Juno College of Technology

At 34 years old I was stuck in a minimum wage job while trying to run my own small business and I wanted to change the direction of where I was going. Next week, I turn 35 and start my first job in the web dev world as a Junior UX Designer/Developer. I have HackerYou to thank for that! Read on if you'd like to learn more about my journey from Barista to Developer:

At the start of 2018, after a lot of self-reflection and thinking about what I would enjoy doing, I decided to look into UX/UI and web development. At first I was interested in taking HackerYou's part-time UX course, so I set up an in-person consultation with Sam, one of the Admissions Coordinators. We had a great chat, but the UX course was geared towards those who had some experience in the industry/with coding, so he recommended me start with the part-time Web Development course to see if it was something I'd like and be interested in pursuing. Well, I loved it. After that course, I took the part-time JavaScript. I think my instructors Kristen (web dev) and Tiff (JavaScript) had a huge impact on how much I enjoyed learning at HackerYou. I decided to take the next step, applied for bootcamp and got my acceptance letter in June 2018.

You can find the current bootcamp curriculum on HackerYou's site as it changes to keep up-to-date with the ever-changing industry, but in my cohort (Summer 2018), we spent the first couple of weeks revising HTML5 and CSS3, then the bulk of the course focussed on JavaScript, jQuery, React, Firebase, Git and Github. Weekly projects made sure we were practising and using everything we were covering and it also helped with learning how to prioritise our time and work in pairs and groups. The instructor to student ratio was great, so you could quickly ask for help and feedback. By the end of the bootcamp, you will be ready to job hunt with a portfolio site!

What can't be beat is the HackerYou community. I've met the most amazing people in my cohort and made lifelong friends. Everyone had their own origin story and that made it even more interesting and encouraging. There is also so much support in all aspects of the bootcamp. The instructors and staff are all friendly and helpful and they really want their students to succeed. Heather, the CEO worked with us one-on-one after the bootcamp and gave us feedback and advice for our job-hunt. I got my first offer within a month of graduating, and I'm stoked to have had this opportunity. 

If you are thinking of a career-change and like learning in a classroom surrounded by amazing students and staff then don't hesitate to choose HackerYou. Set up a consultation, get a feel for the environment and programs, and change your life :) 

As an HTML/CSS developer, I have often mulled over learning JavaScript. This past summer, I finally took the leap and enrolled in the part-time JavaScript Fundamentals and Advanced courses at HackerYou.

I chose HackerYou because my daughter is an alumna and I was a first-hand witness to her excellent learning experience when she did the Web Dev course. HackerYou prepared her well for a web development career and gave her confidence to step into the tech world. She enjoyed the HY community so much that after finishing the program, she went back to mentor in a few courses. 

Now, I can personally say that it was, indeed, an amazing learning experience! To start, HY is a very welcoming environment. Every HY staff I met was nice. My instructors and mentor (Jordan, Trudy, and Garrett) were knowledgeable and very accommodating; they always made sure no one got left behind in class. I liked the relaxed, but well-structured classes. I never felt uncomfortable asking questions.

The code-alongs were very engaging and I liked that they explained what each snippet of code does. I also learned a lot about the coding process—the analysis, the psuedocode, how to approach the solution, the valuable side comments, the real-world tips—things you don’t get when you do an online course. 

The projects allowed us to not only apply what we’ve learned but also to challenge ourselves by doing more than what was required. I was amazed at what I accomplished after only several classes into the course. It was definitely very fulfilling to have completed the final project (API)!

At the beginning of the course, I was worried that I might not be able to grasp JS at my age, especially because the lessons were fast-paced. I’m glad that I took the leap and challenged myself. It feels good to learn a new skill!

Now that the course is over, I plan to continue doing JS exercises and small personal projects. If I don’t get a chance to try my hand at JS at work, at least I can read and understand some of the code other developers wrote and learn from them. The many $, {}, (), [] aren’t foreign to me anymore!

HackerYou’s part-time JavaScript course was an excellent opportunity to be introduced to the language. For people new to coding, such as myself, who might have only dabbled with HTML and CSS, learning JavaScript can be quite daunting as the logic and syntax of the language is quite different from HTML and CSS. The course does a great job of introducing core concepts and then advancing what can be achieved with those concepts.

What really stands out about the course to me is the freedom of the projects. Students have free rein to create almost anything with their projects. After seeing what my classmates created in their projects, it dawned on me how powerful JavaScript can be.

In university some of my professors felt out of touch with the subjects they were teaching but that is not the case at HackerYou. With instructors and mentors actively working in the field they leverage their own experiences to compliment the course material.

Not speaking specifically to this course but to HackerYou as a whole, the atmosphere is very open, welcoming and conducive to learning. Instructors and mentors are very easy-going and will answer any question that you might have. Even if they don’t have the answer immediately, they do remember and will get back to you once they have the answer.

I enrolled in HackerYou’s part-time JavaScript course with the intention of being introduced to JavaScript prior to HackerYou’s full-time Web Development Immersive bootcamp.

If you are considering a career change or are simply interested in or curious about web development in general, I highly recommend HackerYou!

I recently graduated from HackerYou’s Immersive Bootcamp. It was the best decision of my life. All of the staff, students, and alumni are warm, welcoming and extremely supportive.

I originally took the Part-Time Web Development course thinking I wanted to learn a new skill, but I never thought that I would actually quit my job and take the Bootcamp. Long story short, this course was the most fun I’ve ever had learning (and on a Saturday!).  I immediately knew that a career in web dev and taking the Bootcamp was something I wanted to do.

The best part about going to HackerYou is the amazing group of students and alumni community that you get to be a part of.  Graduates help you during the Bootcamp in the form of Bootcamp Buddies and after class study sessions.  After the Bootcamp you’re still connected to everyone through Slack. I’ve asked graduates for coding help, references, referrals or tips if I was interviewing at with a company they now work at.  And at conferences and events, you will have an instant network of folks to connect with.

All the fun aside, this Bootcamp is more than a full-time commitment, they will push you as hard as humanly possible. You will eat, sleep and breath HackerYou during these 9-weeks. It is the only way to achieve the results they produce. If there’s one thing I wish I did differently, it would be to also take the Part-Time JavaScript course. The students who took this course, or had previous knowledge, were much more comfortable with programming basics from day one.

Getting a job isn’t easy or guaranteed, but I couldn’t imagine trying to do so without the help and tools from everyone at HackerYou!

I’ve been working in client services at various digital agencies over the past 17 years. It’s been a fun ride, but after turning 40 I had a hard time seeing what my future looked like going forward. I realized that I had gained a passion for the digital craft itself, after spending several years collaborating with internal teams and clients on digital experiences. I decided I wanted to spend the next chapter of my career in the craft working as a web developer.

I discovered that Toronto had several places offering coding bootcamps; this seemed like the right fit for someone like me – didn’t want to lose too much time going back to school for another 4 yr degree program.

I met with several schools and decided to pursue HackerYou – why HackerYou? Aside from the data/stats/reviews which all ranked it #1, it felt most like a community that was really conscious about ensuring the school and student was a true fit. Other schools looked impressive, but I felt more like a prospective customer and they really just wanted “my business”.

After consulting with admissions, it was decided that the best path would be to take the part-time web dev course to prep for applying to boot camp. I took the course, loved it, learned a LOT! Unfortunately, I came up short getting into bootcamp – a bit disappointing, but the reality is they get 200+ applications and only accept 30-35 students per season. I was on a short wait list, so I came close! I was encouraged to apply to the next season’s bootcamp, and in the meantime, enrol in the part-time JavaScript course. I enrolled in the JavaScript course and just finished it!

If you are considering a career path in web development, I highly recommend taking this JavaScript course – assuming you’ve previously taken some kind of HTML/CSS course. The learning environment at HackerYou is extremely welcoming and unpretentious. You get to do lots of practical hands-on work at a nice pace, making the content very digestible. Theory and lectures are great, but when it comes to web programming you have to roll up your sleeves and get your hands dirty. The instructors really guide you well through each step and give you great tools and tips along the way. It’s a very inclusive class environment and they make sure no one gets ‘stuck’ or left behind. Not only did we have two instructors, there was also a mentor (e.g. teaching assistant) helping to keep everyone up to speed.

Overall, the course has loads JavaScript/JQuery content, giving you the foundation building blocks to get started. Make no mistake, the subject matter is complicated and there are a lot of abstract concepts that will have you scratching your head. But you come away with great material that can be referenced again and again. This stuff takes lots of practice and the HackerYou course content provides a great structure to practice and learn the right way.

I got into the upcoming Fall 2018 bootcamp session and I’m very glad I was able to take the part-time JavaScript course before this – it’s given me the time to digest the core concepts before diving right into the bootcamp. If you’re considering bootcamp, I highly recommend taking this path as well. It takes a bit longer but I think it really helps you prep for success in the long run. Cost-wise, you’ll also get some discounts on the bootcamp if you take the part-time courses, so that’s a nice perk!  I’m super excited and nervous about my next chapter, but I feel like having the HackerYou community in my corner gives me the skills and confidence to succeed.

I have completed the part time Web Development program of Summer 2018, with Jenny Veens being our incredible instructor. After doing some research online and reading about the enormous amount of positive reviews on HY, I applied online for the part time program and within the same day I have received an email from the admissions coordinator to attend a short interview at a time that suits me. 

When I first arrived at HY, the first impression I got was this vibrant modern and cozy ambience which I immediately felt connected to. Had a great chat time with Sam, and he was so great in trying help me figure out the right curriculum for me, and gave to the chance to consider different options within a very tight time-frame, while I was making my decision. 

The course syllabus has been well planned out, starts with the basics and keeps building on our previous gained knowledge and skill. Plus the notes are put in layman's terms, hence making it easy to grasp what we were being taught in class. Jenny, our incredible instructor, also made us work on coding exercises in class, and later took up the exercise to show us how she would have done the coding, and explains along the way of how she would keep the code clean and effective. Jenny's clear and organized communication and teaching styles was something that kept me alert in class. Overall my experience in learning at HY motivated me (and many other students) enough to come to all the classes and ahead of time. 

Initially we are taught the Fundamentals of HTML and CSS, then we move on to the Intermediate HTML, Advanced CSS including SASS, responsive design, and JQuery. By the end of the program we are taught introductory JavaScript. There are a total of three projects we work on individually througout the program. And I believe this better equips us for the technical challenge if we apply for their full time bootcamp.

I’m finishing up the Part-Time (Intro/Adv) Web Development course at HackerYou and would certainly recommend it to anyone who has considered diving into the web dev world! 

What I can say is that the sense of community is undeniable at HackerYou. Our instructors and HY employees are industry professionals who create a welcoming environment for students who are willing to learn.

The classes themselves are fast paced, and certainly informative! However, I wouldn’t get overwhelmed. The class notes are extremely detailed which allow you to go back and review at anytime. The instructors/ mentors are so knowledgeable and supportive. They’ve done a fabulous job at teaching people with little to no coding experience. They’re also super accessible before/after class with any question or concerns. Seriously, I couldn’t give them enough credit if I tried!

The 3 course projects throughout the Part-time classes give you a platform to demonstrate your current skill set. Each project adds a new component that you have learned in class. This is a type of program that you will get what you put into it. In other words, be self motivated!

I plan to continue my learning and apply to the full time bootcamp. I’ve enjoyed web developing to a point where I’m fully committed to making a career change in my life. This is a leading industry in terms of culture and I’m exciting to be apart of it!

I took the part-time web development fundamentals and advanced web development course and had an amazing experience. I've wanted to start learning to code for a long time but didn't know where to start with online resources. The instructors at Hackeryou break down the curriculum and code along with you. It's the best classroom environment I've experienced - very open and encouraging. New concepts can sometimes be hard to digest but the great thing is they provide helpful notes that you'll always have access to and theres lots of in-class coding exercises for extra practise. I will hopefully be taking more classes! :)

I'm just finishing up Part-Time Web Development and I have never been more excited about coding than I am now. 

I was looking for a career change and I had no experience with coding prior HackerYou, but was interested in the Full-Time Bootcamp. After speaking with the Admissions Coordinator, he advised that I take the part-time course to have a good foundation before applying to the bootcamp. I decided on the Saturday classes since I was working full-time at the time. There are no classes during long weekends, so sometimes it's hard to recall what we previously learned, but working on our projects on our own between classes helped keep what we learned top-of-mind. 

In terms of the material, I learned more in the first 5 classes that I thought I would learn the entire course. Some classes can be fast-paced and have a lot of information, but it's not a lecture-type lesson. You are constantly coding along with the instructor and there is always a mentor available to help. The code-alongs helped a lot when I wanted to look back on how to do certain things for my projects.

I started off with no experience at all and now I'm in the process of building my own website for my last project! It's crazy how much you can learn in such a small amount of time. The instructors/mentors are always available and willing to help. They also give constructive feedback to each student after each project so that they're able to better themselves for the next project. In addition to the course, the community is fantastic - everyone I've met at HackerYou is extremely friendly and welcoming. 

Overall, I've very impressed with HackerYou and would recommend the part-time course to anyone who is curious about or wants to get into web development. I believe that I now have a strong foundation for front-end development and am excited to apply to the full-time bootcamp!

**As a first note, I would highly recommend taking the advanced UX course after the fundamentals. The content becomes much more focused and dives deeper into real design problems that you could expect to see in any design career. **

I wanted to level up my UX skills, and after some research HackerYou stood out as the best option on the market. After completing both courses, I can confirm that the program lives up to it's reputation. 

What you will take out of the course really depends on the level that you come in at, and what you want out of it. As a designer looking to specialize in UX, I really appreciated the opportunities to apply the concepts from the course in my everyday work, and I felt that I was able to rocket my career ahead a couple of steps with the deeper perspectives and new frameworks that I was exposed to. 

I highly recommend this course for anyone new to UX specifically or looking to expand on their design skills in a human centered design direction. 

I was fairly familiar with HTML from about 8 years ago before this course. I decided to sign up for their Accelerated Intro to Web Development Fundamentals/Advanced because I figured a course would really help brush me up and I am also very interested in participating in the Hackeryou Full-time Immersive course (bootcamp).

Structure: The course is sectioned into Fundamentals and Advanced Fundamentals. Each is four days, 10am-6pm with support and mentoring on Fridays and over the weekends. Class is short lectures that feature code-alongs mixed with short bouts of independent or team-work. It is hard to ever feel left behind as their was a very good balance of 3 instructors to about 22 students. There was always time to ask questions before or after class or in Slack or you could simply look over your digital notes which you have permanent access too. Great mentorship I met so many nice alumni!

Curriculum: the Basics of HTML/CSS all the way to Responsive Design and a short but sweet appetizer of Javascript. I had a bit of a leg up having spent the months prior self-teaching HTML and CSS but this course really can get a beginner to the level that they can publish/manage their own site.

Overall: I had a great time and learned a lot. It was a great introduction to the community of HackerYou and a nice way to see if you are the type of person that can handle an immersive course. It was only two weeks of 10-6 but you are learning something nearly every hour of each day and putting it into practise. I definitely feel more confident in my Web Development skills and feel like I accomplished something great.

I was familiar with web1.0–era HTML and wanted to introduce myself to the fundamentals of HTML and CSS so that I can make simple websites (landing sites; blogs; marketing sites). This course offered a novel structure that appealed to me: an intensive, full-time, two-week dive into front-end web development. Although it times it felt like drinking from a fire hose, the course was well structured. The teachers are uniformly engaging and the learning style—short "lectures" interspersed with longer code-alongs and independent work—suits the material well. It's a surprisingly fun environment for eight-hour days spent at your computer. HackerYou gives its students plenty of support, with before- and after-hours mentoring sessions; permanent access to the robust course notes; and, through Slack, access to the broader community of teachers and alumni.

One note of caution: this is a very time-intensive one-week course (or two-week course, if you pair it with the Advanced section). If you have the support of family members or your time is otherwise unencumbered, this is a remarkably quick and thorough way to get yourself up to speed on the best practices in web-development. If you do not have this, you might consider the part-time web-development course instead.

I have a small child at home, as well as freelance work in another field. Therefore I found it difficult to review the material nightly, which, given how much you learn each day, is very important. I am just completing the course now, and trust that time and practice—as well as occasionally asking for support from the HY community—will ensure that everything I learned truly sinks in.

I am currently finishing up HackerYou's part time JavaScript course after completing their part time Web Development course beforehand. Having come to web development (and any kind of coding) as a complete novice, HackerYou provided an open and supportive learning community with great instructors, real world problems and solutions, and excellent learning opportunities. This proved true with the JavaScript course as well. Our instructor broke down intimidating topics and concepts into simple, real world fundamentals and at no point during the course did I feel intimidated to ask questions about anything. Our instructor and mentors in the course are all professionals in the industry, which gave our class a lot of insight into how the topics we were learning in class applied in a real world environment. I really like the hands on approach HackerYou applies in its classrooms and I am walking away from this course confident and very ready to learn more.

I took the part time JavaScript program this summer, 2018, and I thought it was a very good class. It gives a really good view into the language and some of the add-on libraries and languages like jQuery, React, and Node.

It was a challenging course but well taught. The teacher was nice and accommodating, as were the mentors, and all were very knowledgeable.

Be sure sure to ask any and every questions you might have and try not to miss any classes as it’s easy to fall behind.

Classes were in a nice space that wasn’t too difficult to get to…if you don’t mind the streetcar.

Overall a great experience that I would highly recommend.

This was my second part time course with HackerYou and can't tell enough what a valuable experience it was. The instructor and the mentors are super supportive and patient with the students. 

The course structure is updated as per the industry standards and all best practices are followed. A variety of topics were covered ranging from fundamentals to advanced. It feels great to be a part of this HackerYou community. I recommend this course to everyone looking to get familiar with JavaScript and also looking to apply for the Bootcamp.

I’ve always had an interest in web-development but I wanted to make sure it was a good fit before committing to making a career change, so I enrolled in the Spring 2018 Intro to Web Dev course. I chose HackerYou after reading many positive reviews, specifically on Reddit and Course Report, of their supportive community and their dedicated instructors.

Truthfully, before I took the part-time course, I definitely debated how beneficial taking this course would be; if web development was something I could have taught myself— yes, but it probably would not have gone as smoothly. And now that I’ve completed the part-time course, I can confidently say I would’ve make the same decision if I had to do it again. The course is very well-structured, and the instructor and mentors make the course material clear and easy to understand.

I’ve learned far more than I could’ve taught myself in the same amount of time, and in a very organized way. The projects assigned allow you to challenge yourself by applying the material you learn throughout the course. I would recommend this course to anyone’s who’s interested in web development. It was very rewarding and I cannot wait to see what the full-time bootcamp has to offer!

I went into HackerYou not knowing what it was going to be like. As a complete newbie to the web development, I learned more than I can imagine. I tried learning online on my own but like most people, it just wasn't fun and enjoying. Now I have just finished the Part-Time Web Development Course and I don't regret it one bit. I met new friends and learned HTML5/CSS3/JQUERY at a high level. The instructor and mentors were amazing and I couldn't have done it without their help. One thing I could mention is that I wish we had more outside the box assignments such as the flip-card. I really enjoyed the level of difficulty on those.

I have completed the part-time Web Development course - Spring 2018, and it is fantastic. I started with an online course, but didn't find that I was getting what I wanted out of it - not my style of learning. So I went looking for a classroom-instructed course and a graduate of the HackerYou bootcamp convinced me this was the place.

As a female making a move into the tech realm, I have found HackerYou to be an inclusive and supportive environment. I never feel like there's a stupid question, and the extra support is always right there.
I like that there is an instructor with two back-up instructors in every class, so someone is ready to jump in to offer extra help whenever needed.

For the three projects, the degree of complexity increases at a good pace. They also have a wide enough scope that I was able to incorporate a wide range of the course curriculum.

The volume of what I've learned over the past couple months is far more than I expected. I am excited to be a part of the HackerYou bootcamp this summer - I would not have been accepted without this course.

I moved to Toronto on 4th of April and started with my Web Dev course on the very same day! I had applied for the Spring bootcamp and did not clear the tech test and was recommended the part time Web Dev course, i feel it was the right recommendation because it seems like a good introductory step towards everyone who has interest in joining the bootcamp. 

It was the best decision i made for myself for a career in web development. The instructor and the mentors are very supportive and patient with the students. Even with prior experience with HTML and CSS i got to learn so many new things and felt comfortable with the course from the very first week. I am very confident in developing my own sites now!

The course structure is great with all the latest industry standards being followed and the teaching approach is fab ! The overall experience is really valuable and it feels great to be a part of this awesome HackerYou community. I recommend everyone looking for a career in web development to enroll for this cource. Looking forward to apply for the Fall Bootcamp !

I am just finishing up the Part-Time Web Dev course at HackerYou and I have loved my experience. I originally started looking at HackerYou for their Web Development Bootcamp. Before applying, I heard it was tough to get into the Bootcamp without taking the Part-Time Web Dev course. Even so, I applied with only some quick 2-week self-taught coding knowledge. I didn't pass the tech challenge but was invited to join the part-time course.

In this course, I have become very comfortable with HTML, CSS, and some basic JavaScript. More importantly, the people at HackerYou are wonderful. The mentors are supportive and patient with complete beginners.

After applying to the Bootcamp for the second time, I have now been accepted. If you're looking to eventually join the Bootcamp, the part-time web dev course is definitely a step in the right direction. Join the HackerYou community! You won't regret it :)