Juggling Learning to Code with Balancing Family Life

Finding the time to learn new skills is hard enough to fit into a schedule for most people; but as many parents know, this is especially tough to prioritize while raising a family.

The up-front time and cost investment associated with many traditional, four-year collegiate degree programs make this out-of-reach for many, whether they have a family to take care of or not.

Luckily, certificate programs and bootcamps such as Nucamp have emerged to help aspiring coders learn the skills they need to land a web development job quickly - and at a fraction of the cost of a traditional computer science degree. This is especially convenient for people juggling professional development and/or a career change with a family.

Here are five ways Nucamp helps students achieve their coding goals while balancing the daily responsibilities that come with family.

1. It’s (Mostly) Remote: Nucamp coding bootcamps involve primarily remote-based learning, allowing students to enroll without committing to an expensive move or commute. Location is key when raising kids, so this remote atmosphere lends itself well to balancing coursework with family. Nucamp is a hyperlocal, community-based coding bootcamp, meaning that the once-weekly workshop sessions are geographically central to students and instructors, reducing commute time. These are especially ideal for students who live in more suburban areas or smaller towns.
2. Low Up-Front Cost: Coding bootcamps in general are far cheaper than a traditional degree. As we’ve written about before, this is in part due to the nature of the coursework; rather than being theory-based, Nucamp focuses on application-based learning so that students can quickly learn the skills they need to land a job sooner rather than later. Brick-and-mortar bootcamps tend to be more expensive due to the overhead costs of rent, maintenance, or utilities. In contrast, Nucamp’s mostly remote approach makes it far more affordable. 
3. Low Up-Front Time Commitment: Coding bootcamps not only have an edge over collegiate degrees with regards to cost; they can also be finished in a fraction of the time. Collegiate degrees often span a matter of years, with the most common programs requiring four years to complete. Coding bootcamps such as Nucamp, however, allow aspiring coders to complete their coursework in a matter of weeks, depending on the program. Nucamp’s Web Development Fundamentals course lets students learn the basics of HTML, CSS, and JavaScript in just four weeks. The Front End Web + Mobile Development course builds on this knowledge over the course of 17 weeks, and the Full Stack Web + Mobile Development course gives students all the full stack essentials over 22 weeks. First-time students and career-switchers alike want a program that can get them the training needed for their next job quickly; this is especially important if you need that job to support your family.
4. You Can Keep Your Current Job: Nucamp’s mostly-remote structure is not only convenient, but it allows you to keep working at a job you currently have while completing your coursework. This is not typically an option for students attending college or some other brick-and-mortar coding bootcamps. which are typically full time and require students to be in-person. Having the flexibility to stay in your current role can help you continue to financially support your family while learning to code.
5. You Control Your Schedule: One of the advantages of Nucamp over other online learning platforms like Udemy is its project-based, deadline-driven schedule. These milestones help hold you accountable to complete the work you’ve committed to doing. However, the remote nature of these courses let you work whenever you want to. So long as you’re meeting deadlines, you can finish your work wherever is most convenient. Need a break to go pick up the kids at school? No problem. You can pause and pick up your work later at a time that works for you.

In addition to the benefits above, on average, coding bootcamps usually come with a salary increase upon completion, making them a wise choice for students wanting to obtain new skills that will pay off and help them support their family. In fact, data from Course Report shows that 43.7% of survey respondents reported a substantial salary increase of $10,000 or more after finishing a bootcamp.

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