How to Succeed in a Part-Time Coding Bootcamp While Working Full-Time

Training for a new career while working full-time can be challenging. But it’s absolutely possible, especially when you have a flexible schedule that allows you to train using a combination of asynchronous learning and live instruction.

Our part-time coding bootcamp allows for self-paced, self-driven study. With a flexible schedule over 30 weeks, students can study before or after work and on weekends, making it a popular choice for professionals who currently have a full-time job or other time-consuming responsibilities.

If you’re interested in becoming a software developer, and you’re curious about how to balance part-time learning with full-time work, this post is for you. Below, check out 5 tips for success, then learn how our part-time bootcamp works and how you can choose a schedule that works best for you.

5 Tips for Balancing a Part-Time Coding Bootcamp While Working Full-Time

1. Review Your Current Schedule & Share Upcoming Changes with Your Social Circle

To start, it’s useful to audit your current schedule and map out where you can make changes. Include things like your work schedule, time you spend with friends and family, caregiving, hobbies, chores, health and fitness, and any other tasks and priorities in your current day-to-day routine. Knowing how you spend your time now will help you effectively organize your schedule and make needed adjustments as the part-time coding bootcamp begins.

Also before the program starts, it’s useful to share anticipated schedule changes and shifting expectations with your family and social circle. The more they understand that your life and schedule are going to be different for 30 weeks, the more you can all work together to adjust and plan accordingly, allowing you more space to learn.

2. Plan for Consistent Study Time

It may be tempting to squeeze study and homework time into gaps that randomly occur in your days, but this type of unplanned strategy is likely to be less effective than you hope. Instead, it’s best to stay consistent with pre-planned time for study – and whenever possible, this time shouldn’t change. Of course, you might need to adjust when things in life come up or when a certain project is taking longer than originally planned, but choose a schedule and try your best to be consistent.

3. Adapt 

You’ll likely start the bootcamp with a specific plan, then need to adapt. Like a sports team after the first couple of plays, you need to analyze what’s working and what’s not, making adjustments for the best chance of success. After the second or third week of the bootcamp, review your schedule, see how things are going, and adjust accordingly.

4. Prioritize Your Health 

When you’re working 40 hours a week, plus studying in a part-time coding bootcamp, your mental, physical, and emotional well-being can unconsciously fall down your priority list. But they remain as important as ever when you’re working, studying, and balancing other life responsibilities.

Make a plan to prioritize your overall health during the bootcamp. What helps you feel clear-minded, motivated, and re-energized? Maybe meal planning would help you, or daily walks during your lunch hour, or time set aside in the evening to spend with family. Whatever fills you up, make sure you plan time for those things.

5. Use Organization Tools

Many tools are available to help you stay organized with your time, tasks, and projects. Be sure to leverage these types of useful tools, as they can be critical to your time management as you’re balancing part-time learning with full-time work.

About the Tech Elevator Part-Time Coding Bootcamp

Our part-time program is useful for anyone who wants to gain job-ready software development skills. It’s particularly beneficial for people who work full-time, are caretakers, or have other responsibilities that take up significant time.

It’s a challenging program for the exciting reason that you’ll be learning new concepts, tools, and skills – but it’s designed specifically for those who need flexibility while still achieving professional outcomes. We have built-in support 7 days a week to help students integrate the tips mentioned above and reach their full potential.

Here’s how our part-time coding bootcamp works:

Flexible Schedule to Fit Your Life

You’ll virtually attend online review and group study sessions for two hours weekly on the schedule that works for you: Mon & Wed from 6-8 p.m. EST; Tues & Thurs from 6-8 p.m. EST; or Saturday from 9-1 p.m. EST.

Self Study, Weekly Instructor-Led Sessions, & Support 7 Days a Week

Engage in independent self-study and attend weekly sessions led by industry-experienced instructors. Hands-on coding exercises deepen your understanding and build confidence. Academic support is available 7 days a week for between 8-10 hours each day, including weekends.

Personal Career Coaching

Through our Pathway Program, you’ll learn important professional and interview skills, as well as connections to potential employers through our partner network.

Work with Peers on Real-World Projects

You’ll participate in pair programming and group exercises that provide peer-to-peer learning and help you sharpen your interpersonal skills, which are invaluable for the team programming structure used in the workplace.

Ready to learn more about our part-time coding bootcamp? 

Watch a video featuring part-time alumni and instructors. If you’re interested in applying, fill out our simple, 5-question assessment form to get started!