Bootcamps are a great place to learn JavaScript

By Kevin Juhasz for Hack Reactor

No matter what path you choose to take, you’re going to have to invest in your education. The goal of any student is to make sure they get the most out of that education and to make sure they’ll get a solid return in the future.

Careers in technology are an area where you’re most likely to find multiple paths to learn software engineering, data science, or whichever discipline you choose. Traditional education offers degrees for software engineering and programming languages. There is also the option to find methods to teach yourself.

Another excellent option is a coding bootcamp, which offers an intense, focused program designed to make students knowledgeable and gainfully employable the moment they graduate. Bootcamps are a great place to learn JavaScript, one of the most popular programming languages in use. There are numerous reasons that taking the bootcamp path offers the best benefits to those looking for JavaScript training.

Achieving your goals

You’re going to spend money on your education, so you want to make sure you complete your program. This is a position where bootcamps can be a huge advantage. They are significantly quicker than a traditional school and they offer structure that is sometimes absent when teaching yourself JavaScript.

“[Self-]learners are responsible for keeping themselves on track and motivated,” explained Olivia Tan, co-founder of CocoFax. “Therefore, if you fall into a pattern, you might eventually sit up and realize it’s been over a month since you last looked at your JavaScript textbook. In this context, bootcamps aren’t only a quick method study; they’re an efficient one.”

Staying current

Nothing evolves faster than technology and the programming needed to run that technology. A continuing issue with traditional schools is that changes to the curriculum can take time. The self-taught method requires you to wait for someone else to create the material.

Bootcamps thrive and survive on staying up-to-date with the technology and making sure their students are prepared to go to work upon graduation.

“JavaScript has evolved and changed stylistically more than any other language that comes to mind,” said Mike Frederick, CEO and co-founder of Flatirons Development. “A coding bootcamp will ensure that you are using the latest JavaScript techniques shared by the community. Learning in this way de-risks you from learning outdated patterns and clarifies which tools and methodologies the JavaScript world is currently using.”

Better educators

Traditional colleges, depending on where you go, may not even be taught by a professor. Self-taught courses don’t have any teachers available at all in many cases. Bootcamps, however, offer the professors needed to effectively, efficiently, and successfully learn JavaScript.

“Instructors at boot camps have years of experience in the field,” said Miranda Vin, co-founder of VinPit. “They don’t simply educate students on how to write code; they also show them how to apply programming languages in real-world applications. These professors are well-versed in their subject matter, and, perhaps more importantly, they are approachable to students who require assistance.”

Assistance with learning

Maximilian Zur Muehlen, a product developer for CustomPlasticPart, started out learning programming via self-taught online courses but believes that bootcamps are better because they offer the help students might need when learning or encounter problems learning JavaScript.

“While it is certainly possible to become a decent programmer by self-studying, I see huge advantages in taking bootcamps,” he said. “One major advantage is that you have a mentor or coach that you can ask in person. That is probably the most powerful advantage. In programming, a small thinking flaw can cost hours if not days of progress. An expert opinion is much more effective in solving those than spending hours on stack-overflow.”

Improved networking

The numbers on how many jobs result via networking vary, but there’s no debate that who you know is one of the vital components for advancing your career. Making those contacts is the first step in building a network that can help with a common career or one in freelance or consulting. Being self-taught reduces the opportunities to network, while traditional education won’t guarantee you’ll make enough of the necessary contacts for your field.

“Learning JS at a bootcamp gives you the opportunity to interact and network with others in the industry, including aspiring developers as well as industry leaders and professionals from the bootcamp’s alumni,” said Eric McGee, senior network engineer at TRGDatacenters. “Networking within the industry will be critical in helping you grow your career after the bootcamp.”

Better portfolios

Bootcamps don’t mess with unnecessary classes, so students are focused on what they need to learn to be successful. This also helps them increase their chances of landing work because the nature of the bootcamp is to make you do the work, so you can prove that you can do the work.

“The learning in a Bootcamp is hands-on and efficient since it’s project-based, especially for a front-end language like JavaScript,” said Jenelle Fulton-Brown, marketing manager at Affiliates Sloty. “For most people, these boot camp projects become the best things on their portfolio demonstrating their skills and competency.”

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