BrainStation

The following represents my opinion, and mines alone.

Wyncode was what may turn out to be the most important learning experience of my life.

In 9 weeks, and only with the most intense effort from myself, and the support of the staff and admin, I was taught what I would consider a second to none foundation to beginining a career as a web developer. 

The admin and staff will tell you, you will get out of this course what you put in, and I couldn't agree more.

I secured a developer position with a spectacular organization essentially the night of pitch day, and for this I give alot of credit to the social and business lessons which the course also stresses. Of course, at the end of the day, I put in the work and effort, again supporting the self investment concept Wyncode strongly pushes.

This all shows exactly what Wyncode has to offer: the tools for success for those willing to use all of the resources they provide, and also willing to fully invest in their own success.

In sum, I would strongly recommend Wyncode to anyone, and at the same time advise that those interested do their independent research to see if this course is for them, because it could end up being the most intense learning experience they have yet encountered.

I first learned about Wyncode through a friend when I told him I was ready to really commit to learning programming, and I still haven't thanked him enough for recommending me this amazing place. For my research, I actually read all the CourseReport reviews that were available at the time, and one in particular really caught my attention. My writing this review after completing the cohort is one of the many ways where I've come full circle.

I just finished the cohort last night (March 12th, 2015), and I can already tell you it was an experience that changed my life. Wyncode is aimed at taking you from zero knowledge to junior developer, and although they cannot guarantee a job, they will do everything in their power to get you there. There are interviews, guest speakers, networking events, and workshops. Two other classmates and myself actually had signed our employment letters the Wednesday before finishing the program, and two others had job offers as well.

For those still on the job market, Wyncode has prepared great resources and a contact list to help them get jobs as soon as possible. They keep partnering with more and more hiring partners, and they are looking at it from all angles. They really want graduates to succeed.

Regarding the education, Ed Toro is simply amazing. He is very passionate about what he does and is a great eduactor. He is so knowlegeable and smart, you learn every single day. There is no day where you are not learning. There are projects and homework from day one, there's prework to be completed, there's always extra reading. You really need to be committed to making it work.

As for myself, I play soccer for a semi-pro team so I had four hours less than everybody else to work so I had to get up earlier, and really spend most of my day working, but it paid off, if you come in with the attitude of hustling at all times, you will succeed and do amazing. Honestly, it's amazing how much I've learned in what seems like such a short period of time. 

Regarding the TA's, I can't say enough good things about them. They are very knowledgeable as well, and they are usually alumns from previous cohorts who really know what new students are going through. They really care about our future and it shows. Walter, Frank, Auston, Damon, Sean, Ray, they are always there to help. 

And who could forget about the amazing Diego Lugo, the operations manager. He works non-stop and is always giving his one-hundred percent. He wants to have everything ready all the time and is super friendly, I have never seen him on a bad day.

Lastly, the final project is a true learning experience. We learned so much not only about coding, but about working in teams, managing time, coming up with ideas. I can say that I am ready to start working right away after Wyncode as I have a great understanding not only about the technical aspect, but the business aspect as well.

The last full-circle point is that I said to the staff on the first day that I was going to win Pitch Day and they said they'd hold me to that. They really push students to give their best and that's what I am truly thankful for. In this type of program, you really have to make the most out of it, and they are going to push you to do so. They won't let you slack off because they truly care about you succeeding and doing great.

Wyncode was a great experience for learning how to code. I was in the first cohort and was wary of trusting in Wyncode, since they hadn’t proven themselves in the South Florida market. It happened to be a great decision and I happily have a new career as a junior developer.  Their instructors and staff are incredible and truly help you every step of the way. Whether you’ve never seen a line of code or you just want to learn a new language, you can rest assured they will tailor the learning towards your needs. I do suggest studying and doing the pre-work as well as other online tools to get you prepared for the fast paced course material. If not for that, I would have been very lost through it all. They are currently branching to Fort Lauderdale, which is great for people who live north of Miami. Before I started Wyncode I began going to Ruby Meetup groups, one of which is in Ft. Lauderdale. Damon Davidson runs that group. I learned so much and felt like he was so knowledgeable when interacting with others about their problems and questions in the Ruby world. I enjoyed his teaching style and think he will be an asset to Wyncode as lead instructor in their Ft. Lauderdale location. Ed Toro (Miami Lead Instructor) and Damon Davidson (Ft. Lauderdale Lead Instructor) are very intelligent individuals that will help each person strive to learn as much as they can in the little amount of time given to the cohort. If you have any interest in programming or being in the tech scene, Wyncode is a great choice to start that journey. Just be prepared to work harder than you have in the past and know that in the end it will be well worth it and lead you to a thriving career in the tech industry. 

I entered Wyncode hoping to learn to code, and got so much more than that. I left feeling empowered and able to not only build whatever I wanted, but to take myself seriously as a leader and entrepreneur. Located at the LAB, Wyncode is in the heart of Miami's startup scene and there were always exciting events happening around us. The program is quick to adapt to student feedback, and it is all driven by a fantastic core leadership team. Jo and Juha are personally invested in each student, and Ed can teach like it's nobody's business. In the nine months since i've graduated, I've watched my peers get amazing positions and pursue really cool opportunities. For a solid education in coding, a crash course in entrepreneurship, and a vehicle for integrating yourself into the Miami Tech community, there is no option other than Wyncode.

If you are reading this and considering joining Wyncode, I was in your shoes a couple months ago and had some of the same questions. How credible are web development bootcamps? Is paying $10k (cost as of cohort 3) for a 9 week program really worth it? And most importantly, will I be able to land a job once I have completed the program?

My background is unique, but I was in a position many people find themselves in. I had an engineering degree from a great university, but I had pursued an entrepreneurial path. While being out of school for a few years, I found that employers did not find my degree to be relevant. Too much time had passed by, and I was now in a position where I needed to return to school to gain a skillset that would make me employable.

This is where Wyncode does a great job of filling a niche. I had two choices in my mind: to go back to university and earn a Masters, or to join a web development bootcamp. The decision is a matter of time and money. Pursuing a Masters is a multi-year endeavor and costs multiples of the amount of a program like Wyncode. On the other hand, Wyncode is a 9 week program, only costs $10k, and will develop me into as good if not better of a hiring candidate. During my time at Wyncode, I would also build out a portfolio of projects and receive assistance from the co-founders in obtaining a job through their hiring partners and other resources.

The staff is the most valuable asset that Wyncode can offer you, from the top down. The co-founders, Jo and Johanna Mikkola, are great people. Wyncode is not just a business for them. They are about helping people achieve their goals, and they go out of their respective ways to make sure it happens. The lead instructor, Ed Toro, is an MIT grad with over ten years of real life development experience. He is StackOverflow condensed into one human being. The TAs, Frank and Walter, are Wyncode alumni. They have been through the program and are very skilled Rails developers. They have seen several cohorts go through the program, know what it's like to struggle through a 9 week program, and help guide you through it. They have interacted with hundreds of junior developers. They have seen the story play out hundreds of times. They know exactly what it takes to get you to where you need to be to get hired as a junior developer. They are the soldiers in the trenches.

A final selling point is the space that Wyncode is in: The LAB Miami. In the space, you will interact with tons of young developers. This gives you an opportunity to network and receive advice from people who are more than willing to help you, give you guidance, and potentially put in a good word for you with an employer. You have access to these resources 24/7 while you are in the program.

So would I do it all over again? Absolutely! Wyncode has an almost perfect placement rate for their graduates. If you put in the required time, you will be relatively guaranteed a job within 1-2 months of graduation. The people are amazing and an invaluable resource to your education. And as far as the $10k for 9 weeks of education? It is an investment in your future and a drop in the bucket compared to more traditional learning routes. Even if you attempted to learn on your own, it would take far more time. That's time you would otherwise be getting paid while being employed after your 9 weeks with Wyncode.

I came into Wyncode with no coding experience at all. I had completed some basic codecademy courses on (HTML, CSS, and Ruby) but apart from that, I had never written an actual line of code. Through 9 weeks of Wyncode I was able to develop skills in HTML, CSS, Ruby on Rails, Git, Javascript, Jquery. During Wyncode I was able to build several websites, half a dozen web apps, and our own API that was later released on Mashape. Another critical skill that was taught in Wyncode is using Git and Github properly, something that is used throughout every branch of coding and is a must for anyone wanting to work as a web developer.

Wyncode doesn't end when you complete the course.  Its a community that is always there to help you obtain your dream job or continue your education. 
After completing Wyncode , I kept exploring new languages and frameworks. Since graduating, I have added rubymotion and objective-c  to my skills as well as successfully built and deployed an iOS app to the Apple AppStore, and It all started with a visit to Wyncode.

Wyncode is composed of a dedicated group of people who will give you everything you need to succeed in tech, all you need to put in is the hard work. Its an intensive coding bootcamp that delivers results. 

The course offers an extreme way to get into what is a developer's world as a student while you are squashed by the amount of material you have to understand in a limited amount of time. 

Wyncode is the first licensed brick and mortar institution in the state, and they have already developed deep connections and a strong track record in the South Florida tech scene.  Their curriculum won't teach you everything you need to know in nine weeks -- that isn't realistic for any nine week program.  What it will do is give you the skills you need to land an entry level programming gig at a local tech company, or to build an MVP for your business idea.  You will also leave the program with the tools necessary to keep learning, which to me is the most important thing.        

I came to Wyncode at 32 as a career educator and small business entrepreneur with zero coding experience.  In all honesty I wasn't sure at first whether this would be a career change for me or just another hobby I would tinker with over the summer.  I came to love the challenge of building something out of nothing, and I am sure this is because of Wyncode.  Their greatest strength is in their teaching staff and executive team.  They take the time to get to know each student's strengths, weaknesses and asiprations, and work hard to make sure each graduate finds what they are looking for.  It is beyond evident that the entire team is personally invested in the success of each student.    

Is the curriculum a little lecture heavy?  Yes, it was, at least for me.  However, the amount of knowledge you have to cram into your head in a very short time period will leave you with little room to quibble about content delivery.  The bottom line is that you have nine weeks to learn Ruby, Rails, JS and SQL.  At the end of the day, your success will be determined by the work you put into the experience and the one-on-one time you spend with TAs.  Luckilly, the professor and TAs on staff are generous with their time and knowledge.

The ecosystem here is not as developed as CA or NY, and an entry level job here will not pay the six figure salary often quoted in newspaper articles about the nationwide code school phenomenon.  However, the community here is small enough to be navigable, and it is more than possible to land an interesting, fairly compensated first job out of the experience.  Wyncode is based in the LAB, which is the unofficial capital of the Miami tech scene.  Their Fort Lauderdale cohort will be hosted at General Provision, which plays the same role in Broward.  The owners of the school have made a concerted effort to place their students in an environment where they can't help but learn by osmosis.

Codecademy Labs has partnered with Wyncode to offer a more basic, low-cost, low-commitment weekend course -- this was not available when I was a student but I think it makes a lot of sense as a supported environment to test the coding waters and see if it is a viable career path for you.  In my case, I know I needed the in-person support of a full time code school to help me get my bearings.  Overall, I would definitely recommend Wyncode to anyone considering a code school in Miami or Broward.  My only regret from the experience was not making the jump earlier.

I learned a lot at Wyncode. It's an amazing experience as well to study with Ed Toro (the head instructor). He challenges the class daily, and his insight/expertise in the field is invaluable. One of the highlights of attending Wyncode is learning from Ed. 

The staff at Wyncode provides excellent job assistance after graduation. In fact, thanks to Wyncode’s help I was offered a job only a month after graduation. It's clear that Wyncode will do everything they can to make sure their students succeed and achieve their professional goals. 

The atmosphere at Wyncode is also close-knit, and everyone communicates with one another. Everyone wants to see each other succeed, and I found that to be very motivating. By the end of the cohort, I had made a lot of great friends.

If you want to get into tech (especially Miami tech) and learn the necessary coding skills, Wyncode is the place to go.

I was a student at Wycode and graduated from the third cohort. Everyone in the Wyncode team are not only extremely helpful and knowledgeable, but also amazing people. I learned way more than i expected to and the course definitely prepared me to enter the development field as a junior dev. I had the opportunity of meeting and getting to know not only the wonderful Wyncode Team, but also many great people who were also students learning and working through the course as well. I made friends, learned how to code, and i am now employed full time as a software developer. Wyncode is easily the best investment i have ever made.

If you want to change your career and be a part of a growing industry, definitely look into Wyncode. That being said, be prepared to truly challenge yourself to persevere and plan to practice coding for hours day in and day out, including weekends, if you want to succeed.

I was part of Cohort 3 and just completed the program in December 2014. Prior to Wyncode I was working as a Sales Assistant before I was laid off from my job. After hearing about Wyncode, I chose to invest in myself and my future rather than finding myself another dead-end job, and I am so happy I did.

You LEARN. Not only about different languages, APIs, Gems, and all that good stuff, but also about how you can creatively solve problems, make magic happen on a browser, and tap into a creative outlet that you probably never knew existed. More than anything else, you learn that with time, effort, and practice, you are capable of accomplishing some pretty incredible things.

The team is amazing. From the instructor, Ed Toro, to the TAs, you have a wide pool of knowledge and experience to learn from. Juha, Jo, and Diego offer a ton of support both throughout the program and afterwards on your journey to finding a job, and they always keep you informed of events, networking opportunities, and of people you should know about who are involved with Miami tech.

Though I personally did not accept a job in tech, the opportunities to were available to me, which is a sure sign that the Miami tech scene is active and on the rise. And though my new job does not involve coding, the ability to say "I can build websites and create apps" definitely makes my employer's ears perk up. Wyncode opened up a new world to me that I would never have been exposed to before, and it gave me the skills and foundation I needed to continue exploring this world.

I'll keep it short incase you dont want to read the other long reviews.  I graduated from the University of Miami with a business degree and ZERO coding experience.  After 9 weeks, I was able to build a prototype for an app i've been wanting to build and have landed an awesome job at a startup in Miami.

Coding will be relvanant, Miami is on the rise, and Wyncode puts you in the position to succeed.

Also, if you truly are considering joining, YOU MUST put in the work.  You will be coding non-stop for 9 weeks and beyond.  Wyncode provides the best support to make it!