

Ask HN: Thoughts on dev bootcamps vs. self-learning? - argonaut

Does anyone have any thoughts about all the dev bootcamp programs that have sprung up of late, programs like Dev Bootcamp, App Academy, Starter League, Hack Reactor, and Hungry Academy?<p>I'm unsure of whether it would be worth my time and money, and if I would be better served learning on my own thru tutorials and side projects, even if learning on my own would take twice as long.
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allsystemsgo
Okay I can speak personally to this.

My new years resolution has been to push out a mobile application. I've been
working pretty tirelessly in the evenings and on weekends. I work full time
mind you, so it's been hard.

I pushed as hard as I could with tutorials. I would slap tutorials together
and pray that everything would compile and the app would have added
functionality. Sometimes it worked, sometimes it didn't...

Anyways, I'm not the type of person to sit down and read an entire book on
development for a platform. I can, and I have, but it just doesn't bear fruit
like I would expect it to.

So, I had to make a project. I did as much as I could, and then I would dig
through the books I have [I have way too many] and try to find an answer.
Again, sometimes it worked, and sometimes it didn't.

In the end, I opted to hire a mobile dev consultant. Yeah, he isn't cheap.
Yes, I could have maybe, eventually, figured out some questions I have, but I
know in the end I would have likely gotten discouraged. Or maybe I would have
gone about a task the completely wrong way and wasted my time on something
pointless.

I am only about 10% into my current budget for a mobile dev consultant. It's
going okay. If I go through my budget, and I still don't have that much to
show for it, well at least he's showing me HOW to solve problems. Where to
look, what processes to go through, that sort of thing.

I'd look locally and see if you can find a dev to hire for tutoring. Those
bootcamps are a bit more money, and they wouldn't be able to give that
personal touch. Pick a project you think you could accomplish and poke at it
tirelessly.

And if you're married, make sure your SO supports you in this. It won't be
easy. Good luck

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aashaykumar92
Self-learning has been great for me so far. In less than a few weeks, I knew
HTML and CSS well enough to create a functional and good-looking website. I
know Javascript, but not fluently--working on that right now.

But as posted below, I think the big negative of self-learning is that the HOW
questions go unanswered many times--and I mean after countless online searches
too. Luckily my aunt is a great programmer so I am able to get most of my
questions answered. I'm sure someone in your network can serve as a personal
consultant...I don't think its necessary to hire someone. Just network around,
I like to think most people are helpful.

If you are starting from scratch, it may be a good idea to do a quick run-
through on code academy as the lessons give you a basic functional
understanding as well as pretty good syntax rules so these can at least be
engrained in your head. I don't think I will necessarily be faster in teaching
myself what dev bootcamp teaches in the same amount of time, but I know that I
am gaining, and will have gained, the ability to think and struggle on my own.
To me, its a priceless skill that I am learning to appreciate.

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canibanoglu
I think the answer would change from people to people. Some people respond
better to social interaction in learning and some do better alone.

At the end of the day you're the only one who can answer this for yourself.

Are you an absolute beginner? If so, pick a language (I recommend Python), go
to Codecademy, work through Zed Shaw's Learn Python the Hard Way and see how
you're doing. It's natural to feel extremely overwhelmed in the beginning. Try
to build stuff on your own. After some time, you should assess your situation.
If you feel like you could have advanced more with a bootcamp program in the
same amount of time, go ahead and apply to one.

Mind that I haven't participated in any dev bootcamps. I find that I get
extreme pleasure by learning things on my own. Even then, I think I would like
to participate in a dev bootcamp some time.

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tjr
How are you coming along so far on your own through tutorials and side
projects? Work that approach first, if you haven't already, since it won't
cost you anything. If you find you aren't making the progress you want to
make, then look into getting help through more formal training resources.

Last year I took a 3-day, all-day class at MIT on relational database
programming. I had learned database stuff on my own, picking up the bits and
pieces that I felt I needed to get work done. I found being "forced" to go
through all of the material in the class, whether if I thought it was relevant
to me or not, was very enlightening, and well-worth the time. I _could_ have
learned all of that on my own... but I didn't.

