Actualize

I found Actualize based on the Course Report reviews. The experience certainly met, if not exceeded, the expectations that I had upon entering. The curriculum gives you a good basis in languages that are applicable in the corporate world, but the most important aspect is on how you learn what you are learning. This focus gives you a good way to expand you base of knowledge outside of your class experience because of the emphasis on linear thinking and problem decomposition. Upon signing up, I was mildly skeptical about the overall length of the course, being that many are 6-8 months, but I found that to be unnecessary skepticism. The 12 week live portion plus the 5 week pre-work is the right amount of schooling to prepare you for the future. The daily schedule allows for flexibility to get out-of-class work done on your time, rather than keeping you in class 8-9 hours/day. Also, with a cohort size of < 15, you have the ability to connect with your instructor, TAs, and career advisory team frequently, without having to wait in a line of 50-100 other students with the same needs. Stellar program, 10/10 would recommend.

This bootcamp was the best decision I ever made. After losing my job in March 2020, I tried teaching myself to code, but couldn't get past a certain point. I ended up doing serious research on different bootcamps, and ended up finding Actualize. 

What drew me to Actualize was the fact that they had been doing remote instruction before the pandemic, so I knew there wouldn't be a lot of roadblocks during the learning process, since their curriculum was designed for that format. Also, after talking to the admissions advisor, I really appreciated that they were honest about the entire process, and really letting me know that what I got out of the bootcamp was really up to me. I also was really pleased with the fact that instruction was 'face-to-face' so to speak, so classes were live. The instruction was great, since it didn't rely solely on copying the instructor's work (which a lot of online courses rely too heavily on), but on teaching you how to teach yourself, and really making sure you understand the material.

Class sizes are really small, and there is a great ratio of student's to either instructor or TA. My cohort was made up of 15 students, and we had 1 instructor and 3 TAs. This made it really easy to ask questions and make sure that no one was ever stuck on a problem for too long. 

Actualize offers career services, which helped with resume building, and really making sure your job search is as successful as possible. Before graduating from my cohort, I had already submitted a large number of applications and gotten interviews for a few jobs. While they don't guarantee that you will get a job (because they can't control the job market or the effort a student is willing to put in), they really do make it easier to put yourself out there to apply for jobs.

From a less technical standpoint, the cohort format is really great, and after just 12 weeks, everyone became very close, and it was really sad to be graduating. The instructor was absolutely incredible, and very knowledgeable about the source material. All instructors have worked within the industry, but dedicated to teaching full time, so you are truly getting their undivided attention.

If given the option to choose a different bootcamp, I definitely would not. This was absolutely the right decision for me.

A little background about me before getting into this review.... 
I struggled with school settings all my life, I completed high school went on to study Fine Arts in College but dropped out after a year. I worked in coffee/restaurants for 10 years and have no tech background whatsoever. 
I swear, I never thought I would be able to complete, enjoy, and retain so much in a course like this. 
The instructors treat you like you are people. Like a person with a real life, real feelings, and real stress! This course makes the word 'bootcamp' real. It kicks your butt. But in the way you needed to. 
A friend of mine with a similar background to me suggested this program when I was coding school hunting and after chatting with the Actualize folks, I didn't look at anything else. 
Every single instructor I have met is full of life and keeps the students engaged even during lectures. 
If you're thinking about making a career change, this is the best program, the amount of perks associated with the actual getting that job in the end is just insane. I can't wait to see what's next for me. 

I chose Actualize based on it's glowing reviews. Those reviews were not entirely accurate. My experience with Actualize surpassed the reviews i read. 

The smaller class size and live instruction worked so well. You can tell everyone on the Actualize team really cares about their students and the mission of teaching programming. Dani was easily in the top two or three instructors I've had in my educational career. I have learned so much in such a short time and feel well prepared for the next step. 

I would recommend Actualize to literally anyone with even the the slightest interest in coding. 

Got drunk with my brother one night, and decided this bootcamp looked wonderful. Rolled the dice and we both enrolled.

Easily one of the best decisions either of us have made.

There were times that you would get imposter syndrome.
There were times you would second guess if this was the right call.
You quickly discovered you weren't alone, and your fellow classmates became a second family within a few weeks. The support system was wonderful, the grind was worth it, and I have adopted a set of skills that will lead me to a cool new future. Thankful for the help, thankful for the wonderful skills, and will forever be thankful for RUBY HANDS BABY.

I chose to go to Actualize because of the curriculum focus on being taught how to learn rather than being taught a language and they did not disappoint.  Even though we might not have learned the most popular languages we learned that was just a tool used to understand coding to the point where I feel very capable of learning other languages on my own pretty easily.  I would recommend Actualize to anyone looking to get their foot in the world of software development and I feel prepared to take on the next step in my new career. 

Once I started talking about the fact that I was doing a coding bootcamp, everyone had questions - What's the name of the program? What's the pace? Do you like it?

I can wholeheartedly say that yes, I liked it - to all the people asking me questions, I always encourage them to check it out. I was brought to Actualize through a friend's positive experience, and I hope that my own positive experience can lead someone else to it as well.

Actualize does a great job by being so different from a traditional learning environment and yet doing what they do so well. It's hard to learn as an adult and it's hard to make a career or life change but the evening class times align perfectly to working a full-time job and while it's certainly a time commitment, it never feels like drowning. The pace is fast but the classroom style of lecture on content, then time to exercise it on our own, then brought back as a whole group to see the exercise demo feels really natural. The teacher and TAs are available throughout for questions and their walkthrough of debugging or challenges is approachable and masterful. It's clear that my teacher, Brian, was an educator previously and  a careful and mindful one as well. If you get him as your instructor, you'll almost certainly want to buy him a fruit basket for all his hard-work and dedication to the class.

The additional job-hacking course that's built in also can't go unmentioned. I'm walking out of the course truly feeling like I have the ability to get a job in a brand new field and that's fully because of the work of the career services team and their thoughtful inclusion of best-practices for career-switchers and industry new comers. 

Overall, I can't overstate the good feelings I have post-bootcamp. I have been given the skills to be a continued learner even after the course is over, and I know that the folks involved will continue to care about the people they teach and the ways they continue to grow post-grad.

Joining Actualize's coding bootcamp was one of the best decisions I've ever made.  The class moves at a breakneck pace, so at times you will feel like you're drowning in information but keep at it and ask a ton of questions!  The TA's and instructors are very responsive and helpful whenever you need it.  YOU WILL NEED IT!  Brian is and incredible instructor but be prepared for a slew of Dad jokes and painful mispronunciations of certain grains...  In all seriousness if you are looking to join a coding bootcamp, look no further, Actualize is the best!!!