This is a presentation that I gave at WordCamp TOronto in September, 2017 about my experience at Code School. I went to BrainStation in Toronto and graduated in June 2017. These are things that you need to know before you enroll in a code school, regardless of which school you attend.

1. Everything I Need
To Know About Life
I Learned at Code
School
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2. ● Recent Graduate, Full Stack Web Dev, BrainStation
● Instructor, Sheridan College & Mohawk College in Web
Design (including WordPress) and Capstone Project
● Serial WordCamper. Went to 7 the last three years,
including Mumbai. Including Co-organizer, WordCamp
Hamilton, 2015-6, Toronto in 2015 and Milwaukee 2016
● Contributor, The WPCrowd
● “Lead Dudette” defined as: "a young woman or girl who
is very popular or admired by her peers”. Thanks
@modmatt!
About Me
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3. Here’s what
we’re going to
look at...
Before
the
camp
During
the
camp
After the
camp
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4. 1. 80% of grads were hired within 30 days of graduation,
95% within 90 days
2. Upon completion, competency as full stack web
developers
3. There were partnerships with companies that would hire
grads from the program
4. That there was post-graduation support
Expectations
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5. 1
Before
Your research and preparation before going to a camp
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6. Ultimately, you don’t have to, but I highly recommend it.
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Have some prior
experience in
code

7. What technologies? How much experience? Front End/Back End/Full Stack?
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Know what
employers are
looking for

8. Connect on LinkedIn, ask the school for some people and where they have been placed
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Seek out former
grads of the
program

9. 2
During the
Camp
This is what you need to do while you’re attending.
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10. Don’t leave all
the teaching to
your instructors
Try a YouTube video, like FunFunFunction or read an article on Medium
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11. You are a
student
You will not have much time for anything else. But alcohol helps. #BallmerPeak
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12. Build your portfolio
on your website and
on Github...early
Don’t just leave it until the last minute.
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13. 3
After
Things to do after the camp
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14. Code Every Day
Otherwise, you will forget
14Photo credit: BrainStation

15. Keep in touch with
your classmates and
educators
They will be your biggest fans and continued advisors
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16. Don’t call it a
“Final Project”
It’s a project. Thanks to Shaharris Beh of HackerNext for this little tidbit.
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17. Hardest Lesson
You may NOT become a developer
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18. Expectations
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Let’s review...

19. 1. 80% of grads were hired within 30 days of graduation,
95% within 90 days
2. Upon completion, competency as full stack web
developers
3. There were partnerships with companies that would hire
grads from the program
4. That there was post-graduation support
Expectations
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20. 80% of grads were hired within 30 days of
graduation, 95% within 90 days
● Actual numbers: 66% within 90 days of
graduation.
BrainStation has since changed this expectation as of August, 2017 to say 92% within 180 days,
85% within the field of study.
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21. WDFT June 2017 Cohort Stats
21Thanks to Sholan Narine for providing these stats.

22. Upon completion, competency as full stack web
developers
● “Full Stack” is not what I thought.
● Impossible to learn in 10 weeks
The types of technologies that are being sought are not what I was taught.
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23. Only 14% teach .NET, 39% teach JS 23
Source: 2017 Coding Bootcamp Market Size Study

24. There were partnerships with companies that
would hire grads from the program
● The school didn’t provide the leads to the
companies that would hire us that I thought,
including the parent company
More on this in a moment...
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25. That there was post-graduation support.
● This is on me. I should have done more
research on what they provided as support
after graduation.
But hey, you’re going to learn from my mistakes
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26. ● How to survive a coding bootcamp and maximize your chances of getting hired -
Per Harald Borgen
● DevTO #69: Everything I Need To Know About Life I Learned At Code School -
Open Mic (July, 2017)
● Student Outcomes Report - BrainStation WDFT August 2017
● Why Coding Bootcamps Don't Work - Geoffrey James, August 27, 2017
● Want a Job in Silicon Valley? Keep Away From Coding Schools - Bloomberg,
December 6, 2016
● 2017 Coding Bootcamp Market Size Study - Course Report, July 19, 2017
References & Reading
Here’s some of the stuff I used to come up with this presentation.
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27. Thanks!
Any questions?
You can find me at @ShantaDotCa & shanta@shanta.ca
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