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Meet four students of the part-time course in Berlin
In August 2019, we launched our first part-time bootcamp in Berlin. Mid-way through we caught up with four of the current students of batch 300 to hear what they had to say. Keep reading to hear who they are and about their journeys so far!
Lucie is from Paris and has a background in Law. After having had the ability to work remotely, she visited the city a year ago, fell in love and stayed. She now works as a lawyer, specialised in Business and Privacy laws.
1. Why did you want to learn to code? What was your motivation to learn to code?
I’ve been a huge geek all my life. And I’ve always been interested in the technical side of the products I’ve been writing contracts for! My main motivation to learn to code is my interests in innovation, learning technical skills, and the ability to build the tools I need.
2. How did you find out about the program?
Le wagon is rather famous in the French entrepreneurial world... I found out about it via my business school friends.
3. Why did you decide to do the part-time instead of the full-time programme?
I didn’t want to stop my current job although I’m looking forward to an important career change after the end of the bootcamp. I needed to finance my living, and my flight tickets to France!
4. How would you describe the teaching team and community?
Friendly community, the teaching team is fun, serious and knowledgeable. The TAs know how to guide us through the exercises and they are extremely patient.
5. How would you describe the program?
The program is intense and diverse. We are learning CSS after Ruby and it seems that we’re changing from one world to another. It is challenging, and being stuck for long on one exercise is very common.
6. Did the program meet your expectations so far?
Yes, I have learned a lot and met extraordinary people.
7. What is the best & hardest part about Le Wagon?
Best: The friendly environment and the diversity of the community. The learning path is well-designed and makes learning new concepts easier.
Hardest: Sometimes it is challenging because keeping up with exercises and lectures can be time-consuming.
After the bootcamp: I am planning on building a “legal engineer” profile to find a job in Berlin’s legal tech world.
My piece of advice: Experiment as much as you can, don’t hesitate to look at other resources if you have time, ask questions, be ready to spend your evenings coding.
If I would describe the bootcamp in one word as : “Exploration”!
Lukas was born in Belgium, grew up in Hamburg and moved to Cape Town when he was 16 and came back to Berlin 3 years ago. He has a background in Business & Sports Management and now works as a Product Manager at Axel Springer.
1. Why did you want to learn to code? What was your motivation to learn to code?
As I work in a digital environment I have been wanting to learn how to code for a while now. Creating my own product and website would be a dream come true.
2. How did you find out about the program?
I have met a few people who recommended the program and spoke highly about it.
3. Why did you decide to do the part-time instead of the full-time programme?
As I am working full time, the part-time course was the only way to realize the program at this moment in time.
4. How would you describe the teaching team and community?
The teaching team is friendly, highly motivated and helpful. The community is quite diverse, driven and inspiring!
5. How would you describe the program?
The program's approach is giving you all the tools needed and then let you do and struggle through it yourself.
6. Did the program meet your expectations so far?
The program has been challenging as expected and I have learnt plenty going through it so far!
7. What is the best & hardest part about Le Wagon?
Best: The steep learning curve and struggling alongside like-minded people.
Hardest: Getting out of your comfort zone, battling and dealing with not knowing the answer. Especially when in your work environment you usually have an answer to every issue. It is a very psychologically challenging journey!
After the bootcamp: I would like to integrate my skills into my current job but at the same time start thinking about my own potential projects, now that I have the tools to create a digital service or platform by myself.
My piece of advice: Be patient, don’t start panicking in the beginning and do everything at your own pace. Watch the lectures, take notes and do (& understand) all the flashcards before the coming session.
If I would describe the bootcamp in one word as : “Inspiring” !
Mads is from Poland and has a background in International Business with focus on Marketing and Innovation. She came to Germany primarily for her studies, but Berlin’s startup scene made her stay and it’s been almost 5 years now. Mads is freelancing in Digital Marketing, specialising in Market Entry Strategies and recently also started working in the field of Growth Marketing.
1. Why did you want to learn to code? What was your motivation to learn to code?
I wanted to learn to code, because I want to become more self-sufficient when it comes to testing new ideas.
2. How did you find out about the program?
I went to an UX/UI design workshop that Le Wagon gave a few months prior to my enrolment, and this is when I realised that I’d like to acquire more digital skills.
3. Why did you decide to do the part-time programme instead of the full-time programme?
It’s important for me to both learn new skills and develop my career at the same time, and also knowing the fast pace of the marketing industry, taking even the shortest break would result in lots of catching up.
4. How would you describe the teaching team and community?
The teaching team is young, dynamic and many of the TAs went through the bootcamp themselves, so it’s nice that they can relate to where we’re at in the learning process. Also, there is still lots of improvement to be made in terms of making this environment truly inclusive and valuing women tech leaders.
5. How would you describe the program?
The part-time bootcamp was a great solution for me, because I like to spread things over a longer period of time. Yet, it seems just as intense as the full-time one, so get ready for a ride! Also, you need to be truly motivated, because you’re really on your own in the part-time format of the bootcamp. You have to prepare for the for the classes like watching the lectures at home, while at the full-time you have lectures in the morning with a lecturer.
6. Did the program meet your expectations so far?
After only 3 weeks, I was implementing first knowledge into my own projects! I’m amazed how fast we were able to learn something, that seemed so abstract before.
7. What is the best & hardest part about Le Wagon?
Best: Having people going through the same things with you. Hardest: Having to sacrifice a lot of private time, which I would normally save up for other hobbies, for me - videography.
After the bootcamp: I plan on doing the following 1) integrate the programming skills into my current job and offer clients more in-depth services/solutions and 2) transfer into technical co-founder role at a startup project I’m currently involved with.
My piece of advice: Make sure you have a plan for yourself after bootcamp, then the experience will be less exhausting. Knowing what you want will save you lots of worrying that you’re not able to grab all the knowledge at once. I wished I knew that you also learn the logic, not only the particular programming language. And just like in linguistics - the fluency usually comes after lots of practice and time spent in the environment.
If I would describe the bootcamp in one word as : “Dynamic” !
Originally from Lyon, with a business background in Business, Alexandre started working in startups in Berlin in 2013. He now works in Operations for Circula, a SaaS company that digitalises travel expenses.
1. Why did you want to learn to code? What was your motivation to learn to code?
Deep down I am a generalist. I am interested in many different things and I like to think that I can learn anything I want. Coding was on the list for a while but it’s been the only topic where I did not know where to start, since there is so much to learn before you can do anything.
2. How did you find out about the program?
I am relatively well informed about what happens in tech in general so I don’t recall how and when exactly I first heard of Le Wagon but it’s been on my radar for a while.
3. Why did you decide to do the part-time instead of the full-time programme?
There was no way I could take 9 weeks off to do it full-time. So when I saw the part-time course was opening in Berlin, I did not hesitate long to apply.
4. How would you describe the teaching team and community?
The teachers, TAs and the community are passionate people who really try hard to teach and transfer what they know to you. One of the strengths of Le Wagon I’d say.
5. How would you describe the program?
It’s definitely in everyone’s reach to go through it. You will learn new concepts every week and have immediate application with exercises. Make sure to trust the process and you’ll be amazed at what you can do after 2 months already.
6. Did the program meet your expectations so far?
Yes, and I’m having fun learning. I have learned the foundations of coding, have acquired the developer mindset and habits and discovered how to go further after learning the basics. It’s incredible what I can already do after 4 months of learning!
7. What is the best & hardest part about Le Wagon?
Best: The learning path and learning together 15 other people makes it much easier. Hardest: Sometimes during the weeks it is hard to switch to coding after a full day of work, especially if it has been an intense day at work. My advice is to get some rest if you cannot focus anymore and get back to it another time. The advantage of the part time batch is the time you have between sessions, go code when you feel like it. Also, going for a walk or exercising when you cannot stand seeing a computer helps !
After the bootcamp finishes: I plan on using my newly acquired skills at my current work and push growth and automation. I would like to build prototypes and further deepen my tech skills during my free time.
My piece of advice: I would definitely do the bootcamp again without hesitation. My only wish is that I would have done it earlier!
If I would describe the bootcamp in one word as :“Empowering”!
