Self-Taught vs Bootcamp vs University: Which One Should You Choose?
The Most Honest Review
Most people who want to learn to code are confused between the different options. Whether they must go the self-taught route or they must attend a Coding Bootcamp or they must go to college and earn a degree.
Here I have compared all the available options. I have been totally honest in the comparison.
1. Self-taught route
As a self-taught, you won’t need much to start your journey. What you need are a laptop and an internet connection. Along with time to write the code daily.
You don’t need too much money. It is the cheapest option available of the three options you have. On the Internet, there are several resources for you to learn to code.
You have websites like freeCodeCamp, Udemy, and Coursera. Of course, for additional help, you have several small YouTube channels to guide you properly.
Hundreds of paid courses are there too. Those course instructors will guide you appropriately. At most, even if you take a paid course, you only need a few hundred dollars.
You will need to have a lot of self-discipline. You won’t have any kind of exams, so you have to push yourself every day. You will not have a deadline to present your projects.
The time you have estimated to finish your learning and start applying for jobs will continue to lengthen. As you will never feel that you have prepared yourself properly.
You will need a lot of determination and motivation.
One of the advantages is that you can decide what your speed will be to learn things. If you want to learn a concept slowly or quickly, you have the option of adjusting speed.
For the purpose of opportunity, you have to make your own way. You must show employers that you are worth hiring. This can sometimes get quite difficult.
2. Coding Bootcamp
To enter a coding Bootcamp, you must pass an evaluation test. This evaluation test will ensure if you can get into a good Coding Bootcamp or not.
There are many Bootcamps that just want your money. You don’t want to spend your time at that kind of Bootcamp. That is why a little prior programming knowledge is required.
The price of the Bootcamp will not be less. It is definitely not going to be cheap. You will get different types of payment options. Still, you have to pay the price.
Some of them give you the option to pay after job. It is difficult to enter such a Bootcamp due to the competition. When you are in a Bootcamp, you will have a fixed curriculum.
You will have an instructor to help you stay motivated. The instructor will help you where you get stuck. This is one of the best things about joining a Coding Bootcamp.
A Coding Bootcamp will give you a fixed deadline to finish your project. One downside to a Coding Bootcamp is that it will have to be completed in six months. If you are not learning at a faster rate, you will miss the opportunity to understand critical concepts.
With the help of Bootcamp, it is easier to get hired. Some of the Bootcamp even have alliances with different companies. Hiring is not going to be a big challenge.
3. Degree in computer science
To get into a computer science degree, you will need to have high marks. You will need a good score in your high school just to apply to certain colleges.
To learn to code at a university, you have to pay a huge amount of fees. Just to get a college brand attached to your name, you will have to pay high fees.
You will definitely learn some useless things. There are things you will learn as a computer science student that you may never use in real life. I feel like it’s the most overrated way to learn to code.
I have heard from some of my friends that they wish they hadn’t wasted their precious time in boring classes. As you complete college, you can learn at your own pace.
There will be exams and deadlines to present your project. But while you are completing a degree, you will have plenty of time to review the course material. You will have a strict curriculum to follow.
One of the most important things you get in college is a great network. You can access this network at any time in your life. They will always be there to help you.
You will get a lot of internship opportunities if you are completing your degree at a good university.