Le Wagon

I started my career in the shipping industry (oceangoing tankers) and got quite frustrated by its conservative working methods, especially the lack and quality of software I had to work with. Coming from a background of economics, I understood linear programming problems but had no knowledge about coding. After playing around with excel macros I learned that I enjoyed these kind of problems but did not know how I could get into coding as I hadn't studied computer science (and I certainly did not intend to spend years in school again). Also the false idea that you have to love math left me somewhat reluctant. I decided to take a break and travel for some time. 

Close to the end of my trip I ran into the concept of coding bootcamps. I don't remember what the lead was that made me look in this direction but as soon as it caught my attention I got very excited. I specifically liked LeWagon since they are hosting a program that is oriented towards building a product (I am entrepreneurial by nature so this suited my personal interest). Also they were priced most competitively. 

During the bootcamp I was amazed by the learning curve. I had zero knowledge of coding; I initially did not know what frontend or backend meant, what Github was or what happens with an http request. Actually, even html and css were new concepts to me. A new world opened up to me! During the bootcamp you have a morning lecture, followed by working on problems with a buddy (pair programming) in the end of the morning and afternoon to discuss the problems and live-coding at night. This mix of learn-by-watching, learn by doing and learning-by-teaching method is extremely effective.

Apart from the super fast learning that I enjoyed I became very excited about how there is no end to the innovation and creativity in tech. Halfway the bootcamp we got to pitch our own ideas in order to choose a final project. From my time in shipping, I had an idea to automate a complex process of contract assessment in order to determine what charterers have to pay shipowners for incurred delays in port. Three other students chose to join the project and we worked on it for the last two weeks of the bootcamp. Many times we thought we got in way over our heads but there was a lot of support from teachers to help us crawl through the challenges we faced. Eventually we got to present a well working and good-looking MVP at the grand finale: demo day. In those last weeks basically everything that we previously learned came together and fell into place perfectly. We did not only learn how to solve coding problems but also how to collaborate in teams and align the many different tasks that the project required. 

Since the bootcamp many new ideas came to mind. You start looking at problems in a different way and it so much easier to evaluate what the scope of a project is and whether it is worth to get started on it. And to get started has become very accessible now. 

I strongly feel that learning to code for my generation is equally important as being able to speak English. Even if you don't end up becoming a developer, knowing how the digital world fits together is essential. I have already recommended this bootcamp to many of my friends. In my opinion this is the most effective way to learn the essential range of concepts and skills in a very very short time. 

Le Wagon was one of the experiences in my life that I could call "unforgettable". Despite having a stable job and great benefits as a multinational executive, I have decided to leave my job and retake my career in the IT world. The main reasons for that are, firstly, I love technology, secondly I was tired of the bureacratict environment and, lastly, I love new challenges. It's important to highlight that I started my career as a developer in the mid-1990s, graduated in Computer Science in 1996, and finished my first MBA in 2002. So, it is easy to say the world has changed a lot since then both in terms of quantity and in terms of technology. After developing VBA code to help with my financial work, I have identified coding was what I would like to do again. I had started writing code on my own, but I was missing interacting with other people and creating vices of those who learn alone. Thus, I searched for in-house courses, but I was not willing to spend 2 years studying in an outdaded learning model. So, I was searching for short code labs with lots of practice. I found Le Wagon after reading many reviews and I can say it was one of the best decisions I've ever made since I knew it would be hard for 9 weeks coding full time. My life after Le Wagon has completely changed, even for someone who already had some experience. Even so, I have updated existing knowledge and learned new things that will help me a lot in the current job market, as we did exactly what is done in practice, both in planning and in the organization of the work. I feel extremely proud of having become a LeWagoner !!! Thank you Pedro, Fernando and the teachers for the amazing experience !!!!

I started looking into making the change in career direction to software development after 5 years in the insurance industry. It had been something that I'd always wanted to do, but if I'm honest never had been brave enough to make that jump thinking it would require me to go back studying full time for god knows how long and even then I'd find myself right back down the bottom of the ladder - most importantly, would I even be able to find a job?

Anyway, fast forward 6 months and I am now working full time as a junior software developer in Lisbon and I could not be happier. And that is down to making the choice to go with Le Wagon.

When researching the various bootcamps, it became clear that Le Wagon was pretty much always the most preferred when it came to alumni reviews, and after studying there, I can understand why. The curriculum has had the benefit of years of fine tuning and as a result, they really know how to maximise the short time period over which the course runs (9 weeks).

One of the biggest plusses of the course is that while it is primarily a Rails focused bootcamp, the teachers and TAs first of all look to teach you the most important skill which is learning how to learn and the fundamentals of computer programming itself. This helped me a great deal as my current job is a backend dev position using Python.

I would truly recommend anyone who is deliberating over whether to make the same career change that I did to go with Le Wagon. You won't ever look back!

I am very satisfied with my experience at Le Wagon Bali. During my time at the bootcamp I reached all the learning objectives I set myself. Prior to Le Wagon, I was a business student with an entrepreneurial mind-set and I was frustrated with the fact that I could not turn my business ideas into reality. I thus came to Bali with the will to learn how to code credible MVPs and that’s what happened. Le Wagon allowed me to learn how to build web applications with a clean front-end and relatively complex back-end incorporating APIs, external ruby libraries and “gems”. Thus, following the Le Wagon curriculum one is able to build a multitude of different web applications ranging from simple websites to dynamic platforms with multiple users, payments, geo-location etc. Knowing this in the digital age is an incredibly powerful and valuable skill. In fact, now that I am back at business school, I am part of the small group of students that knows how to code. This clearly “sets me apart from the rest of the crowd” and has attracted the attention of many of my peers which are in the same position as me prior to Le Wagon and who are now considering doing Le Wagon too. Every time one asks me for advice about Le Wagon I always encourage them to do the bootcamp as long as they plan to code after the bootcamp as coding is like language, if you don’t practice it, you loose it.

Furthermore, the Le Wagon team in Bali was super competent and friendly. I always had the feeling to be in very good hands. The lead teachers had in-depth knowledge about all the topics covered and the teaching assistants very always very helpful and friendly when helping us with the coding exercises. Learning to code on a rooftop in Bali with a view on the sea is a unique experience and very difficult to beat in my opinion. Additionally to learning how to code I also took several surf lessons before the coding classes. The morning surf sessions with the rising sun in the background are unforgettable memories. Moreover, the people I met at Le Wagon in Bali were all very open-minded and friendly and the entire batch quickly became a good group of friends with which we organised very nice week-end trips to Nusa Penida and Ubud. Overall Le Wagon Bali was an incredible and very rewarding experience and if I had to do it again, I would not hesitate for a second!

Le Wagon makes you think as a developer starting from day one.
The learning method is extraordinary since it makes you get so much knowledge in a short period of time. When I started, I didn’t have any previous coding experience, and in just two months I learned how to build full web applications and much more.
The way the course has been created makes you improve day after day and also teaches you how to struggle without giving up, allowing you to create amazing stuff in no time.
In Le Wagon, you don’t only learn to code, but also to work in a team.
Coding the daily exercises with a different classmate every day, and spend more than two weeks building real projects in a small team clearly enhances the bootcamp experience.
When you decide to join Le Wagon, you don’t only join a bootcamp. You also enter a community for life, full of amazing people from different horizons ready to help you and share.
Two months seems like to be very long when you register, but when you start the course you soon realise that time flies, and in a while you find yourself coding a full replica of Airbnb.
Doing it in Bali was even more sastisfying and fun. The bootcamp is in the center of Canggu fulfilled with nice and cool cafés, restaurants and bars. There are many activities to do during the weekend with your batch. Going to the bootcamp in your scooter and sun everyday is for sure something that only Le Wagon Bali can offer you.  
Thanks to Le Wagon, I now feel confident in coding and in my capacity to learn quickly.
I am very satisfied with the course, deciding to participate was one of the best decision I have ever made. 

In 2016, I voluntarily joined a 2-hour coding workshop by Le Wagon at the University of Mannheim in Germany. It was an optional workshop which was offered as part of a congress I participated in. This was the first time, I actually noticed how much I enjoyed coding. One year later, I joined a young e-commerce business where I was exposed to SQL and again I figured, that I really enjoyed it. After finishing my bachelor’s degree, I did not feel like moving on the way I did for my future job. So I remembered the coding workshop I did in 2016 and started researching about coding schools all around the world. In the end, Le Wagon convinced me the most, as I had some minor experiences with their teachers during my workshop in university and at the same time it was the shortest and least expensive coding bootcamp I could find on the Net.

My experience at Le Wagon Barcelona came in with so many highlights. Not only did I enjoy learning a new professional skill, but I met loads of amazing people who inspired me every day. I loved going to class and buddying with a new partner daily to solve our coding challenges. Learning to code was fun and challenging at the same time. Looking back, I can say, that this coding bootcamp has changed my life for the good and that I have made friends for life.

I loved living in Barcelona because it is a lively city, but still relaxed at the same time. It seems hard to get tired of all the things Barcelona has to offer – be it pubs, clubs, sporting activities, hikes etc. I myself love to do sports and to be in nature. Living in Gracía, the Tibidabo mountain was not far and it always allowed me to enjoy beautiful sunrises with a view on Barcelona in the mornings before class. I was also able to join some cool boxing classes, bootcamps in the park, yoga sessions on rooftops and so on for almost no money, as the first class was always free while the choice of different sport studios was huge!

For future students, I would advise to live in the area of Gracía as you will mainly be busy with class during the week and it seems painful to have to take the metro every single day to get to class. Moreover, you will notice that most of the times, you will hang out around Gracía for drinks in the evening as this is the area where students and teachers will know where to go because you always pass some cool places on the way from or to class.

In terms of preparation for class, I can only advise future students to actually watch the lecture each night before class, so you will be able to quickly grabs the logic of coding. I also found that every time I watched the video the night before class, I was able to understand things, which I had not noticed by only watching the video or solely visiting the lecture. Hearing things twice really helps to get a deeper understanding of things!

Learning to code at Le Wagon is a life-changing experience!

8 years ago I had a programming course in my engineering degree. I was really confused, did not see where this knowledge could be applied and found the teoretical approach rather demoralizing.

After University I started working in management consulting. The projects often involved working with developers, and soon I realized I didn’t quite grasp what they were talking about.  Databases, Front End, Back end and APIs. 
I googled the terms, but did not understand how it all was related

I figgured I could take some online courses, but struggled to commit. With a full-time job and a kid, it is hard to find the time and the motivation, when you don’t see where this knowledge fits in.

One day I read about Le Wagon in a tech magazine. 9 weeks to learn to code, that sounded  great, and I knew this sort of learning process would suit me better.

And I was not disappointed! The program follows a logical structure, and the learning platform enables you to understand how that small piece you’re learning fits into the big picture. Already on day two we were making small programs, and by the end we were making  fully functional web applications.

To me, it was a luxury to spend 9 hours a day learning something new and do focused work. Le Wagon gave me a feeling I can learn and do anything, as long as I put in the time and effort required. Highly recommended!

Having spent many years as a sales assistant and after many failed job searches, I knew the time had come for me to take the learning route in order to change careers to where my interests lie. But how? While searching for coding courses I stumbled across Le Wagon (only ranked #1 coding bootcamp in Europe). I decided to take the punt and boy was I right to do so.

It’s pretty amazing just how much you can learn in 9 weeks. It’s very intense and can be overwhelming at times considering the amount of information there is to take in, but the teachers and teaching assistants were great. They were always on hand to help. I especially liked the fact that they aided me in finding solutions rather than just giving them to me. I found that this helped my understanding massively.

Le Wagon had so much to offer. The evening events and talks from people in the industry or ex-alumni were a brilliant insight into the working world as a developer. Also, the vast community of ex-alumni in which you become a part of is particularly exciting.

It was an extremely rewarding experience for me. I felt very comfortable and at home there and was in perfect conditions to learn and soak up as much as I could. The 9 weeks flew by and in the final weeks I didn’t want it to end!

I wouldn’t have imagined that I would be able to build the products that me and my team achieved in such a short space of time. Le Wagon is surely the best decision I’ve made!

I had always been interested in becoming a programmer, but it seemed like an impenetrable industry with a steep learning curve and conflicting advice on the best way to get into it. Like many people trying to teach themselves to code, I spent countless years being stuck in “tutorial purgatory”. I lost count of how many beginner courses I completed, but I just couldn’t see how it would translate into an actual career. I lacked any direction or roadmap and didn’t have a network of peers that I could turn to for advice.

The other problem was not knowing how to code within a team. What’s the general etiquette? What tools are used? How are projects divided up amongst team members? It was the day-to-day of working in the industry that online courses were not giving me. Add to that the fact that I was stuck in a job that left me feeling exhausted and stressed that I simply did not have the energy to continue my learning at a sustained rate.

I decided to take the plunge, quit my job, and enrol at Le Wagon (batch #190). I can honestly say, it’s been one of the best decisions of my entire life.

Within the first week, I had already surpassed what had taken me 3 years of self-study to achieve. I am going to be completely frank, this course is intense! I strongly advise anyone taking this course to make sure that they have no other commitments whilst it’s running. This will be the hardest you will have worked for a long time.

I was taken aback by how slick the entire setup was. Their teaching platform (called Kitt) is hands down one of the most well designed and impressive sites I have ever seen. You have access to all of the lectures in case you miss a day (although definitely try not to miss any days if possible!), and this access extends to after you complete the batch (more on this later).

The teachers are all extremely knowledgable and very patient, especially with some of the harder concepts. The teaching assistants also were a great help, with a lot of them being recent Le Wagon graduates.

But the most important question is what is life after the batch like? Will you actually get a job in development. Well, almost all of the fellow students I speak to have already got jobs or have been offered jobs. I myself was offered a teaching assistant role at Le Wagon itself. This has been great as it’s eased the pressure a bit whilst searching for a job. As I write this now, I am scheduled to have an interview later this afternoon, so it’s definitely improved my job prospects.

The best thing post-course is the support you get afterwards. You still get access to all the learning material (you could do the entire course again in video form if you like). But you also get access to a massive Slack community for alumni. This was one of the missing pieces for me, I now have that group of peers that I can call upon that I didn’t have before.

Whether or not Le Wagon is right for you depends on your circumstances. The amount of effort you put into it is what determines what you get out of it. I can only speak for my own personal experience, but what I was looking for was a clean break away from my old job and to dive straight into a new career. Whilst I am still job hunting at the moment, I can safely say that I will not be going back to my old career!

I always had, somewhere in my mind, the idea to, one day, create my startup, run my own company.
So I decided to start my journey with an International Business School (That’s what most people do). At the end of the Business School, I had to fulfil a 6 months internship, where I met recently graduated people from Le Wagon. They showed me what is coding and told me about Le Wagon and how amazing it is during and after the 3 months courses.

After this, I wanted to learn to code, this would be the next step for me to build my future. After the bootcamp, I would be able to understand and read code, and get ready to start new experiences as a developer.

Coding was fun, really fun, it’s such an amazing experience, whatever your background is!
I’m using computer everyday of my life, and for anything, and at the beginning, I thought coding would be super easy.
To be honest, it wasn’t hard, it was enjoyable every single day, every single minute, but it was far from what I was expecting. And the reality is that, even with almost 0 computer knowledge, who ever you are and wherever you are from, you can do it and change your life.
Also, we had such an amazing batch, people were so nice, teachers and teachers assistants were awesome! Without forgetting our lovely and amazing community manager Avalon!

Having a coding buddy everyday is the best thing to learn coding. If you’re stuck, your buddy will help you, or you can help him. Both of you united, you can face any challenge (almost, any challenges, some are pretty hard ahah).

Learning to code was also a really great experience because, you know, Barcelona. We had exceptionally sunny October, November and December, weather was pretty beautiful and people in Barcelona are really nice. There are so many activities to do apart from coding, during your free time, there is no time to bother!

The advice I would give, and the one that was given to me the very first day when I asked for one : “Do you flashcards!” - If you don’t know what it is, you will know it soon enough!
Also, don’t try too hard. If you’re stuck on an exercise, it’s a normal thing, you’re here to learn, and you will, in the end, know how to do it. So if you’re stuck more than 45min/1hour, ask your buddy, or ask a teacher, they will help you. But do not ask immediately, you have to try by yourself if you want to learn, and how proud of you you will be once you find the solution by your own, trust me, amazing feeling!

One sentence to describe my experience : Le Wagon was the best thing I could have done in my life so far, and it truly changed my life and my future.
Enjoy every moments Wagonners and future Wagonners!

Despite working as a translator, I had a background in IT prior to coming to Le Wagon (mostly programming Windows applications and Linux scripts on my own time). For me Le Wagon was a transition to web development, so I perhaps cannot speak to the difficulty of the course as objectively as those for who coding is a brand new experience. Nonetheless, my time at Le Wagon London was time well spent.

The hours are long, and the amount of content daunting, but the unconditional support provided by the teachers and assistants, many of which are ex-alumni who have gone through it all themselves, help make the 9 weeks go by in a flash. The general atmosphere in the office gives you a good sense of what it's like to be a part of a startup, and during the last 3 weeks you get to be part of the process of designing an app from scratch all the way to production.

Finishing the course is not easy. It's a lot of information to assimilate in a relatively short time-frame, which can be exhausting. But getting through it is extremely rewarding and something you won't soon forget. All in all, after being a part of batch 190 in London, I can safely say it was well worth it.