Blue Ocean Coding

I attended the July ‘17 class and had high hopes going in.  I wanted to wait until I had a job so I could give a review based on the entire experience, and just be honest. I’ll go in to this saying I genuinely liked every employee at BOC, but I’m going to give my negative and positive opinions on the program so prospective students don’t have to decide between 5 star and 1 star reviews.

These are only my opinions based on what I observed and experienced during my time at BOC. The differences between the July class and October class are like night and day, mostly in that October’s class had a regular instructor that was very invested in the success of the students.  If you’re going to attend BOC in 2018, start preparing now.  I’ll repeat it later in this write up but start studying c# and Object Oriented Programming prior to day one.  Getting a head start on these will prove invaluable to your time at BOC.

The first day we were informed they had parted ways with the instructor from the previous class(after talking to students from that class it was no big loss for us), and that they were actively seeking someone to replace him.  The first 3 weeks we would be learning c#, and we would be taught by the Director of Education.  Those three weeks were good, she knows her stuff and would step outside the curriculum to explain topics in more depth or less depending on what we needed after those 3 weeks however the instructor carousel began.   

The 4th week we were covering HTML5, CSS, JavaScript, Jquery. A guy with experience in those languages was brought in and he just read out of the book to us. We weren’t going too deep into these topics so I didn’t put a lot of thought into it at the time. 

Week 5 started ASP.net and a new instructor. The new instructor came with his own learning curve, a thick Indian accent. He was aware and would stop to repeat things if we needed them to be repeated and he was a great guy, but he also just read out of the book to us then we would do the labs. This is when toxicity crept into the class and a few students stopped doing labs or working on any actual coding. They were just there to distract and stir up negativity. 

At week 8 another new instructor showed up, this time a former student of BOC (she also spent many years in the IT field prior to this) who’s only teaching credentials was homeschooling her child. We were in crunch time at this point learning MVC, SQL, finishing resumes, interviewing, and working on our projects. She may have known the material but she wasn’t able to effectively teach it to us. To be fair to her many students had checked out at this point and she was having a hard time dealing with people who weren’t engaged in the material. 

Now, reading to this point you may be thinking, “what a nightmare”, and that’s fair. Here’s the thing, despite all the issues, we had two students in my class who really took to the material and essentially self taught themselves and had jobs right after graduation. One had zero experience in coding before this and one had taken a java class. I attended some of the classes in the October session when they were doing ASP.net and they had found an instructor who was awesome for, and to my knowledge all of them except maybe one is employed now less than a month after graduation.  

More positive, their career services were great. The gentleman who helped us polish our resume was very motivating and had a passion for helping us succeed. Everyone in the office genuinely cares about the success of the student.  I was nervous about interviews but after a couple I realized that the effort I put into preparing and the help I received had really paid off.  Also I should mention that in December they held a workshop for unemployed graduates to help them keep their skills sharp, only 2 of us attended, but I found it very helpful  they also paid for unemployed graduates to attend Ohio Dev Fest to network.

It took me three months to get a job, there were some personal things going on so for the first 2 months I wasn’t trying as hard as I should have been. Once I buckled down and with the help of BOC I was able to get several interviews and landed a position. 

The program is just over a year old and it’s unfortunate that I attended when they were hitting some of their biggest road bumps. If asked what could have been done differently, obviously a better instructor for the last 9 weeks. The main project should have had check points throughout the course. And an awareness of students who are frustrated and giving up, to either help them bounce back or remove them from the class before they become toxic. To my knowledge all these issues were fixed with the class that followed mine. I wasn’t a huge fan of the curriculum but to other reviews who complained about it not being for new coders I point to the student who had no coding experience and was at the top of our class using only the curriculum. My issue is I’ve never been a textbook learner so instructors reading the same stuff that I zoned when reading it myself out on wasn’t going to help me. Another thing I would recommend to BOC is more hands on coding outside of the curriculum labs. And my final recommendation would be to give students a head start so they know what they will be in for. I would have been in a much better spot going in if I had studied c# for a week or two going in  

Would I recommend BOC to someone? I’d recommend they ask more questions going into than I did. $12,500 is a lot of money to invest into a three month program. My biggest regret is not waiting for the October class as it went smooth and their instructor carousel was over. So yes, I would recommend the program to someone who is a self starter and is ready to dedicate all of their time for 3 months to learning as much as they can about .net development. If you can’t or won’t commit most of your time in and out of the class to absorbing the information, don’t expect great results. With your maximum amount of effort and a Little right place at the right time you’ll be able to get started on a new career quickly after graduation, but the end of the day it has nothing to do with bad instructors or disruptive classmates, it’s all on you. You get out what you put in. 

I came to BOC with no knowledge of Computer Science, but after a few hours into the course I knew it would take hard work and dedication to become successful. It does take hard work to become successful in the real world.

I was part of the very first class that was held. Yes there were bumps in the road, but that is to be expected. Did it sell me short? NO! The course was challenging yet fun. The instructors that I had were very well versed in the Computer Science areas.  Through out the class if I had any issues or felt I was falling behind, not only did my classmates step up to the table so did anyone on the staff, they made sure I would be successful.

After graduation I was still able to show up to get help in finding a job, I did this almost every week till I was able to find a position. This came from hard work once again, from making calls to the companies that were brought in to the school to help us along. To sitting with the administration going over my resume to make sure it was correct for the type of job i was looking for. Yes they will help you along the way to get you a job, but this also does take effort on your part to by calling, reaching out to those places that are brought in for interviews and most of important. The interview is on you! If you put in the time, the effort, stick with it you can and will make it!

Overal i was very satisfied with the course. I was able to make a big change in my career. Being 40 years old can be very scary making a change, but I am glad that I made the choice. Now I am off to bigger and better things with the ablility and flexability that paid off from hard work and dedication.

From the beginning I realized the hours I would have to put in for a successful outcome. PLEASE don't waste your time if you don't have a true passion for computer science.

I was apart of the first class in Blue Ocean ever. I had ZERO experience nor knowledge of technology, however, I had a STRONG INTEREST. The course is very cut and dry, challenging, and all topics, materials and schedules are provided from the beginning. The instructors have all seemed to be well-versed in computer science and were diligent enough to really teach thoroughly. The school's administration has been nothing but professional, understanding and just all around AWESOME.

After being in the course I felt as though I wasn't confidently prepared. I expressed this concern to BOC and they were more than willing to help me get rid of my doubt by offering me more time in the following course until I really had a firm understanding. Also, the school arranged the very the interview that led to my first programming job.

So BOC is alike any other institution that looks to condition and shape people into something greater. But the outcome is HEAVILY dependent on yout input. Decide whether or not that this is the field for you because the certificate is not a voucher for a job. Its up to YOU to understand and work hard. Anything outside of that BOC will fill in the blanks. Blue Ocean is a young educational institution with mature ambitions.

There were many things that were in the "contract" the paper agreement and verbal statements that we signed and were told that we never recieved. We were told that there were plenty of jobs that needed to be filled and that we would get a postion, that couldn't be further from the truth everything needed experience which we did not have. Then there is the cap stone project that was never completed we never got to finish te project that shows off all that we learned during the class. On top of that the instructor of our class was not there the last few days for us to finish our project and that we were left to do projects out of our books to replace our project. As well the curriculum was constantly chagning and we were always caught in the cross fire of it. Having to create our own quizzes and more. As well the course could never have one teacher stay during the day classes, they changed each time.

If you're considering taking a coding bootcamp, look no further! The Staff and instructors at Blue Ocean are very supportive and incouraging. The course work is very hands on and you really get to learn a very nice skill set that will have employers knocking your door down. It doesnt stop there, as the staff at Blue Ocean are actively setting up appointments for you to meet with potential employers and career resources. They give you very strong direction when it comes to interview preparation and career coaching. All and all i would say my experience with Blue Ocean has been nothing less than excellent, you will get out what you put in and then they'll add sprinkles.  

Am a current student of Blue Ocean Coding and my 3rd week in class. Is been a challenge, but perseverance and dedication is puching me towards my goal. The instructors are outstanding and willing to help in anyway. Everybody that I've come in contact with at the school have been very help. Getting a certificate from an institution will not get you the employment you want, is what you are willing to do to achieve that goal. The help is there whenever you need it. Please take advantage. Let's have fun!! Remember " Is what you do when no one is watching." Thanks

I have no professional software development expierence and very little amateur coding expierence.  I come from almost a decade in Japanese automotive manufacturing and decided I needed a career change.  After much research I came to the decision that Blue Ocean Coding was my road to that change.

I am currently wrapping up my third week in the full time day class, and it has easily been the most mentally challenging 3 weeks of my life. With 8 hours of class a day, I am also studying for 4 hours a night in addition to 8-10 hours a day on the weekends. This is to give myself the best oppurtunity to succeed and excel when the time counts. 

That additional time doesnt just go to the lessons, labs, and projects given to you so you can develop real world technical skills.  It also goes to the career services BOC offers, they have dedicated staff to guide you in acheiving real world business culture skills as well.  This has been just as valuable to me as the coding instruction.  The career services include everything from teaching you how to construct a resume, to creating a cover letter, how to best present yourself for future employers, and constructive feedback to mock interview questions.  The career services support started week 1 and I can already tell a difference for me on week 3 at this point.

Between the class Instructors, the Career Services staff, and everyone in between I can't imagine any other program or facility giving the kind of support BOC has offered me thus far.  A day has not gone by where the whole class hasn't been asked 4 or 5 times if we understand all of the days concepts and homework requirements. This includes further offers to review any lessons again before we leave. 

It is a lot of time and money to invest, but I truly believe it will be absolutely worth it in the end as BOC seems to be as dedicated to me as I am to my education and career change.

I came to BOC student as a bartender and I am currently working as a Jr. Developer, so the program works if you are willing to put in the time and effort that it takes to learn a new skill. The great thing about BOC is that the staff and instrctors really do want you to succeed. After I graduated the head of HR constantly cheked in with me to make sure my resume/cover letter were the best they could be. When I needed financial assitance during my classes because I was having trouble working full time and keeping up with the course load, the financial advisor listened to my concerns and worked with me to create a repayment plan that would allow me to devote more time to my studies. And when a personal tragedy struck during my time with BOC the intructors and program director made sure that I did not fall behind, going to far as offering to tutor me after class. 

Yes, there were times when I wished we had spent moretime on this or less time on that, but I discussed these concerns with the program director so future students could reap the benefits of not being the first class. From what I have heard the program is just getting better and better becasue the people at BOC are dedicated and passionate.

Job Assistance:

The course really shined here for me.  The career services were top notch and I had access to a professional who helped revise my resume multiple times over the 12 week program.  I felt incredibly prepared sending out my resumes and cover letters.  I am currently in a posiiton that I interviewed for at their hiring event and had multiple interviews with other companies from the mock interview event as well as the hiring event.  If you choose to utilize the resources and can take some criticism they can help you immensely.

Curriculum:

As a complete neophyte I learned as much as possible.  C#, HTML, CSS, ASP.NET, and SQL are the major pieces of the course with some MVC, JavaScript, and jQuery tossed in.  I feel confident in my skills in the primary subjects and am working to bolster my knowledge in the secondary ones.  

Instructors:

We had many instructors during my class.  We were told we would start with one instructor, actually started with a second, had a third for a week, a fourth for three weeks, and a fifth to close out the course.  Not ideal, but I was able to learn something different from each of them and use it to my benefit.  Every job isn't going to be standardized and this jumble actually helped promote that realism to me.

Overall Experience:

I put everything on the line going into Blue Ocean Coding and worked hard to ensure that I comprehended the concepts completely.  My ultimate goal was to walk out of the camp with a job and I did.  It was not without long nights reading, five different highlighters, coding, troubleshooting, and thinking did I come out successful.  But thanks to the program I have changed my life.

Ultimately, you get out what you put in to this course.  If you want to be successful and come out of the course with a job then work hard, read the books, ask questions, and do the assignments.