FreeCodeCamp beat out a $200 bootcamp for me - here's why it worked better

I spent 3 weeks in an online bootcamp called CodeCraft last summer and got so lost in their rush to cover React. Then I switched to FreeCodeCamp's responsive web design track and actually built 5 real projects at my own pace (finished in 4 months). The difference? FreeCodeCamp made me struggle through errors on my own rather than following along with an instructor. Has anyone else found that free resources teach you more patience than paid ones?

2 comments

2 Comments

spencer_hayes711mo ago

My buddy tried a bootcamp last year for Python and quit after week two because they expected him to know dictionaries by day three. He switched to a YouTube series by some guy named Dave and spent two months just doing loops until it clicked. Free stuff lets you bang your head against the wall longer without feeling like you wasted cash.

jason5241mo ago

Honestly the "bang your head against the wall longer" part is a really good point. Bootcamps are all about rushing through stuff so you feel like you're making progress, but they never let you actually struggle the way you need to. Free resources kinda force you to find your own pace.