I always said paying $1,200 for a coding bootcamp was a scam until my cousin in Akron got a job in 4 months

Robert Craig · 2026-10-07T01:30:04.70162+00:00

For like two years I told everyone that bootcamps were a rip off and you should just drop out and learn on YouTube for free. I dropped out of college in 2019 and taught myself Python from random channels, which worked okay but it took me almost a year of applying to get a $38k help desk job. My cousin Marcus in Akron paid $1,200 upfront for a part time bootcamp through a community college program, and I gave him so much crap about it at Thanksgiving. He finished in 5 months and landed a junior dev role at $62k in Cleveland. When I saw his offer letter I honestly felt dumb, because I spent way more than $1,200 in lost wages during my extra year of grinding alone. I still think the $15k online bootcamps are nuts, but $1,200 at a local college is a totally different deal. Now I'm wondering if I should take a cheap night class just to fill the gaps I keep hitting in interviews. Has anyone else changed their mind on cheap bootcamps after seeing someone they know actually land a job?

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I always said paying $1,200 for a coding bootcamp was a scam until my cousin in Akron got a job in 4 months | College Dropout Stories - Rigidtalk