Updates on open camp (Feb 2024) #

open camp is now on hiatus. Given the current economic climate and the existing tech landscape, I have decided that a new coding bootcamp is not what the market needs right now.

Instead, I will be spending time on helping junior developers grow through volunteering with with organizations like JuniorDev.SG.

open camp might be back someday. Until then, see you around!

– Victor

Introduction #

open camp is a new online coding bootcamp focused on training Software Developers focused on being open, challenging, and most importantly, affordable.

Word of warning: open camp is not designed to be easy; it’s designed to help highly motivated folks to challenge themselves to grow even faster and join the tech industry for a chance at a career that they will enjoy for life.

Join us now for our very first cohort (Cohort #0) and be part of our new movement for an open coding bootcamp.

How is open camp different from other bootcamps? #

The goal of open camp is to develop a community of aspiring and junior Software Developers through a low-cost and affordable coding bootcamp. As such, we operate very differently from other bootcamps which are either profit-centric or venture-backed.

Our core principles at open camp are:

• Open: Use open source and materials that are accessible to all. All materials or projects that we develop for Open Camp will be open source and available for anyone to reference and use, and recorded live sessions can be viewed by anyone with an internet connection.
• Community-first: Focus on building a self-supportive community of aspiring and junior Software Developers that connects our students and alumni with the broader tech communities.
• Cohort-based: Peer learning is critical for motivation and pushing each other to achieve more. You will be part of a group of motivated students in the same cohort for peer learning and peer review.
• Challenging: open camp is designed to be challenging; anyone can self-learn, but our assignments and homework are designed to challenge you and accelerate the development of your skills
• Affordablility: Provide access to the course to as many people as possible with a good learning experience, while ensuring that operational costs are covered.

Where possible, we will work towards further reducing the tuition fees without affecting the quality of our instruction in the future. In the future, if we can cover our operational cost without the need to collect tuition fees, we will pursue this path as well.

What’s the catch? #

To keep open camp affordable, there are a few notable differences from traditional bootcamps or community colleges:

• A flipped classroom instructional model is used for this course: you will be given a set of materials and tasks to complete prior to each live session where you will review them together with your peers and seek clarification from the instructor.
• We will be using a variety of free or open source learning materials throughout the bootcamp, coupled with our own assessment and learning materials.
• open camp is conducted entirely online to minimize operational costs

At the moment, we are conducting this bootcamp in the GMT+8 timezone, and students will need to join at least one live-session a week on Mondays from 7pm to 9pm (GMT+8), or Thursdays from 9am to 11am (GMT+8).

Check out what time GMT+8 is in your local timezone.

Thursday sessions are generally more suitable for folks in the US after working hours, while Monday sessions are suitable for folks in the Asia-Pacific regions.

We hope to offer open camp in more timezones in the future.

Open? Does that mean I can complete the bootcamp by myself? Why should I pay for open camp? #

Yes, you can review the entire bootcamp curriculum by yourself once we have finalised the first version of it after our first cohort (Cohort #0). These materials will be made available for anyone to use.

There are a few reasons to choose to join open camp instead of self-studying:

• Structured Cohort Learning: self-study can be challenging if you need to maintain the same level of discipline, and our weekly structured learning schedule can provide you with the motivation to achieve your career goal.
• Weekly live sessions with instructors: Our instructors will conduct weekly live sessions with students to review their progress, answer questions, and provide feedback on student projects. This will be held over web conferencing tools such as Zoom or Google Meet.
• Peer discussion and learning: We strongly believe that peer learning and peer discussions is the key to helping everyone advance and grow faster. You will be part of a cohort of students who are also highly motivated to complete the entire bootcamp. Discussions may happen over platforms such as Matrix, Discord, or forums.
• Assignment feedback: You will receive personalized feedback from the instructors for each of your assignment and areas to improve, if any.

Not sure if this is for you? You are welcome to watch our recorded live sessions to audit the course. Recordings will be available on our schedule page once Cohort #0 begins.

Instructor Profile #

Name: Victor Neo

• Industry Experience: Over 10 years
• Linkedin

Learn more about Victor

Curriculum #

You will be learning Python, HTML, CSS, SQL, and JavaScript. In Phase 2 (approximately halfway through the course), you will pick a specialization and learn tools and frameworks specific to either Frontend or Backend.

Toggle each of the following phases to learn more about what will be covered.

• Phase 1: General Tools and Programming Skills (2.5 months)

  • Git and Github
  • HTML and CSS
  • Python and JS fundamentals

• Phase 2: Specialization (1.5 months)

  • Frontend: AJAX, SPAs, and React
  • Backend: Django + SQL
  • All: Personal Project #1

• Phase 3: Further Specialization and Portfolio Building (2 months+)

  • Frontend: React + Tailwind + Vercel
  • Backend: Docker + Cloud Deployment
  • All: Complete Personal Projects #2, optionally Project #3
    • Project #2 may be completed after the bootcamp if the scope of the projects are big.

• Covered across all phases:

  • Computer Science (CS) Fundamentals: Data Structures and Algorithms
  • Soft Skills: Working in agile / scrum teams, working with PMs, Designers, etc.
  • Career Planning: Understanding the Software Engineering Career Ladder and future options

Check out how a weekly schedule looks like

Tuition Fees #

• Part-time: Total cost of USD 660 / SGD 840 for 6 months
• Monthly payment: USD 110 / SGD 140 per month for 6 months

We hope to offer financial flexibility to those who need them: you have the option to split the payment into 6 monthly payments, or the entire tuition fee via a one-time payment.

At the moment, we support payment by Debit / Credit Cards, and bank transfers. Additional local payment options may be available for students in Singapore.

Our refund policy is designed to be simple: check out our FAQ for more information.

Financial Sponsorship: Pay-with-time

While we strive to keep the tuition fees for open camp low and affordable, we understand that it might still be out of reach for some prospective students. We do have an alternative payment option available for these students: no tuition fees but you will have to contribute your time after completing with bootcamp to support future cohorts.

This is similar to the pay-it-forward idea where you help to guide students in future cohorts once you have secured your first internship or full-time employment. We will work with you to determine what’s the right amount of time and how you can best contribute back to the bootcamp.

Regretfully, there is a limit on the number of students whom we can offer pay-it-forward sponsorship. Please let us know in the application email if you wish to apply for this.

Applications for Cohort #0 #

Application Deadline: Sunday, 30th November 2023, 23:59 (GMT+8)

Learn more about the application process and timeline

Follow Us For Updates #

• Discord: open camp server
• X (formerly Twitter): @opencampcc
• LinkedIn: open camp

Prefer email updates? Drop us an empty email to applications@opencamp.cc and we will keep you in the loop on future updates.