These days, there are so many different types of coding bootcamps to choose from that it may be challenging to make sense of one option versus another, let alone pick the bootcamp that’s right for you. However, one way to start narrowing down the decision is to look at the actual format of the bootcamp itself and understand if that format resonates with you. After all, a variety of factors, including your need for flexibility and accessibility, as well as price sensitivity, will play a major role in helping you isolate coding bootcamps that fit your life and ones that will never work.
Offline Coding Bootcamps
Perhaps considered one of the more traditional options out there, offline coding bootcamps leverage a classic classroom structure for their format. Students attend classes full-time each and every weekday, and have a dedicated instructor to take them through lessons and support them through the program.
Offline bootcamps are immersive and certainly effective at helping students learn to code. However, their approach can make it difficult for many students to actually attend. Anyone with a full-time job or other regular commitments will likely find it difficult to attend classes five days a week. Additionally, most offline bootcamps only take place in major metropolitan areas. Either students already live there…or they have to move to a new town. Further, at an average of $10,000 or more per bootcamp, the traditional offline option can be cost prohibitive. For students with flexibility and discretionary money to spend, these can be a great choice. However, this bootcamp style’s inflexibility often closes the door for many students.
Online Coding Bootcamps
At the complete opposite end of the spectrum are online coding bootcamps. As their name implies, these take place 100% online. This makes them great for people across a variety of locations who aren’t interested in moving. Additionally, they generally let students work at their own pace, a much-needed feature for students with other commitments. Given that online bootcamps can cost as little as $100, the price point makes them truly open to most students.
However, this format offers zero accountability. With no deadlines by which to complete coursework, or instructors and peers to offer encouragement, there’s little external motivation to actually complete assignments. As a result, very few students actually reach the finish line.
Hybrid (Flipped Classroom) Bootcamps
It’s because of the known upsides and downsides of these two approaches that a new model has developed: the hybrid or flipped classroom coding bootcamp. This model blends the best of both worlds by letting students take structured classes online, but with a dedicated instructor. This gives students the flexibility to learn when their schedule permits, but gives them a resource to turn to for help and support. Because each batch of coursework comes with fixed deadlines, student are pushed to actually do their work and keep learning.
Taking a page from the offline model, hybrid boot camps have students meet once every weekend in their local town. During these workshop sessions, students connect with other members of their hyper-local cohort, giving them an opportunity to work together and overcome any learning hurdles they’ve faced during the week. At just under $2,000, this bootcamp format offers an affordable coding education solution.
About Ludovic Fourrage
Ludo is the Founder and Chief Product Office of Nucamp, the world’s first community coding bootcamp. Featuring a hybrid online and in-person learn-to-code model, Nucamp is revolutionizing coding education by making it flexible, affordable and approachable. Nucamp offers web development, front end and full-stack courses, allowing students to kick-start new careers in the tech sector.
