Is Devbootcamp a legit way to learn how to code?

I recently posted in another DevBootcamp-esque post on HackerNews but I'll echo what I said. I'm a current DevBootcamp student, and I've never been in an environment more conducive to learning anything.

As a student you're surrounded by 19+ other students that are highly motivated and highly intelligent. We've also got access to fantastic and experienced mentors that are available to answer our every question and help us solve every problem that we may encounter.

I'll leave you with a quote from a recent thread on a Rails list from a fellow student (Ben Johnston):

"The course itself has exceeded my highest expectations. A typical day starts with optional Yoga in the morning. After breakfast we have a 1-2 hour class given by Shereef followed by some pairing on exercises or a project. When we are working by ourselves Shereef and the mentors roam around answering questions. We sometimes have a second impromptu class after lunch where Shereef will go deeper on a subject he sees us struggling with during the morning session. Then we go back to the pairing stations and hack away for three or four hours. We have speakers come in once or twice a week to talk to us about what it takes to become a great developer, how they work on projects and what to expect in the industry. The background of the speakers vary, we've had developers from companies like ThoughtWorks and Pivotal Labs, CEOs from big companies like IGN or startup founders like Michael Staton from Inigral. Every Tuesday Twitter engineers come to the space to teach us Javascript. Most students stay late every night. It is not uncommon for half the class to still be coding at 11pm.

DBC has been the hardest and most rewarding thing I have ever done professionally. I am inspired by my class mates everyday. They "lean forward into the problem" no matter how daunting it is. Shereef reinforces this attitude by relentlessly throwing us in the deep end and now we embrace that feeling of discomfort when something seems beyond our ability. I consider myself a developer now and know I can build really cool stuff. I can't begin to describe how good that feels and how grateful I am to Shereef for putting together such an incredible program. It has genuinely changed my life and was well worth the tuition (most of which will be refunded if we get a job from one of the 20+ employers coming to meet us). "

There is no legit way to learn something. You either learn it or you don't.

The correct question is - "Can you learn how to code in 8 weeks at Devbootcamp?" That answer is yes. I'm not sure if it was by chance or a product of the people that Devbootcamp admitted into this class...but this class isn't here to learn by osmosis. We all work hard.

Another good question would be..."If you are incredibly motivated, can't you just learn how to code on your own?" That answer is also yes. There is no magic or voodoo that happens in this office. There are no secret formulas that a person will miss out on by passing on DBC.

Buford - if you actually are curious on what is going on here...why don't you stop by?? We're at Market and 5th - just down the street from you. Incredibly friendly group...super excited about ruby and love sharing everything that we've just learned. It is an amazing feeling being in our position...and I would personally be happy to share the experience with you.

I am currently a student in this Dev Bootcamp program as well. My experience has also been very positive.

If you are interested in knowing exactly what we've been up to, I have been recording the experience daily in (excruciating) detail here: http://douglascalhoun.tumblr.com

I am also a student at Devbootcamp. The intensity of the program combined with the amazing dedication of the other students has realistically quadrupled my learning speed. The program as a whole (starting 2 months before the first day of class when you get your pre-class homework) can take you from a complete newbie to hirable. One of the biggest indicators of its merit is that you can see most of us who are going through the program have become somewhat of evangelists. If anyone is considering the program, I really recommend reaching out to one of the students who are currently in the program and learning more about it. You can also check out my blog at newbietoruby.com

I came to visit this group once when they were starting their program, and I'm going in again -- simply because I think the approach is conducive to identifying people who are hyper-motivated, and stripping away every possible obstacle to learning. I'm excited to see where it goes.