I attended Hack Reactor 19 weeks Immersive Software Engineering Bootcamp after my grad school. While there are a lot of similarities in between these, I am shocked how unsupported I was during my grad school journey. For people who does not know about Hack Reactor bootcamp; it is an immersive software engineering program where the students are equipped with required skills and knowledge in 19 weeks, so that they will be able to work as a software engineers. While this course is relatively new in the industry, (most of the engineering bootcamps require former knowledge and have an entrance exam, this one does not require former knowledge) even though it says it is not required former knowledge, most of the students come prepared and have some experience with coding. Everyone knows that it will be quite a journey, where you can barely find time to eat or sleep, these skills are hard to work by yourself. But online courses or college courses are available for those who are interested in. In this program we start from scratch and become software engineers in 19 weeks. 19- weeks. We are going to complete several projects, by ourselves or with teammates. Using extremely complex type of knowledge and with correct attitude. This part is similar with the grad school because, during grad school we are also expected to complete a big project (PhD thesis) and several side projects (articles and presentations) where we need to use complex knowledge (data analysis, theoretical frameworks, content knowledge, human psychology, writing skills, presentation skills, problem solving skills etc.)

For me, I had very little experience with coding prior to my bootcamp, I worked by myself through online courses and practicing. I knew it was gonna be very challenging, I knew it is a hardship that I need to overcome. What I did not know was how a person can be supported throughout an immersive program.

During the bootcamp we read about human psychology, expected psychological reactions, and how to overcome those. In this way we became more aware of our own feelings and recognized when we have those.

On the other hand, we had cohort leads who support our journeys by engaging with us by daily basis. They make us we have a place where we can share, have guidance and feel our feelings excepted.

The curriculum was well-written, it was like a puzzle where we learn something new, there is a new project that we can use and hone those new skills. There was a lot of space for self-paced learning. For people who completed required work before their fellow, there were stretch goals, or additional sources. For people who need to focus on the topics more than once, there were additional sources or video recording of the courses.
Besides, we had a lot of chances to communicate with current grads and learned their experiences.

I wish we had this kind of support when we were in graduate school. I remember I was looking for a study group, social support, and some goals to achieve after completing my own studies. I sought guidance, social interactions, and the development of my soft skills. I struggled with procrastination and a feeling of not belonging in academia. I also had difficulty finding new and updated sources. I believe graduate schools should reconsider the quality of their education.

I think it is ironic that who use the outcomes of the academic research is not universities themselves. And definitely students are the ones who struggle as a result with.

Esra Ceran, PhD