iO Academy

If you're debating joining iO Academy, do it! it's the best decision I've ever made. The training and support is great and they really help prepare you for your first role as a developer. And the support continues even after finishing the course, helping with any coding problems and searching for jobs. I started the course in person and after a few weeks got moved to being remote which I was dreading but it was actually even easier than in person. Can't recommend the academy enough! I got a job a week after graduating and am excited to begin my career as a developer. Read less

I can't thank iO Academy enough, the training is first class and the support is incredible. We had to switch from in person too remote during the course and even this was handled so professionally. In many ways it actually helped prepare us for the current workplace environment. If you're looking for a coding course that prepares you for the workplace, then this is really the one to do. Read less

 Having been a stay at home mum for 5 years with absolutely no coding experience at all, I strangely decided that software development was for me and applied for iO academy.  I am incredibly glad that I made that odd choice, because it turns out that not only is coding great fun, but I couldn’t have chosen a better place to be trained up. The content was great and has set me in good-stead to be taking on my first technical role with technologies that are relevant. The trainers were absolutely brilliant - patient, helpful and all round good eggs, and didn’t mind answering all my very basic questions. I generally felt incredibly supported and like being part of a really close-knit team.  The on-going support after the course has been wonderful as well, with help offered searching for jobs, getting in touch with recruiters and keeping up practicing skills.  Overall, I could not recommend iO Academy enough. It was a great experience and I now have a whole new career ahead of me with skills that I had never even heard of 4 months ago! Can’t be bad.  Read less

I left my job in Sept 2020 (in the middle of Covid... perhaps not the soundest decision but it turned out very well!) to attend iO (or Mayden Academy, as it was named at that point. The name changed, nothing else!). 

Before iO: I did some research on coding generally, some short courses on Codecademy, some of the free tester sessions you can find online. I wanted to be as sure as I could be that I actually would *like* coding - nothing I saw put me off, so I started researching bootcamps in my area. I was optimistic that I would be able to find one I could attend in person (at this point we were in between lockdowns, it was summer and it sort of felt like that would be feasible... yeah, I know). Anyway I did a lot of reading reviews, lots of digging into old blogs and so on, and I interviewed at two bootcamps. I already had iO pegged as my favourite and the interview confirmed it. There was also an entrance "test" - I got really hung up on this beforehand but would reassure anyone reading not to get too worried. It's not the kind of test you can revise for, and if you're the kind of nerd who's considering a coding bootcamp, you're probably going to find it fun. I took it online, in my own time, and had my face-to-face informal interview later.

During iO: We did actually start in person, which was really nice. We were masked and behind plexiglass, but still. We moved to remote working in week 4, I think. I was worried about it but honestly it was actually really easy, and working in pairs over zoom is actually much more intuitive than working in pairs through plexiglass..! So if your cohort look like they're going to be fully remote, don't worry. 
The course is intense. It is fast, and if you've been out of education for a while, like I had been, it might take some getting used to! I would advise you to do any and all of the prep work you get sent beforehand (I did it for about half an hour an evening for a month or so beforehand, just to get to grips with things). You do a week or two of theory, followed by a project week. The first couple of projects are solo (you can obviously ask for help and so on, but what you make is personal to you), and then the rest are group based. Programming in a group was probably the biggest learning curve for me; it was so not what  I was used to, but by the end our final project was something none of us could have achieved by ourselves, and we were all really proud. There are well-timed talks throughout the course from people in industry; these range from broad overviews of how certain companies work to fairly in-depth looks at how certain software works. Lots of the speakers are ex-students and it's really nice to see them and how happy they are in their work.

After iO: Well, I'm only just after iO now, and I start my new job in two days! I had a few interviews during the final couple of weeks and the role I have accepted is a Masters degree apprenticeship - I do not have a computer science degree, I have a very doddery Film & Media degree from the dark ages, but in a couple of years I will be a software engineer with a masters degree! It would have been unthinkable to me this time last year, I'm thrilled. iO have lots of hiring partners within Bath / Bristol, and they will introduce you to whoever is hiring at the time you graduate. We graduated at Christmas, during covid lockdown, during a time when it is really hard to get work, and still had a handful of partners keen to interview us. 

Other notes? There were eight people in my class. We were all totally different in terms of learning styles; and all of us were accomodated. The size of the team means you get to know each other well and you get to learn how to work effectively with people who have different styles to you. It also means your tutor can take the time to give you each the individual support you need.  Read less

Excellent course with dedicated and helpful trainers. Even the switch to remote learning due to COVID-19 was seamless and the course retained its high standards. The whole team really goes above and beyond to help the students in any way necessary from learning to job hunting. Read less

This course gives you all the support and guidance to help shape you into a developer that will stand out. You're paying to be taught how to think like a developer not just the fundamentals of the languages.

We had to move Remote shortly after starting due to the epidemic but they showered us in support and made sure all our educational needs were met.

I would and have given recommendations to friends and family. Read less

I had a great time at Mayden Academy. The content is excellent, the staff and students are friendly, and the course is set up in such a way as to give you a good idea of what it is really like in a dev job.  The general principles of software writing are covered so that you don't have to fear learning other programming languages. Read less

So when I read all of these reviews, I honestly thought that this place sounded like some weird cult, that people were being overly effusive, and I was interested but pretty sceptical. I was definitely wrong. 

This course was one of the best experiences of my life. The teaching quality is high, the course is incredibly well thought out, and the pacing is perfect. 

Before I go into more detail, I'll give you a brief outline of who I am and where I am now: 

• Previously worked 'management' roles in the charity sector (read: glorified admin)
• Terrible at maths, dyslexic, with no background in STEM subjects. My A levels were in Russian, English Lit, and Politics
• Did modern languages at uni and was planning to be a lawyer

I decided to go into coding as I was looking for a profession which would offer the flexibility that I wanted, the modern working practices that I'd hear so much about, and (most importantly) intellectually stimulating work with continuous learning.

Now I'm a full-stack developer working at a robotics start-up, doing mostly web dev stuff but with a sprinkling of robotics programming. I earn 27k and the whole thing of doing the course was generally a great success.

Don't be put off by lacking a background in STEM, code, or anything. If you're switched on, enjoy solving problems, and like to learn, then apply. You will not regret it.

The Course: 

• Fast-paced: The pace is tough. You can get away without doing homework, but my recommendation is to get your head down and work a bit in your evenings - you will get out what you put in.
• You start with the basics, HTML and CSS. The people who turned up not knowing the basics of these struggled more than those who did. Go on freecodecamp and get to grips with the fundamentals to get a nice head start. You'll thank yourself. 
• You'll move onto some more complex principles, as you start with your first programming language: PHP. This part of the course will make you think that you're an idiot and have no place trying to be a user of computers, and that you should crawl into a little hovel and weep. That's normal, you'll get over it, and you'll be laughing about how hard you found it within a week or two. 
• You'll then move onto Javascript. You'll find this a lot easier than PHP, as you will understand the fundamentals of programming. It all gets better from here on out... as you won't do any new languages, and rather develop what knowledge you've gained. 

The course is structured with 1 week's learning, and 1 week's project, on an on/off basis. It works really well and helps you to consolidate your knowledge.
By the end of the course, you won't recognise yourself. You'll be a pro coder, ready to enter the world of work! 

The teachers:

• Mike: Great teacher, great guy, questionable sense of humour. If you're lucky enough to be taught by Mike then you'll be a happy bunny. Basically half man, half computer, half smiles. 1.5 of a person.
• Charlie: Fantastic teacher, his class is good fun. You'll get on with him if you like: jokes, nintendo, jokes. 
• Ash: Probably my fave, he was in training on my course and I had the pleasure of being taught by him. Great teacher, man is an encyclopaedia of code. 

My experience: 

Overall, my experience was amazing. I had a great time, made some good friends, and for the first time in a long time, wanted to work hard. I actually felt a bit sad on Fridays, which is a first. I would also feel knackered. No word of a lie - you will be tired. You will work so hard, melt your brain a few times, and probably have the odd cry. That's fine and normal. 

The teachers are so supportive, and they only let people in who are nice. You'll be in good hands, and I feel like it was worth more than my entire degree. 
Bells and whistles:

• Professional photos for your linkedin/portfolio, etc. etc. Generally pretty useful and a great touch.
• Scrum Master training: You'll learn to work in an agile fashion, and this experience is priceless.
• Free toast! But don't take the piss. 

My verdict: worth the money

DO IT

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Where do I start? One of the best experiences I've ever had and in the space of 6 months I left behind an unfulfilling career in admin that I fell into accidentally and started a new career I'm genuinely excited about! On the course I looked forward to Mondays and was a bit sad on Fridays for the first time in my life.

I first heard about Mayden Academy on a Quora post Mike answered and ended up coming here to look at reviews. With so many glowing reviews I knew I was either applying to an amazing, genuinely life-changing course or a cult. I won't be able to convince you it isn't a cult so won't try but happy to add my voice to the chants of 'do this, it's the best' and 'Mike, Charlie, Ash (trainers), Margaret and Emily (operations team) are my leaders and I will do anything they say and would die for them, er...where was I?'. Anyway...

If you're asking 'is it for me'? My experience:

I applied to the academy late one night when I was off sick from my previous job with flu. My job at the time was so stressful that even with the flu I was working from home to keep on top of it. After years of being unfulfilled, simultaneously stressed, bored and underpaid for the level of work and effort I was putting in, I'd had enough. The highlight of my job at that time was when I got to use Excel. I loved continuously learning (mainly self-taught through Google) and problem-solving using it as a tool and even felt guilty for enjoying it too much, like it wasn't really work because I was having too much fun.

If any of that sounds familiar (maybe note the Excel bit, I know it's not everyone's cup of tea) - being totally fed up and bored in your work because there isn't enough problem-solving and loving to continuously learn/teach yourself new ways to use tools then becoming a developer could be a really great fit for you.

General info

The academy course is very holistic, it's not just teaching you to code but how to become a developer who is able to work well in a team in the real world. It takes you from not knowing what http stands for or what Scrum project methodology means to being ready to start an actual, real life, paid developer role in an Agile team in 16 weeks. You'll learn the technical and the non-technical skills (project management, guest lectures) both in theory (during theory weeks) and in practice (in the project weeks).

One of my favourite things about the course was the spiral learning approach where we would learn about a topic at an introductory or less complex level and then revisit it throughout the course diving deeper each time and furthering our understanding. We also learned how to do things the hard way first rather than using tools which would do everything for us which sounds like a pain but I'm really grateful for this because I think it armed me with way more understanding of what I'm doing. For example, starting writing code in textmate manually to later using a PHPStorm which can complete typing syntax for you and tell you when you're getting it wrong!

People

The trainers were excellent (I had Mike with Ash supporting) and incredibly dedicated to the students' experience and job prospects. I loved being in a small team, 8 students to 1 teacher was a perfect size for the class. Margaret (Business Development and Marketing Manager) and Emily (Office Coordinator) made everything run so smoothly - from onboarding to keeping us stocked up with toast and hot chocolate, to running events like the hiring partner evening and everything in-between. The whole team work very hard to make this this the once-in-a-lifetime experience it is.

Preparing

Before the course you'll be sent information on prep work you can do ahead of the course. I'd done a small amount (3-4 evening classes) of html and css a few years ago and did a big chunk of the suggested JavaScript prep ahead of the course which really helped. I strongly recommend doing as much of the prep as you can - it's not a pre-requisite but it really helped me not feel overwhelmed by all the information and pace of learning.

Money... :(

I didn't have savings before the course so wouldn't have been able to do it without the option of EdAid so it was fantastic to have this option. It's a no-interest loan where you pay a small % admin fee and pay back at the cost of inflation but only begin paying it back when you're working again. I was also lucky enough to be part-funded through WIDJET. The Academy has itself started a scholarship fund which aims to help people who might not otherwise be able to afford doing the course so please don't be discouraged from applying due to the cost if that's what's standing in your way, get in touch with the team to see what your options are.

During

The course is intense. I didn't have much energy outside it to do anything much more than sleep and more learning! I exaggerate a bit but it really did take 100% of me for the duration. I also found it incredibly rewarding; many days I wanted to stay later and would happily get my laptop out on the bus on my commute to cram in more practice.

16 weeks is a good length, more than that would have been too long, less than that and I wouldn't have been ready to get out there and feel confident in my skills. You don't have to learn outside of the course hours but I wanted to and it really helped me to consolidate my learning. I should add that I was commuting from across Bristol so my commute was longer than if you were to live in Bath or near to a station heading into Bath and that took its toll.

During class time ask questions. Lots and lots of questions. The trainers are really friendly and approachable and love getting questions. If you think you're the only one in the class who isn't getting something because no one is asking the question you want to ask, I guarantee you there are others thinking the exact same thing and will be grateful when you ask it so they don't have to! An interesting thing about the academy (and I would think this is universal, not just at Mayden Academy) is that many of us felt underconfident and worried we weren't good enough because we were finding the material hard. I would like to reassure people in advance: the application process is geared to ensure that if you're on the course, the trainers are confident you can do it. It's quite an unusual situation to be an adult learner on an intensive full-time course in an area where everything is so new day-in day-out. As adults we're not used to not knowing/understanding things straight away and this course puts you in that position for 16 weeks - it's ok to not be good at something straight away but it can feel very uncomfortable and make you question your abilities and bring up fears of failure but ride it out because it's a normal reaction and likely not at all reflective of your actual abilities.

After the academy

The academy don't guarantee you a job at the end of the course, however, their training is so comprehensive and of such a high standard, the network of hiring partners so big and the support given to help you with job-hunting so good, that graduates receive job offers in developer roles within three months of graduating. I won't lie - the job-hunting bit is a stressful process, I experienced a lot of imposter syndrome and worried about when I would have money coming in again - but they do try hard to support you during that. I was fortunate enough to be offered a position in my last week in the course and began my new job a couple of weeks later. I'm two weeks in now and loving it, despite the imposter syndrome rearing its head!

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I couldn’t have asked for anything more from the Mayden Academy bootcamp, I feel like the skills I’ve learnt over the past 4 months have set me up for a career as a developer    There are so many positives things to say about the course but here are just some of my highlights:    - Commitment of the trainers  I was in Mike’s class throughout, I found Mike to be extremely knowledgeable with a real ability to explain concepts in a way which was easy to understand. He is also very patient and happy to explain things several times if needed, and was also happy to stay late to cover content 1 to 1.    Ash was also in our class providing support and delivering content, it was great having a second teacher to ask questions and he is very helpful, friendly and approachable.    I wasn’t in any of Charlie’s classes so can’t talk to his teaching skills (which I’ve heard from others is very good) but he is a very funny, energetic and positive person.      - Access to trainers and small class size Each class consists of 8 students which I think is the perfect ratio of students to trainers. This small size allows you to ask as many questions as you like and form a close bond with others in the class.    Class size is something which I think is really important and Mayden Academy were offering the best student to trainer ratio.    - Ways of working  One of the most important skills I learnt on the bootcamp was how to work as a team in order to build an application. Mayden Academy arranged for us to have two days of Scrum training from an external Scrum trainer, supported us to gain scrum master certification and applied scrum principles throughout project weeks. I think this gives you a big head-start going into your first position as a developer and is something which you can’t teach yourself.    - Getting you hired  The point of a bootcamp is to learn relevant skills so that ultimately you can secure your first position, Mayden did everything they could to support people getting a job at the end of the course including:  o Giving us the skills to build a portfolio website o Spending a day discussing CVs, covering letters and what to expect from interviews o Reviewing CVs before sending to employers o Arranging for a photographer to take professional headshots o Introducing us to companies actively looking to recruit at a hiring partners evening    I had been thinking about changing career to become a developer for a number of years, having completed the course I just wish I had done it sooner!   Read less

A great way to get into the industry. All the teachers were very patient and helpful, the entire course was really well thought out, and teaches you everything you need to know to become a full-stack developer. The various hiring partners they work with around Bath and Bristol, as well as the help they give towards re-writing your CV also facilitates the job-hunting experience. Would recommend to anyone wanting a career start / change as a software developer.

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I joined Mayden Academy after extensively researching bootcamps and assessed that they provided the best emphasis on professional skills and being able to do the job from day one. Needless to say they provided that and more. Working in both the LAMP and MEAN stacks, we gained an exceptional level of knowledge in just 4 months and left with a technical capability far beyond our expectations.

Charlie and Mike foster a wonderful atmosphere at the Academy full of support and banter in equal measure while keeping everyone focused on the goal in mind. The pace is blistering but you never feel it's beyond you. The support staff were also on hand whenever you needed help, and the meet & greet with the hiring partners they organised yielded a ton of interview offers. I found my job a mere two weeks after graduating.

If you're serious about this change of career and want the best possible springboard into it, you really need to apply here.

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Finishing Sixth Form and going onto the course was extremly daunting for me. Within a few days of starting I realised my worries where null and void. I was taught by Charlie, who I knew was a great guy from the second he laughed at the ASCII cows I had put into my code. All the trainers and staff are freindly and helpful, going out of their way to make sure you get the most out of the course. From hunting for jobs, reviewing and giving advice on your CV to shoving you in a pub with potential employers and booze, or letting you work on you strange coding side projects. You learn great tech and all the stuff you need to come out as a great developer, all while having a great time. If you want to learn to code like a pro and enjoy yourself all the way, you should be here.

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[TL;DR]

Joining Mayden Academy was the best decision I made, if you're considering about becoming a developer, go for it. 

 

[Background]

I worked as a UI/UX designer for few years in the tech industry. I studied fashion in college, worked in graphic design a little bit before that. 

I enjoyed UI development part of my job (mainly HTML/CSS) so I watned to change my career to full time developer for almost 3 years. I never had enough courage to actually do it, but feeling very unhappy doing what didn't interest me anymore, I finally left my work and did a lot of research on bootcamps.

I live in Bristol, so Mayden wasn't the most convenient choice for me, but I really liked their curriculum and the reviews of previous graduates sounded promising, so I decdied to apply. 

I'm really happy to say now, that it's been really great 16 weeks, and that decision I made was the best. 

 

[Mayden Academy Experience]

The class consists of small number - 8 at the most. They set up the environment as real working environment. There is a product owner, scrum master in project weeks, we did spring planning, review and restro which helped me so much. When I had job interviews, companies value these experiences I had a lot.

Instructors really do care about students. They truely enjoy mentoring others, always helped us when there was any challenge. 

Their curriculm is really well designed. One theory week is followed by one project week where you can actually build stuff with the knowledge you got in the previous week. I also got a lot of practical knowledge as a non-computer-science-background person, as well as good core concept on programming. 

Their course is designed so that you won't get burn-out, there's no "too much work" you need to do after class time. What I was learning was a lot, but I never felt overwhelming. I had a good class/life balance even when I was going to classes everyday 9-5.

The atmosphere in the academy is very friendly and chill. We played Wii or any silly but funny games together during lunch time. We would go to pub on Fridays where we often could meet previous graduates. 

 

[Job Support]

They are genuinely supportive all the way from the very beginning to the very end (actually even after it ends). I was the last one in my class that accepted an offer, so while my classmates already accepted offers even before the course finished, I spent few weeks applying for places. They were continuously checking on me how I was doing,  shared job opportunities they found with/for me, shared industry contacts, etc. 

I started working for a tech company in Bristol, and I'm enjoying it so much. 

 

 

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I joined Mayden Academy after 10 years spent in a non-tech industry and 1 year just only to convinced myself that was time for a career change. Now, after the course, if I could go back it won't need 1 year to decide but probably only 1 hour!

It was the best choice of my life, a necessary step to realize dreams and change my lifestyle. It wasn't easy, but thanks to the excellent competence and preparation of the instructors now I have a solid knowledge that allows me to be able to look for a highly qualified job.

And you.... what are you waiting for?!

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I started Mayden Academy having never written a line of code and I now have a portfolio of projects to show off my skills. At Mayden Academy they start at the beginning and they build on what you learn week-by-week so don't let no experience of coding put you off. The learning is extremely intensive but the trainers; Mike, Charlie and Sam, alter the pace of the course to meet the needs of students - and to make sure that no-one gets left behind.

Setting the teams up as close to workplace development teams as they can gives you really good practical experience, not only in developer tools like git, but also in working together to complete the projects. You'll become a certified scrum master and get the chance to practice those skills in project week. Working in teams is great since we all brought something different to the team and could learn from each other.

Even if you have only just started considering a coding bootcamp and you aren't sure yet, sign up for one of their taster sessions to give you a sense of whether coding is for you. If you aren't sure because you don't know whether you can do it take their assessment - if you can pass that and you are deternined you will complete the course and be on your way to becoming a Full Stack Developer in 16 weeks, which is pretty incredible!

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I was a little bit skeptical with boot camps at the start. I thought that they will be just a way to make money for a company, teaching just a little bit of what you need and throwing you out to find a job. But after I attended Mayden Academy, I have to say, I am convinced!

Coming from a completely different work environment, I decided to change my life and have a more stable situation where I could build a future. After looking at what I wanted to do, I came across Mayden Academy, and I wanted to give it a try. I attended the taster session where they show you what it is that they do with a mini-game. Just after this, I was convinced to participate, as I remembered why I liked coding in high school.

The 16 weeks were one of the best time of my life. Bouncing between theory week, where our trainers were guiding us through new content, and project week, a reproduction of a real project, the time went incredibly fast and I enjoyed every moment of it. From the struggle during projects to get things done, the concepts that had to be repeated a thousand times to the morning where the trainers cooked pancakes for us. We learned a lot of industry standard, best practices and ways to solve problems that are common in companies nowadays.

Another plus point that the academy has is the fact that you around other people that want to do the same thing that you want, trying to achieve the same goal. You create awesome friendships and build a group environment that just makes it so much easier to wake up in the morning to go to "school"!

But this is just an introduction, the best part comes at the end. When we were at the end of our course, the Academy gave us full support in the job hunting process, build of our CVs and preparation of interviews. They are incredibly supportive, giving us a lot of advice on what to do when the school has finished, how to prepare for the real world and setting an example for others. Just to give an example, as part of the last few weeks of the course, they prepare a night with the hiring partners of the Academy (yes, they have hiring partners and a lot of them) and they will introduce you to each one of them, to give you practice for interviews and so on. You might end up with an interview or a job after this! A big thank you to Charlie, Mike, and Sam for everything you have done for us! 

I can't stop recommending the Academy! If you want to get into coding, this is probably the best place to go. You don't need any experience, book or tool because they will provide everything for you! They will guide you during the course and then they will introduce you to the real world, ready to become a developer.

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It's exactly how i felt until my bot camp started - i was scared. I think, everyone from the academy have heard this story, but i repeat myself. I was seriously thinking of cancelling everything and just go back to my "comfort" zone. The idea of borrowing money for a coding course which is 4 months only looked just insane. And this website was the first i came to when i wanted to get some confidence in making my decision. I even told mysel - Liliya, this reviews can't be real, people sound just too happy, someone payed them for reviews. And i still did it. And i am now just too happy...but real :) 

The course is designed perfect for those who never wrote or read a single line of code. You start with something superdifficult ad then in couple of weeks you look back and think - oh that was so easy. And in couple of months you remember your first week and simply can't believe how far you've moved. Each module contains a heavy theory which is been immediately put in a parctice. Lot's of excersises, challenges and a project weeks make you use what you've learned and learn even more. So much more. Practicing part during the entire course is what actually makes you see how you're becoming a developer. And it makes your portfolio, so when you finish the course, your CV will have plenty of beautiful projects.

You will be learning best practices and a high industry standarts. You will learn what is needed to get a job. And you will have a lot of help. A LOT! Be prepared to get some moments of frustration because coding is difficult. Make sure you ask hundreds of questions. And trust Mike,  Charlie and Sam. They just know what they do. They will make you laugh all the time but they will teach you very seriously and very confident. I was Mikes student and there's nothing he can't explain or help you with.

And there is a significant help with getting a new job. No promises, but Mayden Academy helps a lot by introducing students to nearly 30 hiring partners which know exactly what  their level is and which are ready to invest in a junior developer. I signed a contract with my new employer a week before the end of the course. And no, no one payed to me for this review, it's all real 

 

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