Actualize

The bottom line: if every new experience, risk, and attempt to learn were this good … I'd probably go outside a lot more.  Seriously. I had all of (what I imagine are) the standards questions and fears: is coding too hard in general? Will this company take my money and run? What am I getting myself in to? I googled, read two articles on "what to know if you wanna do a bootcamp," found course report, and starting reading reviews. Actualize's reviewers said: 
1) they'd worried about these things too, BUT had read the reviewers before them and been assured, "It's definitely the right choice," 
2) they listened, took the bootcamp, and were back to confidently report, "Yes - it actually deserves its hype" … and why?3) This bootcamp cares about you. And more importantly, the amazing people that work here care about *teaching*. Honest, No kidding - "We're former M.A.'s and Dr.'s in education" teaching.  As a former teacher myself, I was definitely in "ok - prove it!" mode when I signed up. … that lasted ?two days? Everyone's kind, the staff are hilarious, and the lessons just make sense. My list is frankly too long - I can't say enough good things! But Seth D. (review: "Worth It!" from 5/7/2021) and Eric Lee ("Reviews don't lie" - also 5/7/2021) sum it up well.  Go ahead and enroll. Or keep reading a few more of these to see what we all think as alumnus. And, if you end up needing a final push like I did: get in touch with them. After I talked to a rep, a teacher, and a career advisor … the two days was excessive!

Choosing the right coding bootcamp can be very challenging as there are so many now. I watched, read, researched all the curriculums and reviews and Actualize did not disappoint. 
The most common reviews on typical coding bootcamps are that the instructors are recent graduates and cannot teach nor code. They basically just read the powerpoint slides and you have to do your own research.
The instructors at Actualize are highly skilled coders and they all have teaching backgrounds. It does come with a hefty price for an online bootcamp but you get what you pay for. Get loans just like I did. Actualize coding bootcamp had the best score overall and it lives up to it. 

What you'll get out of this camp:
-Capstone Project as your portfolio.
-A solid coding foundation.
-Knowing where to find answers and skills to teach yourself.

What you shouldn't expect:
-Guaranteed high paying first job.
-Become an expert coder when you finish the bootcamp.

At the end, you get what you put into it.

Trust what you've been reading. As an educator, I was looking for a place that knew what they were doing, not a training program, but a program that would teach. Brian, a former high school educator himself, did just that. The program is designed with a perfect balance of independent-based inquiry and direct instruction -- all of which is very intentional and proven to work. I've learned more, and have been given that challenge that I was seeking, in these 12 weeks than I have in a really really long time.

Mixed in with the excellent instruction are intentional moments of reflection designed to let you soak in the vast amount of skills you have attained in such a short period of time. This made the experience much more valuable and sustainable -- helping you realize that no matter how difficult development is, you're learning a ton along the way.

For those of you, like I was, looking at multiple camps and researching the perks and price of each -- pick this one. Seriously.

I felt the bootcamp was well-rounded, but more importantly challenged students in the right ways - from a skills level and a personal level. Looking back, there were definitely times that I can pinpoint where I would have given up if I were trying to learn on my own instead. Without the structure and support of the bootcamp and the instructors, I wouldn't have made it, and the best part now that I've completed the program is I feel like I want to, and most importantly CAN, keep going on my own - that's perhaps the most valuable part of all.

  I chose Actualize after reviewing many different bootcamps. Actualize enticed me most because they have had a remote program for years and the programs weren't 9-5pm, like most bootcamps. As someone who had little programming experience I knew I didn't want to spend all day in class and all evening reviewing the material I learned. 
  I attended Actualize's day time cohort which was Monday-Friday 9am-2pm pst. The pace of learning was quick. In class it switches from lecture to an exercise where you apply what you just learned. After class you have homework that you again apply what you learned that day. Homework ranged from 1-2 hours. Monday and Thursday Actualize has after hours where you can ask the TA questions about coursework.  
  Dani, my lead instructor, emphasized a growth mindset during the program. Adult learning can be challenging but remembering you CAN do it by thinking in a growth mindset is everything. Dani is such an incredible instructor and I am thankful for her during this process. She shows up everyday with an uplifting energy that helps you stay engaged and motivated. 
  The experience was more stressful than I thought it would be for me. There is so much to learn in the duration of the course I felt overwhelmed at times. So for those of you thinking of attending a bootcamp consider how you will handle stress and continue moving forward in your learning. For me this meant exercising more often, mindful meditation, and talking with my partner about my stress. With that being said I felt supported by Dani, the TA's, and the career advisor's. Everyone was there to help me succeed and there to talk to if I needed. I would 100% say Actualize cares about you as a human, not just another student that passes through their program. 
  The amount of resources you are provided with is incredible. You have access to all lectures, cheat sheets, and instructors indefinitely. Actualize does a fabulous job at setting you up for the job search. Job Hacking as they call it. I feel super prepared with my materials as I'm currently applying to jobs. 
  Upon finishing the program I feel confident in my skills as a developer. I have learned so much over the past months and it feels amazing to have these skills. I am making a career transition into tech from being a professional dancer. For those coming from an art background I encourage you to attend Actualize. It truly is an amazing program.

Actualize was by far the most in depth learning experience that I have ever had. I went into Actualize with zero coding experience and I am graduating knowing how to create a website (frontend and backend). I feel very comfortable entering the job market and am just thrilled to start my career in tech.

My instructor, Dani Zaghian was brilliant. She has an incredible understanding of everything she teaches and was very open to going over things again if someone didn't understand it at first. The TA's, Winston, James, and Katrina were also instrumental in helping me grasp the concepts and syntax being taught in the class. My cohort of 12 were all friendly people and I loved seeing their final Capstone projects after getting to know them throughout the whole process.

I typically don't write reviews, but Actualize really was the best learning experience I have ever had and I wanted to encourage others to look more into it.

I am incredibly grateful to Actualize, and my life has definitely been changed for the better. I went from various small side projects with no real direction to feeling like I understand my life path, with newfound confidence that I can work on larger projects and succeed as a developer. I have a strong sense of backend development, and arguably more importantly was taught how to effectively learn new skills, even outside the confines of a classroom. Structured job support through the Job Hacking part of the bootcamp was great, and really helped me find my footing entering into a new field. The one area I feel Actualize fell a little short was the frontend and design elements. There was enough focus that I can still call myself Full-Stack, but I definitely feel shakier with frontend work, and wish at least a few days had been allocated to focus a little more on design principles. However, I still 110% recommend this course, and can't begin to state how grateful I am to Actualize for providing me the skills I need to begin my career in a field I love (with post-bootcamp support for technical interviewing and working on projects with other alums to boost skills)

When I was comparing different coding bootcamps, I saw a lot of schools that focused on cramming a ton of languages into your resume. But knowing how quickly languages fall in and out of popularity, I cared more about learning the fundamentals of programming. That is definitely what you get at Actualize. We learned enough languages to build a full-stack application, but the focus was always on the concepts and knowing how something works no matter which language is used to build it. 

The classroom experience was great, and learning software development is definitely something that works well in an online environment. We had a small class of 12 students, with 3 TA's and a lead instructor. Dani is both a skilled developer and teacher, and all the lectures were clear and engaging. It was a joy to go to class and see my classmates every day, as everyone was friendly and came from different walks of life. I definitely feel like I've learned and accomplished what I set out to, and I know I have a good support system as I enter into the job hunting phase.

I just graduated from my cohort today and I can honestly say enrolling with Actualize has been the best learning experience I've ever had. My previous "traditional college experience" does not compare at all to everything you'll get out of this bootcamp. I've absorbed so much knowledge, not just in tech but also valuable life lessons that I will take with me. I was extremely intimidated upon the first day of class, but my lead instructor (THANK YOU DANI), T.A.'s, and classmates created such a safe environment for all of us to feel comfortable and to accept that it is OKAY to not know everything or anything at all. I came into this with zero experience and now just a few months later I've built a functioning website on my own! Now we're entering the technical interviewing program which will help hone our interviewing skills and get us even more prepared to land a job in the field. Overall ACTUALIZE ROCKS! If you're thinking about applying, DO IT you will not regret it. 

I can't say enough good things about my experience at Actualize! I come from a fine arts background, and I was a bit nervous about shifting careers. I chose Actualize because it was geared towards beginners, and I believe that holds true to my experience. I felt very comfortable from beginning to end with the pacing, support, and general energy of the course.

My instructor was Dani Zaghian, and she was always enthusiastic, helpful, and very clearly passionate about her job and the advancement of the students. She was great at pushing each of us based on where we were at skill-wise, and she took particular notice of where we had strengths to play up.

I would highly recommend Actualize to anyone interested in learning more about web development, whether you have experience or not. Thank you for an amazing couple of months! I feel confident in where I am headed because of the program.

I chose Actualize Coding Bootcamp after reading reviews from this very website and thought I would bring it full circle. It was a phenomenal experience and I am so happy I chose correct. I felt that I not only learned the languages that they taught me but that I am now able to teach myself. If you are reading this review and are considering attending a coding bootcamp do yourself a favor and give Actualize a call. I was able to create my capstone app in a language and framework that hadn't been taught in the course, because Actualize gave me the fundamentals I needed to be successful. If you're looking for a personalized experience and a great curriculum, shoutout to Peter Jang, then do yourself a favor and call today.