Le Wagon

Even though I had mixed feelings when I applied for Le Wagon due to 1) Ruby as a programming language and 2) uncertainty what former students are able to teach you, I found the Le Wagon experience in Bali to be amazing and exactly what I was looking for.

The most important takeaway from the 2 months is the confidence to just go out there and learn any programming related subject I'm interested in (even if it might take some time). I gained the necessary skills to teach myself new concepts and debug code that is not working first time.

Quick hint: If you do Le Wagon, definitely choose Bali. It is a no-brainer, trust me.

The coding bootcamp at Le Wagon Amsterdam taught me that you don’t have to be working with computers since you were a 12 years old in order to become a web developer.

I have been a working professional since I came out of high school and even with work experience in the finance sector I felt that I was less and less qualified for the jobs of the future by the day. We live in a world that is digitalizing rapidly which requires new skills from it's workforce. Knowing this I realised that no matter what position I am working in, I will need to be able to code and or at least understand fundamental concepts of development in order to progress in my career.

Applying to this programme made sense to me as it was more compact and real life oriented than a bachelor in computer science and ended with us presenting a fully functional application to investors and potential employers after the camp.

Even though the bootcamp was one of the most challenging experiences I had (50 hours a week of high intensity learning) I never felt overwhelmed as the teachers were really competent and would help by giving hints when stuck with a challenge. Due to the extra activities we would participate in at the days end (Drinks, Lunches and City tours but also professional workshops and speakers) the atmosphere was always great and the students got along very well with one another. From my experience it is very common to stay in touch afterwards!

Personally I am very happy to have participated and I recommend every person that want’s to get into tech but is uncertain on how to start to take part in this awesome experience!

Le Wagon came highly recommended but I didn’t anticipate how much I would achieve in the 9 weeks. The high teacher ratio meant help was always on hand, and rather than being ‘spoon-fed’ we were encouraged to problem solve and to approach the daily challenges with the mindset of a developer.

As a career changer and being new to the industry, the evening events with entrepreneurs, thought-leaders and the career workshops were particularly useful. I was dubious at first but the bi-weekly yoga was amazing when all we were doing was sleeping eating coding & repeating!

It does what it says - after Airbnb week and pushing our final apps to production I felt equipped with the tools and attitude needed to build my own projects. And the contacts too - the alumni network has already proved fantastic for both industry contacts when job searching and when code issues crop up.

It’s tough and it’s like no other learning experience, but learning to code with Le Wagon is one the best decisions I’ve made - do it!

After attending Le Wagon, you are limited only by your imagination. 

I, like many of my classmates, came from a non-technical professional field. My undergraduate degree was in secondary education and I spent the first years of my professional life as a high school history teacher. I knew I needed a change, and Le Wagon was exactly what I needed.

I read many of these reviews on CourseReport when determining which bootcamp would be a good fit for me, and found the rave reviews for Le Wagon to be well-founded. It was one of the most challenging and rewarding experiences of my life. Le Wagon provides an abundance of support and resources - one-on-one teacher assistance, daily paired-programming challenges, group programming challenges, and optional reboots for students, like me, who felt as though they would benefit from additional support in learning key fundamental concepts. Additionally, my experience at Le Wagon taught me how to learn a language and to think like a developer, which has proven to be extremely helpful as I have started to branch-out post-graduation.

Le Wagon was wonderful experience and continues to be a supportive community as I transition into a role as a junior developer.If you’re still on the fence about which coding bootcamp might be the right fit for you, I strongly encourage you to reach out to Le Wagon - you will not be disappointed.

Before starting the 9 weeks full stack program with Le Wagon in Casablanca, I was working as an investment analyst and gained over 3 years of experience in that position.

I was at a turning point in my career where my next move would be to either stay in the industry and look for a position in a different firm or take another path for the future.

After some reflection, I decided to pursue a career in technology. My plan at the time was not set in stone but learning new skills is never a bad idea, especially if the skills in question are highly sought after by the job market.

After a quick search for the best coding bootcamps and programs online, I stumbled upon Le Wagon. All the reviews I read about the full stack program were describing the experience as life changing and were giving a detailed account of the skills that would be acquired after just 9 weeks.

After a few weeks of learning the basics of programing on my own online, I realised that having a structured program to complete within a set period of time was the way to go to further develop my skills and get closer to a level where I would be able to develop products and market my skills competitively.

Fast forwarding 3 months later, I was enrolled in Le Wagon and ready to hone my new skills.

The first weeks of the program are packed with knowledge and it is truly a full time commitment. The days would start at 9AM with a lecture about the topic tackled that day, followed by a full day of coding challenges where we use that knowledge to solve problems or create micro applications and would end with a live code run by the professor. Most days would end around 7PM.

The main language used throughout the program is Ruby, an object-oriented language that allows you to write code fast, easily understandable for people new to programming but also very powerful once used in conjunction with the framework Rails.

The basics of HTML, CSS, Javascript and SQL were also dispensed over two weeks in order to truly be able to build a web application from start to finish. The last two weeks of the bootcamp are dedicated to project week. They are the most challenging weeks and were where all the knowledge pieces acquired over the first 7 weeks fall into places.

The program kept its promise to deliver knowledge in a way that takes you beyond the beginner level in 9 weeks and allows you to feel confident to tackle larger projects in the future.

Le Wagon clearly states its intent to deliver content primarily for entrepreneurs wanting to acquire the technical skills to develop their ideas - and it does that in a stellar manner. The course content also caters to people looking to acquire technical skills to further evolve in their current position.

The social aspect of the bootcamp is also something worth pointing out. I was surprised to see so much diversity in profiles - 50% of the participants were there with the objective to rejoin their current position but needed that extra tech skill boost, while the other half were either in reconversion like me or had the intention to become freelance full stack web developer.

The bootcamp exceeded my expectations and allowed me to immediately market my newly acquired skills as a freelance web developer and I’m not excluding the option to join another bootcamp in the future to further my tech education.

As a repatriate, I was glad to join a community of people with the same goals as mine i.e. acquire skills to further develop the digitalisation of services in Morocco and globally. The environment is conducive to learning the best practice in coding as well as the startup workflow. The course was delivered in a coworking space where I had the chance to meet people with different background and trying to take their businesses and ideas to the next level, which is more than what I was expecting.

Every week, there are activities organised for the students - boxing, yoga, meditation and talks with local founders sharing their experience. Overall, it was a fulfilling experience and I recommend it to anyone coming back to Morocco after spending time abroad. It allowed me to grow my local network and boost my career plans.

My takeaways from this experience were the following:

• It doesn’t necessarily take a long time to acquire new skills, a well structured program such as the one offered by Le Wagon do just that.

• It’s never too late to pivot a career, you just need a plan and target a fast growing industry.

• Take the time to further develop your skills after the bootcamp. The bootcamp can only take you so far and delivers everything you need to get started with your new career but in order to produce a quality product, you will need to keep learning long after you finish the bootcamp, you have to think about it more like a marathon than a sprint.

• Get out of your usual environment, meet new people, share ideas with them and grow from their experiences too. This is an aspect of the bootcamp that is not easily replicable and would ultimately make the experience so special.

WHY I WANTED TO LEARN TO CODE

With degrees in Humanities, Political Science and eventually Business School, I had worked as a marketer in FMCG and then in a large tech start-up in Asia. I needed a break and also wanted to address the utter intellectual curiosity and frustration of not understanding the web-products that had been revolutionizing the world economy.

I also felt like I needed the skillset to build things myself and not rely solely on the skills the corporate world had taught me because some of them would end up being non transferable in another environment (eg. as an entrepreneur or a freelancer). That skillset also meant the possibility of freedom  to me.

WHY I CHOSE LE WAGON

Firstly, a few friends of mine had done it and ended up teaching there right after completing the program, which I found unbelievably cool.

I had read many reviews about Le Wagon that contained  lots of promises. Even though I could believe them, I couldn’t comprehend how my brain was supposed to go about it in only 8 weeks time.

How the Wagon goes about teaching you coding - their approach - is simply word-class. The learning curve is steep and the program is definitely not for the faint-hearted. But problems that seemed insuperable in the first weeks turned out to become the least of our concerns in the project weeks.

I had no idea what was under the hood of a software on day 1.. On week 6, I ended up coding an AirBnB clone from scratch and then a custom merchant app with a team of students. This is how steep your learning curve is going to be.

THANK YOU

I could not have done it without the support of my fellow batch #189 students.

Our teachers, Inou, Ellyn, Elsa, Albert and our managing staff Guido and Dirk have been amazingly caring and supportive. I am happy to count them as friends today.

LAST WORDS

This program is not for everyone. Not in the sense that you need  prior knowledge of coding or an analytical/technical/quantitative background to be successful. But it does require a high level of resilience, motivation and absolute trust in Le Wagon’s team.

Today I am joining a US tech giant in a Product Marketing role, hoping to transition to a semi-technical role in the near future. I am still coding and upgrading my skills thanks to Le Wagon’s online platform, community and a custom curriculum designed by my teachers.

Do it in Bali, seriously. That’s my last and most important advice ;)

I was thinking about the next step in my career and I became increasingly interested in software engineering. I wanted to have a strong start into coding so I opted for a boot camp experience. In particular, I choose Le Wagon because extremely product focus and its strong reputation worldwide. Also, Barcelona was very appealing as a major tech hub and design capital in Southern Europe.
I wanted to learn how to code to design and realize an MVP so I was amazed by what we were able to create in such a little time. Furthermore, I had the luck to meet several creative fellow students.
My advice to future students is to learn as much as you can and don’t be afraid to ask. Le Wagon has been a great start into coding and such a cool experience."

我在2017年的暑假加入了Le Wagon。在此之前我是成都外国语学校国际部的一名高二学生，想要在即将到来的申请季申请到理想大学的计算机科学专业。我想在进入大学前对计算机科学有一个比较初步的认识，所以从高一开始自学编程。但是自学到的知识是碎片化的，我也并不知道如何投入到实际应用当中。最后在同学和老师的推荐下进入了Le Wagon。我是Batch#88中年龄最小的学生，并且当时没有接触过很多英文的计算机术语，所以对当时的我来说Le Wagon是相当有挑战的。

经过了在Le Wagon的两个月之后，我从最开始的编程小白成为了在团队里一起开发项目的一员。Le Wagon的两个月对当时即将步入美国大学的我来说真的是受益颇多。最后两周的final project和我在Le Wagon两个月的宝贵经历都成为了我申请大学的resume和essay中画龙点睛的一笔。现在我就读于美国伍斯特理工学院的计算机科学专业。在Le Wagon的学习中我不仅积累到了很多的编程经验，也从中学到了如何有效率的进行peer coding和团队合作，这些对我在美国大学的学习确实有很大帮助，让我受益匪浅。

(Bali, batch #163)

Before attending the bootcamp I was just finishing my bachelor’s in law (quite a different field than coding I admit but it was not a major issue). My main motivation for attending Le Wagon was getting the skills to create my own products and become independent in my job. Turns out it’s exactly what the program brought me.

I got on board the Le Wagon adventure with a friend who told me about it. At first, I was sceptical about how much I could achieve in only 2 months of classes so I started to do my own research and realized it was worth it to accept the challenge.

Therefore, I came to Bali to be challenged and I was not disappointed. The program is really intense and it requires a lot of physical and mental dedication. It is made for students to give their best and get the most out of the 2-months program. Also, it adapts to the level of students, I think it would be hard for anyone to finish every exercise every day. But that you can find in many bootcamps I assume and I want to explain you why I think Le Wagon is unique among other bootcamps.

I only realized how exceptional this program is when I got there and here are my reasons.

First, on the very first day we had the introductions with the team members and our classmates and I understood that this bootcamp was serious. All of the teachers but one were previous students of Le Wagon who had taken the bootcamp in the past but also worked in the tech industry. It didn’t take me long to realize that they were real experts in what they were doing and that they were really enthusiastic about taking us to the same level.

Second, I was worried I would not have enough previous experience to follow everything that was going on everyday but I was willing to do as much as possible and give my best every day. To be honest, the environment and people around me really helped me to stay on track as it is sometimes frustrating not to achieve as much as you think you should. It takes some humility to accept that but thankfully Le Wagon doesn’t only teach about coding.

It also teaches you to keep a positive mindset and help you improve your social skills. Especially in Bali because we are all immerged in the same conditions in a wonderful location with a lot of activities to enjoy and far from our daily routine. I think this situation really brought us together and made this experience better in every aspect.

Le Wagon also teaches you the coding methodology. By giving you instant feedback, with the rake, a test written for each exercise which is guiding you to the solution. Also by pushing students to solve an issue themselves like an experienced coder would do - by googling it - instead of giving the answer straight away. Of course, they do help you if you have any problem but they really help students become autonomous learners and programmers.

Also, something I loved was that the team spent time with us outside the classroom to share moments together, and we made great memories! I never felt like I was lonely because everything was made for the group to really get together.

I struggled a good amount during those 2 months but it was one of the best experiences in my life where I met great people and surpassed myself. In the end, we all had great products ready for demo day and celebrated it properly.

Finally, I’ll talk a bit about my post batch experience. I started a master’s in law a few weeks after I finished the program and quitted one month after to dedicate myself to coding 100% of my time. I think it’s really important to keep coding right after you finish the bootcamp to keep building on the fresh skills that you have just learnt. Now I feel like I can learn anything about coding by myself because all the resources I need are out there.

I am now building a web agency with 2 other friends while trying to launch my own product at the same time.

All these reasons make the Le Wagon bootcamp in Bali exceptional to me. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a life changing experience and is ready to apply this change to their life right after the bootcamp.

Valentin Raille (Bali, batch #163)

I initially graduated in Criminal Justice, but after university, I didn't really have a clear route I wanted to take in my career, and did a few different jobs without feeling satisfied. 

Then, a couple years ago, I tried some free coding sites online, and realized that I wanted to pursue a technical career.  Learning on my own for a year only got me so far, so I decided to research coding bootcamps.  
Besides the passion for coding, I'm also an experienced diver, and I was curious if there were any coding bootcamps in Thailand or Bali.  
I googled "coding bootcamp Bali", and Le Wagon popped up.  
I researched them online and knew right then that I was going to attend their bootcamp.  

Learning to code in a place as fantastic as Bali is a win/win.  If i'm going to look at a computer all day, I wanted to balance it out with an awesome ocean sunset right outside our classroom window.
The first few weeks of the bootcamp are tough, as you start to grasp programming basics, concepts, and logic, but if you stay focused and follow the teacher's suggestions, very soon you really start to understand how to apply all the tools Le Wagon has given you. 

The teacher's support during the whole bootcamp is incredible. Their educational skills and the in-depth knowledge of the tech allows them to be really explain what you're learning, and their passion and the attention for the students are truly remarkable. When you have any doubt or need clarifications, you always receive an accurate explanation and the one-to-one keeps going until everything is finally clear.
Also, the program is outstanding. I love that each week's topic builds onto the following week's topic, so you're gradually building the tools and knowledge you need to build full web apps. 

With only six weeks of coding experience, the class built a lot of awesome projects. And then the real fun begins: building your final project. Our project uses a GitHub API to nicely display your GitHub projects, along with the language used to create them (www.buidl.cc), graphs and other features that I would never have thought I'd be able to implement after such a short time.  

My Le Wagon knowledge and resume has helped me greatly.  After just two weeks from the end of the bootcamp I am now already interviewing for a few companies (including a fortune 500 company who specialises in consulting, cybersecurity, and other services for the US Government), without any previous technical experience. 
Aside from the code, the friends and bonds you make with classmates are for a lifetime, and Bali is really the perfect place to mix learning and social life.  I miss it already.  It was the greatest experience of my life, and I would do it all over again today. I am very happy that I decided to attend Le Wagon! Change your life, learn to code!

I had been working as an English teacher in Thailand and China before I decided that it was time to move to a more future-proofed and lucrative career. Coding had always been of interest to me because I’m both creative and I enjoy problem solving. Bootcamps are the fastest way for someone inexperienced to become an employed developer, and I was attracted to Le Wagon above all others based on their track record of being able to train people with immediately serviceable and employer-sought skills in just nine weeks.

I visited the Le Wagon London campus to speak with current students and teachers and to better understand the Le Wagon culture, and although instantly impressed, I opted to study in the sunshine and surf of Bali.

The setting couldn’t have been more perfect, and it was a wonderful learning experience as the course teaches you things at a pace that initially seems too fast to handle, but the concepts that you learn are reinforced again and again and again throughout the bootcamp, and you realise come the start of the Airbnb week and final projects that… you know how to build web applications.

The teachers are friendly, knowledgeable, and always available to help you on the bootcamp, and the teaching material is well structured to continually build on your previous knowledge.

Since finishing the bootcamp, I’ve proven that I took away the proficiency and the skills to build web apps away from the assistance of teachers and have built a portfolio that I’m now using to leverage my way into the career that I want. Le Wagon is supporting me in this process, and the alumni community, based all around the globe, is there at a moment’s notice for any questions I have.

The experience of Le Wagon was overwhelmingly positive, and as well as new skills, lifelong friendships were forged during the bootcamp itself. I don’t think I was alone in my batch in graduating with a brothers-in-arms mentality of knowing that by doing Le Wagon, we’d been a part of something special. A learning experience that was going to take us forwards into the rest of our lives.

I’ve been living and working in China for over 11 years before starting the Le Wagon boot camp. The first few years I was working with an ecommerce startup in Digital Marketing before going out on my own starting my own agency. I’ve worked closely with developers the entire time I’ve been in China and I took a few online development courses which simply didn’t work.

I joined Le Wagon to get to hands on approach to coding so I could understand how to better manage a team of developers, as well as to be able to create and code my own crazy product ideas I’ve had over the years. After completing the boot camp, I can see and feel that there has been an immediate impact on my business and I’ve already started coding one of those product ideas that I have been sitting on for years.

This boot camp is perfect for those people who are looking for a change, or like me, want to expand their knowledge and actually build something meaningful. So get ready for fast paced, impactful, and more importantly exciting 9 weeks!