Le Wagon

大學填志願時，還不清楚人生的方向，隨意按照考試分數報名一所風評不錯的大學的資訊科系。進大學後，上課不認真，下課跑社團，一直沒有定下心來好好唸書，少數幾堂認真上的課也只是讓我有了一點基礎概念，離把資訊當成事業還差了十萬八千里。

畢業後，帶著那些薄弱的程式底子，我一個資訊相關的工作都不敢應徵，最後，進入了一家小投資公司擔任產品助理。這個工作沒什麼壓力，但薪水卻也低，做的事情又缺乏專業性及挑戰性。雖然心知這樣下去不是辦法，卻也不知道要怎麼改變現況。近兩年的時間，下班後我斷斷續續上了各種線上線下的課程，包含語言、UI設計、運動等，美其名是培養興趣及一技之長，實際上是因為內心非常茫然，不知道自己還能做什麼，所以只能什麼都試試看。然而這些課程也因為白天要上班，學習時間不連貫，缺乏實作經驗，最後課程結束後也不了了之，還是回到公司繼續渾渾噩噩的工作，所學也漸漸生疏。

經過兩年的思考，抱著破釜沈舟的決心，決定辭去工作，重拾曾經大學接觸過的領域，也因為這是我唯一有點基礎的技能，聊勝於無。搜尋課程花了很長的時間，因為實在不知道要從什麼語言學起，網路上的建議也眾說紛紜。最後，抱著姑且一試的心情，報名了網路上口碑最好的Le Wagon。我的目標很簡單，提高薪水、培養技能，也希望以後講到自己的經歷時，能夠自豪的說：“我大學念資訊，現在是一名工程師。”

剛開始其實很擔心，因為自己不是一個自動自發的人，加上課程是全英文，同學也來自世界各地。不但要適應語言，還要在短短九週內學會這麼多東西，並在期末用短短兩週完成作品並進行發表。對於大學四年用母語都學不好一個程式語言的人，這是多大的挑戰。

開始上課後，這些擔心卻完全拋至腦後，因為，並沒有時間及精力讓我胡思亂想。每天的課程從早到晚，課程結束後，大家非常有默契的留下來繼續練習及討論，受到這個氛圍影響，我也絲毫不敢懈怠。不同於大學課程，Le Wagon更注重實作及培養思考能力，透過大量的練習將課程內容融會貫通，同時在老師、助教及同學的幫助下，學習解決問題的辦法。

面對一道道題目，一個一個將它破解是一件很有成就感的事。有時候光是想一道題就可以煩惱幾個小時還想不出來，忍不住都要放棄了，但當解開的一瞬間，又會高興得忍不住吶喊。就是在這樣的喜悅及夥伴們的陪伴下，讓我能夠繼續面對這些密密麻麻的程式碼，並逐漸建立自信心。

在這裡的九個星期，只能用“永生難忘”來形容了。過去沒有，未來大概也很難再有這樣的機會跟一群好戰友們一起互相扶持、沒日沒夜、為了一個共同的目標努力前進。

累嗎？真的很累，每天近十小時都在進行腦力激盪，有時候連假日都不敢休息，就怕跟不上或拖累大家。

值得嗎？相信我，沒有比這個過程更有趣、更值得又更令人興奮的事了！

I took the bootcamp in Bali, expecting to be able to program some of the ideas I had in my mind and get a better access to technology. These expectations were exceeded, by far.

First of all, the learning platform that the guys of Le Wagon have developed is impressive, to put it mildly. All the materials were accessible and everything felt super intuitive. The platform in my view is not only supportive but an integral part of the program.

Second, I was super impressed by the quality of teaching. I am now in my third week after the bootcamp and still very excited about all the things and got to know about technology. Also, the practical nature of the camp was very much how I like to learn things. And the ticketing system for when you need support is efficient, giving always access to either a teacher or a teaching assistant.

Third, I believe the main language - Ruby - that is being thought is an excellent entry point to software development, as it is much easier to understand than most other languages I have seen so far. Once this is mastered, I truly believe that learning another language will be much easier.

Overall, I can thoroughly recommend the course, especially if you're willing to step into the world of technology and want to take ownership of it.

Before joining Le Wagon I was working as a business developer in a big French construction company, based in Hong Kong.

I joined the camp because I had been thinking for a while of switching and going in IT. But IT is so big I did not know what to do there nor how to switch. By talking with friends working in different fields and by having a closer link at what they each did I figured that web development would be a fun way to start coding and entering the IT world.
Some of them mentioned different bootcamp that they knew of, but Le Wagon is the only one good friends attended. Since I know them well and trust them, when they told me that it was a great experience I just went for it.

The camp experience was intense, days can be long (10-12h). You have many things to learn and find out that 24h in a day is not enough to to everything, learning and having a life. Although it was intense it was also great as the other buddies attending the bootcamp were all nice and fun people. There was a good team spirit and solidarity, since we all came in here to learn as much as we could and all had different objectives for after the camp.
I'm pretty social, love meeting people, and Le Wagon introduced me to an impressive diversity of people. Several nationalities being represented (13 was it?), many different backgrounds etc. It was perfect!
For people hesitating doing a coding bootcamp I'd say, it will be intense don't fool yourself, but you will learn a lot and will come out of it with good buddies and be part of a family.

When I was young, I always dreamed about being a hacker, growing up watching movies such as “The Matrix” or “Hackers”. I used to imagine myself quickly typing lines upon lines of code onto my computer screen.

Despite initially studying marketing and being inclined towards that career path, I swiftly began to move towards web project management, thinking one day I would be able to pursue my dream career and become a developer. I tried to work on very technical projects and teach myself on websites such as “Code Academy” or “Le Site du Zero” (“OpenClassroom” for the older people). The main problem that I used to encounter with these websites was that I had some difficulties when trying to understand the global view about programming. Overall, even after finishing a tutorial I still felt like I couldn’t create something by myself.

After browsing the internet, I came across Le Wagon! For me, the Bootcamp format was an ideal solution because the training seemed fast and complete.

Le Wagon really was an amazing experience. It gives you the chance to meet so many people who all come from different places.

If I had to sum up my experience, I would say that:

• I liked the teaching as it gave us an overview of the creation of a web product, from the initial product design to its development
• There was also a good overview of the Full Stack development (front-office and back-office)
• Both the teachers and teaching assistants were really kind as they took time to really help us complete exercises and to make sure we fully understood the key notions and ideas
• The environment was great between everyone (you must be prepared to drink a lot of beers during the 2 months!)

At the end of my time at Wagon, there was the impression that you could learn absolutely anything and create any kind of web product. I must admit that at times the pace of learning was very intense and there were times where I felt a little bit lost, but you have to really trust their teaching methods and ways of learning because at the end you will finally be able to thoroughly understand all of the different concepts.

As for now, I am a Full Stack Developer at a start-up company and I love what I do. However, the lines of code don’t roll across my screen at a fast speed as they do in the movies! I still have a lot to learn, but I am happy to have had the chance to change my career path all thanks to Le Wagon.

I have been working as a management consultant for the past 3 years, but my dream in life is to become an entrepreneur and launch my own startup. Choosing to attend Le Wagon was probably one of the best decisions of my life.

Why Le Wagon? Le Wagon’s mission is indeed to “bring technical skills to creative people”. This is exactly what I was looking for as a beginner and as a wanna-be entrepreneur. Le Wagon’s bootcamp by far exceeded my expectations for a thousand reasons, the main 3 being:

• Unique and exhaustive syllabus (the most complete of all!) which really equips you to become a full-stack developer with a product manager/entrepreneurial mind and collaborative skills to work with other developers! Other bootcamps only focus on either back-end or front-end or specific topics – only some offer a full-stack preparation. Le Wagon not only offers a full-stack syllabus, but it offers the best. It does not teach you static notions alone, but during the bootcamp students really embrace a new developer mindset: for instance, we understood how to plan user journeys of our apps for a top-tier user experience (vital nowadays to make your app thrive!), how to approach ambiguous problems and attain a “continue-to-learn” mindset. What does this mean? That, not only does Le Wagon teach Ruby on Rails, Javascript, HTML and CSS, but it really gives you the skills to learn any programming language from scratch if you wish to and thereby build your new app end-to-end in autonomy!
• Top-tier faculty: amazingly passionate and competent people. At Le Wagon you are never alone and teachers and TAs always challenge you to exit your comfort zone and reach the solution on your own, always helping you though when you are having a tough time. This allows you to really become independent as a developer, and indeed – one moth from the bootcamp’s end - almost 100% of the classmates who were looking for a job are now working as developers! Teachers and TAs are extremely patient and what I loved is that they thoroughly explain the rationale behind every concept – so that it sticks in your mind! Never have I met an amazing environment of competent, talented, ambitious, yet friendly people as at Le Wagon – it’s the place to be!
• Incomparable global network: Le Wagon can boast a global network of alumni and faculty that is really something other bootcamps do not have. This is excellent, because I know I may probably find the co-founder for my startup in the Le Wagon network and that I can reach out (indeed I have done already) to teachers and TA if I need advice on coding projects I am working on, even after the bootcamp.

I am infinitely grateful to Le Wagon. Le Wagon has been my springboard to acquire the precious technical skills I need to realize my startup’s app MVP and a strong developer mindset.

Interactive designer for 22 years, I could experience and see evolve the tech environment through many angles. The trades related to tech industry are constantly changing, some disappear, others endure and segment themselves, which is why it is important to maintain a constant technological watch and to train as often as possible - lately I chose to follow the Bootcamp Le Wagon in Bordeaux because I had not to miss the techy Wagon train that goes straight to the future!
This training, however intensive, and whatever its level of apprehension of the code, allows any motivated entrepreneurs to obtain a teaching rich in new ideas to develop its activity. And what's more satisfying than discovering the secrets of web development from a team of caring and passionate teachers.
Matthieu Dubois - Designer UX-UI - Le Wagon Alumni Batch#191

I’d been in China about 10 years before joining Le Wagon working as an in-house investment banker for Chinese companies investing abroad before I decided to take a break to assess my prospects. During that year I invested in a startup, focused my learning on new areas and dabbled a little in coding with no meaningful purpose. 

I actually went to see a demo day, more out of curiosity than anything, was really impressed by the products presented, and my decision was made. I wanted to join Le Wagon. 

The course format is well suited to self-learners, mornings are lectures followed by a series of exercises that complement and extend the core curriculum. 

It’s tough, it’s long hours, it’s a lot of material but it’s definitely worth it. You learn so much and you really learn to push yourself to make and break things. It sets you up to continue learning about coding and to explore new technologies. 

There will be days where it’s just overwhelming but you are not alone. My batch was awesome we were 28 and we had so much fun, many of us formed close friendships. The whole Le Wagon crew, the teachers, the TAs and every guest speaker really contributed to making it a fantastic 9 weeks.

As a testament to the power of the Le Wagon, our group submitted our final project to a pitching competition before we had written any code. In just 10 days we finalised the MVP, drafted a business plan and model and were able to pitch against much more established startups. We didn't win for a whisker and the confidence and encouragement we received was amazing. People we impressed and shocked of what we were able to achieve in just 10 days considering where we stood at the beginning of the camp.

The week after the camp is a little difficult. The adjustment is tough, many of us are meeting and discussing and evaluating options and I think the staff and TAs feel the end of camp adjustment as much as the students. They are here with us providing amazing support and valuable advice. It's like a mini after camp!!

If you are considering it, just do it. Don’t hesitate, you won’t regret it! It will change your outlook, understanding of web technology, coding and yourself.

Hi! My name is Philipp. I studied product and concept-design in Germany which led me to score cool roles as a UX designer and a globe-trotting consultant in Agile frameworks including Scrum and Kanban. Nevertheless, I felt that I needed to understand coding so I could better communicate with developers in my team and sometimes I also wanted to turn my own web ideas and concepts into reality. That’s why I decided to quit my job and join Le Wagon in Bali, and unsurprisingly, the decision paid off right away with a new role as an Advisor for the company Blackboat in Berlin when I returned back home! The Bootcamp was efficient and precise: the Le Wagon teachers and learning platform give you exactly what you need to learn to build a complex web app in a 45 day bootcamp. Even though I worked in the tech industry, I was starting as a coding newbie. I progressed over each day through the daily topics, morning lectures, the vast number of exercises, and the daily group live code sessions supplemented by flash cards and video preparations in our own time. In the last 10 days of the bootcamp, the repeated success of Le Wagon was proven once again in project Remedium, a blockchain charity donation platform that I had the opportunity to build together with a few camp mates. You can see my presentation in Batch #128 Demo Day. And that’s not all! In fact, the chance to join a Bootcamp in Bali is rather unique because the experience of the island made our Bootcamp-journey more relaxing and enjoyable. I don't know any code camps where you code from a terrace with a view of the ocean which I also enjoyed surfing in. The adventures around the islands at the weekends with my new found friends made working together through the long coding days so much easier and not least, fun and memorable. I also did the math and i am convinced that a Bootcamp in Berlin or London would have cost me the same if you compare cost of living. To conclude, now that I’m back home and starting a new exciting career, I can put my hand on heart and say that Le Wagon has been a career-changing experience and probably one of the best I have had in my life. I’m really grateful for the incredible journey and the people i met there. Dirk and Audrey are incredible Hosts and you can feel that they put their hearts in this bootcmap. I cannot recommend more this experience to everyone - and if you have any questions, hit me up on LinkedIn. Cheers! 

I completed the 9 week Le Wagon bootcamp that started in June 2018 in Lisbon, Portugal.

It totally surpassed my expectations - I learnt far more than I thought I would, I made awesome friends and the alumni community was stronger and more global than I expected (I live in Sydney now and meet up with Le Wagoners here and everyone is super helpful on the alumni Slack channels).

I didn't do the course to change careers - I've been in finance for 10 years and I enjoy my job. I did the course because I wanted to create things and follow through on ideas. I love coding so much now that I am nonetheless contemplating a career change - either way it will be part of my life from here on.

My advice - (1) Ruby and web-apps are probably the best place to start. I was considering a mobile-app centered bootcamp but I'm glad I did Le Wagon fullstack because it empowered me with a solid understanding of a range of coding skills and concepts so it's easy for me to learn new languages and platforms. (2) Speak to alumni and the drivers of the location you are considering - the culture in the Lisbon bootcamp was perfect for me and I chose to study there specifically (I was living in New York at the time). Having a really good batch with enthusiastic teachers helps you get through the program (which can be intense at times - you have to learn super fast).

I've wanted to learn coding for 3 or 4 years, so one day I finally decided to quit my job and go for it! I looked trough several bootcamps and Le Wagon got my attention for two main reasons: compared to other trainings it's connected to real business life and it's "only" 9 weeks (I wanted to switch careers rapidly). Now I can say it, it went beyond my expectations. Le Wagon gave me a very operational package (when you end it, you can actually build something functionnal) and in these "only" 9 weeks I've learnt a lot of tools and languages: Ruby and Rails, SQL, Javascript, SCSS, Github, etc.

I was working in the operations team of a tech startup when I decided to join Le Wagon in Milan (batch #181) and it turned out being of my best decisions. 
In my previous role, I was constantly surrounded by developers and somehow fascinated by what they were doing. I did not have any relevant coding experience or knowledge at that time (I graduated in Management Engineer) and little by little I started to feel limited because of that, while my curiosity was keeping on increasing day after day. 
Changing career path is never an easy decision but at Le Wagon I felt supported from the very beginning and most important, I felt part of its huge, international and talented community from day one. 
The energy and passion of the teachers are contagious, and their support and advise during the lectures and the final project invaluable. The course is intense, and you have to deal with a huge amount of information and new concepts every day, but the lectures and exercises are well structured and tailored so that you don't feel lost or overwhelmed. 
And in case this happens, you have access to all the resources and help you might need to go back on track. You won't remain behind! 
I am fully satisfied with my journey at Le Wagon, and I now feel confident to start a new chapter of my life as a developer.