If you live in any city that has a lot of tech jobs you have probably seen advertisements for a number of different coding camps. Some of these coding camps offer free tuition until you get a job or after hours for classes so you can still keep your full time job. If you spend any time on the internet you have also seen pop-ups and ads about different coding schools that are all online and promise you a job after you are done with the course. These all sound wonderful but there are different options and some of these options are not for everyone. 

Coding camps and schools are different than your traditional four year college degree. The environment of students and the space is going to feel different than your typical college classroom environment. These could be an environment in which you thrive or it could be one where you do not learn a lot and feel stressed out. 

To make sure that a coding camp or school is right for you, here are some factors to consider when looking at different coding camps:

Time

To become a web developer it is going to take some time. Do not expect to become a professional overnight. There are some camps that last as little as 6 weeks while there are others that last up to nine months. You may be looking at a coding camp because it is shorter than 4 years and you want to get out into the workforce. Even though you want to start making money and start working, you will need a good set of skills in your toolbelt before you can get hired by a company. 

Location

There are some amazing coding camps that are located in England and in the United States. They are located in different states and areas of the world. Even camps and programs that are online will have a home spot that is located in a specific country or state. This is important if the school is in person because you will need to move to that specific place. If it is online you will want to see where their connections are because not all online companies will have connections where you live. 

Networking

Coding camps have a tight knit community that is great for networking and building connections. If someone was a graduate from your coding camp they will be more likely to look at your resume and bring you in for an interview. You will also want to go to different events that the program offers if they offer any networking events. These events can help you meet new people and eventually get a job as a developer. 

Work Load

The shorter your coding camp the less you will potentially learn. You want to learn enough that you will be able to get a job and be a valuable asset to the company that hires you. Longer programs can help you learn different techniques and other things that impact your code such as SEO and load balancing. Some camps will have a lot of homework that you have to do outside of class and they will also expect you to work on projects that you will present. Other camps will give you some time to breath and work on projects without doing homework. 

Space

If the camp offers free housing, where is it and how nice is it? If you are sleeping with a bunch of people in the same room and you are used to a private room you may have a hard time adjusting to the space. 

When moving to a new state or country, if the program does not offer free housing you will have to think about renting a space out and paying rent every month. You will need to see if you have enough savings and calculate how much you will end up spending if you decide to not get a job while going to school.