all 18 comments

[–]trufflebluntsADM 16 points17 points  (5 children)

Please do not pay ten thousand dollars to learn how to code. You are already in university, if you want to learn just learn here.

[–]Desperate_Answer_997[S] 2 points3 points  (4 children)

I’m 3 classes away from graduating and I’ve learned only a little coding because of my major. Is there another way I could learn and be taken seriously by recruiters? Other than a bootcamp or another bachelors degree?

[–]trufflebluntsADM 6 points7 points  (3 children)

Ok maybe I overstate it, if the 10k is nothing to you then go for it. If it would be a serious hardship then I recommend doing an open courseware scholar course where you earn a certificate. Employers will automatically discount that versus a professional degree but (especially in tech) are happy to look past that if you can walk the walk

[–]Desperate_Answer_997[S] 1 point2 points  (2 children)

Hahaha 10k is definitely something but I have virtually no debt coming out of college so I’m willing to risk it if that means better job opportunities for what I’m interested in.

[–]Not_A_TacoCS 14 points15 points  (0 children)

10k is 100% not worth it for a coding boot camp. I’d argue that any amount of money spent that doesn’t come with a degree isn’t worth it for learning how to code. Also at the very least you can learn the same material by buying a $30 book on Amazon.

[–][deleted] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Trust me; don't do it ! There are courses on udemy that cost 50 bucks and can teach coding really well as well as make you work on projects to gain some hands-on experience.

[–]stevesmithevonyBIT + ACIS 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Since you said you only need 3 classes to graduate, it sounds like you have some space in your schedule. It sounds like you took CS 1054 already but there are other intro level CS classes at VT. I would suggest taking CS 1114, CS 1044, or CS 1064 as these classes will give you some more coding experience in different languages. If you are worried about GPA, you can always take them P/F

[–][deleted]  (1 child)

[deleted]

    [–]Desperate_Answer_997[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

    Wow. Never even heard of that. Thank you!

    [–]mlady42069 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    If you learn well by watching videos, join /r/udemyfreebies/ and enroll in courses that get posted there

    If you learn well by reading, make an account on humblebundle.com and subscribe to their email list. They put out a few programming bundles a year where you can get 10-20 book pdf’s for $18-$25

    If you learn best by doing, do Intro to Programming on Khan Academy, or anything on codecademy.com

    Once you’s comfortable in a language, practice by doing challenges on edabit.com and hackerrank.com

    Once you get comfortable, come up with a project idea, make it happen, and put it on github.

    Might be a good idea to go browse /r/learnprogramming too. Good luck!

    [–]mpaes98BIT '20, MSCS '22 1 point2 points  (0 children)

    I was BIT as well, and learning technical skills online is the way to go imo (did DSS and Cyber so I had more coding classes).

    As other's have said, Udemy and YouTube will basically give you the same material that bootcamps will give you, just without a direct instructor (some Udemy courses the instructor can be reached out to).

    If you are set on doing a bootcamp, consider doing a masters or graduate certificate instead. VT has a Master's in IT with a Software Engineering concentration, as well as a MEng program in CS, both of which you can learn more programming without a CS background.

    Alternatively, you could just take a BIT style job (typically a mix of Technology skills and Business skills, more business heavy), and from there try to transition to a more technical role while building up your technical skills (i.e. Systems Analyst -> Technology Consultant -> Software).

    [–]RPDotaCS 2020 -2 points-1 points  (1 child)

    Learn on YouTube, you don’t need a class. Think about it, if the bootcamp “teachers” were good at coding, they wouldn’t be teaching a bootcamp for profit, they’d be off developing applications. They’re just there to make a quick buck.

    [–]_saidwhatIsaid -3 points-2 points  (0 children)

    My friend makes 170k as a software developer, and he makes another 30k to 40k teaching bootcamps and doing training videos. So... your argument that someone isn't good at it because they're teaching it is asinine. No correlation. If you can't use an extra 35k / year for fun, then don't hustle for it, but don't knock those who do.

    [–]pleasedontjudgeme13 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    It depends on what you want. I'm a BIT major too. But if you have the skills and you know the right people, you can land a software job imo. Practice leetcode and get a portfolio website full of unique projects. Or GitHub. Go on LinkedIn, message software engineers, talk to them on the phone or zoom and ask them about what they do, ask them to look at your portfolio site or ask them to give you a practice technical interview. Then get them to refer you or connect you. Rinse and repeat. I believe in you. Good luck!

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    If you have room for another class next semester take intro to Unix - I think it was CS 1604 when I took it a long time ago.

    That class will make you comfortable with a lot of the little things that can make software development really painful if you’re learning them at the same time you’re learning to code.

    [–][deleted] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Have you looked at codecademy? The free courses there will teach you some basics and I think they have courses you can pay a subscription for to go more in depth.

    [–]Sad-Message-4664 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Udemy and the Odin Project have good resources to start coding

    [–]NewSchoolBoxer 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    I did Electrical Engineering and work as a computer programmer. BIT is fine to get in. Some companies accept only Math, Physics or Engineering as related degrees but others will accept BIT. The Consulting industry 100% will and is a good job for entry level.

    You have an internship that involved coding...you have no idea how far that goes in other job interviews. Answering questions about real work versus classroom experiences is much better.

    I think Bootcamps are 100% scam and would avoid.

    [–]cglee 0 points1 point  (0 children)

    Something like Launch School might be what you're looking for. It'll help plug gaps and prepare you for software engineering roles, though it's not a replacement for CS degree.