You’re considering a career in tech, but you’re not sure which route to go down.
Intensive coding courses are a relatively new concept, so we’ve put together some detailed information on how CodeClan differs from university and what you can expect from our course, to check it’s the right decision for you.
So how do CodeClan courses differ from university?
The most obvious difference is that we offer a very practical learning environment, we try to mirror what your working day in the industry would be like. Whereas university is often more theory-based and focused on academia.
Our courses tend to be much shorter than a university degree, that’s because they’re very intensive. Our full-time data analysis (14-weeks) and software development (16-weeks) courses are designed to fast-track you into the world of work. Ideal for career changers who would like to get into the industry ASAP. This means that our courses are more intensive than university, with your typical week being 9-5 with additional homework on evenings and weekends.
Due to the fast pace of our courses, we want to ensure there’s enough support available. This is why we have three instructors per cohort of around 20, this means, that if you do get stuck, there will be someone immediately available to help. At university, you’ll often find that you’re expected to work individually, and classes are larger with one lecturer teaching.
What does a typical week look like at CodeClan in comparison to university?
We start every morning with a stand-up, a common practice in the digital world. You’ll discuss anything you found challenging from the previous day and how you’re generally feeling about the day going forward. This is part of an Agile methodology, which we try to encompass on the course, another practice that is common in tech.
At university, you’ll often be attending lectures and taking notes, then given various assignments on different topics and exams throughout the course. These tend to be more of a theoretical approach.
When it comes to teaching at CodeClan we like to keep things practical, we believe the best way to learn is by ‘doing’ with hands-on experience. That’s why we offer an interactive course where you code along with the instructors. You have the option to complete a Professional Development Award which is accredited by the SQA.
You’ll also have the opportunity to put what you’ve learned into practice with project work. As well as actually creating something with your group (similar to how you’d work in the real world) at the end of each module, you’ll also get to present to your fellow students.
What are the benefits of studying with CodeClan?
We work directly with industry experts and partners and meet with them regularly to make sure our course is fully up-to-date and relevant to the real working world of digital. Tech is so fast-paced and forever changing and this ensures what we’re teaching is in line with the industry and that the languages we teach are in demand, helping to bridge Scotland’s digital skills gap. We have a huge focus on helping Scotland’s economy and this is one of the main reasons CodeClan was set up.
At CodeClan, there’s a huge focus on career support, as previously mentioned, we work directly with industry partners and experts to place our students, so if you’re looking to fast track into the world of tech and gain some hands on experience one of our courses could be the option for you.
