Actualize

I chose Actualize by reading reviews right here on Course Report. I kept going back and forth and couldn't decide what path to choose, whether I wanted to try and keep teaching myself, take the plunge into a bootcamp, or choose a different one. I decided to setup a call with Actualize just to see what it was all about and if it would be the right fit and found an instant connection. At the time, I had reached out to at least 7 other bootcamps. Actualize was the first to respond and have been doing online cohorts, long before many of the competitors. Actualize prioritizes its students and learning first. The instructors will do everything and anything they can to make you successful. The amount I have learned over the past four months is honestly astounding and if you asked me where I would be and how I would feel at this point months ago, I would have never guessed I'd feel this great. One of the best decisions I've ever made. If you're not sure which bootcamp to do, this is absolutely the one for you. I genuinely couldn't be more pleased. Worth so much more than what you pay for. 

As someone who had no previous coding experience, and who really considered myself a tech luddite in general, the decision to switch careers and jump in to a coding bootcamp was a daunting one. Deliberating over which bootcamp to choose, and actually making that first payment was a terrifying moment. Now that I am on the other side of this coding bootcamp, I am so happy and relieved to say that the my Actualize experience and training was phenomenal.

Not only will you develop and create a full-stack application, you will also gain the skills and confidence necessary to teach yourself and grow your portfolio on your own in the future. While the curriculum that needs to be fit in to a 3 month period makes the course very fast paced, the incredible support from the instructor and TAs made it so that I never felt completely swamped, or as if I wasn't continuing to gain new knowledge. I was also very happy with the job hacking and interview prep aspect of this bootcamp, and feel prepared to enter the development world. 

I picked Actualize as my coding bootcamp because they have a huge number of good reviews and because they're based out of Chicago. I couldn't be happier with my decision.

We focused on the core concepts from the 4-week pre-work stage through the 12-week live class. Knowing nothing about coding bootcamps before attending this one, I was a little worried the technology that we would be learning wouldn't necessarily be applicable to every job that I apply for. What I quickly learned, however, is that Actualize teaches you how to learn effectively. They teach you how to go about learning new things in a smart and thorough way.

I was in a small class of 12 students, 3 TAs and a lead instructor. Dani has been the best instructor I've had in anything ever. Period. She's energetic, well learned and extremely empathetic as well. I feel confident in applying for any entry level developer job and even some mid level ones too. More than that I feel like I'll actually be useful and able to do my job when I get one.

This has 100% been the best money I've ever spent on myself. If you're looking for a coding bootcamp that will prepare you for a legit career in tech, don't sleep on Actualize. You won't regret it.

Actualize is an incredibly well thought out web development bootcamp, and I feel honored to have been able to attend the course.  Having spent about 20 years of my life in education, and having been an educator myself from a family of educators, I can confidently say this school is one of the best educational programs that I've attended in my life.   The instructors and founder truly care about the students and believe in the course that they are teaching. The course is well organized, the curriculum is well curated for learning from ground zero, and the homework is great for deliberate practice.  When I selected actualize, I was ready to be a fly on the wall and learn by exposure, but instructor took the extra mile and helped me specifically with my deficiencies, especially in the area of explaining and talking code.  This program is a gem, and if you're looking for an education first experience, I would highly recommend you take a deeper look.

I chose Actualize because of their education first, coding second approach to bootcamp. As someone who has been out of school for a while, it was important to me that a lot of thought was put into the way these complicated concepts were taught in a way in which I could actually take in the information being given. After officially completing and graduating from the program, I can honestly say, I made the absolute best decision. I don’t consider myself a super quick learner and I also have ADHD, however, I was able to grasp the concepts and felt cared for by my Instructor and TA (shout out to Amanda and Erik!!) along with the entire Actualize team throughout the entire experience.

I got scammy vibes from a lot of other bootcamps out there. Especially those that offer that “Pay nothing until you get a job” thing, where they take money out of your paycheck for like 4 years (and most of the time, you end up paying far more than the upfront tuition). Not saying that all of them are, I just do not agree with the practice. Actualize not only does not engage in that practice and they have affordable/realistic payment plan options instead. 

I research things pretty intensely, and did not deviate from that when making this important decision. Believe me when I say this, Actualize is the real deal and in the top 3 best decisions I’ve made in my entire life. DO IT!

I chose Actualize because they promised an educational approach to learning how to code.  They delivered on that and so much more.  To the excellent teaching staff who always made sure you were keeping up and never hesitated to answer any questions.  The awesome career counselors, who were able to make the seemingly scary adventure of job hunting less scary and more of an adventure to get you to the place you want to be. I loved my time at Actualize and if you are on the fence, I say , just do it.

I choose Actualize Bootcamp because of the teaching first approach to curriculum. The instructors all had teaching backgrounds outside of just know how to code. This helped me get a better sense of the fundamentals of software development. My Actualize experience was amazing. I participated in the night class cohort. I was provided with all materials that I needed for the course. They force you to learn the fundamentals of arrays, loops, conditionals, and functions before you start the course was a great way to build skills later for ruby and javascript. They do a great job making you mentally prepared for the grind because it is a 12-week Grind!! You get to work on many cool projects and form a shopping cart to a team API project(fun stuff). I would say some suggestions for the future, maybe a week with React and Django after learning Rails and Vue Js.  Also, maybe a class two dedicated to front-end design principles. Overall, if you are looking for a great place to expand your coding knowledge. This is the place to be. 

I was looking to switch careers and became very interested in coding. Having a good friend graduate from Actualize made me want to see what it was all about. Seeing all the great reviews and actually knowing someone who had gone through the course and land a great job make it an easy decision to join.

What makes Actualize great is the teachers. Not only do they know what they are doing, they know how to teach it and make you understand the content.  They are very helpful and want you to succeed. I was never afraid to ask for help if I needed it. Starting from knowing very little to creating apps in 4 months showed me that once you know the fundamentals, you are capable of learning anything you want. 

Another thing that I love is the Job Hacking. Actualize works with you throughout the course to create a fantastic personal website and resume to start your job search. Once you are done with the course, they will continue to support you on your job hunt. 

All in all, I am completely happy with my decision to join Actualize. From pre-work to capstones, I enjoyed it every step of the way. It is sad that it is over but it made me excited to see what happens going forward!