The 5 Ways to Get the Most Out of a Coding Bootcamp

Getting the most you possibly can out of a coding bootcamp matters for several reasons.

The first is that many of the best bootcamps cost money, and there’s nothing more frustrating than spending your well-earned dollars on something that provides no positive or substantial value to your life or work.

The second reason is you likely signed up for a bootcamp in the hopes of achieving a specific outcome, whether it’s a new job, stronger skill set, or broader professional network. You take the wrong approach, and those will be harder to reach.

Finally, it’s a lot more rewarding and fun for you to make the most of anything!

So with all that, here’s how to prepare for a coding bootcamp and take advantage of every opportunity it provides.

How to get the most out of a bootcamp

We’ve outlined all our coding bootcamp prep advice for before you sign up and during your training.

1. Do your research

Preparing yourself for a coding bootcamp that pays off starts with the kind of program_{College vs. Bootcamp: Which Learning Model to Choose} you join.

Your choice shouldn’t be made lightly. Here are our tips for finding the best bootcamp_{5 Ways to Find the Best Coding Bootcamps of 2024} for your needs and learning style:

• Read reviews_{Review Platforms And Rankings Worth Your Attention When Choosing a Bootcamp} and testimonials from current students, alumni, and instructors on Reddit and review platforms.
• Explore the bootcamp’s website_{Unveiling Legitimacy: How to Verify the Authenticity of a Bootcamp} and relevant links for information on the curriculum, format, and job placement services.
• Google around for potential scams_{Scam or Not? How to Check If a Bootcamp Is Legit} and where to avoid them.
• Reach out to former students on LinkedIn or other social media platforms to get an honest, unfiltered take of the bootcamp, or perspective on your aspirational career path.
• Contact the bootcamp’s customer support line to answer any remaining questions and feel out personalities.

2. Get to know your classmates

Great bootcamps don’t just put you in front of subject-matter experts — they also place you among individuals with similar goals, not to mention diverse and potentially useful backgrounds and expertise. 

Basically, your classmates can offer a lot in terms of how much and how well you learn, and how you get a job, break into a field, or move up in your current role post graduation. For example, maybe one of your colleagues works at your dream company and can give you a referral. Or, maybe they’re also balancing parenting and changing careers and could offer some words of wisdom.

TripleTen bootcamp graduate Evgeniia Unzhakova_{How an Immigrant Landed a Career in the US: Evgeniia Unzhakova’s TripleTen Story} says her teammates were especially helpful when it came down to presenting her final project.

I was very nervous. I forgot all of the words. I was stressed,” she said. “But my teammate said, ‘Calm down, relax. You’ll do a great job.’ Evgeniia Unzhakova, TripleTen grad

Pedro Fierros_{Refashioning a Career in IT: Pedro Fierros’s TripleTen Story} similarly leaned on his TripleTen cohort for support and encouragement. “We all just kind of got together and said to each other, ‘I’m struggling in this area, I’m struggling with these concepts here,’ and although we couldn’t solve each other’s difficulties, there was that extra sense of community there.”

Some ideas for how to network with your peers in a way that feels natural to you:

• Apply for bootcamps that mandate group projects, promote interactions through meetups and lectures, and/or offer online discussion boards or virtual meetings.
• Search for bootcamps that have strong relationships with other schools, organizations, or tech companies and allow students to attend their events, shadow their employees, and/or collaborate on real-world problems.
• Find a mentor or mentorship group inside or outside your bootcamp.
• Introduce yourself right away to other students in your cohort, and ask them for coffee or a meal if they live in your area.
• Connect with people in your class and within the broader bootcamp network on social media, send them a personalized introduction message, and keep the connection warm by commenting on their posts or offering up your time, referrals, or resources.
• Ask your teacher if they would let you organize a happy hour or hangout outside bootcamp hours.
• Attend any and all networking events or conferences the bootcamp offers, as well as any they or your instructor sponsors, speaks at, or recommends.

3. Complete your assignments and lectures — and ask questions

We get it: No one likes homework. But the assignments, video lectures, and other materials you’re given in a bootcamp are there for a reason — to help you build the right skills for your career. So you have to read them, complete them, and attend as outlined in your schedule.

Most importantly, you need to speak up when you don’t understand something — either live or in person, or if you’re more comfortable, over email or chat. There’s no other way you’ll stay on track with the rest of the cohort, and you’ll regret not asking when you graduate and you no longer have unlimited access to experts.

If you struggle with time management, you’re not alone: Evgeniia said the only way she was able to finish her data science bootcamp was by literally shutting the door on other tasks, be it chores or caretaking.

Train yourself to take action even when you’re not in the mood. Ian Dizney, TripleTen grad

“Set specific goals, such as completing a few lessons before indulging in something enjoyable. You can also try allocating a fixed amount of time to focus solely on the lessons. By adopting this approach, you’ll find yourself steadily progressing through the program and mastering complex concepts,” adds Ian Dizney_{3 Pieces of Advice for a Student Just Starting at TripleTen}, a graduate of TripleTen’s software engineering bootcamp.

4. Apply your learnings outside the classroom

Reading about and watching coding can only take you so far. To really get good at it, you have to put it to use on a consistent basis.

The right bootcamps will provide these opportunities for you through project-based work, internships and externships, and real-time feedback sessions. But you can also practice on your own in a variety of ways:

• Start your own business, or create and launch a website or app (it doesn’t have to be perfect or even usable — you just have to start!)
• Participate in open-source projects on GitHub
• Consult for a startup, burgeoning entrepreneur, or contractor looking for tech assistance for free or a small fee
• Take on tech projects at your current company, or shadow an engineer for a day or week
• Ask a mentor for help getting more involved in programming
• Talk to a bootcamp classmate about ways you can work together on a coding challenge, or give each other feedback on a side project

5. Leverage AI and other tech

Artificial intelligence_{Why AI Is Your Friend Not Foe} is only becoming more common in workflows, so it’s handy to have a firm grasp on how to leverage it when coding. Not to mention, many AI chatbots and tools can guide you along your coding journey, providing feedback and hints for where to go next and helping to catch mistakes as they arise.

TripleTen’s software engineering bootcamp has an AI component to its training program_{Yes, You Can Master Software Engineering. Our AI Will Help.}. Other developer tools available are Google Cloud’s AI code generator or OpenAI’s ChatGPT.

Whether you’re a newcomer to the field or a seasoned coder, harnessing the power of Google can significantly enhance your problem-solving capabilities. Many challenges you’ll encounter can be swiftly resolved with a few well-crafted Google searches. Ian Dizney, TripleTen grad

Beyond learning: about a career

TripleTen doesn’t just believe in tech know-how. We also care about building careers that are fulfilling, stimulating, and long-lasting. 

This comes through in how our bootcamps are structured. Beyond live and self-paced tutorials, our programs allow students to gather continuous feedback and coaching from instructors and tutors, as well as get involved in real-world scenarios through our company partners. 

And our assistance doesn’t stop at skills training: Our robust career services cover everything from writing a compelling resume to handling behavioral interview questions.

We’re so confident you’ll make it out the other end, we’ll refund 100% of your tuition if, after following our guidance, you don’t land a job within six months of graduating — that’s our money-back guarantee.

See what career is right for you

Your coding bootcamp journey can start today with our quick, two-minute career quiz. From there, you’ll have a firmer grasp on the types of jobs that excite you, and what training you’ll need to land them.

Or, you can book a call with our advisors to learn more about programming, costs, and student outcomes.