Student Life
So, what’s it like being part of an intensive course that will turn you into a junior dev in just 17 short weeks? Aside from a can-do attitude and a drive to succeed, you’ll need to make sure you have a few personal and technological ducks in a row!
Read on to learn more about the workload in each phase of the programme, how we support your emotional and physical wellbeing, and what to prepare.
Things to know
During Foundations, you will be working independently following our foundations curriculum, have weekly check-ins with your facilitator and other students. You will complete five sprints, with set learning objectives and outcomes. Expect to dedicate up to 40 hours a week to Foundations, although this time is flexible. Your facilitator will be available to chat with on Discord outside of your check in times.
During Bootcamp, you will be expected to be on campus (either Auckland, Wellington, or Online) from 8.30am - 5.30pm, Monday to Friday for 9 weeks. Expect to be coding and learning for around 60 hours a week. You can check out a schedule for a typical day at bootcamp on the FAQ page.
During Bootcamp, teachers will be available either in-person or on Discord during these hours. We typically maintain a ratio of 1 teacher per 6 students.
We offer a daily mindfulness practice and long lunches to combat fatigue during the intense Bootcamp. If you are in the Auckland or Wellington cohorts, you’ll have access to free coffee, tea, and organic fruit that is delivered twice a week. We also provide free yoga classes twice a week which are held on-campus.
On your first visit you’ll have a walkthrough covering the tikanga we observe in each space. After hours access key fobs or swipe cards are also available for both campuses with a refundable security deposit.
Each week students take part in a Human Skills deep dive, and have fortnightly one-on-one check ins with a Human Skills facilitator to help support your journey at Dev Academy.
We are committed to providing pastoral care for our students, so alongside your regular check-ins, we also offer access to counselling if you are having issues managing your mental health during bootcamp.
Careers Skills is a wonderful opportunity to meet industry professionals, work on your CV and cover letter, and get your job hunt started in a supportive and uplifting environment.
Graduates are welcome to visit the space while they are job seeking, and often our recruitment / industry team is available to assist with queries about job ads or interviews. This is dependent on space and covid dependent - check in with your space manager!
If you are studying at either the Auckland or Wellington campuses, here are some tech specs that our facilitators recommend for your home setup so that you can learn effectively outside of on-campus class time. Note: this set up is also required for students studying remotely in the Online campus.
- Either a laptop or desktop is fine
- A webcam and a microphone (if you have a laptop, the built-in ones should be fine)
- Reliable high speed broadband (at last 50Mbps, but preferably fibre)
- 2 screens or equivalent, either your laptop screen and an external monitor, or if you have a desktop then two external monitors or one large/wide monitor (at least 27”)
- External keyboard and mouse (for ergonomics / OOS prevention)
- Headphones or earbuds (ideally noise cancelling headphones if your environment is noisy)
- Other ergonomic things to suit your individual needs, e.g. footstool, wrist rest, standing desk
Bootcamp is hard work, so it’s important to let your support networks know what you’re up to and how they can best support you.
If you are a parent, make sure you’re open with your co-parent/s and whānau about extra childcare requirements. Get plans in place for school runs, lunchboxes, and playdates so your kids are occupied while you are studying.
Speaking of lunchboxes, think about what foods you can have on hand so that you’re eating in ways that can give you the energy you need for all the intensive learning you will be doing. There will be room on campus for you to stash snacks and staples, and fridges for you to store packed lunches.
Think about what a good work space would look like for you at home. If you are studying with us online, this will be the place you spend most of your time to make sure it’s comfortable, functional, and makes you happy! If you are studying with us in person, you will still need space at home for evening and weekend work.
