I have to tell ya, I’m anxious-excited for what is ahead. I start General Assembly’s Software Engineering Immersive program tomorrow!! I’m going to be taking the course full-time and in-person on the Denver campus. I can’t wait to take you guys on this journey with me. I will be trying to post a couple times a week during this time so that I can give you guys a good idea of what I’m going through.
I know most blog posts are about the end of a bootcamp, so I wanted to give you guys a different perspective. You will be along for the ride as I undergo the craziness of an immersive bootcamp. Feel free to ask me questions in the comment section if you would like to know about something specific.
The main reason I decided to go for a bootcamp is because I honestly really like school. I enjoy learning new things, but also being in a classroom setting. I just finished my A.S. at a community college, and my favorite classes were the ones I went to on campus. I worked forty hours a week, so unfortunately I was unable to take all of my classes on campus.
Another reason that I decided to take the bootcamp is because I wanted the connections that General Assembly has. I’m no stranger to the effects of good networking, and I want in on the goods that GA has. Networking is important at any stage of the game, but being a recent transplant to Denver has made it crucial. This reason also played into why I chose General Assembly specifically to go to.
I’ve been self-taught for about a year, but I really didn’t want to get up to Denver, ready for a career change, and slow play myself. Sometimes it can be hard to find that extra time for self-study when working full-time. I highly applaud anyone who goes this route & makes something of themselves. You are truly amazing.
Let’s talk about cost. Part 1: Seeing a bootcamp’s cost upfront is not the most pleasant sight. I’m a habitual saver. I really hate to spend money unless it is on food. I’m pretty sure my boyfriend thinks I’m a tight-wad. I’ve got clothes from high-school still because I don’t like spending money on clothes unless I need something specific. This insight into my spending habits should give you my initial thought on a bootcamp. HECK NAH! With further research, I discovered a General Assembly falls into the medium price range. They also have a See Her Excel scholarship for women that helped persuade me. I liked their merit based loan financing options to help take the sweat off the up-front cost. I was also pleased to see the G.I. bill as an option for those in the military. I don’t qualify for this, but I have friend & family who could if they wanted a career in tech.
Part 2: I saved up money to get my A.S. while working. This put me in a seemingly unique financial situation for this day & age. I have a degree with no student-debt racked up. This made the choice a tad bit easier for me. I also took the cost I would pay, divided it by the amount of hours I would receive in-person instruction, and came up with a cost-per-hour that I felt was reasonable. I love learning. I know that any money spent on education is an investment in yourself. All of these factors came together to bring me to the conclusion that I would attend a bootcamp.
So here we are, day one starts tomorrow. I won’t be able to sleep well tonight because I’ll be too excited to get to “school” tomorrow. This has happened since I was a young kid. It’s funny how some things don’t change.
Cierra Codes 101 