Do You Think These Boots Are Worth The Price

Are programming bootcamps worth it? The prices on some of these programs are understandable, but the lack of affordability (financing, payment plans, etc.) that doesn't require you to pay 5-10k upfront is disheartening.

Honestly, the way you've described your goals and your own self-study, it sounds like you're a great candidate for a coding bootcamp.This so depends on the student, career goals etc, but here are a few things to consider!Cost. The cost of a bootcamp is equivalent to one semester of a CS degree program, but leads to a rewarding average starting salary of $75-80K.Return on Investment. You can complete a bootcamp in less time and with less money while still holding the same earnings potential as a CS grad.Time Commitment. CS Degree programs require a longer time investment, which means deeper understanding and more practice hours. In contrast, you’ll finish a bootcamp in a matter of weeks, but may need to spend some time doing self-study to get up to speed.Curriculum. For a more well-rounded understanding of computer systems and a general understanding of coding, a CS degree is a better option. To delve right into coding languages and their practical applications, bootcamp is the way to go.Career Outlook. If you want to launch or join a startup skip the CS degree and go to bootcamp. If becoming an executive at Google, Apple or Amazon is in your future, plan to earn a CS degree at some point down the road.Do programming bootcamp grads think it’s worth it?Ileana increased her salary 4x after graduating from General Assembly:James launched his own business after graduating from New York Code + Design Academy:Hack Reactor grad Bernard loves the work-life balance of being a software developer:In Course Report's most recent Coding Bootcamp Student Outcomes and Demographics survey, we found that even for bootcamp graduates, those with degrees tend to have higher salaries after graduating. Students with a Doctorate degree reported the highest average salary of $111,399.Bootcampers with a Bachelors Degree are most likely to be employed as a developer after graduation (~80% reported being employed). Those students also experienced a the highest lift in salary after graduating from a bootcamp- $27,586. But even students with no college degree saw positive outcomes (see tables below).Like you would with any major investment, be sure to calculate your ROI before you make your decision (if you're concerned with earnings potential).

Are the more expensive boots worth the extra price (Nicks custom, or Whites, etc.)?

Yes.You are paying for a real boot not a fashion boot posing as a real boot. Although these traditional makers have become popular with thew workwear subset of streetwear.These companies make boots in far smaller numbers than the factories that church out cheap fashion and work boots.They are a notch or several notches above Red Wing Heritage, Wolverine 1000 Mile and similar boots.Dayton was the first traditional manufacturer that was discovered by the workwear set via the building of the Wings + Horn Service boot.Dayton x W + H Service BootDayton Work BootDayton Romeo Boot (used by commercial fisherman)Whites was the next big thing and we are now in the Viberg era where they seem to be the current fave. Nicks Boots are a bit more under the radar but they have recently come out with their version of the service boot built on the Barrie last, which is a shoe last. That is a bit gimmicky in trying to tap a new market. Boots are still superiorly made.Dayton (Vancouver) and Viberg (Victoria) are Canadian traditional boot makers. I’m partial to Dayton as I think they represent a better value over Viberg and the others as they deliver equal quality at a more reasonable price. You can do custom with them but they will also do bespoke boots and make a last to your exact measurements. I’ve got two pairs of Dayton Service boots and they are excellent.White’s Smoke JumperSmoke JumperWhite’s Semi DressNicks MP Service bootNICKS WORKBOOTSThese companies have traditionally made boots for working men; boots made for linemen, loggers, smokejumpers, ranchers so they are robustly constructed.The leather is thicker than fashion boots. Often 3x as thick.Far more handcraftingProper stitching of the soles to the boot instead of gluing. They use stitch down construction which is traditional, and they also use Goodyear welting and some models are hand stitched. This means the boots can be refurbished and re-soled and last decades.You can custom order and spec type of leather, colour, type of sole, heel, midsole/no midsole.

Are coding boot camps worth it?

I've never liked school. I don't learn well in a class setting. If you're like me, then you should avoid bootcamps.I learned to program on my own. All you need is a sense of curiosity and playfulness.Bootcamps can be expensive. They can be gruelling. Why put yourself through that?Here’s my advice: Start with a good teaching language. A good teaching language is very simple and easy to learn. It’s free from the cruft that you find in languages like Java, Python, JavaScript and C. (Yes, even Python is pretty crufty.)A good teaching language lets you focus entirely on the basic programming concepts (such as OOP) without being distracted by unnecessary language oddities and quirks.There aren’t many good teaching languages. I can only think of Logo, Pascal, Scheme and Smalltalk. I recommend Smalltalk because:It’s one of the cleanest, smallest, simplest languages in the world; its syntax can fit on a post card!It’s purely object-oriented, and OOP is the most important programming paradigm throughout the IT industry. There is simply no better way to learn object-oriented programming.It has a fantastic live coding and debugging environment that can amplify your productivity up to five-fold!Smalltalk is more fun than a barrel of monkeys. The other teaching languages are borrrring.For more information, read Why Pharo Might be the Future of Software Development.To learn Smalltalk, read Richard Kenneth Eng's answer to Which programming language is considered to be the easiest for beginners?

Are Clark's Desert Boots worth it?

"Should I settle for a cheaper shoe that is of similar quality+style...." Ooooh, you're asking the wrong person here....I believe in investment dressing, so I never advise in cutting corners by getting a knock-off or an item that isn't the original.  Like Roderick Chow says, "If you'd like a pair leather Clark's Desert Boots then get some."  They've been around since 1949, they're classic, and they look great.  Are Clark's Desert Boots worth it?Totally subjective.  What do you need them for? Every day? Casual walking around? Scampering around the desert, in need of a sole that can grip sand?Are there better ankle boots out there for $150?  There are different brands that are in the $130-$180 range including Camper, North Face, UGG, and Frye.  They go from desert-boot knock-offs (like Clark's), to thicker-soled hiking boots.  Many boots start to look the same.   You can find Clark's at Zappo's for $120, BTW.