6 Tips to Help You Prepare for a Successful Coding Bootcamp Experience

For anyone looking to join the fast-paced, quickly growing tech industry, coding bootcamps are the most efficient way to get there.

Whether you’re looking for a career in mobile app or web development, software engineering, cybersecurity, or data science, there’s a coding bootcamp for you.

Unlike traditional schooling like, say, college or university, coding bootcamps are often fully immersive experiences. You’re in the classroom day in and day out in order to more efficiently and quickly learn the skills you’ll need to apply for tech roles.

Because it’s such an intense, immersive environment, you’ll want to prepare yourself for what will be a life-changing few months of your life. It’s key to your success both during and after the course.

We’ve listed six ways to prepare for your coding bootcamp. They’re helpful to know whether you’re committed to a bootcamp or if you’re in the consideration phase.

6 coding bootcamp prep tips you should know

These six coding bootcamp prep tips will be helpful to anyone signing up for any type of coding bootcamp, no matter what the format is.

1. Complete a paid or a free coding bootcamp prep course.

Regardless of the languages or skills you intend to learn, immersing yourself in a coding environment will be helpful for any upcoming course. It’s significantly less difficult to learn additional coding languages when you become familiar with others.

We offer two types of coding bootcamp prep at App Academy: the first is our Bootcamp Prep course. We offer a live prep course as well as a self-paced online coding bootcamp course. You’ll familiarize yourself with important skills like JavaScript and mock interview prep. Not only will you walk away with working knowledge of one of the most in-demand skills in tech, but you’ll have more confidence interviewing for your position in your chosen coding bootcamp.

The second coding bootcamp prep we offer is App Academy Open, one of the best free coding bootcamps. Though not explicitly designed to be a prep course, App Academy Open is available to anyone, anywhere, entirely for free. You’ll learn our campus Software Engineering course curriculum at your own pace and grow familiar with working in coding environments. This skill is undoubtedly one of the most important to flex before starting your coding bootcamp.

2. Improve your typing skills.

Knowing how to type well and quickly is going to help you immeasurably during a coding bootcamp. When you’re typing line after line of code, speed and accuracy will be crucial to your success. There are tons of free typing tests and games to improve your skills leading up to joining a bootcamp.

3. Talk with friends and family about your schedule.

An immersive coding bootcamp is just that — fully immersive. That means you’ll have significantly less time for social interaction and other responsibilities during the duration of the course. Be honest with friends and family ahead of time about the bandwidth you’ll have and let them know how important this step is to your future and career.

4. Set up your workspace.

As any remote employee knows, having a designated workspace is a must to ensure success and uninterrupted focus during lecture and work time. This does not include your bed, dining room, couch, or other spaces that should be reserved for relaxing. If you don’t have space for a large desk in your home, find a corner and a small-space desk that’s reserved for working only.

Once you’ve found the space, outfit it with must-have accessories: a laptop or desktop, a notebook, pens and pencils, a keyboard, mouse, and headphones. Plants, candles, or other fun accessories can make the space feel homier.

5. Create a schedule — and stick to it.

Between live lectures, lunch breaks, and runs to the coffee machine, your free time may be limited. It’s important to carve out time for additional study, exercise, as well as time to relax and unwind. Even more important is knowing when that time is and sticking to it. If you don’t, you’ll find yourself at a loss for that precious time when you need it most.

6. Show yourself some love.

Coding bootcamps are hard for a reason. It’s not easy to switch careers at any point in your life, and learning an entire new skillet from scratch takes significant effort. When you can, find time for self care, taking walks, seeing friends and family, and doing other activities that make you feel good. Show yourself some love during these few months because you will be stressed and overworked. Trust us — it will be worth it in the end!

Start your coding bootcamp prep today

Preparation is key as you begin your coding bootcamp experience. We’ve helped thousands of new software engineers find jobs — are you next?

Click here now to learn about our coding bootcamp prep courses that will ensure success as you start this new venture.