BrainStation

Everything below is based on my experience:

I would like to start off by saying everyone’s experience is going to be different. If you make the decision to “punch the clock” and set your eyes on the prize of becoming a “Full Stack Developer”, here are somethings you need to consider: 

“You get out what you put in…”

The saying above is something you will hear quite often while attending the full-time intensive program. This is definitely a true statement not only for the “bootcamp”, but also in life. If there is anything you need to make sense of, is that this program will give you a good foundation but you will not leave the course knowing everything there is to know about web development, especially within such a short time frame.

My Overall Experience:

I definitely enjoyed my time at Wyncode and met some awesome people which I still connect with as an Alumni. I’m almost certain I would not be in the position I am now without it. I have built a strong foundation of the coding basics and how to learn which is the most important skill in this industry. I am able to grow as a developer and have the knowledge to progress on a daily basis on my own. On the other hand, being a graduate of Wyncode, I’ve realize the Tech Scene is not an easy scene to jump right into as entry-level or junior developer. This leads to many hard times, decisions, and misguidance which is an area Wyncode should strive to improve in. “If I had to do it all over again I most definitely would. The network you build and the foundation you can work off afterwards is phenomenal.”

Curriculum:

As far as the curriculum everyone, will have a different opinion but this is where I stand. Ruby on Rails is the programming language being taught at Wyncode as I write this review . Most of the companies in the South Florida Tech Scene I looked at and have applied for mainly work out of different programming languages and stacks such as Javascript Frameworks, PHP, C#, C++, and ASP.net; this is something to keep in mind.

They do dive into Agile Methodologies which is extremely important for today’s Tech Scene. Although it might seem pretty boring or pointless the first week or so, I spend most of my time in this new field spending half of my days working around being agile. 

During the bootcamp, you might find some subjects to be irrelevant but they come into play once you move on to start-ups and big opportunities. You may think some subjects are not relevant but in fact they are. Wyncode tries to make sure you soak in as much material as possible before you go into the real world of development. 

One of my main issues was the speed of certain lectures, this wasn’t often but when it occurred it was very frustrating at times. It can be very hard to keep up, especially when following along with the instructor who writes code at 70+ wpm, while trying to comprehend the entire lesson. Another thing to know is that that sometimes what you were taught would only cover a portion of what the homework assignment would entail, which forces you to become a soulmate of google and learn to teach yourself. This can be frustrating for some but was a minor issue for me.The frustration you go through while in the bootcamp will also translate into becoming a better programmer in the long run because you’ll learn to deal with hard situations and come up with solutions.

Instructors:

The instructors and TA’s were amazing and somehow are always available to answer any questions, whatever time of day they were just a simple slack message away. 

Don’t be scared to ask any questions, in this field there is no such thing as a “stupid question” we’re all here to learn and grow. It’ll seem like those teaching you at the bootcamp always seem to known the answer and that might make you feel like your far from becoming that stature, but best thing for you to do is to take advantage of it and ask as many questions as possible. 

Job Assistance:

Not to brag but I’d like to start off by saying I was the first person in my cohort to receive a job right out of Wyncode and I want to tell you everything I did and Wyncode so you have some sort of ground to work off of. You are given all the tools to succeed while in the bootcamp to receive a job coming right out but there is so much to learn, you come out realizing you need to keep hustling and striving to learn a ton more before being on your way down your new venture.

As for me, I stayed focusing on building my network to the biggest I possibly could while being in the cohort and also maintaining those relationships as an alumni. During the bootcamp you will have multiple outlets on learning to do so with free workshops before and after class. There also tons of meet ups during the cohort that you have to take advantage of

WYNWORK

Wynwork is a way for alumni from Wyncode to find opportunities in the job search. Wynwork supplies you with companies/ hiring partners who are looking for developers looking to make there way into the industry. The main thing you should keep in mind with Wynwork is that everyone attending the cohort and previous cohorts will be tackling the same applications so you’ll need to try and be persistent as well as different in some form or fashion for those specific job opportunities. 

***Side Tips***

Tip #1
If your looking to work in a different market out of South Florida, you need to put in the extra effort of building a network there as well. For example, if you plan to work in New York:

• Join Slack groups for New York Devs ( To be more specific look up by “city” )
• Join LinkedIn groups as well as added companies and developers from those companies, that way you communicate with them, build a relationship, and find out what there looking for.
• Add recruiters based out of the state/city so you can have someone help give introductions in the area.
• Email and call companies based out of the state or city you planned to work in, seeing what they have to offer and what there looking for. 
•  

***And if your like me, take a flight out and build your network in the state. Plan accordingly so that you have meetings, interviews, as well as meet-ups to get the most out of your trip.***

Tip #2

Do research on the companies you plan to work for, I can’t stress this enough. If the company your interested in is not a RoR stack based company you need to hustle and dive into the language they use. That way you have a better understanding when you get the interview and you won't be lost when they ask questions about there stack. Just state how passionate you are about the industry and how you’ve got your feet wet in the stack they use. That way you can at the least dive in and learn on the job! 

In conclusion, I know this is a lot to soak in, but ultimately the decision is yours. Like I said before, if I had to do it all over again I most definitely would. The only difference is I would spend a majority of my time during the bootcamp building the best portfolio possible and adding as many side projects to it, because that is what is going to separate you from the crowd. Good Luck and hope anyone pursuing Wyncode has an amazing experience like I did and if you need any help or advice, feel free to contact me.

Wyncode’s slack channel: Jschloss309

LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/jschloss309

Twitter: https://twitter.com/jschloss309    

Email: jschloss309@gmail.com

Why did I do it?

Before Wyncode, I was working at a small investment consulting firm. I was close to graduating college and I was considering taking the Series 65 to become an investment advisor. I had always had an interest in coding and over the years I had done bits and pieces of a few codecademy courses, but never could put it together to actually build something. I knew I really liked coding and the satisfaction of building something cool, so I quit my job, dropped out of college, and enrolled in Wyncode. It was a tough decision and I don't regret it one bit.

What did I get out of it?

I worked my ass of and learned a ton. It's cliche to say, but you do get out what you put into it. Ed (the lead instructor) is incredibly knowledgeable and earnestly cares about the students and building a thriving tech community in Miami. If you're not picking his brain whenever you get the chance, you're doing it wrong.

The most obvious thing that you get out of wyncode is that you learn how to make web apps. If that was all you got out of wyncode, it probably wouldn't be worth the cost, considering all the great resources available online. This is what you get from Wyncode that you can't get online:

1. Lifelong friends
2. An incredibly motivating environment (you will want to work all day and night)
3. Soft skills (writing emails, networking, speaking, etc)
4. Job support
5. Access to the wyncode slack channel (an invaluable resource)
6. Access to other wyncode resources (I use these all the time)
7. Access to an awesome coworking space, the LAB Miami
8. A large and ever-expanding network of tech people.

Any Complaints?

There are only two things that I really hear when people complain about wyncode: not enough focus on JavaScript and not enough job support. I agree with the first one. I didn't feel like I learned enough about JavaScript during the course, and really I didn't pick it up until after the course was over. Fortunately for you guys, Wyncode just added an extra week of JavaScript practice to the curriculum. They're always listening to feedback and improving.

The second complaint is about job support. I disagree with this pretty strongly. The wynterviews (every student gets interviewed in their final project groups by local companies) are a huge opportunity. There's also a growing name recognition that comes along with being a Wyncode grad, since so many are kicking ass all over the place. You have an instant network with the other wyncode alumni that you can leverage for opportunities. It took me awhile to get hired, but I owe it entirely to Wyncode. I got hired after doing well in a hackathon that was exclusively for wyncoders and employees of the company that put it on.

TLDR

If you're not happy with what you're doing and you want to work in an awesome industry building cool stuff, but you don't know how to get started, do Wyncode and live happily ever after.

My exerience with Brainstation was amazing!. The structure of the curriculum enabled students to learn concepts in the most effective manner. The staff here are friendly, knolwedgable and always willing to help. The program is pricey, but if you are passionate in development, it is definately worth your time ( or learn it yourself that may take you years).

Some tips for people enrolling:

1) Dabble with programming to see if you like it. Knowing some basic javascript will clear some pain in the long run. The pace of the curriculum is quick so getting familiar with the language and syntax will ensure you don't fall behind. 

2) Be assertive in asking questions and claryfing conepts repeatedly. Brainstation is a friendly learning envrionment and most people don't come from a programming background.

3) Most importantly, have realistic expectations. Brainstation will give you all the tools and knowledge to become a full-stack developer in 10 weeks. It is the fastest way to become one. However, don't treat it so lightly as it will come easy. Because the pace goes pretty quickly, get ready to put in the extra hours of work and even working on it on weekends. I recomend putting all your heart and soul in those 10 weeks! 
 

I had been looking all around Vancouver for a web development course for over a year, but I had a difficult time finding something that met all my requirements. BrainStation ended up meeting all my repirements: a schedule that easily fit into my busy life, was intensive enough to get value for the cost, and most importantly, I needed to work on projects that I could see myself using in the real world.

I was really impressed with the entire experience. The facilities are beautiful and modern, the course portal is a great resource to use inside and outside of class, the educators are passionate, knowledgeable, and helpful. I learned more than I exptected and I'm so proud of the final project I created.

Just be sure to bring your own laptop! The school does not have their own computers and I nearly showed up to class without one. 

I went to BrainStation Vancouver to participate in the Summer 2016 courses of Digital Marketing, Product Management and SEO/SEM & Analytics and was very impressed by the management, the staff and the instructors.
BrainStation has a team of very knowledgeable instructors who also work in companies like Herschel, Unbounce and Mobify (among others) that are a pleasure and privilege to work with.
The atmosphere is laid back, mature and professional.
The Vancouver headquarters will satisfy the most demanding standards.

I definitely recommend BrainStation to  anyone considering a career in  Tech, or  increase their skill set.

A special thank you to Kyle, Andrea, Liana, Justin and Loki for having made the experience delightful!

Wyncode was an amazing life changing experience! That’s what I tell very one when they ask me about Wyncode, because it true. I went to Wyncode not only to make a change in my life but to also start my career in technology. My previous work experience was in teaching; So my background had nothing to do with technology but it was something that always interested me since I was a kid and I got my first computer.

If someone told me, you can land your dream developer job. All had to do is work your ass off and have no life for 2-3 month, then your life would change forever. I would think that it sounds too good to be true. But I’m living proof that Wyncode is no gimmick.

Not to say that completing Wyncode was easy, by any means. But you get what you put into it. If you follow everything the course gives you to be successful and work till you cant no more, you will come out on top and land your dream dev job.

Besides learning to code and becoming a developer, Wyncode also teaches you the soft skills to being a professional in the tech industry. Which is and might be more important than learning to code.

When it came to the education you get at Wyncode, somedays were better than others. But that’s because the Academy is so new and fresh that they are still improving their curriculum daily. I graduated in Cohort 4 in FTL, and as of today Wyncode is in Cohort 6 in FTL. With that said, since I graduated Wyncode it has improved TONS. Wyncode after every cohort try to improve on their course and make the next cohort better than the last. The instructors every week want us to give them feedback on what they did right and what they need to improve to make even every week better than the next.

The computer languages you learn are Ruby on Rails, JavaScript, HTML, CSS, and much more. But the biggest thing I learned coming out of Wyncode was the ability to pick up any computer language out now or that will come out in the future and be able to understand and master it! So you pretty much become an expert in “Learning How to Learn”! In the tech industry things can be out dated within the hour, that’s why this new ability is so important.

After finishing Wyncode don’t think that they are done with you. When you joining Wyncode, you are not only getting an amazing education but you are gaining a family. They will always be there for you for anything you will need in the future.

Therefore overall Wyncode Academy did follow up on their promise that “You will learn the ART of code.” 

Currently enrolled in the Intro to Web Development at BrainStation and am loving it. I have a content website and paid a hell of a lot of cash to have it designed and developed - I'm taking the course out of interest in expanding my skills, and so that I'm not having to pay someone to expand my site in the future.   

As someone with a background in the arts, it can take me awhile to grasp the logical thinking required for coding, but the class has been excellent at giving me the foundation of coding and training me to problem solve like a developer. Definitely recommend for any creatives out there!

Choosing Wyncode was a great decision for me. Being in my early 20's I was going to school and working part-time and was just tired of waiting to finish. I decided to enroll at the Fort Lauderdale location for their 4th cohort. 

The curriculum was well structured and is continuously improving. You dive into code, learn as much as you can, you cant expect to learn everything, but you will learn what is necessary to get started and begin your career. 

The Instructors are there to help you every step of the way and you have this awesome network of alumni you can always connect to if needed. The biggest asset you can have by attending here is becoming apart of this community because Wyncode is in the heart of South Florida tech.

After graduation, I hoped to find a job right out the gates, but I also looked at myself and skills and knew it could take some time. I decided just to continue to develop and learn as much as possible. Lacking any real professional experience, but the business acumen taught really helped leverage my attributes and helped me recieve messages and get interviews. 

My overall experience was great, I learned a lot, met some lifelong friends, and have a direction forward. I am now a Junior Software Developer in South Florida at a company I have been a fan of for years. I could have never thought I would be this far in such a short amount of time. Wyncode was one of the best decision's I have ever made.

I took the UX Design 12 weeks bootcamp in October 2015. It was one of the best investments I've made. The instructors are very knowledgeable and they are always there to help you.

One of the aspects that I liked the most about the course is that you get the chance to apply all the lessons you learn during the class into a project on your choice. The information I received has given me tremendous value, and contributed in helping me to build my own business.

I highly recommend Brainstation classes to anyone who plans to move up to the next level in their career, start a new career, start a business, or simply just wants to learn something new

Learning technology skills such as mobile development, web design, and coding was the main motivation of submerging myself into this program. It was not an easy choice since there are a ton of coding boot camps out there with great reviews. However, Wyncode offered what I was looking for: majestic curriculum, outstanding classmates, incredible job placement rates, unlimited teaching assistance, and prolific instructors. You can not go wrong with this program. I traveled all the way from Houston to take this course. I wanted to be dangerous, and confident enough to land a job in the IT world. My recommendation is put your time and focus in class since all this knowledge will payout. Another important segment of this curriculum is the development of your soft skills. Get ready to be challenged, and more important, this boot camp will help you to establish your network, advance in your coding skills, and obtain a job in the software periphery.