Code Institute has the most outstanding students, the vast majority of whom are career changers and upskillers. They are dedicated, motivated and committed. They work hard to reach their goals. Today, we’re looking at some tips for success for students on our programme.
The popularity of online learning has been growing for years. However, over the last few months, it has undoubtedly taken a lot of the limelight when it comes to means of education. There have always been tremendous advantages to learning online. We live in a hectic world, and even before the current pandemic, it was seen as a flexible way for people to learn.
With online learning, some of the advantages include;
- Studying in your own time.
- Not having to travel to class.
- Learning in a safe environment.
- Moving at a pace that is suited to you. You don’t have to wait for those who are falling behind in class.
However, like with any educational journey that you choose to embark on, quality and high standards matter a lot. Code Institute prides itself on the quality of education that we provide. We are the only university credit-rated online coding bootcamp in Europe, and we offer unrivalled support. We work with our students to ensure they land in jobs that are suited to them. And we work with industry to ensure that our curriculum is delivering skills that are needed by today’s workforce.
A two-way street
When it comes to education, it is a two-way street. Students must be able to work hard, keep their eye on the prize, and stay motivated to reach their goal. Like with any reputable programme, Code Institute has timelines that must be followed to ensure students success, but apart from benefiting students in terms of the programming skills they learn, they will also learn to code in a real-world environment. That means that they will have deadlines on the completion of projects and the completion of the course itself.
Another thing that is extremely important to note is that contrary to popular belief, learning to code is not easy. However, if you stay dedicated, motivated, and if you use the amazing support structures that are in place for you, it is achievable.
Tips for success
Below are some tips for success that we can offer students and prospective students about our programme. Follow these to reach your goals.
1. Motivation
Motivation is key. Before anyone partakes in a programme like this, I always advise that you write down your motivations. Why are you doing this? Is it because you want to change career? Do you want to earn more money? Is it that you want to future proof? Do you want to learn the skills that will secure your future? Is it because you know that a career in software development could buy you more time with your family, or doing things with people you love? Or, is it because you’re excited about what is being and what can be achieved with software development?
Whatever it is, make a list. Write it down. Having a list like this in place can be invaluable if you ever find yourself falling behind. The goal is to stay motivated and to realise what is in store for your future.
2. Commitment
Computers are full of temptation. When I started working from home, one of the first things that I had to tackle was my social media addiction. I had to stay committed to the job at hand – doing my work. You need to remain committed to what you are doing when you are learning. Code Institute’s programme is designed to be completed within 52 weeks. The more time you spend on it, the faster you can start looking at a new career.
When you first start our programme, you speak with Student Care and together, you agree on a timetable. The course requires an absolute minimum of twelve hours per week. Many people can dedicate more time than that. However, the main point here is to stay committed to the schedule that is agreed between you and Student Care – the results are worth it.
For tips for success on online learning, read our survival guide here.
3. Realise the end goal – research jobs
So, we spoke about your motivations already, but now it’s time to imagine yourself in the role that you want. Research jobs that are out there. Think of where you want to work and realise your end goal. You can’t be a developer without learning to develop, which means you won’t reach that goal until you’ve dedicated the time and brainpower to learning.
4. Embrace the online learning experience
At the time of writing, online learning is the only real method of higher education. While restrictions will eventually be more welcoming to campus living again, the benefits of online education are certainly coming to the fore. Embrace your online journey. Some tips for this include making sure that you are learning in the right environment. For me, it’s a clean desk, a good laptop, an extra screen and a near-by coffee machine.
5. Use the support available
Code Institute prides itself on having unrivalled student support. Between Student Care, Tutor Support, Personal Mentors, Community Support and Career Services, what’s on offer is amazing. However, it’s up to each of our students to use these supports. While our Student Care team will stay in frequent contact, our students must avail of the tutor supports when and as required. Likewise, our Career Support begins after the completion of your second portfolio project.
Want to learn more about our support structure? Meet the teams here.
6. Credit-Rating
A lot of thought and effort goes into ensuring that we are providing the best possible education. I’ve already mentioned our Industry Advisory Council, but after putting a course together that suits today’s and the future’s workforce, we also presented our programme to a university. Our programme was then scrutinised by the University of the West of Scotland, who in turn credit-rated our programme.
This is a considerable advantage compared to other programmes, especially when it comes to applying for jobs after the programme.
Like with universities and many other higher education providers, we have high standards. While our programme will bring you from beginner to developer in 52 weeks, part of what keeps our standard so high is that our students must stick to the standard and complete the programme within that time.
7. This is tough – stay on track
I’ve said it already, learning to code can be tough. You will meet many challenges along your journey, but if you stay focused, motivated, committed and on track, you will see a wonderful light at the end of the tunnel.
We have invested time and energy into ensuring a smooth learning journey for our students. To help along the way, we have built a student analytics platform that notifies us if a student is stuck in a particular part of the programme. Should this happen, our student care will get in touch, but it will be up to you to action the advice that is given to you. Remember to stay on track – no matter how formidable a challenge is, we have a team in place to help you. While we won’t write the code for you, our team will get you in the right direction to figure things out for yourself.
8. Google is your friend
While there is enough quality material on our programme for you to become a software developer, there are times when you might feel that you have to do further research. This is the same with most programmes, whether it’s in a university, college, or other. We encourage the use of Google when you feel that you might need to do a bit of extra reading.
9. Engage with our career services
For many people who do our programme, their goal is to change their careers to software development. During our programme, you will be faced with five portfolio projects, and it’s on these that you are graded. When you complete the second portfolio project, this is when you will first engage with our Career Services department. The more you engage with this team, the easier it will be for you to land a new career when the programme finishes.
Read about our Career Services team here.
10. Quick results
Our Full-Stack Software Development programme is designed to be completed in 52 weeks. However, this is the amount of time that you have to complete it, and many of our students complete it and receive their Diploma far quicker. The more time that you put into this programme, the quicker you will become a qualified software developer. The more time you give, the faster you can enter the jobs market. As a guide; to complete this programme in 52 weeks, we advise that the minimum amount of time needed is twelve hours per week.
Tips for Success – Be ready for the jobs of tomorrow
The Jobs of Tomorrow are becoming more important. In the World Economic Forum’s “Future of Jobs 2020” report, we are told that by 2025 up to 85 million jobs may be “displaced by a shift in the division of labour between humans and machines, while 97 million new roles may emerge that are more adapted to the new division of labour between humans, machines and algorithms.”
The same report tells us that between now and 2025, software developers will be among the highest in demand.
It’s time to prepare for tomorrow’s workforce. If you’re reading these tips for success, and you’re not yet a Code Institute student, schedule a call with an Education Advisor today, and make your first move to becoming a software developer.
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