Actualize

After finishing my undergraduate degree and moving to the Chicago area, I had a strong desire to get into the tech field.  I began researching coding bootcamps in the area and even visited a few, including Actualize.  When I came to Actualize for the first time, it was clear that they were very interested in applicants that actually wanted to find/switch their career as a developer following the bootcamp.  Actualize worked well with my schedule and was in-person, which was important to me.  The experience was good and I learned the fundamentals of web development, but overall I learned how to code and the skills needed to dive deeper or learn more languages moving forward.  I would recommend Actualize to someone who is looking to get their foot into the tech field and has a strong interest in computers/programming/web development.  There are so many routes that one can take following the bootcamp and Actualize will make sure you know how to make needed connections in order to (hopefully) find a position following the program.  The faculty there really care about the students and are always available to help out with anything.

I started looking at bootcamps after deciding to make a career transition, and picked Actualize because the evening schedule would allow me to keep my current job. I had been working with tutorials in a handful of languages for some time, but the instruction at Actualize outpaced everything I had picked up within a couple of weeks. In addition to the tech itself, the focus on problem-solving, project management, and working with a team have had immediately noticeable effects on my professional life. I'm looking forward to continuing into the apprenticeship program!

Doing the Actualize Coding bootcamp was one of the most rewarding experiences of my adult life. If I could go back, 100/100 times I would choose to do it again, even if a career as a developer were to never end up panning out. Over the course of the last 3 months, I learned a great deal about myself, my ability to grapple with and ultimately learn varied new subjects, and the factors that help me boost my productivity. Of course, as you might expect, I also learned a tremendous deal about web development.

A bit of background about myself: I had some previous knowledge of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript before going into the program, as well as a few years of experience in the general tech field. Originally, I had tried to teach myself web development, but had only gotten so far. I found that my primary hold-up was the time lost researching the next step and getting the fundamentals of web architecture down (web requests, APIs, communication between front-end and back-end technology, etc.). Because of this, after having spent a year trying to teach myself web dev, I could only really construct attractive static pages with minimal JS interactivity.

Actualize changed that for me. After learning more about the technologies defined above, I am now able to craft a fully-fledged web application that can pull in dynamic database data or data from external sources by making API calls. That leap in knowledge cannot be underestimated.

I also feel that, although I would not be considered an expert in any languages or frameworks, I now possess the skills to learn other languages and frameworks. In other words, I have learned a great deal about the fundamentals that permeate the field in general, despite knowing the absolute specifics. That knowledge is enough to get me the rest of the way.

I really cannot say enough good things about this program. From the course curriculum to the structured classes, you can tell that everyone involved in this program legitimately cares about the students. The CEO of Actualize actually interfaced with us a few times throughout the course, and was present when we all presented our final capstone projects. He also provided helpful job placement advice and expertise, and it is clear that the man does his research on topics that will help you get placed. That investment and presence from someone as busy and accomplished as Jay Wengrow really meant a lot to me and made it clear that Actualize was not just in it for the money or to kick students to the curb as soon as they graduated. In fact, an optional 17-month internship helps develop skills and build portfolio pieces even after the course has finished.

The quality of care does not stop there; it flows from the top down. The main instructor for our class, Brian Rice, was truly excellent. He never let us sleep on our exercises or on our faith in ourselves. He was bluntly honest about the sort of trials and tribulations we would experience as fledgling developers, and was there to help push us past those feelings of uncertainty to achieve greater levels of learning. He never held our hand or fed us answers, but was there to provide support if we felt like we were drowning in code or concepts. He expected a great amount from us, but we often rose to meet his expectations, surprising even ourselves. He was incredibly approachable and available, and he and the TAs really made an effort to assist students in their journey through the course. Brian was also able to explain complex topics in relatable ways and help us break down daunting errors bit by bit. Finally, he listened to student feedback and shifted the course accordingly, which really indicated a desire on his part to learn, grow, and meet the students’ needs.

The topics covered spanned a large part of the field of web dev, and seemed to be in alignment with the important topics I’ve researched on my own. We started from the basics of command line, HTML, CSS, and basic JavaScript, eventually moving our way up to RESTful architecture, Rails backend API calls, Relational Database structure, SQL queries, Git commands, and modern JavaScript frameworks (VueJS in our instance).

By the end of the course, our capstone projects had us building apps using a frontend Framework (VueJS), a backend framework (Rails), a database (Postgres), and (in my case) several API requests and Javascript plugins. This is something that would have taken me a long time to achieve on my own path of self-learning.

All in all, I am incredibly grateful for the experience. It is not something to take lightly. It will tax you, exhaust you, and challenge you in ways you’ve never been challenged. But if you’re up to the task and want to learn a great deal about this field, then I can’t imagine a better program than Actualize for doing so.

That said, do I feel as though I could step into a dev job right away and be successful? I’m not sure. I know MUCH more than I did, but there is also an infinite amount of knowledge to know. The instructors at Actualize utilize every second of class time moving you toward the goal of becoming a full stack developer, but there are so many things that 3 months cannot cover, no matter how rigorous. However, a few more weeks of independent study learning more about computer science topics, sound software design principles, the nuances of certain languages, and the finer workings of the DOM should get me to where I need to be.

Regardless, I am forever grateful to Actualize for providing the experience and look forward to a future career in the field of web development.

I was introduced to Actualize through the Women Who Code monthly newsletter. They were offering a diversity scholarship, and as a single mom and someone who had been interested in pursuing Software Engineering but did not have the funds to do so, I reached out and applied. The application process and interview were organized and thorough which gave me the sense that the program would be similar. I received the partial scholarship and Actualize worked with me so that I could pay off the remainder on a monthly basis so as to not break the bank before the classes begun.

The prep work in the month leading up to the course prepared me well for the first month of class. I was apprehensive about what the online environment would look like and whether it would be as structured as the in person environment that I had grown accustomed to in college. Utilizing Zoom software, it ended up being just like you were in class, except you could take class from the comfort of your own home and in your own pajamas.

Brian, our instructor, had a few rules. 1) Be on time - class started promptly at 6 pm CST. There are no exceptions to this, so if you take this course you need to make sure that you coodinate your schedule so that you can be on time and ready for class. I definitely had to do some work as my normal workday went until 5:30 pm CST - there were a few days where because of the weather and traffic I would have to leave work as much as two hours before class just to make sure I could get to class on time. 2) Try - there were a lot of situations where I hit a mental wall and wanted to be rescued. In those cases, I needed to take a break and look through my material and retrace my steps and once I did all of that, if I still couldn't find the answer, then and only then could I ask for help. This sounds harsh but it prepares you for what it will be like in the work environment. 

Overall, I feel like I learned a lot from the course and I feel that it gave me a solid foundation from which to go forward and build upon. In terms of what I would change - I definitely feel like there needs to be far more of "I do, We do, You do" instructional process. Often times, Brian would demo what we were about to do and then tell us to go do it, without supplemental documents. Then he would demo and at that point, I could do the work along with him to figure out where I went wrong. It would be more helpful, in my opinion, if he demoed first, then did the exercise with us and then gave us a similar exercise to practice on our own to reiterate what we just learned with supplemental documents to refer to along the way. Additionally, more supplemental documents- just like a textbook for a college course, it would be nice if we had documents that reemphasized our tutorials that we could refer to over time until we master the processes. 

I recommend this program highly. In terms of cost and content, this is a program that's overall value beats out most of the rest. Best of luck to you!

Great curriculmum and we moved at a good pace learning everything. The instructor brian did such a good job helping you understand how to solve problems rather then just giving you a simple answer to move past it. The TA's were great as well helping out as much as they could with our large online cohort. For anyone who is looking for an in class kind of setting with out having to meet at a central location this is the best option in my opinion. Classmates were super cool and we offered help to each other often. You can tell the company has "growth mindset" for their students at all times....thanks 

After spending a couple years in college, I found that the traditional way of learning material wasn't the best the fit for me. I was two years away from graduating in electrical engineering and minoir in computer programming. That's when I decided to make a switch to full time computer programming, figure out if I was wanted to spend 3-4 more years in college or to join an accelerated program that will teach me the tools to become successful in this caraer. Actualize was the first one on the list to check out and see if this was the place to do that. After seeing the place and going through the interview progress, I decide yes this is the place. It was a great place for people who had no programming background and people who had some background too. My bootcamp class size was 15 students, which I felt was the perfect size. The class wasn't big enough where it was impossible to get help from the instructor or the TA's nor to small where you felt secluded from learning this new material. After going through this bootcamp, I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone who is looking to get into web development.

My bootcamp experience was awesome. The class sizes are perfect, and you get the sense that the teachers genuinely care about the success of the students. The one month pre-work (at home) was a good introduction to the material, and you really hit the ground running once the night classes begin. The environment was friendly, and the exercises were challenging, and pushed me to become a better developer.

One of the more overlooked aspects of bootcamps is "job hacking" and I think this is really what sets Actualize apart. We took time every week to talk about how to get a job, and how to prepare for interviews. They had exercises in class that made us get over our fears of reaching out and meeting people in the industry. Having just presented my final project, I can honestly say I'd recommend this experience to anyone looking to start a bootcamp. Regardless of your level going in, you're going to get a lot out of this class!

I couldn't say enough good things about the program and more importantly the people here. The instructors at Actualize are educators first, programmers second which makes a big difference in the learning process. I feel confident in the skills I've gained from the bootcamp (Ruby, Rails, JavaScript, HTML/CSS, etc) and I'm looking forward to applying my knowledge on the road ahead.

One of the things I love about Actualize is the immediate feeling you get that the educators here are looking out for you, the student, and will guide you until you reach the goal set for yourself. The bootcamp environment quickly becomes a second home and the atmosphere is wonderful.

Don't hesitate to get in contact with Actualize, all of the people here are super down to earth. Suffice to say this bootcamp has exceeded my expectations and is well worth the cost!

The program was a great experience. I really enjoyed going to class and learning something new. The instructor was real awesome (Josh). He was very knowledgeable on each subject and made it fun as much as possible. Had so many great laughs while learning.  The TA's very awesome as well. Everyone was friendly and tried to help you out as much as possible so they can help you succeed in the course. I had very little experience when it came to coding but after this program, I feel confident in my skills to create a web app. If you are looking for a place to start your web development career then go with Actualize. It is worth the investment. Great environment, great people, and a great experience.

I applied for Actualize just coming out of college with a bachelor's in philosophy and a minor in computer science. After a few months of applying to software engineering jobs and getting nowhere, I was worried I was underqualified for a position in the industry but also felt like signing up for a bootcamp or going back to school for a Computer Science degree would be mostly redundant. I told all this to Jay, the CEO of Actualize, when he called me right after I submitted my application. He was personable and seemed to know exactly where I was coming from, and so I decided to follow through and join the online cohort.

Within a week or so of the class starting it was apparent that though the course starts assuming no knowledge of CS or programming, it's ultimately open-ended and allows for people with a variety of skill levels to feel challenged and rewarded for putting in the effort to learn something new to them. More than just learning the technology and programming languages, this course has made me feel way more confident in my ability to learn any concepts a new project might require. The best part is that this is the explicit purpose of Actualize's course, and something I think any bootcamp should emphasize in their curiculum.

Everyone I've interacted with at Actualize, from Jay to the my instructors are all great people who genuinely care about teaching you and giving you the opportunity to teach yourself. I highly recommend taking Actualize's course if you are someone who is passionate about learning new things and wants to break into the software industry!

I was in the midst of a medical career that had nothing to do with coding. My only experience with coding prior to Actualize was trying out a few online tutorials. Like anyone who has ever considered a career change, I wanted to make sure I was making the right decision. Sure, there were other bootcamps to choose from, but Actualize set itself apart with some major perks.

There was an emphasis on keeping the teaching level at a high quality. The instructors had degrees and professional experience in software engineering AND teaching. My instructor, Peter Jang, kept the environment fun and relaxed, and was great at explaining difficult concepts in ways that students could easily understand. The instructor, the TAs, and even the CEO, were always ready to assist if any student needed it. With a small class size of 17, one-on-one interaction with an instructor or TA was easily accessible.

Upon completing the bootcamp, students are not just kicked to the curb to fend for themselves. Actualize gives an amazing opportunity to enter into The Difference Engine, an apprenticeship that allows students to create apps for actual clients. It is very similar to a junior engineer role, and it prepared me immensely for my first engineering job, which I landed at the conclusion of the apprenticeship. The career advisor at Actualize did a great job at providing connections to companies in the area that often led to many onsite interviews.

At Actualize, I got more than just an exciting new job as a software engineer. I also made several friends who are now following a similar journey starting their coding careers. I now have a network of people I can reach out to at anytime. I also gained the skills to persevere through any new challenge. If you want to switch careers into a well-paying field and have a memorable experience, Actualize is the best program for it!