Code Institute

For the past 18 months, I took part in the Full Stack Software Development Course with Code Institute. Now that I've finished, I can honestly say that it was the best decision I ever made. Code Institute has a friendly team who genuinely care about their students & are willing to take the time to get the best out of them. The course material is extensive & are continuously adding & updating. The tutor assistance has been excellent & are willing to take the time to make sure that you not only get the right outcome to a problem but that you understand exactly what it means. My mentor Spencer was absolutely brilliant & was always there even in his own time to make sure I was getting the most out of my potential. Slack has been an excellent platform for asking questions as people are willing to help every step of the way. Also after the course, they have a career's assistance team who will help with things such as CV's, interview questions & also take your preferences into consideration.

For anybody seeking a new career in Software Development to have you ready to take the next step, I can't recommend this course enough. Yes, it's challenging but people are there to help you every step of the way. 

Did this full time. Not worth the money. I was very unhappy with my final grade but they just shrugged their shoulders. Also a lot of their content was outdated. Also a lot you have to research yourself and if you wanted to ask a tutor with a problem, they dont answer anything but they speak in riddles sometimes to get you to think. I dont think it was adapted properly to someone who has never done coding before.  All very well if you have some level of experience or doing it through work. Some of the tutors were nice. I got some basic understanding from the course but I would think twice before pursuing it. If company is paying for it etc then by all means but sorry it didn't live up to my expectations whatsoever.

Overall, out of all the things I learnt from this course was sticking to my tasks when it got difficult.  Completing a milestone project can be tough.  You have to get through alot of learning content, and then apply your own real world project.  After submission, despite being tired, you start again on to the next learning materials.  The feeling of panic, thinking that i cant do it, that my code is not very good, that i just don't get it is was really important for me - its important because you need to get over it.  Towards the end of the course, I was much calmer at not knowing something - i started to have faith that I will figure it out or that i will somehow find a way - which happens.  I also started to appreciate how important it is that i take more time to plan my projects - to process my thinking so that i am clear and structured.  I am still bad at this but I know its important !!

Regardless of the fact its a Software Developer course, what was great for me was getting a taste of what is out there - what am i passionate about, what are the things i dont enjoy, what are my strengths, and what weaknesses can i improve.  For anyone with no prior experience with doing frontened, backend projects - this is a great start.  I had some previous HTML/CSS/JS experience, but was blown away how poor my code was.  

What I really enjoyed about the programme was that the message was always clear and simple - everything we do is for the user.  I know this sounds obvious, but Code Institute really put a big focus on this so that the smallest of details which fails to meet user experience will cause loss of marks.  Installing good habits like UX ( testing and documentation ) is an invaluable experience for any developer.

Its a important start because I now feel that i have a standard of code that i am proud of - and that everyday I will now find new ways to better myself.  Code Institute gave me the platform that i needed so that i can self learn and develop.  

We can all learn things from the internet - udemy, youtube etc -  I do it now.  However, there are many important skills and experiences that can only be learnt from courses like Code Institute - Project Deadlines, sacrificing your time to learn, learning to reach out for help and going to bed feeling tired, frustrated, dejected but waking up in the morning with a new drive to get the job done!!

As i said, reaching out for help is important and the staff and the slack community are amazing - regardless of the problem, the support team take the time to support you and help you understand the issues.

Joining Code Institute was the best decision I have made in what i am sure will be a fun career in Software Development.

This course is both fun and thorough, I heartily recommend it. It starts with the basics of HTML and guides you through the process all the way to Python and Django. The syllabus is dynamic and material is regularly reviewed and updated.

The course material is well presented in a series of bite sized videos. The videos come with a link to a github repository where needed and some of lessons include a responsive work space to try things for yourself. Sections are closed with a mini-quiz to help you gauge your progress and there are walk through mini-projects to illustrate methods and techniques.

The coursework component is made up of 4 milestone projects which you will plan with your mentor. Build on your own and then submit after review and snd adjustment with your mentor. Mentors are all experienced developers with valuable insights into the industry.

The Code Institute is both supportive and helpful. When I raised issues, be it a failure of comprehension on my part or a failure on their part the response was rapid and effective. The tutor service is available to help most of the day and able to rapidly guide you to a solution. Student Care are well informed and helpful finding solutions and supporting students so you can concentrate on code and learning and not administrative or timing problems.

Some of the videos were recorded at a lower volume and I found myself having to listen to a section more than once on some occasions. Though on the whole I didn't consider audio or video quality to be an issue. Occasionally on some of the walk through mini-projects, where there was a little more going on, the link to the git hub repository for that lesson was a step out of sync and I had to look ahead.

The Slack channel is a fantastic resource, the other students are helpful and supportive and being themselves students understand what you were going through when you encounter a problem. The Code Institute staff are also on the Slack channel and respond quickly to any problems.

The Fullstack development course is a very valuable and informative.
The course material is clear and to the point, the assignments make sense and the grading is fair.
I found that completed assignments were more clearly marked than I had experienced in college. I was able to see where I needed improvement and to focus on that for the next assignment. Personally this level of feedback is how I prefer to lern and it was a breath of fresh air.
Between staff, mentor, alumni and fellow students available on the Slack channel, there was plenty of support.
I couldn't recommend it enough.

I signed up to this course back in 2017 when their entire learning platform was TEXT ONLY.  I was stupidly lured in by the idea of having an 'accredited diploma' by the end of it so thought it was a good idea. It most certainly WAS NOT.

The first iteration of their course was full of spelling and punctuation mistakes, grammatical errors and just poorly worded material. This did not give me much confidence right from the outset.

I struggled with the materials for a long time and almost gave up then they decided they wanted to change the entire platform to videos. The streams and projects changed and it left me confused as to where I should carry on. I called the institute and was told it would probably be best to just start all over again. Right. OK.

When I first started looking into coding I wasn't really aware of many of the resources out there which is why I regrettably ended up going with The Code Institute. But by the time they had switched to this new video platform I was now well aware of the multitude of resources and the high standards that were offered, both paid and for free.

This new learning platform was, quite simply, a complete and utter joke. People are reading from scripts, stumbling their words, coughing and clearing their throats, mumbling and several sections had background noise, as if they had been recorded in someone's bedroom. The tutors are dull, boring, monotone and extremely hard to engage with. 
I would follow lessons through in meticulous detail only to find the code had changed very subtly from one lesson to the next and then the entire project wouldn't work. I would spend hours tearing my hair out trying to figure out what was wrong and over time it became more and more frustrating.

The content of the course, compared to other resources, is quite simply DREADFUL. The new learning platform was released in 2017 and even now in 2019 as I write this it hasn't been updated. Instead there are lazy banners in red at the top of the screen informing of any changes, later versions of tech required or any mistakes that had been identified. Er, I have paid you £5k for this course, how about you record some new material! LAZY!

Mentors. First one was rubbish, then he quit. Second one kept cancelling then he quit. Last one was great so can't fault him but be aware that you only get 3 x 45 min-1hour sessions to 'go over' your projects before you submit them. Not a lot of support for £5k.

Tech support - sometimes ok, most of the time were pretty dismissive and unhelpful. I would have been quicker to just use Google or Stack Overflow. Sorry, why did I pay £5k again?

Its now August 2019 and I have given up on the course and found a face to face one for HALF THE PRICE. Nobody from Code Institute has bothered to even call or email to see how I am getting on or offer any help. Disgusting service, but who cares, they've got my money now.

For anyone wanting to learn to code DO NOT BOTHER with this rubbish institution. Their materials are awful, content outdated and you will be learning a technology stack that has fewer job opportunities than other courses out there. There are far less Python jobs on the market than, say React, just have a look on a job search engine.

My advice if you are going to teach yourself.. Udemy, Free Code Camp, YouTube, then maybe join a local coding group and build your skills from there. You can get WAY better content than this on udemy for around £12 for a full stack bootcamp course. Why would you actually choose to pay £5k for something you can get at a fraction of the cost at a much much higher quality elsewhere. DO NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKE AS I DID.

Finally, don't be fooled by a diploma. Nobody gives a sh*t. Can you code? Do you have a portfolio? Can you demonstrate your skills in an interview? Their diploma is accredited in Scotland and several English universities that I contacted said it would not be accepted for any formal entrance requirements to higher education courses, so again, why waste your money?

Oh and one other thing. If you don't complete the course within the given timeframe (12 or 18 months I can't remember) they will charge you £100 per month for every additional month you need the materials to be able to continue your studies! WHAAAAT?! GO ELSEWHERE GUYS! 

 

I wish I had never come across this awful business called Code Institute!

:-(

I completed Code Institute's 13 week Full Stack developer bootcamp in April 2016. Before applying to Code Institute, I did quite a bit of research on bootcamps in both Ireland and the UK. The three key reasons I believe I made the best choice in going with Code Institute are as follows:

1. The course content is driven by industry/ employer demands: 
Code Institute have an Industry Advisory Council (IAC) made up of a number of industry experts and employers who they meet with regularly to discuss the skills and technologies being sought in industry. The course content is developed to align with industry demands - meaning that the languages and frameworks covered on the course are relevant to current job opportunities. For this reason, a high percentage of past students of the bootcamp and online course have been successful in finding developer jobs upon completion of the course. Furthermore, they constantly review and update their course content so that they can keep up to date with the industry - which is a major plus for jobseekers in a market that is constantly evolving at pace. The Code Institute team organise 'Employers week' - whereby online and bootcamp students can meet and attend presentations from recruiters and employers. Students can also avail of CV workshops and mock interviews (technical and non-technical) which helps get you application, interview and job ready.

2. The course is competitively priced and you can choose a learning path to suit your own schedule: 
I did quite a bit of research on different coding courses (ranging from free to fee-based, part-time online to full-time classroom) and in my opinion Code Institute offers the best value for money. The fees were significantly lower than comparable courses in the UK and the languages and frameworks covered on the curriculum (HTML, CSS, JS, Python, SQL, Mongo, Angular2, Django) are relevant to what employers are looking for in developers. Furthermore, the Code Institute team are supportive of helping you find a learning schedule that is tailored to you - whether that be a full time bootcamp or part time online course. I chose to do the bootcamp as I believed this gave me the best opportunity to up-skill quickly and the best value for money. However, I've talked to online students who complete the course part-time and benefit from support from mentors as well as group chats on slack to help them work through the lessons.

3. The faculty and student support team are excellent: 
Before applying to Code Institute, I spoke with Denise (then Education Advisor) and Brian (Programme Director) to see if the course would be a good fit from me. Both were incredibly helpful - a trait which is prevalent within the Code Institute team. Both myself and the other students availed of great support from the team throughout the course. The teaching staff (Richard, Brian and Neil) were excellent - knowledgeable in their fields and able to challenge the students to learn new technologies at speed. They were able to explain complex topics in layman terms. They also were patient and supportive when you faced a challenging topic - and encouraged you to get to the answer yourself (without giving the answer to you) which I appreciated as this helped me to learn from any mistakes and understand how to resolve them. The Student Advisory team (Tiffany, Will) were also on hand to organise meet and greets/ presentations with employers and to help us resolve any issues.

The three key points above are a summary of my three biggest pros of choosing to study with Code Institute. In terms of cons, a simple suggestion I would make is to advertise the Employer's week more (either on the website or in a conversation at the point of students applying to the course). Week 13 (i.e. Employer's week) was one of the most valuable weeks of the course which I was thankfully able to make - however when signing up to the course I thought the course was 12 weeks only. Technically, the bootcamp does last 12 weeks only (as all course content is covered in that period) - that said I'd argue the 13th week is something you don't want to miss!

I completed the 12 week bootcamp in classroom. The experience was great. I had very basic HTML knowledge before starting the course and now feel comfortable trying out any new technology. More than the languages and frameworks that are actually taught the process of learning and how to solve problems was the biggest takeaway.

The technologies used in the course are very up to date. I attended a careeers fair in Dublin a few weeks after finishing the course. Employers were suprised and impressed by the range of technologies I had covered. The technologies were inline with what start-ups and growing companies were using.

I was able to secure a job one and a half months after finshing the course. My only criticism is the gap between finishing and getting a job. I would have liked more suppourt with the job hunt. 

I would recommend the course to anyone who wants to learn programming. Before the course I was looking at unpaid internships and work experience. After building a portfolio with the Code Institute I was interviewing with exciting companies for full-time permanent roles.