How Coding Bootcamp Prepared Alum Paul Higbie to Thrive In a Professional Coding Environment

Students who start learning to code with self-paced options before bootcamp can gain a foundational understanding of programming concepts. While this experience is not required to be accepted to the Fullstack Academy Software Engineering Immersive, it can help aspiring coders to determine if this career path is the right fit for them.

Bootcamp alum Paul Higbie did exactly this—with a journey that began with developing some experience through self-paced learning. From there, bootcamp reinforced that experience while also building on it through a rigorous, project-based learning structure:

“It's intense! You learn a topic by cramming the new info and reiterating how to use it through practice. Then you quickly move on to the next one and repeat that process. The pace is definitely the most challenging aspect.” recalls Higbie.

Ample instructional support is also built into the program to help meet that challenge. Classes begin with live online instruction—which includes demonstrations, when applicable, of each new concept or technology. Students are also able to access office hours to ask specific questions. Higbie took care to utilize these services when necessary:

“I can definitely recommend the bootcamp for the support. The [instructional team] makes the effort to help you succeed. Don't be afraid to ask for help! The support is a real boost at the start of a challenging journey.”

Another pillar of the Fullstack Academy Coding Bootcamp experience is pair programming and team projects. Throughout bootcamp, students work together to apply their newfound knowledge to create real software products. Higbie shares how this approach also fosters the development of professional skills:

“The most helpful experience was making a completely new project with a team. Together we crafted our team's working norms, project idea and design, and tech stack; then we worked together to complete it. It was great to practice working collaboratively while setting and resetting what we could do within a real deadline like you would in a real tech job.”

If you’re looking to learn how to code, and become a job-ready professional, consider enrolling in a Fullstack Academy coding bootcamp. You’ll receive comprehensive instruction, hands-on application of real coding technologies, and experience working as part of a development team. Learn more.