Avocademy

I am so glad for Avocademy! 🥑 I was eyeing their course for a long while and did all the research I could do to find a good fit and they definitely were :) I was fortunate enough to take their UX/UI foundations course in the summer of 2022. Due to my work schedule, I had to ask for an extension so I took 16 weeks rather than 8 weeks, which I am so grateful for. You still have to put in the hard work though! There is a lot to learn so keep a good pace when taking this program. If you think you're not understanding something or feel behind, the mentors have been a great help with their feedback and support. They are there to guide you to the right path and support you through your journey. If you're thinking about this course, I'd recommend going for it :) You'll be welcomed into a big community that wants to learn for its users and for themselves. Thank you, Avocademy! 

I joined Avocademy in March for UX/UI Foundations. I didn't have any prior experience in this field. There is a lot of information, which can be overwhelming for the first time. Modules are divided by the topic and activities. You need to upload your activity to get feedback, and then you can move on to the next chapter. They give students timelines which helped me a lot since I have a full-time job and I was a full-time student. 
At the end of the boot camp, I designed my first project and created a portfolio. 

Then I joined their Career Jump Start. I worked on real client projects with a different group of 5 people. Each project took about five weeks. Avocademy also helped review my portfolio and resume. They have great tools for networking, interviewing tips, and more. I'm currently applying for jobs. 

I really enjoyed building my first project with Avocademy's UX/UI Design Foundations. I like how straightforward their system is because we learn immediately by applying the lessons in our own project. Their system simplifies UX/UI which makes it easier to digest the information and be creative as well. My favorite part of this course were the mentors. Each mentor is qualified, they work in the industry already and talking to them allowed me to understand how UX/UI designers think.  It is important to note that taking this course means having the initiative to schedule Zoom calls with mentors in order to get the best out of the program. Everything is basically laid out, as a student I had to trust the process and have the initiative to connect with mentors. 

One of my biggest concerns before I joined Avocademy was whether or not it was legit because of the name. I can assure you 100% it is legit.  I think its name actually reflects the program a lot, it is very personal and if you want to learn from a community of designers you can. The slack channel allows students to connect with each other too- students ask each other design questions, career questions and talk about their success stories which can be very motivating.

Honestly, I was a little uncertain at first because I had no experience in the UX/UI field. I researched other bootcamps as well and they were well out of my budget. I read other reviews on Avocademy and heard nothing but good things. I decided to take the leap and boy am I stoked that I did! The course was broken down into digestible content and even though you have deadlines, you can complete the coursework on the times that work best for you. Also, the mentors were VERY helpful in answering all my questions as well as making sure I was on the right path to success. Definitely would recommend for other students looking to get there foot in the door of the UX/UI field. 

Wow where do I start, I remember coming to the end of my healthcare assignment, my contract nearing an end, and not sure what I wanted to do next. The agency I had gone through wanted to retain me and wanted me to become staff through the agency and the hospital I was doing my contract at wanted to hire me as permanent staff, because, yes I am just that good haha... But, after moving at the height of the pandemic to work in several hospitals in the city and leaving that job after almost two years to pursue contracts and make more money... I was exhausted, In January of 2022, the C shot back up and we were short staff, and overworked, and what I loved and adored so much started to feel like a burden. I remember telling my husband, that I wanted to do something different. Something where I could still be able to understand people and help people but, not work bedside. He told me to look into case (management) working or a remote position but, I wanted something completely different than what I had been doing for several years.  Having a first degree in Criminal Justice before Nursing. I began to look into Cyber security, but after having a shady looking Bootcamp (thank God we didn't pay), I was a bit turned off from boot camps... Fast forward I had about three weeks left of my "final contract" because in my head that was it and it was time to take a leap of faith. My husband knew how I desired to create and how I thoroughly enjoyed helping, connecting, and relating to others. So, he texted me Avocademy after seeing it on TikTok. I looked the website over, saw some testimonies, and then reached out to see if it was a match and a good fit. Once my contract was coming to an end, as a family, my husband and I decided I wouldn't pick up any more contracts, become staff, or work and that I would spend the few months to learn and master foundations and put all my focus on learning UX/UI... I actually start working, towards the end of foundations, since I then understood the foundations of foundations (pun intended) and it was very do able. I had always been interested in being creative, designing things, and creating things. UX/UI isn't just that it's so much bigger then that... My minor in college for my first degree is in Fashion Merchandise, and I remember as a project with we had to design a fashion merchandise website, so when I knew that, that had some UX/UI in it, I knew it was something that I could do, but, I would honestly say I had NO PRIOR experience, my background was in the criminal justice system and healthcare and I was able to learn and be a success... The rest is still being written as we speak... 


Pros:
The unlimited amount of one on one mentorship. 
Genuine support from mentors, students, and leadership. 
Affordable pricing and payment options.
Quick turnaround when submission on activities.
Thorough and constantly updating the latest UX/UI principles and practices in foundation curriculum. 
So honestly, with the hi-fi design, (alignment, button size, I won't tell you everything, register to find out more haha...) I struggled a little bit more than others and was granted help from Bridget (shout out to you) to help me get it together, that was the icing on the cake and since then I would say I now, think I am pretty good with my wireframes, ie... Thanks for not giving up on me!!
Help with portfolio building, like real help, feedback and tips to make it better and stand out...
They care and I am not just saying that like they are rooting for you to win.
Also if something comes up or something changes and you communicate with them, they are more than willing to work with you, in order to freeze your account so that you can come back to finish. I actually started a new job since I was nearing the end of foundations, and they worked with me to extend my deadline... Please communicate they want to see you complete your case study, add it to your portfolio (which they help you create for FREE for all those on a budget) and win.  
I am currently in Career Jumpstart but, I was working full time right before finishing foundations and I still was able to finish, with dedicating a few hours every day. I work from home, so I have access to my personal monitor and laptop (you don't need a monitor, I actually only set my monitor up for career jumpstart, all of foundations I used my Mac, you don't need a Mac either, a regular laptop will do) but, most of the time I had to work on foundations after work just because, I am dealing with high sensitive information and HIPPA. The point I am trying to make is even if you work FT, you can still complete foundations in a decent time. 
They do all they can do to foster the environment, it's just up to you. 
They teach you all that you need to know, and as I mentioned they are constantly updating the foundation curriculum. 
They encourage you to ask questions, watch videos, and read the curriculum. 
They have so many resources and literally, they give you the foundation and lay it out on a platter.
Also, they have live series so although it is not a live course in retrospect, you still get live humans if you understand what I mean.


Cons:
The only con I would say that there is for me, was as I mentioned in the pros not having live classes, but, it's not necessarily a con because they do have speaker series that ARE live, unlimited mentorship, slack where you can communicate with mentors, students, and even the leaders. So, it isn't necessarily a con this is just a preference, not a necessity. I was still able to complete the course in foundations, and move on to Career Jumpstart... I will be updating you all on that, so stay tuned! 

I used to be a healthcare worker and was completely burnt out and tired. I was no longer passionate about the field and knew I needed to make a change. I stumbled upon UX design and then found Avocademy. I was skeptical, but compared to the prices of other bootcamps, I decided to take the risk and begin making a career change. Taking the foundations course was the best decision I have made. It allowed me to learn the building blocks of UX/UI design. I really liked the course because while they have suggested deadlines, you can customize it to fit your schedule. I also appreciated the mentorship throughout the program. Avocademy really wants to see you succeed!  

The Avocademy Design Foundations was a good experience. There isn't really an instructor to teach you from step to step. Essentially, you are teaching yourself and you learn by doing. Avocademy provides you with links and online resources to help you understand designing for UI/UX. They also provide unlimited mentorship meetings, but I never really booked any unless it was required. There were minimal openings at the time I was in the foundations class. The mentors that are helping you along the way are great people. The only thing that didn't really work out is when you are getting approval of your small steps in the big project. You may have 2-3 mentors commenting conflicting things and it takes longer for approval. Having more than one mentor looking at your things isn't bad because you get a lot feedback. But when you have to wait a week or more for approval, it sets you back. Fortunately, student success allowed me many extensions in order to get everything approved and just right.  Compared to other bootcamps, this one is also the most affordable (foundations only). 

As a student, Avocademy is full of detailed lessons and activities explaining UX/UI best practices. The activities they assigned were directly paired with the lessons, allowing me to practice what I learned. After, mentors would review my activities to provide detailed feedback that identified areas for improvement. The lessons are not limited to design, the mentors also provide insight into UX/UI design real world. Overall, Avocademy has facilitated my journey as a UX/UI designer by providing support and insight of the industry.