Juno College of Technology

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.