Bloomtech Review 2024 (Formerly Lambda School)

Lambda School is now Bloom Institute of Technology.

Looking for an unbiased Bloomtech review from a graduate? Then, you are in the right place!

Hi there, My name is Ashley Brooks. In this review, I will share my experience of studying with Lambda and whether its worth recommending or not.

Before Bloomtech, I was a Multimedia Marketing Consultant for our local newspaper. My curiosity about data increases a lot while working alongside analysts and seeing how much information they could give me about my clients and their campaigns. 

When COVID hit, I was thinking about options for going back to school. However, I found Bloom Institute of Technology (Lambda School) through an ad on Facebook.  I was already interested in data because I got to see the results from Google Analytics. It was crazy being able to tell my clients how many red heads with blue eyes visited their website and where they converted from. So, during a time when the world was hurting, I found a light that allowed me to pursue my passion. The next thing I knew, I was applying and ended up testing into the Data Science and Machine Learning program. 

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I always wanted to get out of Sales and Marketing, and this was an area I was really curious about and interested in. Also, I really liked that they had an ISA (Income shared agreement) option. 

With an ISA option, You don’t have to pay anything upfront and it only takes two years to pay off. That’s pretty good, considering the amount of student loans a lot of people have.

How is the Admission Process of Bloom Institute Of Technology?

The admission process for Lambda School was overall easy.

Testing into the Data Science program was challenging but in a good way.

After going through all pre-course material, you will have to take a test and pass it to get into the program. 

Talking about the test, the last question was the hardest. It took me four tries. I had no coding experience. So, if I can do it, I think anyone else can also do it.

Also Read: Lambda School acceptance rate

Details of Lambda Launch & Pre-course Work

So, this is actually an initialization of the course. All the learners have to attend this Lambda School Orientation program and complete the pre-course work. 

Lambda Launch was a lot of fun. Everyone was nervous about starting the journey of Data Science with this course. 

So, they throw everyone into a Zoom meeting to get you all pumped and ready for the journey ahead of you.

The precourse work is important to go over and practice. This is the beginning of your journey.

Bloomtech Data Science Syllabus

Now, let’s discuss the data science course syllabus and projects in this Bloomtech review. 

Week 1-4: Statistics and Linear Algebra

I know that statistics and linear algebra sound’s complicated and heavy in math, but I promise it’s not. They never had me doing math with pencil and paper. 

In this unit, we learned how to perform certain functions, clean and manipulate data sets, and create visualizations in Python. 

Week 5-8 : Machine Learning

This was one of my favorite units. 

Machine Learning is so much fun! 

This is where you will learn how to create different types of predictive models, understand your finding, and communicate those results with others.

Week 9-12: Data Engineering

Data Engineering is a tough unit. This is where you will start working locally instead of in notebooks. 

Most of the instructors use Mac, but Windows is also accepted. 

You will learn the basics of Object-Oriented Programming, a few different flavors of SQL, and how to put those skills together to create and launch a web app through Heroku using Flask.

Week 13-16: NLP and Neural Networks

NLP and Neural Networks are also tough units but they are fascinating. 

It’s tough because there is so much material in it. You might end up wishing you had more time just to dive into it all. 

In this unit, you learn about semi-supervised and unsupervised models. This is the unit that everyone is excited about when they join, and it does not disappoint anyone.

Week 17-29: Computer Science

This unit was definitely a challenge. 

You will practice coding in the Python programming language by doing coding challenges and more. Here, the instructor was great and definitely made it fun.

What Are Lambda Labs ?

Here students get to go through an “internship” type environment where they are placed in a team of both Data scientists and Web Developers. 

They all work together to achieve the goals for their Labs project. There are several different projects, and each one is in a different phase of production. 

This is what prepares students for working in an employment environment. It’s overall a great experience. It really prepares you for the “real world”.

I worked on a team of Data Scientists and Web Developers to create a web app to track possible True occurrences of Police brutality.

Built Google BERT to be used as an input to existing K-NN model to improve predictions of True positives from data scraped from Twitter API and worked to create Twitter bot.

Performed Data Engineering in order to find tweets containing True cases for model training, validation, and testing.

Brainstormed ways to improve ranking system and how to hand off project to new group of engineers.

How Was My Project Experience?

Now, it’s time to share my project experience of in this Bloomtech review.

Unit 1 Build Week Project:– Conducted exploratory data analysis on a dataset containing information about stars and their composition

– Wrote and published a blog that talks about how that data is used to classify stars

Unit 2 Build Week Project:– Created predictive models from tabular data using machine learning algorithms to predict if an app in the Google Play store will be a success;

-Published a blog that talks about the process that was used to create predictions and what are most important when determining the success of an app in the Google Play store.

My project experience was amazing. 

I got to work on the Blue-Witness project. A teammate and I worked together to build a state-of-the-art Google BERT model to help find reports of Police use of force on Twitter. 

It is a project I will never forget about. It was a pleasure working with such an amazing group of people on such a meaningful project. 

The project reviews were extremely helpful. They helped me know that I was on the right track and moving in the right direction. Well, it’s amazing how much they are able to teach in the short time span of 6 months. 

What’s Flex?

The great thing about Bloom(Lambda) is that if you need extra time, they allow you to repeat (“Flex”) units if you need to.  Flexing is not a negative thing. It just means you are taking extra time to make sure you get the most from the program and that you are ready for your role when you go out into the job market. 

Bloomtech’s (Lambda School) Job Placement Promise 

I personally have applied for 300+ jobs. I have an inbox full of rejections and a couple of failed interviews. This sounds bad, but it’s not. The rejections without even interviewing me just meant that they weren’t the right job for me. 

However, the failed interviews taught me how to give a better interview. Eventually, I had so many interviews that I was unable to keep up. 

Then, I got an offer. It’s definitely rough at first, no one wants to get those rejections, but they are going to come. You just have to push past those and hang on to the opportunities while growing from your mistakes.

Also, I just have to say that if it wasn’t for my career advisor, I would have never gotten hired. She helped me every step of the way and it’s because of her that I have a great resume and better interview presentation skills. I cannot speak highly enough of the Lambda School career services. Keep in mind, the career part of Lambda is the hardest.

Impact Of Bloomtech On My Life

I always wanted to move from sales and marketing to analytics which is one of the reasons why I enrolled in this Lambda School Data Science course. Today, I am working full-time as an Analyst.

Bloom Institute of Technology (Lambda School) was such an amazing journey. I learned so much more than I thought possible and really enjoyed my time there. The instructors were great, and everyone was always so supportive. 

Unit 3 was the most difficult for me to grasp at first. It just wasn’t something that clicked as easily for me. Lambda School gives you the option to repeat or “Flex” a unit if you need more time to grasp the concepts. 

When I started my second round of Unit 3, I ended up getting a job with the school as a Support Hour Lead. I worked with students in Units 1, 2, and 3. 

Now, after two months of job searching, I am 2 weeks into my job as an Analyst for a data consulting firm, and I love it. I have found something that I genuinely enjoy doing, and Lambda School helped me get here! 

Check this out -> My Experience: Udacity Review 2021| Are Nanodegrees Worth $1400?

Pros and Cons of Bloom Institute of Technology

Pros	Cons
Well, organized curriculum	The curriculums of Unit 3 could be better organ
The support and help you get throughout your journey at Lambda School	Unit 3 was pretty jumbled and unorganized. I ended up flexing and felt better the second time I went through it.
Professional and supportive Mentors/mentees
Career support
Ability to Flex if you need to
Career readiness
ISA

Do I recommend Bloom Institute of Technology?

If you are interested in Data Science, Web Development, or Backend Development, then you should definitely take the step to check out the Bloom Institute of Technology (Lambda School) and its courses. 

If I can do it, you can do it. It’s because of Lambda School that I was able to make my dream and passion a reality. You won’t regret it. Today I make more twice as much as I made before Lambda.

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Bloomtech Full Stack Course Review

My Story

I wasn’t always involved in tech.

I did seven years as a veterinary technician with Colorado State university’s veterinary teaching hospital before I decided I wanted a challenge and to do and accomplish more.

What ended up happening was I stumbled on to Bloom Institute of Technology( Lambda School) and realised I wouldn’t have to pay anything until I got a job.

So about ten months ago, I sold everything I owned, hopped in the car, and moved across the country to live with my sister and her four kids.

I have to say that one of the most significant deciding factors for choosing Lambda school over other boot camps was the ability to not pay anything until after I got a job.

This allowed me to focus on school and learn my trade rather than pay for school.

It also showed me that Bloomtech was invested in your success and believed that they could get you a job so that you could pay them back later.

It was never more evident than when working with the instructors that they all had a vested interest in making sure you were successful and learning.

BIT was very challenging, but like all difficult things, if you keep at it and work hard, you will accomplish what you set out to do.

The admissions process was similar to other schools. I had to make sure I had all the appropriate documents. The coding test was challenging but not impossible, even for someone like me who had absolutely no experience going in.

Bloom Institute of Technology Pricing

The total tuition may be less than $30,000 depending on the student’s salary and payment plan. Most payment plans don’t force you to make any payments until you have a yearly income of at least $50,000. This is a great way because you do not have to get a loan from the bank or your parents.

Some of the payment methods that you can choose are:

Income Share Agreement

An ISA is a type of tuition deferment. After earning at least $50,000 per year (or $4,166.67 per month), you agree to pay 17 percent of your post-Bloomtech salary for a period of 24 months. What if you don’t get the job? You never have to pay.

California Retail Instalment Contract

The CA RIC is a type of deferred tuition program for California residents that allows you to postpone paying tuition until you graduate and have a job that pays $50,000 or more. After that, you’ll start paying 17 percent of your income until you reach the $30k maximum.

Tuition Instalments

If you don’t want to delay tuition, you can pay it in three payments if you don’t want to defer it. Your payment schedule and the amount you’ll be required to pay may differ depending on the state you live in.

Upfront Tuition

If you don’t want to defer tuition, you can pay the entire amount upfront. In California, DC, Georgia, and Texas, Lambda School tuition is $30,000. Tuition is $15,000 for residents of all other states and overseas students.

One of the unique parts of BIT is the ISA (Income Share Agreement), which means you pay nothing out of pocket to start school, I mean, not a dime. 

You don’t pay anything until you get a job. Then after lambda helps you get a job and you are gainfully employed, you pay a percentage of your paycheck to the school until the total amount is paid off. 

This is brilliant, and it’s the reason I recommend lambda to everyone thinking of going into web development work.

Course Duration

Compared to most degrees where you spend 2-4 years to get a degree, Lambda school blows them out of the water. To go from zero to a full-stack developer in just six months is fantastic, challenging, but incredible. It would be best if you learned very fast and put in a lot of hours to be successful, but for those out there who have a good work ethic and aren’t afraid of hard work, you will go far and be successful.

Also Read: Is Lambda School Legit?

My Thoughts on Bloomtech’s Full stack Syllabus

Week1:Lambda Launch & Pre-course Work

The pre coursework was my first authentic look at what BIT would be like to see code, and how to approach problems was evident right off the bat. 

I think it did an excellent job of preparing me for what the coursework would look like and gave me insight into how to study further on the course.

Week 1-4: Web Foundations

I think that weeks went through four are some of the most enjoyable times I spent at Bloomtech. 

It was referred by multiple students, including myself, like being fed with a firehose for someone like me who had no experience going in it was a lot thrown at you all at once.  

Still, by week two, you’re prepared for it. Since the course would constantly build off what you learned the day before, you had a lot of repetition in what you were learning. By the end of the week, you had all but mastered it. 

During weeks 1-4, you know about HTML, CSS, and the beginning of JavaScript. 

It is gratifying during this time to see what you write affect an actual page on the Internet and make you feel like you’re getting hands-on experience.

Week 5-8: Web Application Development

Working on web application development is a bit challenging.

This week we started making more responsive applications and digging into how to affect the Dom or the document object model.

These were some of the more challenging sprints we had throughout the program. But as time passes, you got to see how what you were learning was integral in creating scalable and responsive web pages.

The first basic responsive application I made was a to-do list. Sounds simple right? I assure you these little apps are challenging.

Week 9-12: Advanced Web Development

Wow, I’d have to say this unit was probably the most difficult of the entire program.

How did you start to learn more about advanced web development and advanced state management systems like react and redux?

Here you start to see your education take form and how truly powerful the tools you are learning can affect an application or project, you’re working on.

When I started working with react and redux to build component-based applications, I got an honest world look at what I could do with this knowledge. Though it was challenging, I found it very exciting to be learning these skills.

We did projects like secret family recipes that involved full authentication and authorization.

Week 13-16: Back End Development

I thought the backend development was delightful. As my knowledge base grew from the 1st 12 weeks, I became curious about how the backend systems communicated. 

Learning and understanding the backend side and seamlessly working with the front-end side was a rewarding experience. The back end was also nothing like my experience with learning the front end, so I found myself understanding and connecting with it better, which is why now I work as a backend engineer.

Backend authentication can be very tricky. Here you’ll learn about JWT (json web tokens) and credentials for user login. 

Week 17-20: Computer Science

Wow, talk about a wild ride. Anytime you start a computer science, you hear the word algorithm thrown around. Until you start learning and writing the code, it is a scary word.

Luckily, the instructors we had during this unit were knowledgeable and great at making it understandable. It often challenged us to think in new and unique ways to solve problems which became invaluable knowledge as I began to break out into the field.

Were the Labs Any Good?

Lab was an incredible experience. It gave us our first real-world experience with a company and working with stakeholders. Understand what their goals were and estimated timelines. 

This was probably the most valuable time I spend in lambda school because it is essentially an internship and authentic exposure to work on a team of developers. 

You also do interviews throughout the unit in labs to give you a taste of the interview process during a job search.

Did I Liked The Projects?

I think the projects at lambda school were great. Working with other students to build an actual application helped reinforce the knowledge you learned throughout the month. 

That being said, it was challenging, and I found myself constantly having to look through notes and past projects to get everything to run correctly, but as the project went on, I got far more confident in my abilities and struggled less.

Did Bloomtech keep up to its promise? 

I didn’t get a ton of help during the career services part of the program, but with lots of students all looking for a job, it’s not too surprising. 

At this moment in the program, you are very self-sufficient and should be taking the job search portion into your hand. 

Lambda did live up to its promises and help me look for a few places that I qualified for, but as a new developer, you need to understand that getting your first job will take some time.

Am I Currently placed?

After 267 applications, 64 cold emails, I got an interview and three interviews with that company. Later, I got my first job offer. I’m thrilled that my investment in myself paid off, and I’m so unbelievably excited to start this next journey. For all of you going through Lambda right now, I only have one piece of advice for you. Work for it, too many people want to be handed success and never understand the amount of work it truly takes to achieve it. Wake up early, be uncomfortable, and believe in yourself. I have been with the company for a month now, and I have a 3-5 year plan to put me as a senior developer on my team.

After 260 applications and 64 cold emails to get a single interview, I accepted a job with Encompass technologies as a technical developer.

I’ve been working there for about a month now. I can honestly say I’m working with the best group of people and some of the most innovative teammates.

I couldn’t be happier with my position and the direction this is taking my life.

What I liked about Bloomtech:

It gives you everything you need to be successful and teaches you what real-world companies are looking for! it rewards those who work hard and aren’t afraid to take risks

What I didn’t liked about Bloomtech:

Not so much a Con, more of a warning for those of you thinking of enrolling. This is going to require your full attention. This isn’t something you can casually skate by and be successful at. You need to put in 110% and let it consume you for a little while. Wake up early, get that extra cup of coffee and make that investment in yourself.

Conclusion: Is Bloom Institute of Technology Worth it?

Like I said earlier, I would recommend Bloomtech (Lambda school) to anyone and everyone looking to make a change. Lambda school changed my life forever and gave me a chance at professional and financial independence I could never have had before.

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