General Assembly

General Assembly is a great school for expanding your skillset. I was sponsored by my work to take the part-time UX course. I apply things I learned in my UX course at work and in life daily. Taking this course has truly influenced the way I think about design and approach problems. The classes are always interesting. I was never bored in class and I always felt that the material was relevant.

There were two main negatives to taking the part-time course. The first is that you don't receive direct job assistance from General Assembly like the full time course does. The second is that it can feel like there isn't enough class time to do activities or dive deeply into topics. 

That being said, I loved the course and am thankful I had the opportunity to take it! 

This was a blog post I wrote in 2015 about my experience at GA that I still this is relevant. 

This was a really good experience for me. My situation is not going to be like everyone else’s, so let me give you the low down on why, for me, it was a good fit.

If you don’t feel like reading this epistle, skip to the bottom and read the section on “What to expect if you are thinking…”

I’ve been learning HTML and CSS off and on over the past six years. I bought books and read them. Did online tutorials. Had friends and co-workers walk me through the basics of HTML and CSS. I cannot tell you how many times I have created the “Hello World!” page. I have learned a bit over the years, but not enough to be considered dangerous by any stretch of the imagination.

I’m currently working at FamilySearch as a UX/UI designer. Been there for a little over two and a half years, and during that time our webDev team put together a skills building program. A set of requirements that demonstrates understanding, application, and proficiency of core HTML, CSS and JS principles. Developed for our webDevs, our UX El Jefe challenged the designers to get certified in a different discipline in order to have a more well-rounded understanding of how our designs are implemented in the code.

I cannot emphasize this enough: to learn how to code has been one of the best career decisions I have ever made.

“The more we know how the web works, the better we can design for it. A painter knows paint. A sculptor knows clay or marble. Musicians understand acoustics, feedback, mics, guitars, pianos, etc. There’s a technical aspect to every medium. The better a designer understands the technical aspects of their craft, the better their designs.”

–Tom DeForest, UX Heros: John Dilworth

Enter General Assembly

I did my homework and developed my own objectives as aligned with FamilySearch’s goals towards certification. Then I contacted General Assembly (GA) and told them I was interested in their program. Based on my prior learnings…if you could even call them that, I felt like I had enough background in HTML/CSS to make the course do-able and help me get certified. I received the course outline for GA’s FEWD program and ran it past my webDev managers. They thought it was a solid curriculum and gave it their blessing.

My FEWD class was taught by two developers; the course instructor is a professional in the web development community, and the TA is a recent graduate from the General Assembly Web Development Immersive program. My class was 10-weeks long and held on Saturdays from 10–5 at their Santa Monica LA campus. Class size was about 30–35 students.

I was really happy with the course. The highlights for me were: learning and understanding the HTML/CSS/JS syntax and document structure; responsive design and utilizing media queries; some Bootstrap and how to use the responsive framework; how to talk to my devs and use their terminology when communicating my designs. This one sounds a little funny, but it’s true: learning how to ask Google. Google will tell you anything you want it to, as long as you know how to ask correctly. If I have questions about code, syntax, structure, etc. I now know how to ask. Creating WordPress themes. This was a bonus. We built a custom theme in class based on a previous homework assignment. I was even able to turn my final project into a WordPress theme based on that class.

To graduate from the FEWD program there were essentially two requirements: attend 80% of the classes, and build a site that demonstrated what we learned. GA wanted us to build a multiple page site with linking pages, and use of HTML/CSS/JS.

Coding is a language. If you’re not going to use it, you’re going to lose it. Stay on top of it. Also, learn to jump in and figure it out.

What to expect if you are thinking about taking this class:

If you want to get the most out of this course, code. Then code some more. The best way to learn is repetition. I probably spent an additional 10–15 hours per week outside of class time coding. I did my homework. Deleted it. And did it again. The course is expensive. Get everything you can out of it.

The course is designed to increase your skill set, not to get you a job as a developer. If you are looking to change careers, this is not that kind of course. You will want the Web Development Immersive course or something similar.

You are not going to learn how to design for the web. You are going to learn how to code.

The lessons are structured as high-level primers with code-a-longs. The instructors expect you to take the initiative and learn to delve deeper on your own. Instructors are always available for questions and help.

I wish the instructors talked more about best practices and correct principles and guidelines.

The course seemed to cater to the people who were struggling with coding concepts. It slowed the overall pace of the class.

Make use of lab time and the instructors’ office hours. Their time is invaluable. Use it.

There are always events going on at the Santa Monica campus. For the most part, it was fine, but sometimes it got really annoying and distracting. GA needs a building better suited for the number of classes, lectures, and seminars at that location.

I wish we spent more time on vanilla JavaScript, but I think they could have spent the whole ten weeks just on this.

Free snacks and candy.

Great networking opportunities with classmates and instructors.

Access to GA Front Row, lectures and seminars.

Suggestions for General Assembly:
Expand the FEWD curriculum. If I was running GA, that’s what I would do. You can thank me later.

FEWD 101
Utilize the current part-time FEWD curriculum. Overview and application of HTML and CSS with an intro in JS.

FEWD 201
Full vanilla JavaScript class. Understanding the DOM and DOM manipulation. JS libraries and how they work and integrate with your site. A little bit of jQuery with an intro in Angular JS.

FEWD 301
Getting comfortable with the command line. Using git and github and understanding version control. Scaffolding and frameworks. Drill down on all or few of these (Node JS, Angular JS, Express JS, Node Package Manager (npm), Bower, Grunt, Gulp, Yeoman, Web Starter Kit.) And finally, testing. You could work with companies that have hired GA WDI alums and adjust the program as needed.

Hope this helps.

I can say without a doubt that going to  General Assembly is the best thing I have done in life thus far. I went to multiple different open houses for coding boot camps and GA was the one that stuck out to me because of how open and friendly the staff was. I felt like home. My 12 week during the WDI course was like nothing I have taken before. It was rigorous but very rewarding. I was skeptical of the idea that I could learn everything to become a proficient web developer in 12 weeks and boy was a wrong. Not only was I able to finish my 12 weeks of coursework and continue on to land 2 software jobs after graduating. One of which I got because of GA's hiring network(Current Job) but I was able to go back and teach the knowledge I had received from GA. General Assembly changed my life and I couldn't be more grateful for a school like this to exist. I couldn't have done it without my wonderful instructors, classmates and the staff members at GA

I joined GA in hopes of changing my career from being an elementary school teacher to being a designer for education technology. I had always been interested in user interfaces but didn't really see any college programs that would give me the value that I needed in such a short amount of time. The UX Design Immersive program at GA peaked my interest because I was told that I would learn about the user experience design process from research to visual design in 10 weeks. After I joined, I learned how fast, fun, and challenging the agile design process is. My instructor Natasha had such valuable insight after working in the industry, using real-life examples to answer every one of our classes questions (we couldn't stump her!) Working with others (both users and designers) at GA helped me understand the types of questions and tests that are important to go through to make sure that my designs were user friendly and intuitive. I also learned how to sketch, make wireframes, and create high-fidelity visual designs. I use all of these skills at my job today - I work at TeachersConnect and am their only UX Designer for their app. We work through one-week design sprints from research to visual design just like I did at GA. The several in-class projects and real-client project really allowed me practice my skills and prepared me for what I do every day at TeachersConnect. I was able to get my job thanks to the amazing career coach Julie that I had worked with during and after my program. Above all, I have come back to GA because of the community that is there for me. Everyone there is always willing to lend a helping hand (or do a quick user test!) My classmates are now my UX colleagues and good friends, and are all happy at their new UX jobs as well. GA was one of the smartest choices I made. I would recommend it to anyone who is willing to work hard and use the resources that GA offers to make a career change.

Firstly to give a true and fair review of the General Assembly bootcamp I have to say I'm not paid by them or have any affiliations to market their business. I can choose not to say anything but I feel that I have to because I believe there are many people considering a career change into the tech industry (like myself) but do not know who to trust to help them get a job at the end of it. My review will be for GA in Melbourne, Australia, as I'm not sure if the outcomes are the same in other locations. To sum it up if people can't be bothered to read further, yes I got offered a job prior to graduating, yes I found other jobs, yes I am still working in the tech industry as a software developer. Also I didn't have prior education in any I.T related fields before joining.

I'm so glad to have signed up and gone through the course, to sum up the course in one paragraph I must say, the course is well structured and starts from the basics. I found that there was enough homework at the end of the day. The supporting staff are there to help from day 1. The teaching staff includes 1 instructor and 1 or 2 technical assistants. The course makes you want to step out of your comfort zone and you will make mistakes but that is a good thing as it is a safe learning environment.

Most importantly the material they teach is highly relevant for the current market. If you do everything as they say and continue to improve your skills you will be in a good position at the end of the course to find work you are interested in.

I can't thank General Assembly enough for the great experience that I had. Prior to GA, I was working a retail job where I wasn't feeling fullfiled with the work I was doing. At the time, I was also self-learning how to code through Codeacademy, free tutorials from Apple's iBooks, and attending meet-up events after work. One morning while riding the subway to work, I came upon an advertisement that would encourage me to take the leap into changing my career. 

General Assembly's Web Development Immersive course is a challenging course where you'll be coding from 9-5 with about 2-3 hours of homework that is due at 10pm. They make it clear to you from day 1 that WDI is no joke. I strongly recommend spending about 1-3 months preparing before you decide to take the course. Instructors won't always hand hold you so if you are not the self-learning type, this may be a very challenging course for you. Although I don't consider myself as someone who is an amazing programmer, I sat next to individuals in class who were. Choosing who you sit next to in class is quite important when you need help debugging or just catching up with what instructors are going through. I also highly recommend finding friends that you can work with after class in completing assignments. After all, software is a team sport. 

In terms of job opportunities, I had known from the beginning that I wanted to go into a more business/tech role. I discovered the route of technical product management and expressed that to my career coach (who was super awesome by the way) and Outcomes manager earlier on. Learning how to code has opened up many doors for me. Currently, I just landed a role in PM so everything worked out in the end! 

There are some people who has complained about GA but the reality is that if you are willing to put in the effort great things will happen! You can't expect to learn everything in the span of 12 weeks so instructors really do a great job at teaching students how to learn on their own as well as in team environments. I remember going to GA everyday (including the weekends) because I was 100% committed to succeeding in this course. I thoroughly enjoyed the time that I had there. Thank you General Assembly!

One word - Brilliant.

This course was delivered in a timely and clear manner. Our instructors are knowledgeable and welcoming to new students especially to those who are not proficient or new to Analytics. 

The learning environment is practical and fosters creativity which is vital to a short course such as this one, allows us the freedom and confidence to experiment and improve when we are not in class. 

Furthermore, the communication between instructors and the GA admin is immediate and informative - this is a huge stress relief for us all as undertaking this course while we have other commitments can be strenuous. 

With that, it would be slightly more beneficial to students if the course could be more tailored to the local demographics - however I understand the course is designed in NYC, however some autonomy to the local instructors could serve to benefit students.

Other than that - I would 10/10 recommend this course.

I just graduated from General Assembly's Web Development Immersive in Atlanta -- WDI12. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience at GA and feel confident that, with time, I will find the right company to exercise my newly honed skills. 

The instructors, teaching assistants, frontline staff, and outcomes career coach make for a safe and challenging space in which to learn. From day one of the course, both the operations manager and the instructors make it very plain -- this is going to be exceptionally hard. It's an immersive, your days will be consumed with schoolwork 9-5 and 5-9. In my experience, it was more like 8:30am to 11pm every single day -- nothing but code, new tools, face palming because you were missing a semi-colon in one place and it took you hours to find it, frustrating, and maddeningly rewarding. 

There is one variable that is beyond your control and that is who is sitting in the classroom with you. I cannot emphasize enough how important my peers were to me. I graduated with some of the most humble, compassionate, and brilliant developers. Every single person would happily pause what they were doing to help a fellow classmate whether it were to debug a problem or offer an opinion on styling. I hope every GA cohort is so lucky to have amazing peers and instructors to lean on.