Coding bootcamp in Lisbon

My experience in the bootcamp was more than I could have expected. It started a bit scary and overwhelming in the first weeks but once time passed and programming and ruby notions were quickly building up in my head, it became more and more fun. The more I learned, the more possibilities I could envision. Honestly, I didn't think that I could learn how to build a fully functional web app in 9 weeks, but hey! it did happen!

Also, what really made the bootcamp for me, was the people involved - teachers, the driver, and all the other students. Its much easier to learn when everyone is heading in the same direction.

Learning to collaborate is a very important step, and the final weeks of the bootcamp are all about collaboration. I saw 10 amazing final projects built from 27 students in 2 weeks and I felt happy and proud of everyone!

My final project was a Facebook Messenger Bot that can pretty much work as a receptionist for a small hotels/hostels. And yes, in two weeks, my group figured out how to actually make it work.

The feeling that stuck with me after finishing the bootcamp was that now I have the freedom and the tools to build anything I want and that feels really good! I loved it, definitely recommend it and wish I could do it again.

Le Wagon is worth the investment and lives up to its reputation. Before joining the bootcamp I was trying to follow online tutorials to learn how I could build some prototypes of ideas we had for web apps but with the feeling I would never be able to leave the training wheels and ride on my own. I found Le Wagon by chance and seeing that the technology stack covered in the programmed matched what I was trying to learn, it looked like a perfect fit.

The program is demanding and fast-paced, but it is aimed and suited at complete beginners, although I feel that if you take the time to explore the technologies covered before starting you will get so much more out of this bootcamp.

The teachers are experienced in software engineering and they approach topics both from practical standpoints as well as theoretical. The teaching staff is always available to help you with your doubts at all times.

There’s alsomore than simply coding though. Le Wagon organises talks and interviews with entrepreneurs and people involved in the start-up scene, which greatly complements the content of the course.

What really surprised me was the atmosphere between students and that’s something Le Wagon staff fosters and encourages – creating a network of contacts and fellow-students which will continue beyond the bootcamp.

The pace of the last two weeks is hectic due to the final projects but that’s where it all comes together. My team and I built a web app to track routines through user created questions/forms and it was great to see that I was able to build and structure a product on my own that differed from what I had been taught.

Now I understand why some of the reviewers wrote that Le Wagon changed their lives or that it was the greatest thing they’ve ever done. It’s not cliché. Even if you don’t plan on becoming a developer, it is an enriching experience and a fantastic coding program. As for me, I found something I really love doing.

I have a background in Graphic Design, working with front end for two years when I decided to do a programing bootcamp. I had a few ideas of web apps I’d like to develop myself and although the online tutorials were slowly helping me understand programing, I felt like I was a long way from creating something myself, so I decided to take a programing bootcamp.

Searching for a bootcamp that matched my needs was a bit overwhelming, there are many options out there, but I felt like Le Wagon had the most complete curriculum of all the other bootcamps I encountered. From the many bootcamp options I saw back home in the US, I chose Le Wagon Lisbon and honestly couldn’t have been more satisfied with the experience.

The program was fast paced, they covered many technologies in only 9 weeks, sometimes it was hard to process so much information, especially for me who considered myself a beginner, but I trusted the curriculum and the feedback from the teachers and it paid off at the end. I look back now and see how much I’ve learned and how much I’ve accomplished in only 9 weeks, it’s incredible. I now feel much more confident to start my own web apps and most importantly, I feel like I can learn any coding languages using the process I learned from Le Wagon.

The other aspect of the program, that I had never expected before starting, was the connection with the other students, TAs, teachers and the driver - I immediately felt at home with them. Today I can say I am part of a strong community of developers and have true friends around the world, people I will always see as inspiration to continue coding and building products.

As far as the location… Lisbon is just AWESOME! When we were not coding, we were out having fun, experiencing the city’s amazing gastronomic scene, visiting historic places, museums, castles, surfing and enjoying the beautiful city. It couldn’t have been better.

Le Wagon was an intensive 9 week experience (emphasis on the last two weeks, when we developed our final project), filled with knowledge, new experiences, challenges and new opportunities. I have returned home with a strong foundation to start a new stage of my life and look forward to being part of the Le Wagon alumni community!

November 2016. I just turned 27, I was broke like a millennial online-entrepreneur and Trump was president of the USA. "What am I doing with my life?" The existential crisis kicked in. I was too broke to get drunk, not bored enough to watch cat videos on youtube to distract myself from myself. The usual solutions would not work this time. I had to use my brain and come up with a long-lasting solution.

What is the #1 advice for millennials? Learn to code. I decided to do at least one safe move in my life: go to Lisbon and learn to code at LeWagon. Turned out it was the best decision I've made for a long time! 4 months later I was standing on a stage pitching a web app we've created with 2 other LeWagon students. I've learned in 2 months how to code and I've learned in 2 months more about myself than during the last years of my life.

Doing LeWagon is fucking epic. It's far more than just learning to code! It's a real human experience with incredible people. Spending 10 hours a day together in the same struggle and the same Friday nights drinking the same beer is the best way to create a strong group. That part of LeWagon was the number 1 value to me (not the beer, the strong group).

Some people would say "it's possible to learn alone how to code! You don't need a bootcamp" And they are right. But I prefer have an incredible experience during 2 intensive months with great teachers and awesome teammates.

Doing LeWagon is fail-proof. Don't think Udemy or CodeCademy are alternatives to real bootcamp. It's really hard to discipline yourself to learn to code and most people take too much time to learn. It's hard but nobody wanted to give up, because the days you hate code you still come for people and patient teachers, and you end up loving code again.

Don't think code is not for you. Code is a tool anyone can use and learn. People around me told me that I wouldn't like code. Because I'm more of a dreamer and a creative who doesn't pay attention to details and doesn't really like to follow the rules. Anyone can learn and love code in different manners. Creatives love the possibilities it offers, entrepreneurs love the scalability and opportunities it gives you access to, meticulous people love spending time on their code and making great craft, hard core brains love the challenge and rewards it gives.

After Le Wagon I kept working online. But now I can create a prototype of any of my ideas quickly and outsource code knowing what's going on. I know I can create anything or learn any new language/technology if I put enough time on it. So if you're young, full of ideas and want to make the best investment in time, energy and money of your career. Do Le Wagon. If you don't learn to code, a robot will take your job and a programmer will take your girlfriend. Learn to code.

Le Wagon is worth the investment and lives up to its reputation. Before joining the bootcamp I was trying to follow online tutorials to learn how I could build some prototypes of ideas we had for web apps but with the feeling I would never be able to leave the training wheels and ride on my own. I found Le Wagon by chance and seeing that the technology stack covered in the programmed matched what I was trying to learn, it looked like a perfect fit.

The program is demanding and fast-paced, but it is aimed and suited at complete beginners, although I feel that if you take the time to explore the technologies covered before starting you will get so much more out of this bootcamp.

The teachers are experienced in software engineering and they approach topics both from practical standpoints as well as theoretical. The teaching staff is always available to help you with your doubts at all times.

There’s alsomore than simply coding though. Le Wagon organises talks and interviews with entrepreneurs and people involved in the start-up scene, which greatly complements the content of the course.

What really surprised me was the atmosphere between students and that’s something Le Wagon staff fosters and encourages – creating a network of contacts and fellow-students which will continue beyond the bootcamp.

The pace of the last two weeks is hectic due to the final projects but that’s where it all comes together. My team and I built a web app to track routines through user created questions/forms and it was great to see that I was able to build and structure a product on my own that differed from what I had been taught.

Now I understand why some of the reviewers wrote that Le Wagon changed their lives or that it was the greatest thing they’ve ever done. It’s not cliché. Even if you don’t plan on becoming a developer, it is an enriching experience and a fantastic coding program. As for me, I found something I really love doing.

I started studying computational linguistic a year before I joined Le Wagon. Before my studies, I had zero computer skills, to the point I that I had to call my brother every time I installed a new program or something was off. I started programing in university but I knew my skills were by far not good enough to land a job as a working student in the hopes of becoming one day a great software engineer. I decided to go to a coding bootcamp to make up for all those years missed not programming and to accelerate following my dreams.

The bootcamp proved to be tough. By day 5, I was already learning things I hadn't seen in university before. The struggle began and didn't end until Le Wagon finished nine weeks later. I learned so much in such a short time. I could never have done this on my own and I don't think it’s possible to achieve that much when you are on your own.

Le Wagon’s teachers were a great help, answering all my personal questions and always keeping us motivated. Going through a process like this wouldn't have been bearable if it wasn't for the other students though, we pushed and helped each other and formed our own little community.

The last two weeks we worked in groups to make a final project which we presented on the final day. My group created a prototype to handle freelancer invoicing. It was really hard work but an opportunity to focus on the things we like, for me backend, but also to get better at the ones we struggled with - frontend.

Going to Le Wagon is perhaps one of the best experiences of my life. I would't be able to work as a software developer right now if it wasn't for those 9 weeks.