GUEST USER POST

Code schools and bootcamp programs have become increasingly popular for those looking to make the switch to careers in technology. While it is hard to pinpoint exactly what a great software developer looks like, we have spent years working with students and can better answer the question, "what makes a successful code school student?"

What makes a student successful?

**When it comes to code school, success means being unafraid to fail.**

Of course, students have a curriculum and work on various projects during their 12-week course, but what attributes can a student have that will ensure a successful experience? What can potential and new students be aware of as they look to enter this unique learning opportunity that will lead them into a new job or career? We asked our code school alumni to reflect on their time as a student and tell us what they think makes for a successful code school student.

When asked the question, our alumni didn’t share anything they specifically learned from the curriculum, per se. They shared the smaller, unwritten lessons that allowed them to excel in the program, and in turn, in the tech industry beyond CCS.

Here are four overall themes that our alumni responded with:

Puzzle-solving. Sticking with the problem at hand until it's done;
Don't be afraid to fail. You will fail, but "failure" is actually progress;
Big picture thinking. How does your code affect the larger project or entity;
Communication. Learning when and how to effectively communicate surrounding any project.

It's these and many other reflections that CCS alumni keep top of mind as they continue on with their professional careers. We recently sat down with a 2019 alumnus, Victoria, who shared her thoughts on what makes a successful code school student.

Victoria expressed, "To the extent that any student can, it's really helpful to be able to understand that this (bootcamp) needs to be the center focus for you for 12 weeks." Life happens, of course, but to be able to focus on this unique transition into a new career is crucial for the success of any student.

Similar to her fellow alumni, Victoria shared a similar sentiment about failing and how it's part of the experience that anyone will have as they learn to code.

"This is an annoying cliché but it is like riding a bike in that you're going to fall over and over again. Keep the faith. You're not going to reason your way to learn how to code. You are going to fail at it a lot and eventually, you will not fail. Be thinking, engage your brain, but accept on some level it's just about getting enough failure to learn how to not fail."

Failure is often looked at as such a negative word or experience. While they surely remember the many frustrations and failures they had as students, recognizing the importance of that failure (and that it’s really ‘progress‘ in disguise) is how our alumni continue to advance in their careers, and in their everyday life. All of these themes can be applied to both professional and personal aspects of life. For anyone interested in pursuing CCS or any 12-week immersive program into tech, remember these unwritten lessons and how they will impact your life and make you a successful code school student.

*Thanks to our alumni for reflecting and sharing from their time with CCS.

What makes a successful code school student?