Coding Bootcamp
Bootcamps, especially those in-person, have a structure that forces you to do the hard work to learn to code. I'm sure online bootcamps are just as good, but having the social pressure of attending classes in-person is a great substitution when your motivation is zapped.
Why didn't I go for a Computer Science degree immediately? Time.
Bootcamps are a 6-month (or less) commitment rather than a 2-year (or more) one.
If your purpose is to get as much technical knowledge as possible in as short a timespan as possible, bootcamps cannot be beat. This is especially true of ones that are project based (most are), where the focus quickly shifts to building things rather than sitting in lectures.
This can be a pro and con, as we'll discuss later. The shortened timeframe leads to higher learning density, which Tim Ferriss argues is good:
"Density of practice is very, very important. One hour a day per year is only 1 percent as effective as cramming for 52 hours in two weeks -- distributing your time over a year is not nearly as successful"
You also learn practical skills.
When I later studied computer science in an MS degree, I took a lot of math, science, and theory courses– most of which I rarely use. Sure, such classes absolutely improve one’s logical thinking skills and problem-solving abilities, but you're not actually paid to solve discrete math problems. 90% of the time, unless you're working on machine learning models, firmware, high frequency trading, or some other niche programming-- you're paid to build and support applications or software.
During my bootcamp, I learned the frameworks React and Rails, which I ended up using heavily in my first few years of being a software engineer. They are still wonderful tools that I use for personal projects today.
It costs money, but it's about 1/4 of the price of a degree.
When I was shopping around for master’s degrees, the tuition for some of them go up to $2000 a credit. That’s over $6,000 for a single course. Most formal programs range between 30-36 credits for the degree itself, and 3-12 for prerequisites. Total tuition can quickly go up to near 6-figures after the degree is completed.
You usually work directly on a portfolio that you can show.
Personal projects are important for two reasons: firstly, they force you to utilize what you’ve learned. Secondly, your portfolio is a nice compliment to your resume when you have zero experience. After going through a bootcamp, you will definitely have built at least 3-4 projects that you can show off and be proud of.
This sounds great, so why did I eventually leave to go back to school and get a computer science degree?