Venturing into the world of coding education can feel like navigating a maze, filled with numerous paths and choices, each leading to different destinations — many of which can leave you more lost than when you started.

With such a vast array of options, from self-taught courses to structured academic programs, aspiring coders often find themselves at a standstill, unsure of which route will best lead them to their coding aspirations.

Understanding key factors such as curriculum, support, prestige, and cost can help unravel this maze and allow you to chart a clear path that aligns with your learning goals, career ambitions, and your time-based and financial limitations.

TL;DR

Key Factors to Consider

Curriculum

The curriculum is the cornerstone of your coding education, determining the trajectory of your learning journey. Here are important aspects to consider:

1. Relevance to Industry Needs: A high-quality curriculum should align with current industry standards and practices. It should cover the technologies, tools, and skills in demand in the job market.
2. Comprehensiveness: A good curriculum should cover the subject in depth, from foundational concepts to advanced topics. It should provide a well-rounded education, preparing learners for a variety of challenges they might face in real-world scenarios.
3. Streamlined and Focused: A comprehensive yet streamlined curriculum accelerates learning by focusing on essential knowledge and leaving some less critical topics to be explored ad hoc when doing projects. This balance allows efficient progress without compromising educational depth and keeps learners engaged and motivated.
4. Structure and Clarity: The organization of the curriculum is crucial. It should have a logical progression, building on concepts in a way that makes sense and deepens understanding over time. Each module or section should have clear objectives and outcomes.
5. Practical Application: Theory is important, but the ability to apply learning in practical contexts is crucial. High-quality curricula often include hands-on projects, case studies, and real-world simulations.
6. Flexibility and Accessibility: The curriculum should be adaptable to different learning styles and paces. It should be accessible to people with varying schedules and commitments, possibly through on-demand videos, interactive online resources, or mobile-friendly content.
7. Updates and Evolution: In fields like coding, where technology changes rapidly, the curriculum must be regularly updated to stay current. Courses that continuously revise and update their content are more likely to provide high-quality, relevant education.
8. Feedback and Assessment: Opportunities for feedback, whether through assignments, projects, or exams, help reinforce learning and gauge understanding. A quality curriculum will include mechanisms for regular assessment and feedback.
9. Instructor Expertise: The qualifications and experience of those who developed and teach the course can be a strong indicator of its quality. Experienced instructors with industry backgrounds bring invaluable insights and real-world perspectives.
10. Reviews and Testimonials: Feedback from past students can be very informative. Look for detailed reviews that discuss specific aspects of the curriculum and how it helped in real-world applications.

Support

When evaluating the effectiveness of support offered by a course, it's important to recognize that the impact can vary based on individual learning styles and needs. However, generally, the support mechanisms can be arranged from least to most effective as follows:

1. Community Forums (General): General forums like Stack Overflow, Quora, and Reddit allow peer-to-peer support. While they offer diverse perspectives, the advice may not always be reliable, consistent, or specific to the course content. The communication process can be slow, as you must carefully craft your question and wait for responses. There's no guarantee of receiving a timely or accurate answer - the anonymity of these platforms means you don't always know the expertise level of the person responding.
2. Course-Specific Forums: These are similar to general forums but are focused on a specific course or subject. They offer more relevant peer-to-peer interaction but may still lack the personalized guidance from experts.
3. Discussion Boards and Group Chats: These platforms allow for more dynamic interaction among students and with instructors, facilitating a community learning environment. The response time and quality can vary.
4. Live Webinars or Q&A Sessions: Scheduled live sessions offer the opportunity to ask questions in real-time and get immediate feedback. They can be very effective but are limited by the schedule and the number of participants.
5. One-on-One Messaging with Instructors: Direct access to instructors for personalized guidance through messaging or text is highly effective, offering tailored support and detailed answers.
6. Video Call Support: Personalized support through video calls allows for in-depth discussions, demonstrations, and a more personal connection, making it highly effective for complex learning needs.
7. Personal Coaching or Mentoring: Regular, scheduled one-on-one sessions with a mentor or coach provide the most personalized and effective support. They can tailor the guidance to the student’s specific needs, track progress, and adjust the learning plan accordingly.
8. In-Person Support (if applicable): For in-person courses or hybrid models, face-to-face interactions with instructors or tutors provide the most immediate and personalized form of support.
9. Emotional Support: In my opinion, it is not only rare to find in a program, but vital to ensure learners feel supported not just academically, but also emotionally. Most course formats will not foster a close enough relationship between student and staff that encourages students to seek emotional support during challenging times. A learning environment that encourages open communication and provides emotional support can be the difference between someone quitting or persevering on their journey.

Prestige

Prestige is about how much weight the education you receive carries in the job market. Programs always boast how highly regarded they are in the tech industry, but in the vast majority of cases, their claims are more promotional than factual. We’ll dive into the prestige of each coding option shortly.

Cost

Cost is a major consideration for many learners. While free courses may be accessible, they often lack the structured support and comprehensive curriculum needed for deep learning. On the other hand, more expensive options like college and some bootcamps can offer more resources and structured learning environments but at a significant financial (and in the case of college, time) commitment.

Rethinking Investment

Choosing the best program for your coding education is a decision that should not be taken lightly. If you are serious about pursuing a career in coding, you should anticipate recouping your investment regardless of the option you choose. The path to becoming a coder, though achievable, is challenging, and the more obstacles you face, the less likely you are to succeed.

Consider the frustration of spending an entire year learning to code without securing a job, the suffering of your social life as you dedicate significant free time to your education, the self-doubt that creeps in when you frequently get stuck on coding topics, or the unease of applying to jobs feeling unqualified.

These are just a few of many sticking points everyone goes through. We highlight them not to scare you, but to prevent you from being blindsided by them. The more support you have in overcoming these challenges, the greater your chances of success.

Comparing Education Options

Free / Cheap Courses

Curriculum

When evaluating the curriculum of free or cheap courses for learning coding, several pros and cons emerge.

Firstly, these courses often cover a single topic comprehensively, which can be beneficial if the course is well-constructed. They are also usually mobile friendly, which makes it easy to fit in chunks of learning when you’re on the go.

On the other hand, they tend to delve too deeply into a topic, presenting an exhaustive amount of information that may not be immediately relevant to a learner's journey. The need for a single-subject course to be thorough often leads to including numerous subtopics that might be more efficiently learned on a need-to-know basis during project work.

Additionally, these courses tend to focus on basic, fundamental material without providing insights into its application in real-world, professional settings. They rarely address how to collaborate in teams using the technology or the bigger picture of how the skills fit into larger job roles. This lack of higher-level perspective can leave learners ill-prepared for the complexities of working in tech environments.

Another significant drawback of using free or cheap single-topic coding courses is their disconnected nature in the broader context of a learning journey. These courses, focused on one specific area, often lack integration with other relevant topics or subsequent stages of learning. They may assume you possess certain prerequisite knowledge that you actually don’t have. This disjointed approach can make it challenging for learners to build upon their knowledge in a structured and meaningful way.

This has the effect of making the journey slower and more arduous, increasing the likelihood of burnout / dropout. Students will have to invest additional time and effort in researching and planning their educational trajectory and try to piece together a comprehensive understanding from these isolated learning experiences.

Support

Support in these courses is limited. Even with the best instructors, there are always questions left unanswered, and these courses often lack an efficient way to address them. There's also a gap in feedback on practical projects, if the course suggests projects at all, which is crucial for applying your knowledge.

Prestige

The prestige of these courses is minimal, with the only real benefit being the self-satisfaction and confidence gained from self-directed learning.

⚠️ Caution: Many of these courses offer certificates upon completion. While these certificates can provide a sense of achievement, they are never or rarely valued highly in the professional world. In fact, listing these certificates on a resume might inadvertently signal a more junior level of expertise, as they are not typically recognized as significant credentials by employers. It’s an unfortunate reality, but the best way to garner interest from employers is to seem like you’re an experienced engineer, and such a person wouldn’t highlight that they completed some cheap course that anyone can take.

Cost

The most significant advantage of this path is its cost-effectiveness. However, even with the low price, it's worth exploring other paths that might offer a higher level of education without upfront costs (college scholarships, bootcamp with pay-later structures, company-offered technical programs, or CoderComplete, which is very affordable for a top-quality paid option).

College

Curriculum

College offers a structured curriculum that builds upon existing knowledge and provides the student with a robust education, provided that the student remains engaged throughout their tenure there.

However, the curriculum always includes a lot of theoretical material that is not useful in a practical setting, unless your goal is to be a researcher. If you’re reading this article, then that’s probably not you. Hence, the four-year duration of a college degree is a much longer process than necessary if your goal is to be a professional developer.

Also, the material will rarely be accessible after a lecture, so once the class is over, you won’t be able to see it again.

Furthermore, colleges have to undergo a lot of systematic changes in order to update their curriculum, so it’s possible certain material will be out-of-date, or they’ll miss new practical information relative to the bleeding edge of what’s happening in the coding world.

The social aspect of college, including networking with peers and joining extracurricular project teams, can be a fun and enriching experience. On the other hand, that fun may be counterbalanced by less engaging instruction (dependent on each professor), the necessity to learn “boring” topics, and the stress of tests, labs, and assignments. Some people are “school people,” and some aren’t. That’s up to you!

Lastly, the professors and TA’s are often researchers, so if your goal is work in a less theoretical setting and be a professional software engineer at a tech company, it’s possible they won’t have the best advice to give.

Support

Support in college includes limited access to professors during office hours, assistance from teaching assistants, research opportunities, internship possibilities, career fairs, guidance counselors, and a network of classmates.

School support skews impersonal because as there are so many students, they will usually make you aware of what’s available, and it will be up to you to take initiative and utilize those resources. They will not reach out to you if you are not using them. This could make things difficult for those who need a helpful push sometimes (I would argue that this is most people.).

Prestige

The first thing that must be said is that a college degree does not guarantee a job. The effectiveness of your degree is largely dependent on:

• The prestige of the specific university
• Your GPA
• Your internship experiences
• The projects you made

Many students do not particularly excel academically, find meaningful internships, or engage in practical projects beyond their coursework. They make the mistake of assuming that their degree alone will open doors for them. Instead, upon graduation, they find themselves in a similar position as self-learners and bootcamp grads, with comparable or even less practical knowledge relevant to their desired roles in software development.

That said, of all the learning options available, college is the most likely to have an actual effect on your employment potential. There are some companies that, in my opinion wrongfully, won’t hire anyone without a degree. But the number of companies who prioritize skills over formal education today is high, and I anticipate that the significance of a degree will diminish further as time goes on.

In my perspective, having a college degree on your resume can be a valuable addition, serving as a positive credential. Nevertheless, I would confidently argue that the most pivotal elements on a student's resume are their internship experiences and the compelling projects they have undertaken.

You are capable of pursuing these achievements independently of formal education.

Cost

The price of college can vary greatly, ranging from a free ride to the equivalent of buying a snazzy car every year. If college is your desired route, you’ll want to either fork out an arm and a leg to go to one of the most reputable schools, or focus on securing a scholarship to receive a degree for little cost.

Bootcamps

Curriculum

Bootcamps offer a structured, short-term curriculum that quickly introduces important topics. Some bootcamps are in-person, while others are online.

Regardless, the curriculum will be very streamlined with a specific, practical goal in mind. Therefore, the programs will likely be updating themselves regularly to stay up to date.

For some programs, the material will be recorded for later and mobile-friendly viewing. On the other hand, some teach their material in live classes, forcing you to be available at certain times, and increasing the possibility of missing important information.

Many bootcamps focus on job strategy towards the end of the curriculum, including capstone projects and resume tips, but the quality varies significantly between programs. From personal experience, I felt my bootcamp did a good job offering job search- and resume-related advice. But I’ve coached people fresh out of other bootcamps whose resumes, interviewing skills, and knowledge of job search strategies were lacking.

On the note of interviewing skills in particular, most, if not all, bootcamps' curriculums barely scratch the surface. This includes the one I did. There are many types of interview questions to study, including complex algorithm problems and system design problems.

The pace of bootcamps pushes the student to learn a lot of information in a relatively short amount of time. On one hand, it’s good for someone to grow a lot in a brief time period. On the other hand, it’s likely for students to fall behind and for knowledge gaps to form. The course will move on before you’ve grasped certain material.

This can actually be detrimental once you graduate from the program, leaving you with a tremendous amount of imposter syndrome for not having mastered all the topics. Then you’re back on your own to fill in your knowledge gaps and go through the job search process. This was my experience, and it wasn’t fun! (Side note: It took me four long months of applying, continuous self-learning, and emotional stress before I landed my job.)

Support

Support in bootcamps can vary.

Getting quality one-on-one time with the staff may be difficult, as one staff member may be responsible for many students. During my time at a bootcamp, there were instances where I couldn’t figure out a bug, and a staff member could only help for some 15 minutes, and we didn’t figure out the problem. Since I never figured it out, that obviously left me with confidence issues when I graduated the program.

Along with that, the level of expertise of the staff can be inconsistent. Why would a successful, well-paid engineer take a significant pay-cut to work at a bootcamp?

Once the program ends, support usually diminishes. It's uncommon to leave the program with a job in hand, so this means you’ll be back on your own to get to the finish line.

All that said, joining an in-person bootcamp can be a nice way to have a more social and personal learning journey.

Prestige

The prestige of bootcamps is generally low, with rare exceptions where specific companies have had good hiring experiences with bootcamp grads, or a bootcamp’s alumni network provides recent grads with interview opportunities at specific companies.

Typically, however, a company will only view a bootcamp grad as a qualified engineer if they demonstrate interesting projects and expertise. As far as networking, a bootcamp grad who secured a job will typically not have much time or interest in helping other grads, as they are preoccupied with their new work, and they don’t know the other person. Perhaps the common education will provide one point of similarity to establish a connection, but I believe networking is a skill that can be learned, and if someone learns it well, they won’t be limited by not having the exact same education as someone else.

Cost

The cost of bootcamps are typically high, ranging from $10,000 to $20,000 in the US.

Some offer deferred payment plans, where you share a significant portion of your salary your first year at your new job. But many people are unaware of the fine print, which will usually say that if you give up or don’t secure a job within a certain amount of time after the program, you will have to pay the large sum at that time.

CoderComplete

Curriculum

At CoderComplete, we take great pride in offering a comprehensive curriculum that sets us apart from traditional coding learning paths, including free/cheap courses, bootcamps, and college programs. Our commitment to delivering a curriculum that empowers individuals to become not just proficient coders but also well-rounded software engineers is what defines us.

Comprehensive curriculum: Our curriculum covers a wide array of topics that go beyond what you'll typically find in bootcamps and college programs. We understand that real-world success as a software engineer requires more than just general coding skills. Therefore, we offer in-depth insights into various critical areas, including:

• Internal Company Operations: Understanding how companies function internally is vital for a successful career in software engineering. We delve deep into organizational structures, project management methodologies, and collaboration tools commonly used in the industry.

• Software Architecture: CoderComplete equips learners with a profound understanding of software architecture principles, enabling them to design robust, scalable, and efficient systems—a skill often overlooked by other programs.

• Intensive Interview Preparation: We believe that excelling in technical interviews is crucial for landing one's dream job. Our program provides comprehensive interview preparation, including data structures, algorithms, system design, and behavioral interview techniques. This emphasis on interview skills sets us apart and prepares our students to communicate effectively with experienced engineers during the hiring process.

• Real Engineering Communication: While many programs focus on coding skills alone, we go further by teaching our students how to communicate effectively with other engineers, enabling them to contribute meaningfully to team projects from day one.

Continuous Updates Based on Feedback: We are committed to regularly updating our curriculum based on feedback from our learners and industry trends. This ensures the most hard-hitting and relevant information, speeding up efficiency in reaching job-readiness.

Accessibility and Flexibility: Our curriculum is accessible on both web and mobile platforms so that our students are able to learn on the go and fit more learning time in their busy lives.

Support

We at CoderComplete are committed to ensuring our learners succeed, offering a level of support that's a cut above the standard college or bootcamp experience. Our approach is both professional and approachable, focused on providing timely, quality assistance every step of the way. Our team of coaches consists of genuine engineers, selected for their extensive industry knowledge and strong communication skills. We understand that each learner's needs vary, so we offer a range of support options to assist with clarifying concepts, refining job application materials, honing interviewing skills, offering emotional support and motivation, and more.

Emotional Support: We recognize that emotional well-being is vital for success. In times of challenge, we offer a safe and judgment-free space for reaching out with any concerns or problems. Sometimes all it takes is a listening ear and a shift in perspective to find the motivation and resilience needed to persevere.

Project/Assessment Approval: Before our students advance in the material, our team thoroughly reviews their module projects and assessments to ensure they've grasped the concepts effectively. When they haven't, we maintain a consistent channel of communication until they're up to snuff.

Discord Community: Our vibrant Discord community is the central location for quicker questions, interesting conversations, and direct communication with peers and coaches.

Weekly Live Sessions: Our weekly live sessions address larger questions, encourage group learning, and enhance your understanding of complex concepts.

1-on-1 Coaching Calls: When our students encounter complete roadblocks, we offer 1-on-1 coaching calls to personally help navigate them through the issue and keep them moving forward quickly in their learning journeys.

Prestige

Currently, the prestige of CoderComplete is comparable to that of self-learners and bootcamps. However, we are dedicated to enhancing our reputation within the tech industry as the premier program for cultivating self-sufficient and highly capable software engineers.

Rest assured, our curriculum and support system are meticulously designed to mold learners into standout developers with the most interesting projects to display and the knowledge and communication skills of a serious professional engineer.

Cost

We understand the importance of affordability in making quality education accessible to as many people as possible. Our go-at-your-own-pace curriculum and subscription-based pricing structure allow us to stay lean and keep costs affordable for a wide range of learners. Where colleges and bootcamps can cost tens of thousands of dollars, our most expensive pricing plan is only $250 USD / month. We believe that quality coding education should not be cost-prohibitive, and our pricing model reflects that commitment.

Thank You For Reading 

Choosing the best program for your coding education is a critical decision. You now have a better ideas of the factors to consider when deciding what option is best for you.

Ideally you will pick a path that balances cost with curriculum and support quality. The faster you can navigate through challenges and progress to landing your first coding job, the less a toll it will take on your emotional health, and the better it will be ultimately for your wallet (earning good money sooner).

We at CoderComplete believe we are the best balance of all the above considerations. If you think we’re the option for you, you can see more details about our program and sign up on our main page, and if you’d prefer to get more familiar with us first, you can connect with us in our free Facebook group, where you will see a lot of valuable information from us and can get a taste of what it’s like to network with other passionate learners under our guidance.

We hope this article was useful for you, and we wish you the best of luck on your journey!

Signing off for now 🫡

Jared