Best Part-Time JavaScript Bootcamps

When comparing the schedules for live classes such as professional training programs and bootcamps, the two main options are full-time versus part-time study. Full-time study requires students to attend classes for six to eight hours each day, usually during working hours (for example, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm). Full-time classes also usually run on consecutive weekdays, with possible pauses for holidays. Part-time study, by comparison, shortens class sessions to three to four hours per day, usually in the evening (for example, 7:30 pm to 10:30 pm), and may also schedule fewer classes per week. While their less intensive schedule means that part-time courses take longer to finish — usually twice as long as full-time courses, if not longer — part-time study burdens each student’s schedule less and leaves them more time for other responsibilities. 

For some students, part-time study is necessary due to obligations like work or family needs. For others, due to a limited time frame to finish their studies, full-time study is required. However, if you are not limited to one option, there are several advantages and disadvantages to consider for both full-time and part-time study. This article discusses each consideration to help you decide whether part-time study is your better option.

Why Learn JavaScript Part-Time?

Schools offer part-time options primarily to accommodate students who cannot attend on a full-time schedule, usually because they are already working during the day. Being able to study while holding a job certainly helps to maintain one’s income and pay for those studies! Even if a student can quit their current job and study full-time, intending to start a new, better career afterward, doing so increases the pressure to find a job right away. If a student can keep their current job, they can take their time to find a better position after finishing their studies.

Part-time scheduling is also helpful for students whose free time is limited for other reasons. For example, some people must care for children or other family members. Students could be taking different classes simultaneously, possibly in related subjects. For example, a student studying JavaScript might also take web design, web development, or data analysis classes. Individual learning style is another reason a student might prefer the shorter class lengths of a part-time schedule. For some students, long class sessions tax their attention, reduce their retention, or overload their senses. Short sessions ensure that these students get more return out of each hour in class. When evening classes are available, certain students might prefer these as a better match to their internal clock.

Shorter classes also mean students get more time between class sessions. These gaps are even longer when part-time courses skip days between classes. Either way, students in part-time classes are not as rushed to complete readings and assignments. Part-time JavaScript students benefit from this extra time to work on programming exercises and projects. Topics are also introduced more slowly in part-time classes, giving students more time to practice and understand each lesson before moving on. The extra length of a part-time JavaScript course also gives students more time to build their coding portfolio and gain related work experience, which can improve their employment options after graduation. Finally, some courses spread out their payments over the length of the course, which gives part-time students more time to cover the costs of their study.

Drawbacks to Learning JavaScript Part-Time

For students who have a limited time frame in which to complete their studies, a part-time course may take too long. For example, a student who has become unemployed and hopes to study JavaScript to find a new job might want to finish their studies as fast as possible. Other students might be fitting their studies into a break such as a summer vacation or a sabbatical, or they could have another deadline like a new child’s arrival. Some students are studying JavaScript to prepare for an upcoming project and need to be ready before that work begins. Even if a student has no specific time limit, taking longer to graduate and start coding can be frustrating.

Shorter classes, greater gaps between classes, and the greater length of part-time courses can also create learning problems for some students. Learning JavaScript is a cumulative process, where later skills build directly upon earlier, simpler concepts. Building experience and fluency also requires regular coding practice. Shorter classes give students less time per class, with an instructor present, to practice coding skills or ask questions. Longer breaks between classes allow students more time to become distracted from studying and forget details. Longer course durations also increase the likelihood that outside events and obligations will conflict with a student’s studies and further reduce their focus. For all these reasons, some students prefer full-time study, which ensures that most of their time and energy is devoted to learning. 

Is a Part-Time JavaScript Bootcamp Right for You?

If a student would like to keep working at their current job, a part-time bootcamp is their best option. Staying employed not only maintains one’s current income, it means a student can take more time to seek a better job after graduation or take another course if they discover they need additional skills. Similarly, if a student has other demands on their time, part-time study will impact their life less. Part-time study is also beneficial if a student needs shorter class sessions or prefers to study more slowly and gradually, over a longer span. 

However, if a student needs to complete their education as quickly as possible, they should prefer full-time study. Full-time study also helps some students maintain their focus and avoid distractions by presenting material more quickly over a shorter total span. If a student can afford the additional time each day, the time away from work, and a shorter time frame for payment, full-time study could be the better option.

Ways to Make Learning JavaScript Part-Time Easier

Part-time study, while more convenient for some students and necessary for others, does create some difficulties. The most commonly cited problem with part-time study is staying engaged with course material when distractions and other responsibilities intrude between classes. One suggestion to maintain one’s attention and memory and keep up with classwork is to establish an out-of-class schedule, setting aside regular times — as much as possible — to review lessons and complete assigned readings and exercises. Each student should make sure to reinforce their study as an important priority, both to themselves and to others who are affected by their changed schedule. While other responsibilities, like work or family needs, might come first, students still need steady progress to be successful. 

Another related problem is that students have trouble keeping course information and concepts fresh in mind between part-time classes. Reviewing course materials, notes, and sample code may not be enough, especially when these sources seem repetitive or the original class was not sufficiently clear. One way to overcome these gaps is to make use of free JavaScript resources, which can include text lessons, video tutorials, interactive websites, and coding challenges. Finding and working through material similar to their current class topics can not only refresh a student’s memory, it can complement their coursework and further improve their understanding. 

Another helpful practice is to note any questions or problems during study sessions so that the student can check these issues with the instructor during their next class. If the instructor allows email contact, a student could send these concerns ahead of time to make certain they are addressed. This habit helps students get the most out of each part-time class session, despite their shorter duration. A student might also be able to contact other students via an email list, text chat, or message board provided by a school. While not as experienced as the instructor, students may be able to address each other’s concerns. Discussing class material with other students can also be helpful to refresh a student’s memory or consider topics from other perspectives.

Choosing the Best Part-Time JavaScript Classes or Bootcamp

Enough schools and training centers offer part-time scheduling that this criterion, alone, will still leave prospective students with many options, including introductory and advanced short courses, bootcamps, and professional training programs. To choose between these possibilities, a student should first consider their educational goals: how much do they need to know, and what skills are most important? For JavaScript courses, their decision could be based on the types of projects a student wants to program or the kind of career they want. For example, basic uses of JavaScript like website coding could be covered well enough by an introductory course. However, if a student wants to write mobile applications, they should look for a bootcamp or training program, ideally one specialized in JavaScript application development. Of course, a student could take an introductory course first and then find advanced classes on software development, but this option would take longer overall and lack the continuity of a single complete course.

After identifying the courses that address their desired goals, a student may still have to choose between courses of differing lengths. Note again that if a student is studying for career preparation, a bootcamp or career training program is a good choice. In addition to a more complete and career-focused curriculum, these courses add career guidance and support services not included in shorter courses. However, for some career-focused students, a professional training program might cover more material than they need, adding unnecessary length and cost. This is especially a concern for part-time students, as complete JavaScript training programs can take from four to six months on a part-time schedule. Most JavaScript bootcamps, by comparison, take about three months or less on a part-time schedule. When comparing courses, students should make sure they can devote the necessary time to complete a course in full, including not just its scheduled classroom hours over its complete duration but also the necessary study time between classes. Of course, students need to choose a course with classes scheduled on dates and times they can regularly attend. Again, other responsibilities outside of their studies can create problems for part-time students, so they should plan ahead as much as possible and choose a course that might create the fewest conflicts.

Once a student has selected the right type of course, they can examine their options further by comparing course descriptions and considering each school’s reputation. Some courses cover certain topics more thoroughly than others. Some better describe their lesson plan, giving students greater confidence in that course’s organization and quality. When available, students can examine an instructor’s experience and credentials. In particular, it helps if an instructor has worked in the same career a student intends to pursue, as they can best advise how to learn necessary skills and secure good employment. Different courses may also offer different added services, such as personal mentoring sessions, supplemental textbooks, access to class recordings, additional video lessons, or interactive exercises. While these features might not be on a student’s list of necessities, they can be useful assets, especially for part-time students who need help practicing and refreshing concepts between classes. When making their final decision, a prospective student’s choice could be guided by individual schools’ reputations and reviews. They should especially look for testimonials from working professionals who use JavaScript, as these graduates can confirm that a course met their educational needs and provided the skills they needed to succeed.

Learn JavaScript Part-Time with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop offers three courses teaching JavaScript. These courses are designed to meet the needs of different students and vary correspondingly in length. The shortest of these classes, JavaScript for Front-End, can be completed in a few days. This introductory class teaches JavaScript programming for front end web development. The course does request that students have some prior experience with HTML and CSS, ideally from studying web design or front end web development. Building on this basis, the instructor will explain how JavaScript adds to the functionality of websites, teach the language’s terminology and syntax, and demonstrate its core programming techniques. The second half of the course teaches GreenSock, an animation platform for JavaScript that simplifies many animated website components. The course includes a proprietary workbook, awards a certificate upon completion, and may be retaken once for free within one year.

Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Programming Bootcamp also teaches JavaScript with an emphasis on web development. Students should be familiar with web design or front end web development, or at a minimum, have experience coding in HTML and CSS. The class takes several weeks to complete but ensures that graduates are fully prepared to use JavaScript. The instructor first introduces JavaScript’s important features, syntax, and programming techniques. Then, this course addresses several commonly used JavaScript libraries and features found in newer JavaScript releases. The bootcamp course concludes with several practical projects that help students practice their skills and create a starting portfolio. The instructor will also discuss interview preparation and career planning for jobs that use JavaScript, and each student can schedule a 1-on-1 mentoring session for further career discussion or questions about difficult topics. The course provides a supplemental workbook and awards a certificate upon completion. Students may also retake this course once for free, for up to a year afterward.

Noble Desktop’s JavaScript Development Certificate program, a complete, career-focused certificate course, includes the JavaScript Programming Bootcamp plus two other bootcamp courses and two additional units, at a discount for the combined program. Like the JavaScript bootcamp, this program is centered on JavaScript’s use in web development and requests that students have prior experience with web design or front end web development. Starting with the JavaScript Programming Bootcamp, the certificate program then adds a second, more advanced unit on JavaScript development. This unit teaches the Node.js and Express.js libraries used in website building, the MongoDB database management system, and methods for creating website security features and user interfaces in JavaScript. The third unit in the program, the advanced React Development Bootcamp, teaches the React JS library, which enables the creation of components, blocks of code that can be reused across websites and websites. Finally, the certificate course includes a unit on career preparation for web development, including portfolio creation using course projects, plus a bonus bootcamp on SQL, a data management language used frequently in web development. In addition to several proprietary workbooks and access to class recordings, participants receive eight 1-on-1 mentoring sessions with an instructor, usable for career preparation or discussion of difficult lessons. This course awards a certificate of completion, and participants can repeat the class once for free for up to a year.