Your heart is set on whether to attend a full-time or part-time bootcamp... On the one hand, you're eager to learn and, who knows, to change careers. That job that will fulfill your wildest expectations at work is waiting for you, but you still need to be trained. On the other hand, you do have a job, an activity and freeing up so much time is a commitment!
Put in these terms, the balance is in favour of a part-time bootcamp. But wait a minute, both study options have their advantages and drawbacks. We have listed them for you: find out about them below to make a calm and informed decision, that makes sense for you.
What Are the Benefits of Part-Time Bootcamps?
Part-time bootcamps are more flexible
If you choose this option, it will probably be compatible with a job or freelance activity. Depending on whether or not your employer or a third party pays for the training, you may need to keep the money coming in. A part-time bootcamp will therefore allow you to combine training and work in a fairly flexible way.
Generally, the practical work that is required can easily be done asynchronously. In the case of group work, you can agree with the other participants to work online or schedule face-to-face meetings for evenings or weekends. A little organisation and you're set!
Depending on the way you learn best, their educational effectiveness can be increased tenfold
There are as many ways of learning as there are learners. It's all a question of sensitivity and wiring: some learn by listening, others are more visual, and the last ones have to cram in writing for what they are told to be imprinted. And there are those who need to let the knowledge infuse. Let's affectionately call them diesel thinkers. Do you recognise yourself?
If this is your case, then the part-time bootcamp will be the ideal modality for you. Less dense than its full-time cousin, it will give you time to reflect on what you discovered. You'll have plenty of room between the courses to do additional research, reread your notes, go deeper by listening to a podcast or reading articles or even a book!
They reduce the mental load
In the same vein, bootcamps help to reduce the information load received in a short period of time. And even if you are not strictly speaking a diesel thinker, this comfort may be an asset anyway.
Just think about it for a moment: if you’re weighing the pros and cons before choosing this modality, your life is probably quite full. Your job, whether salaried or self-employed, demands brain juice. Add to that your personal life, with family and friends who want to spend time with you. Sprinkle in your hobbies (oh really, are you a semi-pro theater player or do you have to fit in tennis or football competitions?). Add your 7, 8 hours of daily sleep. Administration. Food shopping. Housework. ...So, does the prospect of studying in a lighter version appeal to you a little more?
At the career level, you get the same result
Full or part-time, you end up with the skills you came for. Some recruiters may even be more admiring that you managed to hold down a job or freelance activity and a bootcamp, even if it was part-time. This will project the image of a dynamic professional, eager to learn, at the cutting edge of his or her speciality. All positive things, then!
What Are the Benefits of Full-Time Bootcamps?
In a full-time bootcamp, you get to the heart of the matter even more
If you're reading this article, you must be interested in training and even maybe in a career change. So you must be eager to learn and to improve your skills. The full-time bootcamp allows you to jump into a new field of study with both feet. It's a chance to get to grips with your new job, plain and simple.
It takes you half the time to train
If the objective is to quickly gain competence in specific hard skills to perform better in your job, full time is the way to go. And even more so if your aim is to retrain and start working as quickly as possible in a job that you really like. Life is (much) too short to spend your days earning a living doing a job that doesn't feed you intellectually or make you grow. Is that all you? Cheer up, let’s run away, sign up for the full-time bootcamp quickly!
You save yourself the switching cost
Have you ever heard of it? It refers to the fact that you have to make an effort to move from one subject to another. Scientists tell us that the human brain is not designed to switch from one subject to another all the time. They go so far as to say that multitasking is harmful to our neurons and our careers.
But if you choose a part-time bootcamp, chances are you'll have to do it. By being full-time, on the other hand, you will have the comfort of being able to devote yourself to your subject of study from A to Z. And that rests your mind.
You create more connection with the participants
Networking is an underrated yet central topic in career management. Full-time bootcamps are probably more conducive to creating strong bonds with your fellow classmates, as you are all focused on the same thing at the same time and can organise your time around the course. For example, going out for drinks is easier after class sessions because you don't have your work to do again in the evening. Same thing if the bootcamp is online, this time in video.
Although... In reality, the way we connect to the people around us is probably more about our openness, our ability to listen and bounce back and our sociability. So there is potential in the formats, and it's up to you to make the effort to reach out to other participants.
If you're also choosing between online and face-to-face learning, we've got advice for that conundrum too!
Full Time or Part Time…Questions to Ask Yourself
Your compass step by step: what questions should I ask when choosing?
About my professional situation
- Will I continue to work while I train?
- Is it realistic to combine my job with a part-time bootcamp or will I have too much to do?
- Can my employer give me a career break? If I'm self-employed, can I take a break for a few weeks or even months?
About my personal circumstance
- Do I have any personal commitments that might be too much to handle alongside a full-time bootcamp?
- Is the person in my life supportive? Can they take more organisational elements home so that I can concentrate on my training?
- How will I organise my work/life/training balance? Is it better for me to have only two things to manage and therefore to do the training full time?
My objectives
- How soon do I want to graduate?
- Do I want to train continuously, without deadlines?
- Or on the contrary, am I looking to change jobs quickly?
My way of learning
- Do I love to switch from one subject to another and therefore won't have any problems with multitasking? Or is it a big effort for me?
- Do I want something intensive or do I want to be able to take the time to rest and deepen my knowledge between sessions?
In short, find the option that suits you
As you can see, there are no good or bad choices, but there are trade-offs to be made. In relation to your career, your objectives, your personal constraints... We would like to wave a magic wand to make your doubts disappear and help you decide. And even if the decision is yours, we hope to have given you something to make it with a clear conscience.
Our awesome Admissions team will make sure you enrol in the bootcamp that'll work best for you. Whether that's part time on campus, full time remote, or any of the options in between! Check out our bootcamps and start your journey!
