University of Richmond Boot Camps

I highly recommend the coding bootcamp at the University of Richmond. A year ago I knew I wanted to go back to school but a four year bachelors degree seemed out of reach at the time, so the bootcamp was exactly what I needed to get a jump start in the direction I wanted to go. At every turn, the bootcamp exceeded my expectations- the level of instruction, academic support, and career support were well worth my time and the cost of the progam. I was really drawn to the coding bootcamp because the subject matter was concentrated on what I was looking to learn, and the career services help throughout the course and up to three months after graduation. This was my first venture into the tech field and it was really difficult jumping in without prior experience, but I learned so much and career services helped with interview skills, networking, my resume, and my portfolio, so right after graduation I was applying for and interviewing for positions. Just over a month after the bootcamp ended I started as a software developer and I love the work that I do now and I'm so glad I went through the coding bootcamp.

I attended the Full Stack Web Development boot camp at UR for a career switch. I used to be a high school science teacher and I simply didn't love that job. I decided to complete the boot camp and career switch in motivation to find a job and work that I truly felt passionate about. 

I thoroughly enjoyed this course, and it has allowed me to make a huge transition in my life! The total program really does help you if you're interested in switching careers, simply getting started with web development coding languages, or if you're just interested in learning new things quickly. 

While the boot camp moves very fast and can be very demanding, this program is incredibly supportive - something that was very important to me. Before and after every class are office hours where the instructor and TA's are around to help answer questions, debug your work, and provide any other advice/assistance through the whole program and process. My instructor was absolutely incredible and a very skilled teacher. You also have access to a wide variety of career service tools and resources, as well as a Student Success Manager who came to my rescue a few times through the tough course!

The curriculum is great for absolute beginners, moves fast, and is kept current through minor changes as the current job market shifts in Richmond, VA. They truly want to do everything they can to set you up to be employable at the conclusion of the program.

It became obvious that you will always only get what you put into your coursework. Ultimately, you to decide how detailed your education of the content is going to be during this program. You aren't babied through the program, and your hand isn't held through every line of code. Otherwise it would be impossible to get through this program in a timely manner. At first it was intimidating for me and several of my peers to throw ourselves into a program that demands so much self-advocacy. Fairly quickly, though, I figured out a routine and got into a groove. Therefore, I also needed to continue to push myself to do my best. I found this aspect to be an incredibly valuable learning experience. 

After graduation you still get access to career service resources that were also very valuable to me. This provided a support system as well as an unbiased source for advice through the job hunting process. Much like the boot camp coursework, you will have to put in the work to find a job because nobody can do this for you. Still, they offer a variety of advice focused on this industry that helped me land a job one month upon graduation! 

Some areas for improvement for this program:
1. Curriculum: In 6 months it's very difficult to learn things thoroughly unless you have copious amounts of free time. It's also not the goal of the boot camp to automatically become an expert in every/any topic. They teach you jQuery at a very early point and it helps beginner coders create things faster and feel good about their progress. However, the cost of this was not learning vanilla JavaScript as well as employers would like to see. Similarly, it would help students be more competitive in the job market to have a more in-depth focus on MySQL/MongoDB.
2. Career Services: Overall this department is great. However, the video sessions aren't as helpful as I thought they would be (at least to me).
3. Demo Night: This is a super important day/night where you present your final project to potential employers. It would be helpful if the program could bring in professionals from a larger variety of companies to further help those of us new to this industry network our way into that first job. I wasn't disappointed in the turn out for my demo night, but I think this could be improved. The night has such significance that bringing in more companies and professionals would certainly help all students land jobs faster upon graduation. 

Overall, if you are in the Richmond, VA area this is the best coding boot camp you will find that has classes in person! It's remarkable how much I've learned and grown throughout this program, and I'm super grateful for the overall experience!

Before coming to the U of R Coding Bootcamp, I was working as a natural gas mechanic. I knew that something had to change because I was unhappy in my previous role but didn't know where to start looking for something knew. I wanted a career I was passionate about, not just a way to pay to the bills. I had seen friends go to coding bootcamps and come out with successful careers and it intrigued me. After some research of my own, I made a decision to sign up myself. From the beginning of the course, I was challenged and kept interested by the workload. The instructors made coming to class fun and interesting, and I looked forward to completing my assignments. The most important skill I had recieved from the bootcamp was to learn how to learn. Technologies change so fast and its important to be able to pivot from one technology, library or framework to another. I was able to take my desirable skillset and within 3 months of graduation, I was offered a position of Associate Software Developer at Homes.com in Norfolk, VA. I am very grateful for everyone from the bootcamp who helped me along the way and would definitely recommend this course to others.

This course provided me with a very solid jumping off point to begin an exciting career in tech. Through the curriculum you will develop sought after skills, learn the fundamentals of multiple coding languages, and develop projects that will demonstrate your ability to potential employers. While the pace of the class was brutal, the excellent support staff, instructors and TAs will make sure you succeed. After completing the flex fullstack program I was contacted by the CIO of my employer to work as a consultant on a large UI/UX project being developed by the agency. My certification along with the large collection of projects created during the bootcamp were cited as key factors as to why i was sought out. I am now hoping to aid in the pursuits of other other perspective developers by working as a substitute teaching assistant for the program. All in all, this program was a wise investment that has greatly altered my future career trajectory.

Overall my time in the course has been transformative. My instructor was awesome and there always plenty of support for when I found myself struggling. This program helped me land a job in the industry soon after graduating, but I have also returned to the program to work as a TA, which I have greatly enjoyed. This program has served me well and I would recommend it to anyone who is considering enrollment. From my time as a student, and as a TA, I'm confident that anyone who puts the time & effort in and is committed to becoming a developer will succeed in this program.

The Full Stack program was a great intorduction to coding and has led to a phenomenal career change for me. I left a career in food and beverage after about 10 years of experience. I pursued this path after my sister had suggested something in the world of programming as a next career. This course was very solid. We learned a lot of different material in a very tight time frame. It taught me an incredibly valuable lesson in learning to learn. It is so important to understand that software/web development is constantly evolving, and this course helps you learn how to adapt to the changing landscape of JavaScript. It should instill and train you to be constantly spending time learning how to hone your skills. After completing the course I worked as a remote tutor for the program before getting a job as a software engineer in the area. I want to address the scores I gave Curriculum and Job Assistance. There were several pieces of the curriculum that I felt could have been sped up or omitted, in order to cover the capstone subjects. This isn't a slight againt the course, but a desire to learn/master more fully the final topics. As much as I understand the bridge that jQuery and Handlebars deliver between vanilla Javascript and React, I feel like a stronger focus on modern Javascript techniques and an earlier attention on React (or more time with SQL/Mongo), would make students more competitive in the job pool. The Job Assistance score is a personal opinion. Just like the rest of the course, you will find that the responsibility of getting a job ultimately lies with your own effort. Career services will provide support, and when available, leads. I found that you will need to aggresively apply to jobs and be willing to take any reasonable opportunity. I highly recommend reaching out to alumi or attend area meetups to try to meet someone willing to mentor/help you. I was lucky enough to line up a job after responding to a local developers slack channel. I will say the skills I gained in class have served me extremely well in my job, though the biggest thing I've attained is the ability to pick/keep up with the changes/demands asked of a developer

From oil and grease to air conditioning and vacation days. So often in life we are shown a path that seems completely out of the question. The trajectory of which is frightening and of questionable success, or so we think. We let those moments pass us by in favor of the familiar, the safe if unfulfilling. We drift through on our normal path, running our ruts deeper and longer. But sometimes those paths are the only way to set you free, to change the trajectory of your entire life. Such a path is the coding bootcamp. I quit my job, a ten year career path, and an industry that I was very well qualified in.. all to throw my dice onto another table. Six months of grueling work, sleepless nights and a rapidly thinning wallet, I find myself rebuilt onto a developer. It was not easy. Nothing truly worth it is. It was one of the most difficult things I've ever done. And one of the most incredibly satisfying.

These days we are so overwhelmed by academic courses, college paths, and even certificate programs of some sort that promise us success and financial freedom. With all these options out there, it is sometimes easy to choose the wrong path. While keeping this thought in mind, I went on searching for a "short" program to update my tech skills and finally land a long loved career in electronics/engineering. Little did I know that the UofR Coding Bootcamp would not be just a program, but a life-changing experience. What you learn in this program is not just to "code", it is self discipline, teamwork, time management and... Passion. Above all, you learn to be passionate. The drive and synergy that this program brings out of you is possibly the most amazing journey you'll experience. This is the type of program you go through to defy the odds against human potential. The genius and the average Joe turn out to be the same hero after 6 months and what is the end product? An amazing career and everlasting friendship with the graduate crew :) aside from my very subjective insight, my objective comments are: John is an extraordinary instructor who seems to have the patience of a saint, Yuri is the one who will help you see that this world is just awesome because there are people like her, and the TAs will be your friends even after 9:30 p.m. when everyone is ready to throw the computer out the window. Honestly, I would do it all over again!

Words could never explain how grateful I am for the drastic change of events that have recently sparked off in my life because of this community, because of this FAMILY. I never thought of myself to be the smartest person in the room, nor the most talented. In college, I would always be the last to understand things. Constantly I’d feel a huge burden to my peers for asking so many of what seemed to be "stupid" questions, and this would be after hours and hours of reading/studying and lecture. Never would I have imagined myself in the position I am today, living my dream, being somewhere I am valued and doing something I have a deep love for. Trilogy Education & The University of Richmond made this dream possible,  and it is to them I owe a huge amount of thanks and gratitude towards.

 

Before I enrolled in this program, I was working full time at a Hyundai Dealership managing internet sales and help desk tickets while pursuing my Associates Degree at a small Community College. Although the money was great, I sacrificed too much of my real life. Working almost 80 hours a week while trying to balance my education as well as my personal life wasn't exactly living up to my expectations. On multiple occasions I’d find myself at work, thinking “is this really it ? is this really what my life is about ?”, although only being 20 years old at the time and not realizing there was so much more ahead of me, I was too eager and too ready to succeed to leave my fate up to chance. I had little to no experience in the real IT world besides the basics from Youtube Videos I’d browsed in High-School along with a small IT Fundamentals workshop certificate, and creating a few silly websites In some of my college elective courses, but I always had a love for technology and a very curious mind to how things work.

 

What really pushed me to pursue this field, was actually my clientele & my family. I’d probably had met close to a thousand people where I work who were living a very successful lifestyle that I admired very much. These are the people who always mentioned to me about tech being a very lucrative, very challenging, and yet rewarding and demanding field. So I listened, I did my research and to my excitement, this program found me. I will say without a doubt the 6 month journey I embarked on within this program not only prepared me more for a career than any other college course I’ve taken, but it built character within me, it taught me perseverance and it brought me close to a group of people that I proudly call a family. After constant late nights of studying (which really means screaming at my computer), probably a million questions, and just going what the heck sometimes, before the blink of an eye, it was all over. On multiple occasions during the course and especially towards the end, there were times where I still didn’t believe In myself or felt as if I didn’t make the best of it, times where I still felt as if I wasn’t smart enough although many of my classmates felt different and reminded me so. At the end of the day I knew I worked as hard as possible and trusted that eventually, the reward would start to show.

 

Despite all of this doubt in my heart, 1 month before graduation I obtained my first job offer within the Software Engineering field and I must say it felt unreal to achieve such a great milestone with the help of such an amazing supporting cast that was my classroom peers and my instructional staff.  I was the first person within my cohort to do so and for once in my life, I felt that my hard work had finally paid off. Following our class Demo Day and Graduation many, many, more offers & opportunities would come, it even came to a point & time where I was blessed with multiple options and boy did I use them to my advantage. It felt amazing knowing that I was in demand, that I was in control of my future for once, that I was truly happy !

 

Today I work as an Application Developer at Capital One and I enjoy every moment that I am here. I make almost double my previous salary, I work 40 hours a week, I enjoy my afternoons with my family, I wake up excited to go to work, I drive home every day with a huge smile on my face even in that drastic 5 o'clock traffic, I’m grateful. As I said, I never felt like I was the best at anything, but I believe I had the best people around me. I believe I had the best support system, the best Teachers as well as the best Teaching Assistants, and the best career coaches (who are actually more of cheerleaders by the way, and they're absolutely great at it). I believe this program is a life changing experience for anyone who chooses to embark on it and puts their best foot forward. I strongly encourage anyone who is hesitant to pursue this field, to do it. I’d like to think if I could do it, anything is possible. I promise if you don’t gain anything, you will learn something new (about yourself as well), you will gain courage, you will gain a new hunger for success and most importantly, you will gain a happy memory of the fulfillment in which you achieved with a group of beautiful people.

 

Yours Truly,

 

Kevin Kafuku.

I am so glad I decided to invest in myself by taking this program. A year ago, I didn't have any experience in tech and was dreading going to work everyday in a dead end career. In six short months, I completely turned my life around.

The class began with the basics of making simple web pages using HTML and CSS, and progressed all the way to making full stack applications by the end of the program. It was fast paced, but also very thorough. I am especially grateful for the support of instructors, TAs, and Career Services. Everyone seemed genuinely interested in helping students succeed. 

The most memorable day of boot camp was Project Demo Night, during which local employers visit campus to see students' projects. Some students, including myself, were able to land interviews and even job opportunities because of this special event. 

The UR Coding Boot Camp was one of the most difficult challenges I've ever pursued, but I'm so glad I did. I LOVE going to work everyday as a developer now.

Before attending this bootcamp I had already acquired bachelors and masters degrees in unrelated fields.  While I am grateful for my degrees and those experiences, this bootcamp is by far the best learning experience I’ve had. The bootcamp was more challenging, more rewarding, more supportive, and focused intensely on all the right things.  The main focus of the bootcamp is to make the students think like developers; we learn how to feel confident taking on challenges and teaching ourselves new skills in the ever-changing world of tech. 

 

I knew almost nothing coming into this course and I’m astounded at how much I know coming out of it.  I will say I had to put in plenty of hours of hard to get here. This course is not for people who are merely curious or on the fence about development. You have to really enjoy every part of the process to get through all the frustrations and the constant barrage of new information.  That said, the instructional staff is exemplary and they are always around for help and encouragement. 

 

At the end of the day I think this bootcamp is 100% the best option for quickly launching a career in web development or software engineering. 

 

If you are serious about a career change and know that web development/IT is the path you dare go down, then I would recommend this bootcamp. There isn't some 'free if you don't get a job within 6 months of graduating' clause or anything like that because they expect you take this seriously as it is more like a trade-school than anything else. The curriculum is based on your regions specific tech demands from actual local companies and your instructors are working professionals who are doing this as a side gig so you get practical and relevant knowledge, not just 'IT Theory' that a lot of 2 - 4 year Information Systems degrees would give you. That said, besides the tuition, a lot is required of you to make it worth going through. I personally think that it there should  be more emphasis of getting as much pre-learning done on your own time before the course starts because once it does, there aren't many pauses. If there was a scale of your coding knowledge where anything after 60% can get you hired, than I'd say this course can get you from 15% to 60%, and in an ideal situation, you'd have up to 10%-15% knowledge already obtained on your own from free online resources beforehand. This may only apply if you are going to be working a full time job during the course. Even if you prepare, you may still not feel like you are getting everything because you can barely keep up between going to class, doing the homework, and then trying to understand what was going on in the last class. Ask questions as much as you can, even if you dont know what question to ask because everything doesnt make sense, choose one thing and ask about it because it will likely come up again in your homework. The instructional team was phenomenal but I wish the situation with the projector during class was better. With being at a well known university you'd think they'd have a clearer way to display information than a poorly lit screen. 

I don't feel like I was one of the top students during my cohort, and even if that's true, I can definitely say that I came out of it having a set of skills with the most important of those being that I know how to LEARN any type of web development now. This isn't about memorizing a computer language, its more about being able to read it and knowing how all the pieces connect to form something greater and the problems that you can solve from that.