Coding School vs. M.S. In Computer Science | Hacker News Reader

Coding School vs. M.S. In Computer Science

Hi,

I am stuck in a dilemma right now. I have already earn my bachelors degree, albeit it was in Economics. I started programming two years ago and have taken the Computer Science prerequisite courses at a community college(data structure, computer assembly, object oriented programming, etc). I really want to do full stack development.

In my position, is it better to go to a coding camp (i.e. hack reactor, app academy, general assembly) or get a masters in Computer Science?

Thanks in advance Software Gurus!

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Checkout bloc. They offer a full stack course: https://www.bloc.io/web-development

It will be more focused than a general CS degree, and and a lot faster. Given your previous coursework in the CS fundamentals, I think this is what you're looking for. If its not, I can put you in touch with the founders to see about doing something custom.

bloc.io

Full disclosure: I went to school with the founders. They buy me beer sometimes.

Honestly you should just work on a personal project for a few weeks, and apply to a few places as a junior dev. Or go to some local meetups and see if someone will give you a shot. If you're okay with taking below market pay, you can always find a startup to work for that will give you valuable experience on your resume.

If you already have a few Comp Sci courses under your belt, all you need is a project and a local mentor to help you land your first gig.

thanks for the advice! What are you thoughts on immersion schools like hackreactor where there is a 99% hired rate at average of 105k starting. Although it comes with a hefty tuition of 17780. I know you should never do anything for the money but it looks pretty attractive. They do have a bunch of startups/companies that hires from there, streamlining the process to get your projects out. Thoughts?

Thanks for your advice!

There was an Ask HN on the subject of HackReactor and similar a little while ago:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=8148345

a HackReactor graduate was very positive:

"TL;DR: I graduated from Hack Reactor last year and received four job offers, the one I accepted was close to the average salary Hack Reactor advertises, and the 99.XX% hiring rate is actually true. I credit the program's success to their selectivity, the resources they pour into hiring instructors from the industry, and choosing to focus on JavaScript. You can read my review of HR on Quora: http://www.quora.com/Reviews-of-Hack-Reactor/review/Jake-McG...

Another thread:

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=6040234

Edit: I would take online reviews with a grain of salt. It would be best if someone you know who attended can tell you.

Most of coding schools would not explore full stack, as their goal is to get you trained in that specific language for that specific platform using a limited set of tools the instructor prefers.

MS curriculum is more likely to get you exposure to operating systems concepts, database theory, multiple programming languages, introduction to subjects like artificial intelligence and machine learning, so that you get a more holistic picture.

I agree that a MS curriculum would give more of a holistic picture. I figure if I get a job first, I could always do a masters part time. Money is a bit tight right now. Thoughts?

Thanks for your advice!

If you go the MS/BS route, you need find time on the side to actually learn to program. It doesn't happen in the coursework.

Disclaimer: I run a bootcamp in San Antonio.

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