Making Good at a Coding Bootcamp: An instructor’s view on traits of the successful Bootcampers

You have probably heard the phrase “coding Bootcamp”. Maybe, since you’re on the Code Platoon website, you’re already thinking of enrolling in one yourself. There’s never been a better time to do so; web development is one of the fastest-growing fields in the world, and Bootcamps are an effective and relatively low-cost way of breaking in. However, that doesn’t mean Bootcamps are the best fit for everybody.

My name is Noa Heinrich. I graduated from Dev Bootcamp in the Spring of 2016. I later went on to be an instructor, first at the Flatiron School, and now Code Platoon. I have been through the Bootcamp experience as a student and helped many others through it as an instructor.

The most successful students I’ve encountered have always embodied the following three traits. Without at least one of them, you might just find yourself burning out before you graduate.

The first and most important trait is resilience. They are called coding Bootcamps for a reason. As a student, you will be learning and working all day, every day, for months. The Code Platoon Bootcamp spans 14 intensive weeks of study.  You’ll go to bed and dream about coding, and then wake up the next day to do it all over again. It isn’t an experience for the faint of heart.

Another essential trait for succeeding in a Bootcamp is a growth mindset, as opposed to a fixed mindset. A person with a fixed mindset says “I’m not a coder”, while a person with a growth mindset says “I haven’t learned to code yet”. It is the focused belief that you are capable of growing and evolving, rather than accepting your limits as they already are.

Finally, a successful bootcamper needs to be able to play well with others. Most tech companies expect their employees to work as part of flexible teams. So paired programming and group projects are normal for every Bootcamp.  You will be working alongside a small group of people every day, and if you’re unpleasant to your classmates, you’ll find that your experience will not go well.

If you read this blog and thought “hey, that sounds like me”, then good news: you’d probably be a great candidate for a coding Bootcamp! But if you’re unsure – don’t worry, you’re in great company, as many of the most successful graduates felt the same way as they were filling out their application. The coding Bootcamp experience will be the most difficult experience you’ll ever love, but it’s definitely worth it.

Noa Heinrich authored this guest blog post. Noa is an instructor at Code Platoon and has worked as an instructor at the Flatiron School and Power Up Tech Academy. She is also a host of the weekly gaming podcast, Tabletop Potluck. Follow Noa on LinkedIn.