Actualize

I really enjoyed the experience of this coding bootcamp.  It was initially supposed to be in person but was moved online due to the pandemic.  The teacher was great, there was a good sense of community with other members and you learn a LOT. I chose Actualize because someone I know went here and landed a job after and I would love to do the same.  I think the job search portion is one of the most valuable portions of the course (hopefully I can land a job soon).  The one thing I thought might be helpful is if they taught a more common programming language for the backend like Python or Java.  A lot of the class is about teaching you how to teach yourself so this isn't a big deal, but Python is very user friendly, popular and I think it would be a good beginner language.  I loved learning Ruby, I just don't see it in the job market as much.  The teacher was very cool and everything is very professional.  Overall I would give it a 5/5.  I really enjoyed my experience.  I would recommend Actualize to whoever is serious about getting a job as a software engineer.

I'm just wrapping up my bootcamp at Actualize. I chose this program because I know a few people who went through the program in the past several years and they spoke highly of the curriculum and the teachers. I would say it did not disappoint. The instructor presented the lessons in a well though out, and concise manner. We covered lots of ground very quickly, but we were given many tools to review the information down the road to help solidify the ideas. I've also appreciated the job search support. While they don't hand you a job when you graduate, they help you feel prepared and give you intentional steps to take to be effective.

To whoever is reading this doing the same thing I was doing roughly a year ago, follow through with this thought and commit. I made the leap and never looked back. I came from working in another industry for 13+ years and was terrified to learn something new knowing I wouldn't be the best at it. Actualize gives you the comfort of knowing your not along in the process and you have support. Brian was our teacher and he couldn't have made the experience any better. Great company, great values, great results. 

I researched a bunch of different coding bootcamps in Chicago and I didn’t feel comfortable committing to one until Is spoke with the team at Actualize.  It just seemed natural. The team was so supportive from the very beginning and the pre-work helped me feel more confident actually starting a course. The online live portion in particular, fit my lifestyle and allowed me to continue to work and support myself.  This was especially important in the middle of this pandemic!  My experience was truly amazing. While some things were extremely challenging, it was nicely balanced out by an excellent teaching style that provided help but also enough freedom to make mistakes and learn.  I would recommend Actualize to any adult that’s ready to make a major change in their career. Although the road is still ahead of me, I feel confident in the skills I’ve learned and the things that I feel empowered to teach myself as I move forward! 

This bootcamp is great for people who would like to transition into web development.  The staff here is very passionate about what they do and they ensure you have superior resources available not only for the class itself but for job-finding support.  This program has been built by people with a very strong background in education and it shows. It sets a great foundation for so many topics not only for learning how to code but for project management, communication, collaboration and more! I highly recommend Actualize!

Enrolling in Actualize was the greatest decision I ever made. I needed to be pushed. Dani was an incredible lead instructor, very caring, entertaining, funny and positive. she kept me focused and motivated and gave me the personal attention & occasional ass-kicking I needed. Lisa the career counselor was a very helpful and caring and involved resource, and all the TA's were super friendly and helpful as well. I thoroughly enjoyed my experience with Actualize and would recommend it to anyone seeking to learn to code and become established in the developer world. 

I chose Actualize because their program was the one that best fit my schedule. They offer classes that cater to both day and night time schedules. This led me to pick the night time cohort because this allowed me to work during the day and attend classes at night. Also the Chicago location for their school is close to the Loop and is readily accessible via public transportation which made it convenient for me to attend.

The greatest strength of Actualize is that its technical staff is composed of teachers that happen to know coding. This might seem like a minor detail but this is what distinguishes Actualize from other coding schools. A programmer might be able to repeat information to a potential student but that does not mean that they can teach. Becuase of the teacher first emphasis that the founder uses to develop the course curriculum, key concepts are not simply memorized but synthesized for later lessons.

I recommend Actualize to people who want to have fun while they learn. I never felt like the staff were administrators that assigned my coursework but rather they were more like friends and family to me. Also, while Actualize places a heavy focus on teaching Ruby don't be concerned that its not on the list of programming languages that are "hot" right now. Ruby is a solid foundation to learn the fundamentals of coding and a good springboard for a student to be able to learn future languages.

I was in the online cohort ending September and now have a full time job in technology project management. Actualize was a top notch education and ones trajectory to code from scratch to application building is guaranteed with diligent participation. Actualize makes you enjoy coding and the practice provided, along with group work, is an ideal and perfect education. Brian, the instructor, and Lisa, the job coach, are amazing in their guidance and instruction. Make sure to attend post bootcamp events because it is extremely helpful in securing a job and in continuing to develop coding skills. Lisa and Actualize provided me with the greatest advice in looking for work and communicating with employers. At the end of the day, you become an adept coder and a tremendously more skilled individual.