Lighthouse Labs Admissions

Once students have been accepted into our web development bootcamp, I become their first point of contact in preparing them for day one. In that time, I help facilitate their progress through our prep course and make sure they’re mentally prepared for their 12 weeks.

The students know to ask me any questions they may have, so they can get the most of both our bootcamp and their prep. There are a few questions I hear the most:

Which part of the program causes the most difficulty for the students?

The part of the program which causes the most difficulty for the students is the pace. It's not a particular topic or subject or language. It's the pace of the course which causes the most difficulty. Any of the technical concepts are easy to learn, given our curriculum, instructors, and mentors helping out every day. However, the immersive and intense schedule of the course is the most overwhelming part.

What factors cause students to fail/drop-out of the program?

The factors that cause students to fail or drop out of the program are usually related to some aspect of personal choice. Students whose learning styles aren't conducive to being in an immersive bootcamp, students who have personal or health issues arise that would cause them to have to miss a significant portion of the curriculum, or students who come to realize that becoming a full-time developer just isn't what they want to to do. Those students who don't manage to meet the expectations of the program and are dismissed are students who weren't ready to commit themselves to the rigours of the course.

What should be done to avoid and prepare for these problems?

As far as advice, I would recommend ensuring that friends, family, and any business colleagues are aware before you start the program that during the 12 weeks of your cohort, they can expect that you will not be fully available the way you would be during a normal 9-5 scenario. I can also recommend getting into good sleep habits, doing your best to schedule medical appointments, friends visiting from out of town, and major sports tournaments outside of the 12 weeks of the cohort. Essentially, plan on preparing yourself for focusing fully on the bootcamp.

Don, all of this sounds a little extreme...

While all of this may seem rather severe and foreboding, I just want to be honest about the expectations. It would do you a disservice if I simply said “go get em," suggested reading blog posts on database concepts, and thought that would prepare you. We have designed an intense 12-week program that will see you working an average of 10-12 hours a day to complete the work. Your classmates will all be in the same situation. It will be mentally tiring, intellectually challenging, and hopefully a tremendous amount of fun.

You will create friendships that will likely last for years, gain a deep understanding of the career path you're choosing, and build some really amazing projects and products, of which you can expect to be very proud. You'll meet some interesting, intelligent people, find new aspects of your personality and discipline, and gain a plethora of new skills. In the end, that will be worth proper preparation and dedication for our bootcamp.

Have more questions about our bootcamp?