Actualize

A friend of mine had just completed his actualize bootcamp, and he recommended that I do the same. We worked together at the same place for years and I decided that it was time to pursue a different path. He spoke very highly of the program and all of the staff and instructors there so I decided to check it out.I had an amazing time at Actualize. I met and got to know people who I will keep in touch with, hang out with, and code with for the rest of my life. the staff and instructors were some of the most helpful, friendly and supportive people i have ever encountered. By the end I was able to create an app that will go on into production and actually used by an organization I volunteer with. I feel that i got my moneys worth and a solid education with the building blocks necessary to continue learning and become an even better coder. I would recommend actualize to anyone looking to make a career shift, anyone who is interested in learning a new skill or looking for a challenge, or even someone looking to find a place for themselves in a new city. Actualize provided a fresh start, a warm, supportive environment, and the final payoff left me feeling accomplished and ready to take the next step in my career

Actualize gives you the support to learn to code and then gets you ready to apply to jobs with confidence.  That is exactly what I was looking for a change of career after being laid off as a screen printer.  Not only did I learn frontend and backend frameworks, they also make time to teach salary negotiation and networking strategies.  The course was challenging and that challenge made the entire experience rewarding.  Taking this course is easily the best decision I have made in the past decade.  They took me from minimum wage to negotiating for $50/hr, in a little over 12 weeks.

I felt the need to come back and review Actualize post-graduation, and postgraduate initiative! I'm glad that I stand by my initial 5-star review - Actualize was a great decision. I have some friends who have taken different programs and who are still looking for work, months after graduation. While it's not a quick process, nor is it easy, Actualize truly supports its students with resume review, LinkedIn profile review, job search, and moral support. During this time you also work on a project with fellow students to keep your skills sharp and add to your portfolio. If I could go back in time, I would make this same choice for school - and I don't say that often! I am two months into a job that I LOVE - Web Developer for a start-up in Chicago, and I couldn't be happier. Thanks Actualize! 

I took the Actualize course coming from a background in neurobiology and physiology with no background to speak of in coding. I had always dreamed of learning how to code and changing my career course but I was nervous about investing time and money in a bootcamp. I picked actualize because it covered not only the learning elements of web development but also how to get a job in this field that was foreign to me. 

My experience with the course was positive and challenging. I really enjoyed the teaching style and all of the material we learned. I like how we were constantly pushed out of our comfort zone and not babed along when we had trouble. The curriculum was challenging and diverse and covered heavily used frameworks and elements in web development today. My teacher was Brian and he did an excellent job pushing us and encouraging us. 

I had a wonderful time taking this course. I was able to learn so much more then I ever thought I would. Actualize has done a great job at setting up this curriculum. I took the online class, and it felt just like an in person class. I was able to ask as many questions as I needed to, and always got tremendous assistance when I got stuck. Brian Rice was my instructor and did a fantastic job teaching this cohort. Thank you Actualize for the amazing course. I am so grateful for the experience! 

I was looking for a challenge and found it. Actualize provided me with a strong foundation to build on. 

At every step along the way I was surrounded by supportive peer group. We learned with each other, as well as from each other. 

My instructor Josh was knowledgeable - both in the material he shared, as well as effective teaching strategies he utilized. He took a mindful approach to delivering an overwhelming (at times) amount of information in an accessible way. From observing other cohorts and infrastructures peripherally I'm confident the who staff shares many of these characteristics. 

The TAs were immensely knowledgeable. There were all successful alumni of the program, and provided expert helpalong the way. They also acted as mentors, helping prepare students for the world post-graduation. 

Day to day class is a good mix of instruction, individual instruction, and paring with peers.

Languages learned included: Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, VueJS, HTML, CSS, SQL, and Git.
I was exposed to back end development by utilizing and creating APIs, delving into database design, and working with Ruby on Rails.
I also explored front-end development using JavaScript and VueJS.

At the conclusion of this experience I feel as if I've learned how to learn, and I'm excited to start building.

Bootcamps obviously can't teach everything, but they can teach a few things very thoroughly and expose you to fundamentals that are applicable to any framework and language around. Here, those things are Ruby and Rails. They cover many other things, JS and Vuejs, CSS and the DOM, but it's mostly Ruby and Rails where the important concepts of algorithmic thinking and programming are introduced and drilled into. All that said, the instructors, TAs, and staff are really the lion's share of the benefit here. They're all incredibly top-notch. Highly recommended.

I have many associates that are coders.  So I  had a fair amount of resources to ask aobut which bootcamp to attend.  Even when I was in the self study phase of my path, Actualize was always among the top choices.  Now, many of the other "top choices" are no longer around.  Actualize continue to crank out good graduates, and I believe that reputation will help when going to the market place to seek a position.  

The experience was great.  My instructor constantly bafled me with his knowledge and ability to teach and convey subject matter.  They love to code, they love to teach code and it shows.   The TA's were fun and former graduates that provided assistance and information from the perspective of an employed former student.  

I'm a recent graduate, and I'm happy I chose to attend Actualize.  

I begin looking at bootcamps due to a need and drive for a career change. When I started looking at bootcamps, I was stuck between Actualize and another bootcamp that specifically offered a guaranteed job. 
Actualize was recommended to me by a friend in the industry who has helped out with the program directly, and personally vouched for their success, not only their education but their graduate hire rate. He told me that while Actualize does not guarentee a job, I would have no issues finding one based on their course content and passion for teaching.

Having completed the course I can whole heartedly agree. I came from a background of only minor HTML and have gained the knowledge to not only create a full stack web application, but to learn whatever it is I need to in order to advance my knowledge of programming. My instructor was able to connect and teach a wide range of students all from a different background and seeing them change from day one to the final day was truely amazing.

While Actualize does not offer a guarenteed job, the provide muliple services designed to help you get one. Next up for me is the Job Hacking as well as the graduate program that allows graduates to collaberate and bolster your experience and portfolio in order to offer a more impressive resume.

I feel confident that if I continue with the same drive as I applied to this course that the possibilities are endless for my future.

 

10/10 would do again.