Coding courses are flexible, affordable, and self-paced. Coding bootcamps are intense and expensive, but they also help you land jobs quicker and teach you more in a short time.
So, the question is, are any of these for you? Will they meet your needs?
Here is a complete guide on what kind of learner should choose coding courses and who should opt for coding bootcamps.
Summary:
Coding courses are affordable, flexible resources that let you take your time when learning how to code. They are best for
Coding courses are basically a curated set of coding resources designed to teach people about a particular technology.
They are structured, guided learning resources for people who know little to nothing about a particular topic but who want to learn more about it.
Online courses, like our Master Python learning path, are designed to give the learners as much hands-on experience as possible. They contain quizzes, coding challenges, and other helpful features, making the learning process as well-rounded as possible through an online medium.
Note: Even though coding courses can be both physical and online, in this blog, when we say coding courses, we are talking about online or remote coding courses.
Coding courses are best if you are looking for::
Online coding courses are your best bet if you want supplementary resources for college. They can fill in for slow-moving classes, help you revise for exams, and even let you explore your interests outside of the college syllabus.
Further, coding courses are also a great way to get a head start in your computer science degree if you are preparing for one.
Not everyone is in a rush to master a technology. If you are looking to learn coding only when you find some free time, coding courses are for you.
With online courses, like our Master Python learning path, you could theoretically take as long as you want to complete the learning path. Some courses might have deadlines for project submissions, but nothing too stringent, like coding bootcamps.
Working at a lower level and learning programming to push for a promotion? You need time, structure, and hands-on experience.
Coding courses usually give you all three without costing an arm and a leg.
They let you practice in off-hours, offer a hands-on feel through coding challenges and projects, and often have well-structured materials, so you actually focus on learning rather than figuring out what comes next.
While university degrees can cost upwards of $50,000 and bootcamps can go up to $20,000, coding courses let you learn the same things for just around $100 to $200.
This makes coding courses a really easy, affordable entry point into tech, especially if you are a working professional or a student just out of high school.
Other than these, coding courses are also a great fit for hobby learners, people simply exploring the tech landscape, or people looking for accreditations/certifications.
Avoid coding courses if:
Summary:
Coding bootcamps are intense, specialized programs that teach people coding with the aim of making them job-ready. They are best for people who
Coding bootcamps are specialized learning programs that aim to get people job-ready in a particular tech field. As such, they are designed to be intense, time-bound, and have a extensive curriculum.
Since everything about a coding bootcamp is geared towards job readiness, you can often find bootcamps assisting learners in finding a job.
Bootcamps differ in one other aspect: the breadth of the curriculum.
Since job-ready implies you need to know everything a job role requires, coding bootcamps' curriculum covers a lot of subjects. This means you will rarely come across a bootcamp that only teaches a particular technology, like Python or Java.
Note: Coding bootcamps can be both physical and online. While physical bootcamps, where you learn and collaborate in person, are more popular, there are online bootcamps that offer you most of the same perks as physical ones.
Coding bootcamps are your best bet when:
If you are a working professional looking to switch to a career in coding but do not have the luxury of time, bootcamps are tailor-made for you.
Coding bootcamps intend to take you from being a novice to being job-ready in a really short time, i.e., usually three to six months. This period consists of intense learning and collaborating in an environment similar to a real-world workplace.
College is not for everyone. It is expensive, lasts two to four years, and is often slow.
If you are keen on entering the workforce as a capable programmer but do not want to spend four years in a CS degree, coding bootcamps are for you.
They cover enough skills and concepts for you to be job-ready but not as extensive and windy as college classes might be — a sweet spot between coding courses and university degrees.
Bootcamps are intense. Since they aim to teach you everything needed for a particular job in three to six months, the teaching pace is quite fast.
Learning, applying what you have learned in real-life situations, and collaborating with your peers happen simultaneously. This means you build problem-solving skills, coding prowess, and connections with like-minded people and industry experts quickly.
Avoid coding courses if:
Coding courses and coding bootcamps serve different purposes for different kinds of learners. But, as a beginner, we always recommend you start exploring your coding niche with online courses.
Why?
Because coding courses:
For someone just starting out, you should learn Python with a coding course that gives you as much hands-on experience as possible, like our Master Python learning path.
After all, that is what really matters and what bootcamps offer, too.
