My thoughts on Self-learning VS Coding Bootcamp

I think it is good you have a little background of the person writing this article. I started coding in October 2020. I was self-learning. I used resources from Freecodecamp, YouTube, a few documentations, and a lot of google searches. It was cool, but it had its downsides.

For me, here are some issues with self-learning:

First, you have to develop a curriculum yourself. That is quite hard because how are you supposed to design a curriculum for something you know nothing about. It is not impossible, just hard. Second, you have to research several materials, since you don't know what is there, and there is a good chance of reading the wrong or a less detailed one, and you can get frustrated along the way. I remember one time I downloaded a 7-hours video from YouTube, and it ended up being a waste. last I would say, if you don't have a strong will, you will give up very easily. Also, most self-taught developers I have come accross do not know about the basics of computers, operating systems, data structures, algorithms etc.

So what should you do, having a mentor can be the solution to all of these or rather attend a Bootcamp. But if you cannot afford the cost of boot camps, just get a mentor who is interested in your growth.

For me, I joined the ALX-Holberton Software Engineering School. The most fascinating part of joining this school was the rich curriculum and working with several people from Africa and around the world. Sometimes I wake up to check the curriculum to review my progress.

In conclusion, I would say, follow the path that suits you and always ask for help when you need one.