CodeOp (reviews)

I was always sceptical about bootcamps. The big turnoff for me moreover, was doing an online course. Apart from that, I have many years of working experience in the IT industry and knew that organising work from home is not so easy, especially when the team is not mature enough, but, I have to say, CodeOp proved me totally wrong.
I was impressed by how fast the teachers organized remote classes during COVID and adapted the program, and how efficient they were during those difficult times.
It was an amazing experience. Although difficult sometimes (really difficult) but it changed my life.
Pros:
1) Teachers: teachers are very good, even the ones that are trainees/assistants. They give vivid explanations and are able to understand the mind of the student (hello Emefa!) It was a great idea to let trainees explain the basics as they could understand what was going on in the minds of the students who, mostly, had zero tech background.
2) Schedule and class structure: I liked that we had scheduled for lectures and exercises and could plan our day accordingly
3) Curriculum: logical daily challenges, data structures and algorithms, Vue… Easy stuff you learn in the pre-course, hard stuff you learn in class. I have to admit that daily challenges made my brain work every day.
4) Support chat: if you are stuck on something you can get help there, even after the class, even on weekend, sometimes even at night! But of course, it depends on people’s availability, because not only teachers give support, but also students from other groups.
5) Career week: Real HRs come to help to write your CV, prepare for the interview and answer your questions. Imagine my surprise when I realised that with one of the HRs training us I had an interview 4 years ago! Plus career coaching, mocked interviews and presentations from different people (we had a very interesting presentation from the Head of IT in Siemens Energy!)
6) During the projects phase, you have an option to attend lectures of other groups on different topics if you wish
7) Location and office: I love the new office and the terrace, although went there only few times due to covid.
8) I really liked the culture the school created, I’m still friends with some girls from my group, after 2 years.
Cons:
1) I wish flesh lectures schedule was pre-planned or we had a list of the available ones (although the list of the lectures is growing all the time)
2) As most of the students are girls, we like to create some little drama. But life would be not so interesting without it, admit it 😉

PS: Remember, this is not private, it’s a group course, I was surprised seeing students get upset that they didn’t get private calls with a teacher. If you expect to have a lot of personal support and individual classes – maybe you should ask if there is such an option for extra pay before you sign up (this option wasn’t available when I did the course)

I am taking this course in a virtual format, and have just started so I will give my initial impressions: the first thing I (and I’m sure many others) noticed is how WELCOMING and SAFE this bootcamp feels. It seems to be that the culture of many software engineering bootcamps is sink or swim, but that couldn’t be further from the truth with CodeOp. That’s not to say the bootcamp is easy, either! The content is still challenging, and the students learn a lot, but the staff and instructors are there every step of the way. I’m a former teacher, and I’m well aware that learning REQUIRES a nurturing environment. If students don’t feel safe to ask questions, things will undoubtedly slip through the cracks. On top, of the great culture, CodeOp is the first bootcamp I’ve come across that seems to know what they’re doing with pedagogy and isn’t just a cash grab. They employ instructional strategies and assess what students have learned often (while adjusting the curriculum/support for students accordingly). Additionally, they combine interactive lectures, short algorithmic exercises, mixed media formats for content presentation and homework, one-on-one meetings with instructors/TAs/career coaches, and projects to present a well-rounded learning experience for students. From the day I was accepted, I’ve been waiting for the catch – some reason this bootcamp isn’t as great as it seems – but I haven’t been able to find it! I cannot speak highly enough about this bootcamp, and I strongly recommend it to anyone who values kindness, connections, and growth!

The instructors are just great and I received a lot of help in the enrolment process, the curricula are based on JavaScript and its latest frameworks and thanks to the MVP project I had something to show in the interview and land a job as a frontend developer in fintech.

This was definitely a booster in my professional career. I not only learned how to code, I joined one of the best communities of women interested in tech, with great backgrounds and willing to help you.
The material, challenges, support is always up to date, with relevant and current examples.
Professors work in great companies and are willing to share their knowledge.
I now work in one of the top startups in Barcelona and I am confident that Codeop had a lot to do with that.