Diploma in Full Stack Software Development - Thoughts ?

Shades

Hi

I would like to hear opinions on this course.
https://springboardcourses.ie/details/6020
Its 1 year online from code institute.

I'm 31 with no 3rd level education and no experience with coding.
I would like to develop some new skills and learning to code / getting into the I.T sector seems a smart choice.

Any advice is appreciated.

Thank You

DefinitelyMarc

Sounds good if you don't have to pay for it.

Just make sure that you have a separate place where you do all of your work so that you can separate work from home. Also make sure you have a decent/average laptop or desktop.

Anima

It's a lot of material to cover in a year, especially with no prior experience of any kind. The term full stack is kind of a bs term in my opinion which would put me off.

Having said that, I do know some friends who have done these conversion type courses and have got a job out of it so I guess it works to some extent. I've also worked with quite a few from a similar background. The quality of people coming out though varies a huge amount so I'd expect some employers to be sceptical.

If you do end up going for it, I'd advise you to give it all your time and really get immersed. I don't think it's enough to just do the assignments and pass the course. It's like learning a new language, you have to practice every day.

pillphil

There are a couple of lads where I work that were taken on as permanent last year after doing a course with the Code Institute. Part of their course was a placement with my company, I assume this was an important part of their getting hired (I don't actually know the lads.)
The course they did has the same name as this one. I can ask their opinion if it would help?

Important question to ask, would you be ok with being a tester? even a manual tester? This seems to be the starting path for a lot of people coming into companies through courses like this (including myself).

I'm not sure if this course is full or part time, but another possibility is FIT ICT AP, that one is full time. Th education part left a lot to be desired when I did it, but having a year and a half working for a company is worth something.

Shades

Thank you for the replies

Having thought about it some more I feel this is not right for me, it's a bit too focused which could take me in a direction I have no interest in. Having said that it does look like a pretty good opportunity for those who wanted to upskill and learn this stuff.

Shemale

Personally speaking I think you would be better using one of the main colleges, I am just finished a H Dip in NCI and I wouldn't advise anyone to study there, it was a complete **** show.

Three years ago I did a Springboard Cert through DCU in Computing and Telecommunications Technology, it was a 1 year course, September to May / June and the content was excellent. This is the course https://springboardcourses.ie/details/6070

I had a quick look and saw this other course which might be of interest.
https://springboardcourses.ie/details/6071

Richard was one of my lecturers and he was excellent, all three of my lecturers in DCU were technically way ahead of the NCI lecturers I had.

My brother in law did an IT H Dip in ITB and he found the content and lecturers really good there and his career has flourished.

I got my first job in IT 26 months ago as a test engineer, the DCU helped me get in the door, I am a mature student and was working full time. I have just attained a 2:1 and am seriously banging on the door to get into dev so if you put your head down you can make it work.

I am not sure if you are working or unemployed but I think I read if you are working you have to pay 10% of the fees yourself and if you are unemployed it's all subsidised. Springboard is an excellent opportunity and if you are serious about retraining jump at it, make sure you have an affinity to the course as if you drop out I don't think Springboard will pay for a different course(which is fair enough)

pillphil

I'd probably also advise main college if your situation permits...

Shades

I agree with both you thanks

OrangeBadger

I was just about to post asking about springboard....Shades are you reading my mind??

Would there be big limitations with choosing a course that is delivered entirely online? I just find it difficult to see the link between these courses and actually getting work or applying skills learned to a job. I have a Masters which cost a lot of cash and time and isn't worth the paper it's printed on and the disappointment, when I realised that the tutors couldn't give a toss and the content was meaningless, was a bit crushing.

I am based in Sligo and so far have only been looking at courses hosted by Sligo IT

https://springboardcourses.ie/details/6197

This one is being hosted by Sligo IT but it might be a bit much with a 40 hour workload per week.

Talisman

@Shades: Check out Codecademy - It's free and the courses offered will cover the same material - HTML, CSS, JavaScript & Python.

Using Codecademy will help you determine for yourself whether your heart is in it - if it's not then you are unlikely to make the effort required for a Springboard course which is delivered online.

Tar.Aldarion

Couple of my friends did this https://www.codeinstitute.net/ with no tech background at all and have done well from it. There is an in person or online version and it's the only bootcamp accredited with a uni in Europe (if that means anything).

DevLit

Shemale wrote: »

Personally speaking I think you would be better using one of the main colleges, I am just finished a H Dip in NCI and I wouldn't advise anyone to study there, it was a complete **** show.

Three years ago I did a Springboard Cert through DCU in Computing and Telecommunications Technology, it was a 1 year course, September to May / June and the content was excellent. This is the course https://springboardcourses.ie/details/6070

I had a quick look and saw this other course which might be of interest.
https://springboardcourses.ie/details/6071

Richard was one of my lecturers and he was excellent, all three of my lecturers in DCU were technically way ahead of the NCI lecturers I had.

My brother in law did an IT H Dip in ITB and he found the content and lecturers really good there and his career has flourished.

I got my first job in IT 26 months ago as a test engineer, the DCU helped me get in the door, I am a mature student and was working full time. I have just attained a 2:1 and am seriously banging on the door to get into dev so if you put your head down you can make it work.

I am not sure if you are working or unemployed but I think I read if you are working you have to pay 10% of the fees yourself and if you are unemployed it's all subsidised. Springboard is an excellent opportunity and if you are serious about retraining jump at it, make sure you have an affinity to the course as if you drop out I don't think Springboard will pay for a different course(which is fair enough)

It's not a complete **** show.

I just finished a 4 year degree and had the time of my life. Yea there was some admin BS. But usually they're on the ball.

Shemale

DevLit wrote: »

It's not a complete **** show.

I just finished a 4 year degree and had the time of my life. Yea there was some admin BS. But usually they're on the ball.

Pity they didn't teach comparing apples with apples! You did a four year full time course and "had the time of your life" and that is comparable to a 2 year part time course while working full time? As a full time student you could go into the office any day you needed something. I emailed the exams section the day the results were released, two weeks on no reply.

The college advertised a two year course and when people were on it they shoved in a 4th module into Year 1 Semester 2 giving us 7 modules to study in one year with most of the people on the course working full time. In Year 2 they tried to shoe horn everything for that year into Semester 1 thus turning the course into 18 months with no consultant with the students and which would be to the benefit of the college.

And as I stated the lecturers were nowhere near the level of the DCU lecturers