Codesmith

There are a lot of things to consider about bootcamps, but one thing that can't be challenged about Codesmith is results. Less than six months ago I was working in SEO - yes, that's kind of web development but not as much as I'd like it to be when I'm on a job interview. As of last week I was hired into a mid-level engineering role. I have a BA in journalism with a concentration in Cinema Studies - yes, really -  and a year of studying JS and other languages to my name. I owe my current position to the course at Codesmith.

There are cons to the program, as there are with anything that takes up 70+ hours of your week for 13 straight weeks. It's stressful and has a throw-you-in-the-deep-end mentality, but it works. Maybe that level of stress and commitment isn't' for you, that's something to consider, but it is also what leads to a most people landing mid-level positions. Some grads even get senior level roles, though those are rare without some kind of direct tech background prior to the course. 

Pros:
The hiring program at the end is outstanding - they work with you until you finish negotiating
The course teaches students how to figure things out on their own
The community is incredibly supportive, both with work and emotionally
They create a fun environment to unwind with Thursday night drinks, ping pong tournaments, and relay races

Cons:
The people teaching the courses are sometimes recent grades - they know their stuff but it would be helpful to have a larger staff of experienced engineers. To be clear, there are experienced engineers on staff, it's just not everyone
The schedule is grueling. There is a good argument that this is what makes the course so effective, but there can be a mentality that working all night is the best way to show work ethic. For some, it reduces productivity and has other negative effects.
Some of the courses need to be updated for bugs. Only one caused a problem for my group, and it has likely been resolved, but it put a big delay on work.

The pros out weigh the cons, it's as simple as that. I think they are easy to overlook considering the outcomes and that no program will be perfect. If you want to work very hard to fast-track yourself into a role as an engineer, likely passing over entry-level, this is the course for you. I have recommend it to friends and family who are considering career changes. It has been an amazing experience. 

Would highly recommend checking out their free courses in NYC, LA, and online. I went to several before joining and experienced engineers go to them along with people just getting into it. Get a feel for it for yourself. 

I had a great experience with the CS Prep class from Codesmith. I attended Cohort 23 from Jan 6 to Jan 22. I'm expecting to take their Immersive program, and took the CS Prep course as it's recommended to learn what's needed in order to learn the skills and concepts required before entering their program. It also provided me the chance to try out Codesmith remotely, since I don't currently live in either New York City or LA.

My experience prior to the course had been self-learning through a book that had been highly rated by several websites, FreeCodeCamp, and YouTube videos. I also used CSX, which is the free lessons provided by Codesmith at csx.codesmith.io. The lessons provided good exercises and explained many of the basic concepts and keywords used by JavaScript. Only about 50% of CSX is necessary to be ready for CS Prep. Going into the class, I felt fully prepared to make the most of the class, having completed all of the CSX exercises.

I was a little anxious going into the class. I was unsure of how the lessons would go, considering I have never taken an online course. I was also initially nervous about the class size. My cohort had about ~35 participants, and I was worried I wouldn't receive individual attention should I have problems or questions.

These concerns were quickly relieved after the my experience on the first day. The instructor, David, alongside an assistant, Chris, did a great job of making sure everyone was involved and felt included. During the lessons, they rotated asking questions of everyone involved. They answered all the questions we had in the chatroom, and made sure that people were clear on everything they were teaching before moving on.

Each day was about 3-3.5 hours. Other than the first day, each class begins with a problem you tackle individually. The next portion deals with the previous day's problem, going over a couple of different ways of solving it. The next hour or so is instruction over a concept of JavaScript. After the lesson is over, we split into pairs and programmed together, splitting the time between being the "navigator" and "driver" roles. The navigator takes care of most of the conceptualizing, while the driver is the one actually writing the code, but there is always discussion about the best approach to take. Each days lessons were recorded and provided in the Slack channel everyday, as well as the slides from the presentation.

Speaking of the Slack channel, this is really where I think the course goes above and beyond. Alongside a general room, we were provided with a #pair-programming to find partners to practice outside of class, a #questions room for any code related questions, a #code-review room where we could post our solutions to the previous day's challenge (or really any code problem we tackled and wanted to share). We were also assigned a #tech-comm channel, which I'll describe below.

One of the five things Codesmith looks for in a student is technical communication. We were all required to record ourselves tackling a problem. Some of us chose easier challenges. and others tackled more difficult ones, but the key thing to do is to explain your thought process while going through the problem. Rather than think about issues silently (as we all so often do), we were encouraged to speak through our thinking, even if we are totally wrong about the approach. The instructors reviewed everyone's recordings (which is no small task for a class of 35).

The last day of the course, we presented a final project that groups of 4-5 worked on. It was very freeform, and it was great seeing all the different ideeas people had to show off their skills. My group worked on a JavaScript-themed text adventure with a Rock-Paper-Scissors combat system. I was proud of the work my team did, and how well it was received.

I had a great experience in the class. While I already studied some of the things taught prior to starting, it was great to go over them again and even stuff I thought I knew would be better explained. My cohort is still active weeks later, pairing up to continue learning JavaScript. I'd encourage anyone thinking about taking a dive into coding to give this class a shot.

The two weeks of CS Prep has been an unforgettable experience. Overall, I've learned more in a day of CS Prep than in a semester of coding class in college. The instructors put in huge amounts of effort in teaching the course and are always available in and outside of class. All students and instructors in CS Prep are extremely commited in learning and teaching and going along this journey of improvement. The techniques that they teach throughout the course of the two weeks really helps boost the learning process of each student going through the course. In the course, there are students from all walks of life and different types of experience with coding. The instructors made it really easy to understand the depths of coding and how to work together to graps concepts rather quickly. The course in general is well worth anyone's time whether it may be with experience in coding or not. 

I just finished my CS Prep class and had the best experience! I've learned so much more than just coding. My teachers, David and Jinsung, were truly amazing and were always there to answer any question! Just seeing how the two teachers did things differently was good for skill. Learning how to go online and pair-program with other students from all over the world was an experience in itself, not to mention all of the in-depth coding that was done. Then using the Javascript in a real application for the final project was probaly the best learning experience I've had. I am very sad that it ended. Glad to still be connected with my group and continue building upon my Javascript developer skills. I will continue to go to hard-parts on Thursday nights and get accepted into the remote class soon.

I began my journey into programming around November of 2019. My undergrad had been in BME but I knew at that point I wasn't looking into going that route. I'd done a brief course online on python and knew that I'd enjoyed that experience so I started searching for free ways to learn more. I discovered GA and freeCodeCamp first and spent my first week tinkering around there mostly with CSS and HTML.

Then I found out about Codesmith through the Meetup.com just looking for free ways to really break into learning JavaScript. After about a month and a half of going to JavaScript Easy parts and the JavaScript Hard parts classes, and since I loved the way topics were taught in their meetups and just the environment and people I met, I decided to take the plunge and invest in the CSPrep course. 

The two weeks passed by in an amazing symphony of what I can divide into two categories: lecture times (theory) and programming (practice) times. The things that I think CSPrep does great are as followed; creating a community for everyone in the cohort to pass around information, providing well trained instructors who are great at really simplifying daunting topics, having that time were you can pair program with someone else and practice technical communication, and providing a final project where you can really flex what you’ve learned and see the real life applications (this might even continue afterwards, I am planning another mini project with one of my final project partners). Something that I think is not very usual, but happened in my cohort, is that we had two different instructors; one for the first week and another for the second. I would have preferred to have had only one instructor. Other than that I have no complaints. Loved it and am in the process of applying for the Software Immersive program.

I come from a non-technical background and once thought that I was just not technical and that was that. However, in coming to the Hard Parts, learning from passionate instructors, and being surrounded by a community made up of people who come from very different backgrounds, I had the courage to quit my job and dive into this full-time. I wrote my first line of code in April 2019, graduated in October 2019 and now am a Full Stack Engineer.

Codesmith changed my life. Many like to say that bootcamps are "get-rich scams", but this was never the vibe. This was an immersive experience. The instructors care about the community they've fostered, the students, and engineering as a lifestyle. The 13 weeks was one of the most challenging, yet rewarding times of my life. I never imagined of going back to school as I always thought I was just "not smart" and coudln't learn, but the community shows you by example that you simply need to dedicate the time and energy and trust the process - you really get what you put in. Codesmith teaches you how to learn - not just spoon-feeding concepts and walk-through tutorials to make you feel like you did something at the end of the day. Most days you walk away from lectures without understanding anything, but the community emphasizes pair-programming and hard learning. Every unit is set in that way purposefully and encourages struggling through problems - the same way you would/should on the job. At Codesmith, you learn to be an empathetic and thoughtful engineer and the community gives you the space to be the best that you can be. I'm grateful to have stumbled into the Hard Parts, met the passionate instructors, and struggled through 13 weeks with my cohortmates. Truly life changing.  

Great course! My background: I came here after learning C++ for 6 months, I had no background in JavaScript, and no other languages/no functional programming experience. 

In 12 hours over two days, all online, the curriculum covered JavaScript in an extremely helpful way. We approached JavaScript as though truly for beginners, which meant starting with ideas like variable declaration and data types. Since I had already encountered these topics while learning C++ it felt a little slow at times, but even then, I enjoyed being sure that I had all the basics covered before approaching more difficult JS-specific topics. 

Moreover, I felt as though our instructor, Camera, was letting us in on her thought process throughout her coding journey, and helped to make the idea of working in the field feel less alien and impossible. In this imposter-syndrome heavy field, that's a valuable insight to glean, especially for a beginner course. Camera was always kind and supportive in her explanations, and was able to convey her ideas in both a technical way (teaching you how to use industry-specific terms intuitively) and an empathic way (being aware of where you are in your learning, and meeting you there and gently prodding you towards progress). 

Overall, I highly recommend this class as an introduction to both programming concepts and as a launchpad for studying JavaScript. Also, the community at CodeSmith is truly supportive and positive, and is absolutely the kind of place that I've been looking for and would strive to receive the acceptance of! 

I had an amazing time at Codesmith this summer and started my career as a software engineer a couple of weeks ago. I was very lucky to stumble upon Codesmith at one of the ‘Hard Parts’ meetups and immediately fell in love with their approach to learning javascript, fostering an open/inclusive community, and navigating the job market.

 

1) Learning Javascript the right way

Codesmith really emphasizes the importance of understanding how Javascript works under the hood. By the time you graduate, you will not only learn various frameworks such as React and Express to build applications but also have a fundamental grasp of how Javascript works that will allow you to pick up any other tools/framework in the future if need be. As the name suggests, Codesmith teaches you how to become mastery of code, giving you the ability to create anything with it. The best part is that you can attend one of Codesmith’s free offline/online meetups and see for yourself.

 

2) Fostering an open/inclusive community

Codesmith’s culture is something that I had not known before joining the program but has proven to be an integral part of the journey. The 12 weeks you will be spending at Codesmith is going to be harsh and you will be struggling. However, Codesmith does an awesome job of creating a supportive environment where everyone will be there for you when you need it the most. Once you are in the program, you become a part of the Codesmith family where everyone holds each other up and, more importantly, celebrates with you when you finally get that software engineering offer.

 

3) Navigating the job market

This is probably the most underrated part of the Codesmith curriculum. Codesmith constantly updates its curriculum to reflect feedbacks they get from the alumni network. It allows them to quickly respond to the current trend in the job market and tell you what works and what doesn’t. The greatest trick, however, is deeply ingrained into your day-to-day life at Codesmith. Communication skill is something that all employers are looking for in engineers and Codesmith makes sure that you have it by the time you graduate. In fact, you will be talking so much during pair-programming sessions and group projects that you will acquire it unconsciously.

 

Overall, I cannot recommend Codesmith enough if you are seriously thinking of becoming a software engineer!

 

I’m coming up on the one year anniversary since starting my journey with Codesmith in January 2019. And, looking back at this past year, the amount of personal growth and experience I’ve gained in such a short amount of time, is incomparable to anything else I’ve been able to achieve before. For several reasons.

 

*I will note that my experience at Codesmith is a bit different, I attended the immersive Codesmith Bootcamp and then joined the Codesmith NY staff for 3 months as an “engineering fellow”. An engineering fellow is essentially a mix between teacher’s assistant (TA) and engineer. I spent six months in full at Codesmith NY between my bootcamp residency and fellowship.

 

The bootcamp is difficult, exhausting, and relentless. Thank god it was, I wasn’t looking for a bootcamp that was easy, rejuvenating, and relaxed. However, as EVERYONE is mentioning, Codesmith is also fun! So, how does something that is difficult and relentless remain fun? The community. Codesmith has a strict policy against people with a superiority complex. I couldn’t imagine working at Codesmith (often for 14 hours+ a day) with people that I couldn’t sympathize/have fun with.

 

I am now a “real” software engineer and the outcome statistics are real. As I accepted one of the several six-figure offers I received, I knew that I would never experience the same level of commitment, passion, and companionship that I had witnessed and experienced within the Codesmith community anywhere else. Something special happens at Codesmith, I've been trying to figure out what that secret ingredient is for months, and I still can't put my finger on it. It's the perfect mix of acceptance, humility, and determination. 

 

Looking back a year later, I cannot believe how much I was able to accomplish with Codesmith. I’m so grateful to be more than financially stable now. And, I’m sure that if I went to one of the other bootcamps that I was accepted to, that I would have a job by now too. However, I’m 100% certain I wouldn’t have the ability to walk into my job and be fearless about learning a coding language that wasn’t part of Codesmith’s curriculum (Python). I’m certain that I wouldn’t have made long-lasting friendships that still exist five months after my bootcamp finished. I’m certain that my salary would be anywhere from 1/2 to 1/3 less than it currently is.

 

Read the other reviews if you’re still thinking about going to App Academy or Fullstack.

Short Version
Pros: AMAZING HIRING SUPPORT, solid curriculum, amazing people, friends to last a life time, challenging experience,
Cons: Beginning to outgrow their current space

Long Version
If your are anything like me you might be reading this review with a little bit of skepticism. Four months ago I was that person -- I was tentatively hopeful that Codesmith would be experience I need to radically change the direction of my life but was skeptical of the claims that they made. I was not a person who attended the Hards Parts series in their NYC classroom or even someone who joined in on the online class -- I discovered them through CSX (great free course by the way!). After working through about 60% of CSX I decided I was going to give Codesmith a shot. I applied, passed the cultural interview and attempted the technical interview. I failed my first attempt, but It was the catalyst I needed to take CS Prep, a three week online prep course. This course when way beyond the basics and ended with me building my first ever project from scratch!! It gave me the confidence to say I can do this. Right after CS Prep I did my second attempt at the Codesmith interview and passed -- little did I know what a difficult and fantastic journey this would be.

The Codesmith Immersive program was the difficult thirteen week I have ever had. LONG LONG days packed with lectures, coding challenges, and amazing conversations with my cohort-mates. Codesmith not only teaches you how to write code but also how to THINK about code. It teaches you the tools to approach any problem with a mindset that is determined to figure out the answers. Learning the toolkit of a fullstack developer (JavaScript, Node/Express, Databases, React/Redux) was just the beginning --- mixed into this first half of the program are daily coding exercises designed to promote understanding of algorithmic approaches, coding units which taught not only skills but more importantly TECHNICAL COMMUNICATION, code presentations and a Hackathon! 

In the second half of the Codesmith experience you work alongside a team to build a dev tool that is open sourced to the community at large. This is a daunting task but, obtainable because Codesmith has already taught you how to breakdown problems, find solutions and not give up. While building this tool you also begin an amazing hiring prep program which covers everything from how to apply to jobs (cover letters and double downs), create your resume (thanks Will!) but also how to negotiate (thanks Erik!). On top of all this work in the second half of the program you are expected to give a public talk on a tech topic! 

This brings me to the part that you have been waiting to read about. After one month on the job hunt I have secured my first ever role in software engineering. The hiring support that Codesmith offers is amazing -- there are people guiding and supporting you every step of the way. You can get support for everything: interview practice, resume reviews, cover letter help, double down help, technical tutoring, whiteboarding or even just a pep talk. When I first landed my job the offer was just a tiny bit lower than I was hoping for, I reached out to Erik and with his advice and support I was able to increase my offer!! In short, if you having doubts that bootcamp experience can work, trust me when I say Codesmith works! They understand what the industry is looking for in engineers and how to help you frame your journey to tech in a way that is honest, real and more importantly competent. I can not more highly rate this program and would encourage anyone who is considering Codesmith to go for it!