| I was in a similar situation as you 18 months ago and made the transition into software development. I (US based) spent lots of time researching all of the different ways to break into software development including bootcamps, going back to school, or the self-taught route. Here's my personal opinion of each: - Bootcamps: 12-16 week programs (some have longer) that will teach you JavaScript, React, etc where you'll spend 1-2 weeks on each language/framework/library. I chose not to go this route as they tend to teach you the bare minimum and you're forced to go at the speed of the class so if you are not quite understanding a concept you're on your own figuring that out later. Plus, how much can you truly learn if you spend 1-2 weeks on it? - School: expensive and ~2-4 years to graduate. - Self-taught: no real feedback loop as to what you're learning, no community to help you if you get stuck, lack of structured curriculum, and mostly surface level type lessons similar to a bootcamp (watch someone build something, copy them, get a short explanation of what's going on...) I spent several months exploring each of these options and even dove into a few Udemy courses but none of them really helped me understand the core fundamentals of programming. I was constantly saying to myself "ok, you're showing me how to do something, but I don't understand WHY it works or WHAT'S happening". Ultimately, I ended up coming across Launch School (https://launchschool.com/) a online and self-paced program that costs $200 per month. You go deep into the fundamentals of programming and come away with a solid understanding of Ruby and/or JavaScript. Throughout the program you'll have assessments for each course which can be live coding challenges with a TA, written, or take home projects. In order to move to the next course you have to demonstrate clear understanding of what you have previously learned and pass the assessment. LS has a robust community of students all over the world and they have TA and/or Student led study sessions for pretty much every course you take in the program. I highly recommend you check it out and see if it's right for you. |