I went through the same bootcamp twice in six months. The second time around was much easier, though, because I didn't have any deliverables, and it was my job to help seventeen students complete the program successfully. No, literally, after I successfully completed the bootcamp, I was selected by peers and educators to return as a Teaching Assistant to help nurture the next generation of developers.

I'm grateful for the opportunity to share advice with so many students throughout the program from week one to week twelve. I'm just one person, though, and after these students completed the bootcamp themselves, I surveyed them so that they could potentially provide some guidance for others starting their coding journey.

Ordered by age, youngest to oldest

1. "I wished I had spent more time each day getting prepared utilizing resources like codeacademy, Udemy, etc. Not being afraid of trying out projects and applying what I learned instead of just learning the theory." - Katia, 21

2. "Learn concepts in advance, set yourself a schedule and stick to it" - Nicholas, 24

3. "Get a good nights rest, as much as you can, early on. Take good notes, I referred to them a lot throughout the assignments" - Moin, 24

4. "Don't leave the decision to join a bootcamp so late and get a couple months of self taught coding experience in beforehand, just so I would've been able to grasp concepts quicker during the actual bootcamp." - Bilal, 25

5. "Set aside lots of time on weekends for homework and practice. And aways give yourself buffer time to finish projects because you will run in to a problem that will take you some time to solve" - Ryan, 26

6. "The way success is measured is by consistency, not by proficiency" - Claudio, 28

7. "Have the foundational knowledge down. Bootcamps are very fast paced. If I had foundational knowledge of html CSS and JS down the learning curve would feel less steep. It would be good to complete Odin project or FreeCodeCamp before you enroll in a bootcamp." - Stef

8. "Even if it's a bootcamp, don't be too hard on yourself. Do the projects properly and do try new features or ways to do things, it is the best way to learn what works and what does not work. Ask questions and a lot of them. Don't be afraid of what others think of your questions, most of them are in the same boat as you." - Li, 31

9. "Study some coding before starting, because it IS intense" - Robert, 32

10. "Better late than never!" - Hyunchol, 37

11. "Have a good understanding of JavaScript fundamentals. It will make things a little easier! Don't be afraid to ask for help as soon as you can on projects in class. Don't try and figure everything out yourself. You will cry." - Rowena, 43

In some cases, I've heard that bootcamps are the hardest experience someone has had to go through. It can also be the most rewarding. If you're considering enrolling in a bootcamp, just know you might feel very uncomfortable going through the process, but you'll learn so much about yourself, work on so many soft skills, and overall learn to be a better professional. So, don't forget to enjoy the process. 😊