. Applicants with no previous coding experience are offered a remote intro course that covers programming fundamentals, basic JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and more. Once admitted into the program, students complete an 8-week, remote pre-course where covering intermediate programming topics like jQuery, Git, Developer tools, and intro to APIs. Once students pass the pre-course, they can start the main programming course.
All Codeworks programs include hiring events at the end of the course, including portfolio preparation and tech interview training. Finally, all graduates receive lifelong career support, and become part of an international network of alumni and partner companies.
Coding Robots That Can Help You Learn Programming at Home
1. mBot Ranger
mBot Ranger is a 3-in-1 robotics kit for making three different robots: a robot tank, a racing car, and a self-balance car. It is an ideal option for 10+ years old kids. They can program the robot through block-based coding, and it also allows Arduino C, which is excellent for intermediate coders.
For beginners, there are eight presets available to get started in no time. It boosts creativity in beginners and lets them enjoy the coding results to the fullest. Most importantly, various add-on kits are available to upgrade the robot and have more options.
2. mBot2
mBot2 is one of the simplest robot toys to teach the top coding languages for kids to learn. It is a beginner-friendly robot for 8-12 years old kids.
The robot engages the kids and helps them learn to code while playing. It develops critical thinking, problem-solving, creativity, and persistence.
The best thing is that kids can code the robot and interact with it. They see the results of their coding, which makes them happy and boosts their confidence. They can get started with Scratch or block-based coding. After that, they can switch to Python3 or Micro-python to dive into the real code.
It can teach AI, robotics, IoT, and data science. These skills are in high demand and can build a bright future.
3. mBot Ultimate
mBot Ultimate is a 10-in-1 robot kit to help kids (12+ years old) in getting a firm grasp on robotics. These different robots spark interest in engineering and programming.
Kids can easily assemble different robots and program them through block-based coding. They also have the option to switch to Arduino and Python coding to take their skills to the next level. The best part is that it is compatible with Raspberry Pi to work on advanced projects.