Juno College of Technology

I attended Hackeryou in Winter 2016. At first I was a bit apprehensive about the program with claims like, all attendees walk away with a job / the overwhelming amount of information that was going to be taught to us in such a short period of time. But by the end of it, and almost two years later, I think this was one of the best decisions I've made. HackerYou, its community, the teachers and the staff are incredibly generous with their time and resources-- something that was an alien concept for me, coming from a visual arts non profit background. They are selective about who they let in to their program, and only take on people that are absolutely dedidcated to their craft. Here are some things that I think one should be aware of when it comes to the program: 

-- You are basically trained to fit into a corporate mold, something I struggled with during my time there and afterwards. Once I graduated, I took  the corporate advice that was given to me and did what I wanted to do, but always kept that in the back of my head. It's actually helped me alot. and everyone at HackerYou I found has been extremely encouraging of me taking my own path. 

-- Literally all of the teachers, everyone in the staff are THE NICEST people you will ever meet, its almost a bit frightening at first, but you really start to like it. 

-- still TWO years later, with me probably being the oddest oddball out thats attended HackerYou, I reached out to Heather, the CEO of HackerYou to help me negotiate the contract that was offered to me at my new job last week, and she responded very quickly as always with just the right points to make and how to go about doing it the most efficient way. I have the utmost amount of respect for this woman. She is terrifiying in all the right ways and will give you the cut throat tough love that you need to save your professional career. 

Overall. I think if you enjoy coding, if you enjoy spending a lot of time doing really detailed work, this is ultimately the best program for that, and you will grow to really love and respect the community thats handed to you on a silver platter. 

HackerYou is the reason why I have a fulfilling career today. From the day I quit my job in administration to my first day as a junior developer - happened all in 6 months! 

I started out with the Part-Time Web Dev course in winter 2016 and my instructor was Anne. An instructor can make or break your experience, and I found she projected her voice well and she had great flow and timing with the in-class exercises. Lessons are well-structured with the most current technologies, and sprinkled with appropriate GIFs and analogies to help you conceptualize your learning. Every class gets students engaged with code-alongs and mentors are always willing to help you get through anything that's blocking you.

Examples of projects included: Single-page responsive website, "code a PSD" (review a design for a website, and bring it to life with code!), and build a portfolio website.

I then completed the Full-Time Bootcamp in Spring 2016 and had a blast. I learned to make websites responsive, picked up JavaScript on the way, and learned to create custom Wordpress themes from scratch and deploy like a boss! Every skill I learned, I apply every day to my current job as a Front-End Developer.

Example of projects included: Responsive multi-page website, custom Wordpress theme, single-page web app using RESTful APIs, creating a quiz using JavaScript, jQuery and HTML5.

What I like most about HackerYou is that there are no tests or grades, just projects-based learning. You are given a challenge, just like you would in a real developer job, and you deliver. Instructors provide thorough feedback and suggestions to help you improve, and empower you to become resourceful later on when you don't have access to the formal mentoring/help. 

While the cost is steep, it's the cream of the crop when it comes to Front End Development education. The community and connections available at HackerYou are top-notch. I did not just gain skills for a new career; I got an attitude change by meeting so many awesome humans who also got a new lease on life. It sounds cheesy, but it's true.

I built so much confidence from my time there. Truly, it is a place where you are encouraged to put in the work to be the best version of yourself.

Overall, I've attended 3 courses with HackerYou, in about a year and a half. I started with the Intro to Web Development course, then took the bootcamp in Winter 2016, the Intro to Full Stack course in Fall 2016 and am now in the Full Stack Masterclass.

HackerYou has exceeded my expectations with each course.

Before HackerYou, I was a web content coordinator with a non-profit. I enjoyed working with the web and dabbling in code, but in my organization I had reached the height of my career path. I found HackerYou through Ladies Learning Code and was impressed with their inclusive attitude as well as their friendly staff. I very much wanted to be a part of the next bootcamp and kickstart my career shift, so I applied.

When interviewing with Heather I realized I didn't know as much about coding as I thought I did - and she suggested I take the part time Intro to web dev class and then I would be prepared for bootcamp. Honestly, I was disappointed because my initial thought was that they wanted more money. But, I was very much wanting to switch careers, and I had heard very good things, so I went into the Intro class cautiously. 

The intro class ended up being the right decision. Within a few weeks, I was quickly learning about new concepts that made way more sense then the outdated web practices that my job used, and learned much more than I had learned on my own. It gave me a great base, and I went into the bootcamp more prepared than I would have been. I look back now and know that I would have struggled every step of the way in the bootcamp if HY didn't make that recommendation for my learning plan. The bootcamp was very challenging, but the environment was so supportive, the instructors were available for questions, and once they went home, the alumni helped us bootcampers constantly.

The job hunt support after bootcamp was great, as job hunting can be demoralizing. Heather and the team were extremely helpful in job seeker meetings, pep talks and once the time came to accept an offer, in contract negotiation. In addition to the technical skills, I learned how to conduct an efficient job hunt, something I had never considered as a life skill before. I got a job as a front-end developer 8 weeks from my last day of the bootcamp, and I was one of the last of my classmates. I loved learning at HackerYou so much, that I continued my learning in their full stack intro course and full stack masterclass. 

The speed of my learning was incredible, but I haven't even mentioned the best part. HackerYou is also a community that teaches and mentors each other well past the end of bootcamp, they are amazing people and part of that is due to the screening that the HY team does before accepting students. I've made great friends in my two years in the community.

I took the Web development course (fundamentals and advanced).

As a beginner in Coding, it was the perfect place to start my learning.I recommend to go for the advanced class as well if you can, you ll learn about responsive website and add some jquery and javascript!

Teachers and mentors make it easy to learn with them and they are always happy to help. The projects you will work on during the class will definitely help you to assimilate all the information from the class.

I am looking forward to continue my journey in web development maybe with part-time class for JavaScript or Web design or why not the full time bootcamp to make a career change as Web developper one day!

AMAZING!

This is going to be a bit lengthy. But if you're researching which bootcamp to attend, this will 100% be worth the read. I've sectioned my review into different paragraphs for easier reading.

Interview Process

There is an interview process before being accepted into the bootcamp, but that process has changed as of now. Hopefully you can get a general feel by reading this though. I applied online and was contacted very soon afterwards to set up a meeting with Heather Payne, CEO of HackerYou. When I met with Heather, she was incredibly nice and knew exactly the right questions to ask to ensure I would be successful in the bootcamp. This was not an 'interview' type of feel, but rather a way for Heather to really gauge what I was looking for and what my current skills were. It felt more like this meeting was simply to make sure that I would be a good fit for the pace, the curriculum, and the overall experience of being in a 9 week intensive bootcamp environment - and trust me, you need to know the answers to these if you want to be successful in the bootcamp! Heather was amazing at answering all of my questions. Make sure to come with prepared questions, as it's important to understand the ins and outs of the bootcamp while deciding what is right for you. Some questions you might have are in regards to support finding temporary accommodations while being at HackerYou (answer: they will try to help as much as possible!), educational and emotional support (answer: you are in VERY good hands in both regards. The entire staff will 100% help you in any way they can to make sure you're feeling good about the class content, and making sure you're emotionally okay), etc. Don't be afraid to ask questions, to voice your concerns, and to just share your excitement for this new journey you're about to take.

Pace of the Program

This was a very intense program, starting off a little slower so the students can get their feet wet, get accustomed to their new surroundings, and have fun getting to know each other. The first two weeks focused on HTML and CSS. There were more class lectures throughout the day at first, in order to get everyone at the pace needed to really dive in once it got more intense. There will be lots of projects, and of course, project work time. The instructors are seriously AMAZING at helping you through your projects, so don’t be worried about having a lack of work time and/or guidance throughout.

The pace and intensity will of course, begin to pick up as the bootcamp continues. There will be challenges, but it is simply a part of learning so much content in a short period. It in no way should deter you from being in the bootcamp - everyone in the class goes through down points at some point or another, and everyone is there to support each other the whole way through. In fact, this is a great example of why it is so important to ask questions, and seek support from fellow students. There will be content that you may find more challenging, and you may feel like you’re the only one who doesn’t get something, and that in turn makes you afraid to ask a question about it. I can guarantee you, someone else is having that exact same challenge. Talk to your instructors, and your fellow students, and you will feel so much better. I guarantee you - bring your passion. excitement, and an open mind, and you will succeed!

Curriculum

The curriculum may change, depending on what’s going on in the tech industry. HackerYou is incredible at keeping up with the pace of what’s going on in the development field, and catering and altering their curriculum to that. For my cohort, React and Firebase were added to the curriculum. I believe for the cohort that followed my own, CSS Grid was added as well. It was awesome content, and the instructors know their stuff! Go here to find out what’s in the current curriculum at HackerYou: http://hackeryou.com/web-development-immersive.

Environment

The environment is awesome - you will have plenty of space to collaborate with other students, or if you’re wanting some independent work time, there is no shortage of tables, chairs, or couches to go hang out on. There is a small kitchen where you can make coffee, put your lunch in the fridge, or just hangout and chat with people. Side note: every Wednesday is salad club, and sometimes even taco club :)

Instructors / Staff

Here is the most amazing aspect of HackerYou. The instructors, the CEO, and every single person working on that team, were incredible. To say I was blown away by the HackerYou team and how amazing they were and continue to be, would be a vast understatement. The educational and emotional support you will receive from the HY team is truly something amazing. My cohort’s instructors were Simon, Ryan, and Sylvia. Not only were they total geniuses with the class content, but they were all so down-to-earth, caring, and so much fun to learn from. They had our class laughing like crazy, just as much as they were teaching us. For that reason, I highly doubt you will ever wake up and not want to go to class. The support does not stop there though - each and every member of the HY team is there for you, in every way they possibly can be. There will often be mornings when the whole team comes into the classroom, whether to give a talk on not giving up, how proud they are of you, or sometimes to play fun games to get our minds going in the morning. What you can take from this, is the moment you become a student at HackerYou, you can be sure that there will never be a shortage of support from the HackerYou team, and from the community. Of course, I couldn’t end this paragraph without talking about Heather Payne - the whole reason HackerYou exists! She is awesome and supportive, and really believes in the outcome of this bootcamp - and she won’t stop until every student is successful! I will be going more into exactly how amazing Heather is in the post-job hunting support section.

HackerYou Community

The HackerYou community is truly something incredible. The alumni are this group of amazing, very supportive, very helpful people. They will be there to help current students the whole way through your journey. Alumni help out by being bootcamp buddies, mentoring in fishbowl sessions, being available on Slack to answer questions, and more. I was blown away by this strong knit community, and am truly so thankful to belong to such an amazing group of people - and you can too!

Post-Job Hunting Support

The job hunting process is not necessarily a ‘fun’ process, and you will feel your ups and downs. However, stick to the instructions Heather will give you on how to succeed in this process, and good things will come, 100%. The support you will get post-bootcamp is one of a kind. Every Friday there will be a meeting where students will come meet with Heather, and discuss where you currently are in the job process. These meetings really help to get a sense of where you are at, where your fellow students are at, and really just continue to be there for each other for support. Heather will always have really great advice, and will make sure you are doing everything you can to be successful in finding a job. Heather will also be available by email, Slack, or by phone, on a regular basis to help you with any questions, concerns, or even just helping to format an awesome cover letter. I don’t believe there is a single other bootcamp that will have as much support in this process, as HackerYou has. The goal is typically to get a job within 3 months of graduating. I got my first job as a developer literally 3 months to the day I graduated! Listen to Heather’s advice, continue to be excited and passionate about this awesome new adventure you’re embarking on, and you will get that first job!

This was a long review, but it’s good to know exactly what you’re getting into when you are deciding on spending a lot of money on an intense program. What I can say overall is that as challenging and stressful as this experience was, I have zero regrets, and honestly, wish I could take the bootcamp again because it was so much fun. Believe in the process, and you will succeed :)

I took the part-time web dev course this summer while working full-time during the day at my regular job. As an instructor, Sarah did an awesome job keeping the classes upbeat, fun and relevant, especially for a technical heavy course. The class took place from 6:30 pm- 9 pm during on Tuesday and Thursday but not once felt like a drag after a long day at work. Was also really impressed by eh effort and quality of the 30-minute long video project review that she made for each of our individual projects in a class of 35 students. The feedback was constructive, detailed and personalized. Very much appreciated!

I signed up for the class just looking to learn a new skillset, but the experience was so great that I've enrolled in the upcoming bootcamp session. The instructors did an amazing job at making the classes engaging yet challenging, and they aslo managed to keep the learning environment relaxed and fun. 

While the amount of content and project deadlines may have felt daunting at times, it is definately rewarding as I was amazed at how much I actually know now that I've completed the course compared to when I first started. Not to mention the instructors are always willing to answer questions whether it be before or after class, or even during breaks, which is always helpful regardless of your coding level.

For anyone considering adding a new skillset I would highly recommend this course as I went from knowing next to nothing to feeling very confident in my web development abilites. and I can't wait to get started with the bootcamp where I'm confident I'll have a similar experience. 

I just finished HackerYou's part-time web development course and I truly thought it was great. I went into it with little to no coding experience, with the intention of just wanting to have the skill to add to my resume. I ended up getting hooked and enrolling in the school's full time bootcamp which is coming up this fall.

The teachers were very good and engaging, they made sure to explain everything with a lot of detail/analogies, and coded along with us as they taught. They were very knowledgable about the material as well as information about the industry, and were always there to help and answer any questions.

I found the teaching methods and course material to be easy enough to follow along yet still somewhat challenging, making me want to learn more and more. The only thing I would suggest for them to improve is to allow for more time in between project deadlines, and for some order of the materials to be switched around (for example learning Sass earlier on so we can get more comfortable with it). All in all, I would highly reccomend HackerYou to anyone wanting to learn more coding skills whether they are total beginners or more advanced. 

I had a wonderful time learning all about JS and jQuery during this spring course! The instructor and mentors were all incredibly knowledgeable and helpful. I loved that when we ran into issues, they challenged us to think about what might be going on with our code instead of just telling us how to fix it. They were also very approachable and not at all condescending, which is also what I value in an instructor or a mentor! The course is structured in a very logical way, and I definitely think that the exercises we did and the multiple projects that we worked on helped to solidify concepts and test our skills. With this new set of skills under my belt, I will finally be applying for a Junior Web Dev role at my existing company, and I can't wait!