Hack Reactor

I did the 19-week BootCamp with Hack Reactor/ Galvanize and it was pretty mediocre.- module 1 was quite useful, learned a lot about python and django - also the lecturers were decentbuilt a CRUD todos app using django in the backend - looked pretty bare bones- module 2 - changed to new lecturers- lectures were absolutely horrid and abominable - some of the lecturers didn't really know their material, the explorations were not concise and terribly structured - at this point, the seirs ( students from previous cohorts hired to help/increase their employment numbers - were somewhat helpful ) - explorations were poorly written and a lot of members in my cohort were struggling - practically worked as a group to learn the materialmodule 3 - seirs ( student TAs from previous cohorts - aid was nonexistent) - new lecturers - same as before - horrid bland lectures that didn't benefit students -basically you working on a project for 5 weeksI was appalled at the quality of career services - forcing you to lie on your resume and come up with false numbers to make your resume "better"To make matters worse for the next seirs they hired, they based on people's votes and votes from previous instructors. One of the seirs they hired and I kid you not, set up camp hogging the sier's time. When they would be done and asked to leave, they would jump to the next seir room.The majority of the time, I was forced to see other materials to supplement my learning. TBH, this program is absolutely garbage, save your money and just work on udemy videos because that's basically what you'll have to do.

I'm apart of the HR part time program and my experience to say the least is disappointing. the first half of the program is pair programming which you are matched with a random pair weekly who most often is "too busy" to pair with you, prefers to work solo or is flat out working ahead of you. When you reach out to address the issue of pairing, you will be told that it's normal and everyone seems to be having an issue with pairing and that staff will try to be more mindful of pairing. I mean come on its a part time program and within the first 3 weeks the structure of the program was clear so if you choose to stay, you should be able to follow the guidelines! How can you be set up for success when the first half of the program you are dependent on a partner that has anti pairing behaviors? However, If YOU work ahead and leave your partner behind, you will be reprimanded for it surprisingly. At this point because it continues to happen, I'm not sure ALL students who do this get reprimanded if you get what I am hinting at. That's not to say you won't meet some great people here. There are always diamonds in the rough. The curriculum needs a lot of work, and honestly some of it comes off as culturally insensitive. Hiring outside POC isn't going to change that, the curriculum needs a whole reboot. Some of videos is full of what they explain as "Bro-y" language but really the lecturer is an insensitive douche. In one of the videos the lecturer actually told a student they hadn't bothered to remember their name. WOW! The class was told they forgot to cut that part out. YIKES. Considering the cost of the program on top of my current experience only a few months in, I wouldn't recommend HR to anyone else to spend almost 20,000 on this bs. You would legit only be paying for the network. 

I wanted to go to hack reactor as soon as I failed the entrance test to enroll in their program. I had applied to other programs before, and after their tests they would only tell me I failed. They wouldn't give me any feedback - but hack reactor did. Hack reactor told me I almost passed - and they offered me tutoring before the next entrance exam. I met up with someone through zoom who helped me practice until the next test (at NO cost) - and I passed. I started going to the NYC campus. Due to COVID we were zoom only, but that didn't matter. My teachers, tutors, and classmates were the most amazing people. My teachers were smart, helpful, and truly just wanted us to succeed. The lectures were spectacular. My classmates were friendly, supportive, down to pair program whenever. We felt like family. I never thought I could get this close to a group of strangers, especially through zoom but it happened - I'm friends with most of them today.When it came to career search I had a lot of support, and a career manager to guide me. It was a great experiance and made it easier for me to find employment. I love Hack Reactor and what they did for me. However, I will say - they changed their model. They now do regional classes with ~70 students. More tutors (around 15) and less teachers (about 5-7 mentors). It's less personal, less support (you have to actively seek it out). I don't think it's the same. It's much more autonomous - you will get the education you seek.

I was sooo enthusiastic and super happy to go to workshops and open houses, working on javascript and to hear such goods results of these bootcamps until I had my experience and I would say - never again! 
Starting from those events, the word from bootcamp staff was always: 'You fail only for behavior', up until you start the immersive.
I was part of oct 2020 cohort and I have to say, it's been very exhausting, starting from the pre course and along the way there is not really a way to gauge if you should remain or you'll be given a second chance. The residents / seniors were encouraging to stay saying that everyone is very tired. and they are all struggling. I really wish there were a better communication on that aspect.
Now of course you see that "the repeat of junior portion is not guaranteed" in the contract or "if you don't pass some technical assessments", but by the time you did all that preparation for many months and pre paid 2 k for pre course, of course the student will sign the agreement. Nothing happened to your friends who graduated.
And after how many assessments that you don't pass you should quit so you don't loose your money? Not clear! 
When is it time to just give up because you don't do well? Nobody knows!!!
And if you say that you were told differently in the campus, they through a letter at you to acknowledge and sign so they can keep your money after. 
Now, if I had a hard time with all of that, wait until you depart and have another nightmare trying to explain to this Associate general counsel from HR, who's handling these cases, armed to his teeth with education in procedures and succesful with similar cases . 
It's just not worth it. Who signed up for all this horrible experience? 
If anyone was reading this, and wanna go the safe route, I would recommend the 6 or 9 months version instead. It's really not about, "I have the time to do the 3 months full-time immersive".  
I would think rolling over students in 3 months course is better for them but Have a normal life, be able to sleep, and honestly digest better the material and get better ready for job. That is everything!
And really, many students from the 3 months have to repeat the junior half. So by the time you do 2-3 times the pre course, repeat eventually the junior half, maybe go back to pre course, it will end up in about 1 year anyway.
Better go safe people and if you don't make it, there is still lots of other options out there, but don't give up on your dream .
 

Hack Reactor was NOT an easy course - 5 days a week I was 'in class' (I did the course virtually due to pandemic) for 12 hours per day, and then on Saturday I clocked out after 8 hours. Be prepared for the rest of your life to basically come to a grinding halt while you devote yourself entirely to this program over these 3 months. I came into the program with NO coding knowledge (besides what's taught in the BootCamp prep courses), and honestly felt like I was in a wave pool the entire time - where I would just manage to get my head over water, and then the next second the next wave would hit. However, not only did I learn an extreme amount throughout this course, but enduring this feeling gave me the skill to be comfortable in a constant state of uncomfortableness. This was a terrific program and one I would recommend to others. It has already drastically changed the trajectory of my life, and I know it's only going to get better as I continue with a software development career!

This is an incredibly rigorous program, so you have to know that this will be the entirety of your focus for the full three months (and you will be putting quite a bit of time doing prep work in the month and a half or so before it officially begins). "Drinking from a firehose" is the way a fellow graduate put it, and it definitely felt that way. If you are up for it (and why wouldn't you be? this is your life and it's yours to do with it what you will!), it does deliver on its promise. I graduated in April 2021, spent a couple of weeks enrolled in their new-ish "job search program" (really useful structured assistance, offered cost-free to graduates), and landed a (paid) internship that began in June. It is now the beginning of September, and I have just recently been promoted to the role of a full-time associate engineer; this was the finish line I knew I needed to cross before I could truthfully review the course for a site like Course Report. While I do have minor quibbles/gripes about certain aspects of its structure and pedagogy, these concerns are rendered moot in the face of the real-world results they've provided. In sum, I couldn't be more pleased with the decision I made in enrolling in Hack Reactor. Like many others, I came to coding incredibly green (I was forced to make a career change due to the pandemic). The fact that within half a year of completing the program I can now say that I am a full-time (and well-paid) associate software engineer is sort of all that needs to be said for this program's effectiveness. Buckle up and change your life!

My experience at Hack Reactor was undoubtedly one of the most, if not the most challenging academic experience I've had to date. This boot-camp is incredibly rigorous, and the full-time program demands that you devote essentially 100% of your waking life to study. There were times when I felt I would not make it to graduation, but that is not for lack of support on Hack Reactor's part. The instruction team is excellent, and clearly has a genuine desire to help their students grow and succeed. 

The curriculum is very well curated, and has a ground up approach which focuses on teaching students skills and technology which are relevant in today's development world. When I started the program, I knew next to nothing about software engineering, and only 3 short months after graduating had a job offer in hand. I would not hesitate to recommend this boot-camp to anyone, granted that they are resilient, have a growth mindset, and are committed to putting in the time and effort required.

I really enjoyed my time at Hack Reactor. The first week or two, I felt so behind that they moved so quickly and the hours were so long. I was under some of the greatest stress of my life. I pushed through and was learning so much, eventually that stress transformed into excitement. I started to have fun between the frustration. I made friends I still hang out with, learned about so many people's unique experiences, and learned so much about programming that I could never have learned on my own. Sometimes it's less about the content being taught and more about having someone provide you the path. In some ways, Hack Reactor paves a path for you, and for many that may be a path out of the infamous "tutorial hell". You also gain real-world experience working in teams and managing productivity and tasks. Overall it was great, and I wish I could do it again with the knowledge I have now. The only thing I would change is the ending. When I give job assistance 3/5 it's not because of my career services manager who was fantastic and certainly the most valuable resource during my job search, but rather the careers week. I think one extra week of focus on job search and practice would've been great. It felt really jammed in at the end. I wanted more personal resume reviews, interview practice, maybe talk with alumni about structuring job search days, etc. I really only feel like I refined my job search to an art months after graduation and I think another week in the program with a focus on that would've put me on that path sooner. In the end, it all worked out though, and I'm so happy with the friends I've made and the knowledge/skills I've obtained. 

Hack Reactor was truly an incredible experience. It challenged me to learn quickly, build teamwork, and communicate like an engineer. Not only did I learn the tools that I needed to succeed in the industry, but I also created a portfolio that impressed hiring managers and recruiters. Autonomy is highlighted in this course. You get what you put into it. I entered Hack Reactor with zero background in coding (other than their basic prep) and was able to succeed due to the guidance and help of the staff and my peers. I would recommend this bootcamp to anyone who is willing and able to put in the work. This is not an easy course. If you have anything else going on in your life, it is nearly impossible to accomplish. For the right person, this bootcamp can get you a job that you will love just a few weeks out. 

I planned to go to grad school to make my career transition to software engineering but was told Hack Reactor might be a good boot camp to help me do it all faster. In the end, in only 5 months, I was able to sign an offer at a company working on something I really believe in. 

If you are incredibly driven, sure about your goals, and value your time, Hack Reactor is the right pressure cooker to get you what you want as fast as possible. The curriculum is highly curated for your development from first principles and the technical support is super valuable. The program becomes a little more hands-off later in the course as it forces you to become a fully autonomous engineer. Trust the process.

It isn't for everyone. If you have other commitments in life currently, it will be hard to find balance during the boot camp.