A career in coding is one that appeals to many these days. The demand for jobs has risen; as has the demand for courses, leading to coding Bootcamps popping up left, right and centre. This is fantastic, of course, for any prospective software developer; but also leaves the tricky decision of how to learn your coding skills. College? An online coding Bootcamp? Self-learning? It’s no easy feat. Choosing the best course for you can be challenging. The most important thing to focus on is value for your money.
Bootcamp
Thinking of an online coding Bootcamp is a good place to start. The benefits to a Bootcamp are many, but the biggest advantage is the speed at which you learn. Bootcamps generally vary from six to twelve weeks in length. It might sound like quite a short time frame to learn to code in but remember – you will have experienced coding tutors who will be more than happy to put the time and effort in. Bootcamps involve hard work and commitment to learning so if this is you, sign up for one as soon as you feel ready.
Learning on your own
Learning on your own is certainly a possibility. The internet is a great tool for teaching yourself pretty much anything, so there will be plenty of resources out there for you to teach yourself. As this blogger shows, it’s a definite option. The beauty of teaching yourself how to code is that you can do it in your own time, for free and from the comfort of your own couch, if you wish. Again, this requires commitment and self-motivation, so be prepared.
Online Coding Bootcamp v Learning alone?
Both options sound good; which is right for you though? It all boils down to the individual. If you are a motivated person and think you can genuinely teach yourself how to become a software developer then, by all means, give the self-teaching a try. If, on the other hand, you need structure and motivation around you, go for a coding Bootcamp. A Bootcamp is intense; you won’t have time to slack off and you’ll need to do some self-learning in the evenings too. It’s not a task to take on half-heartedly.
If the Bootcamp route is sounding appealing to you, check out the Code Institute’s Bootcamp options here. A good resource to start your coding journey is with our free 5 Day Challenge. On it, you’ll learn the basics of HTML, CSS and JavaScript. You’ll also get to sample what it is like to learn online. Register now through the form below.
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