Bootcamps vs School vs Self-learning
Syntax - Tasty Web Development Treats
Exploring Mind Mapping and Educational Pathways in Tech
This chapter explores the speakers' experiences with mind mapping software, particularly MindNode, as a tool for organizing teaching content. The discussion also delves into various educational pathways in tech, evaluating boot camps, traditional education, and self-directed learning.
In this episode Wes and Scott talk about developer education — what to look for, what to avoid, and how to be a life-long learner with good problem solving skills.
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Show Notes3:59 - Our experiences
-
Scott:
- Went to college - Go Blue!
- Worked odd jobs while self teaching
- Was mentored and taught more while working at my first job
- Self directed since then
- Started teaching via LUT in 2012
-
Wes:
- Went to university for Business Tech - entirely self-taught
- Led and created part-time HTML + CSS program at HackerYou
- Led and created first bootcamp at HackerYou
- Led and created first JS part-time at HackerYou
- Been offered jobs at colleges + universities
10:02 - School - $$$
-
Pros
- The best thing about school was unrestricted free time to find out what I enjoyed, which lead me to coding
- Co-ops can help you find what you like and what you don’t like
- Life skills that involve you being on your own and figuring things out more
- You are exposed to interesting people and ideas
- CS Degree work can open more career doors
- Professional networking
- Many companies wont hire you without some sort of bachelor’s degree (this might change)
-
Cons
- Not everyone has the time or money to devote two to five years to school — especially to something they might not end up enjoying
- Potentially outdated staff and course material
- Wes was often asked to lead a video editing course, print design course and a web development course
- Lot’s of distractions
23:10 - Bootcamp - $$
-
Pros
- Very fast, lots of info, but can be a bit overwhelming
- You can get up-to-speed extremely quickly
- Focused on hire-ability and job-ready skills
- Focused information
- Personality is really the deciding factor here - lots of people do well, and some don’t
-
Cons
- Hit or miss — quality of bootcamps aren’t vetted, so do your research
- Talk to someone who took it, find out who the instructors are
- You absolutely must continue learning after the bootcamp
- The bootcamp is just a push and you are expected to continue learning once you are done
- Not great for individuals that can’t handle the pace
- You have to quit your job
37:09 - Self-Taught - $
-
Pros
- Self-directed people will prevail here
- Can be drip-fed while earning money at another job
- Can be supplemented by a job (e.g. you are front-end and want to go full stack)
- Can get real world experience as a freelancer while you evolve
-
Cons
- Not for everyone
- Can be difficult to self-motivate
- Hard to get help - sometimes you can be stuck for hours on a two-second fix
- Potentially discouraging
- You might go down the wrong path without guidance on what you should learn
47:11 - Part Time Programs - $
-
Pros
- Fantastic way to get up to speed with a new tech
- Goes at a good pace - twice a week usually
- Offered on weekends and evenings where you can maintain a regular job
- Very low risk - you can try it out
-
Cons
- Might not be as fast as you like it
- Quality is all over the map
49:55 - Mentored Self Learning - $
-
Pros
- Best to do with a mentor on the job
- Mentor can help steer what to learn in your free time
- Good feedback and a place to ask lots of questions
-
Cons
- Can’t be done without someone willing to mentor you
- Only as good as your mentor
52:55 - What approach would we take?
- Bootcamp > then immediately supplement with courses
- Scott: Digital Minimalism by Cal Newport
- Wes: American Kingpin
- Scott’s Instagram
- LevelUpTutorials Instagram
- Wes’ Instagram
- Wes’ Twitter
- Wes’ Facebook
- Scott’s Twitter
- Make sure to include @SyntaxFM in your tweets
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