Bloom Institute of Technology

   Ok, let's be real. Alo-ot is said about bloomtech online. A Lot more will be said by people who don't get it. For the ones that do, I hope this finds you well. BloomTech Institute of Technology has been the ship I've used in my pursuit of a data science career, and so far... fair winds be sailing!!!
   
   While I haven’t completely finished the program, I already feel a serious boost in my skills and confidence for what i wanna do in the field. It is challenging, as it should be honestly. we've been covering everything from Python programming and data wrangling to machine learning and statistical modeling. Every module builds on the last, reinforcing concepts and pushing me to grow as a problem solver.
   The program is lie i said, just as hard as it is rewarding. There were times when I questioned my ability to keep up. However, perseverance became my greatest ally. I found myself learning more about not just data science but also my capacity for resilience and focus. I don't wanna call it too soon but I think these might be helpful skills post graduation! :' )   A key factor in my success has been the instructors at BloomTech. I I was fortunate to connect with a few in particular who went above and beyond to ensure I understood the material. Their passion for teaching and genuine investment in my success made all the difference. They provided clear explanations, insightful feedback, and constant encouragement.Overall, BloomTech has really been life-changing. Though difficult, it has equipped me with the tools and more importantly the mindset needed to thrive in the ever-evolving field of data science.

Don't' forget to love each other,
O.G. Obidike

Web development has always been the career I've wanted. So far it has been fun learning to code with BloomTech. Having a varying work schedule, being able to learn at my own pace is great. I can spend more time on material that takes more studying, and being able to use slack to communicate with instructors and see others who have completed is reassuring. I have been able to make it to Sprint 3 within the first month and cannot wait to learn as much as I can these next few months. My goal is to complete the course as soon as I can so that I can begin my career journey.

I was a student at Lambda School from February 2020 to February 2021. Since then, Lambda has changed a lot and I don't necessarily think for the best. One of the things I loved most about Lambda was how connected I felt to everyone. I made a lot of friends I still talk to today. We had daily 1 on 1's with our team lead who provided invaluable feedback on our projects. We had daily live lectures. It was one of the best experiences I've had in any school anywhere. 

Prior to Lambda, I was pursuing a bachelors degree in computer science, and before that I got an AAS in game design. My experience in traditional university was awful, and Lambda was a massive upgrade for me. In my last couple months at Lambda, they got rid of team leads, daily standups and daily 1 on 1's. It felt like everything I liked about Lambda was ripped out from under me and I was back in college, no help, no guidance. Just me. As far as I know, this is still the case, and lectures are now just amazon courses. 

On top of all of that, the ISA I signed now feels like such a scam. I am paying on pretax income with post-tax money. I'm struggling to get by because the ISA is very predatory. There is no consideration for cost of living. I live in Denver where cost of living is nearly $75k, but I have to start paying when making $50k or more. That's a $25k difference that I have to come up with somehow. 

Overall, as it stands today, I would not recommend Lambda school to anyway.

TLDR - the career services is worth the entire cost of your ISA (Income Sharing Agreement). So if you're deciding based on cost, it's no decision - Lambda School is worth it.  

Lambda School is constantly iterating on its offering so my experience isn't going to be exactly like you would experience right now.  But the big take aways will still be relevant.

I had a few months of self taught programing before entering Lambda School- $15 udemy courses.  No other experience in tech.  
I enrolled in the Data Science track full time program in July of 2020, I graduated in Feb-Mar 2021.  In Sept 2021 I received two offers for positions - One for Data Analyst at a national non-profit and one for Software Development at an s&p 500 company.  Take away: after the Lambda experience you will not be intimidated learning new tech.  You will be ready to work on a team.  And you will be ready to thrive in a remote environment.  

There is a lot of variance in the experience during the program.  My first 2 months were incredible, but extremely challenging.  I was not thrilled with months 3-4.  I finished with an excellent Labs experience.  Career Services (coaches) went above and beyond the call of duty to get me in the game.  

I'm convinced it took me 6 months post Lambda to land a job because I was picky about positions, I was not super aggressive and I needed to work during my job search.   Some others were able to find jobs before they even finished the program, but I believe the average was about 3 months after graduation.    

While in the program you will need lots of support from friends and family because the course load is challenging.  I can't stress this enough.  When I joined they provided pre-course work.  Take this very seriously!  It will save you heartache and headaches down the road.  

My personal path involved a lot of  up-skilling that went outside the curriculum.  But that's because I wanted a particular job.  I know some others who found jobs that matched the curriculum perfectly.  Tech is a broad ever changing industry no single curriculum can prepare you for every job.  Expect to do things outside the curriculum if you want the best outcome for yourself.  

Also my first job lead came from a Lambda Alum. There's a bunch of us out there now, so you have the potential to start with a valuable network.  

Since there's no other way I could have afforded to receive this educational experience, I can honestly say Lambda School changed my life.  

**I attended Lambda from early 2019 to early 2020. I didn't experience the recent changes**

My experience with Lambda School was an extremely positive one, I had some basic coding experience before I started but that didn't matter because they teach you things from the ground up and build you with projects and support. I had TL (Team Lead) who was always there for me and several other students, that helped a lot because I could ask him any question related to the course. 

The support, the curriculum, and the instructors were great. 

I failed like 5 times. I kept thinking it was me. I was putting in many extra hours and dropped to part timer so I could study more during the day. You only got access to an aid if you were the first one to approach them. Otherwise they would be caught up helping in student. Eventually the aids were one unit ahead of me. They changed ever four weeks. I wasted two years. And now I have to prove that my income is not tech related because they are charging me $6k. I work as a mover and a second job as a bartender. They want my offer letters or job description in company letterhead. I’m a MOVER and a BARTENDER. (Note: I have a college degree and graduated with a double major in Film and Philosophy with a cumulative 3.2- I’m not a bad student).

I really enjoyed my time at Lambda School. The community is full of caring people that really want to see their students succeed in making their dreams come true. Be prepared to work hard and work overtime on many occasions. But if you have the desire and are willing to put in the effort you will make it happen. Overall, the curriculum is thorough, but can use some improvements in some area. With that said, Lambda is always looking to improve their curriculum. At the time of me writing this, I  received and accepted an job offer as a ML engineer at one of the biggest companies is in the US. So I am happy. I will always be thankful to the Lambda community for their care, effort and determination. Really life changing.