I have been accepted into the MakerSquare Software Engineering Program and will be moving to San Francisco to further hone my programming & development skill-set...
About MakerSquare
MakerSquare is a rigorous educational experience in programming that focuses on the JavaScript language and related technologies/frameworks. With 20-30 students per class, it lasts 12 weeks and involves 70+ hours per week of coding; It's sort of a sink-or-swim immersion program akin to traveling to a foreign country to learn another language.
That model is becoming a popular phenomenon known as a programming boot-camp. There are a number of them across the US that cover a range of development technologies and languages. They have grown in popularity and will continue to do so for a number of reasons:
- Intensive, group-oriented, fast-paced learning experience.
- Coverage of modern & industry relevant technologies.
- Many offer attractive hiring rates and/or hiring networks.
Unlike your typical undergraduate program, coding boot-camps get straight to the point, and focus on what the industry needs. At the end of the program, students will have spent more time programming than they would in achieving a Computer Science Degree. Also, instead of focusing on 0-60 in people's understanding of the topics, they focus on 60-120.
MakerSquare in particular has a hiring rate of over 98% across their three locations. They share a considerable hiring network with the HackReactor program that includes companies small and large in a variety of locations. MakerSquare boasts small class sizes and lots on one-on-one time to help mold students into proficient developers in a way that few other programs can.
Here's a video intro that gives you a feel for what it's all about.
Personal Plans
I have a place to stay near Glen Park where I will be living for the next 6 months. The first three will be dedicated to the program, the remaining three will be spent exploring opportunities in the area and building my professional network.
The last few weeks have been hectic. I was accepted with under a month to complete the pre-course assignments, find a place to live, plan the move, and complete all my client's existing work, and yet the greatest challenges lay ahead. I've worked crazy hours in the past, but never before has 100% of my work required 110% of my mental fortitude.
From an educational perspective the goal of the program is to stay in the 'struggle zone' at all times. For those unfamiliar with the term, it's the place where learning and creativity thrive, under pressure. It may not hold true for all, but in my experience, it is exactly how I learn.