Lighthouse Labs Reviews
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Ginger
A great bootcamp
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I attend the Bootcamp in lighthouse lab in Toronto in 2016. Their curriculum teaches the core of Javascript and Ruby, and also a lot of development related knowledge. It is profound and well organized. Also, students will take the weekly review to make sure to catch up with the whole courses. And you will have a chance to develop a midterm project and the final project. The job hunting service is also available to the students who are ready for a job. So, on the whole, my experience was good. But I can also feel the content in last two weeks ran into a rush, and I feel zoned out easily. By the way, I really like their mentors. they are knowledgeable to help me whenever I need a help.
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Grant
Lighthouse Labs Review
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I attended LHL during the May01-June2017 cohort. It was a very good experience and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking to career shift into development or want hands-on experience. The strongest product of LHL is the curriculum. It is kept up-to-date and is continually updated to reflect industry needs. You will find lots of overlap between job descriptions and the technologies you'll be learning at LHL.
Like any boot camp, it is important to go into it with the right expectations. You will learn a lot at LHL, but recognize that there will be holes in your knowledge. Their idea that the whole boot camp experience is around ~year is correct -- LHL will set you up with enough to take on a first developer job but the learning will have to continue after boot camp has ended. If you understand this and come in with a good attitude, you will be successful.
LHL does a good job creating an environment that will allow you to learn an immense amount during the 8 weeks. As a student, its important to get comfortable as soon as you can, and you will enjoy / take advantage of the environment they have set-up. The LHL connection doesn't end after boot camp either, as this community enviroment translate into the alumni community well.
Instructors are LHL are knowledgeable, and care a lot about student success. They are a valuable resource along with the available mentors, and they all do a good job assisting students in getting as much as they possibly can out of the boot camp experience.
Career services do a good job of setting you up to be in a position to find work. Set realistic expectations, be willing to try different options, and you'll get a lot of CS.
Overall, I will recommend LHL to anyone serious about getting into development. I've recommended it to friends but the number one thing is the expectations and attitude going into it.
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Lucia Annunziata
Great Experience
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I am really happy about my time at Lighthouse, the staff is amazing,the overall culture super relaxed and inspiring and the instructors are really awesome, very knowledgeble and always available, even after the completion of the bootcamp.
It was a life changing experience and I have not only adquired knowledge that I would never adquired by myself in such short period of time, but I have learned how to learn, which is the most important skill in the world of programming, and thanks to it and thanks also to the great network I have built at the lab, I have landend on my dream job as game developer in less than 2 month. I had no prior experience in game development but the coding experience I have developed in the bootcamp allowed my mind to learn fast every coding language.
I definitely suggest to enroll!
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Eric
Good Instructors and TAs Make All The Difference
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There isn't much more I can add that isn't already known about Lighthouse. There is a high placement rate for a good reason. The program is popular for a good reason. I attended the Lighthouse bootcamp in Sept of 2014 and it was pivotal in the new direction of my career and life really. I was very skeptical if I would be able to attain the necessary skills to start as a developer in just 2 short months. But not only did I leave with the confidence to start, I also had the tools to continue to learn and grow afterwards. I'm not the best with words so I will put in bullet form the highlights and challenges I encountered during my time at Lighthouse.
*Challenges*
- grinding: for someone coming in with little background in coding or computer science, working on projects/tutorials for the entire day was a grueling process. It was probably the hardest class I've ever taken. The pace is fast and the information comes at you like a firehose. Be ready to feel uncomfortable and make use of the TAs
- stubborn: partially related to the previous point. quality TAs and teachers is what you pay for. Don't bang away at a problem for 3 hours. If you can't find the solution ask for help, it will give you new knowledge, clear explanations and you can be better equipped for when that same problem comes up again. Make use of the TAs.
- life balance: spent my time from 8am to almost midnight some days for the 2 and a half months of the program. It's draining and would be difficult for those with families to take care of. Come into the program expecting a lifestyle change for the duration and a bit after as you look for work and get those interviews.
*Highlights*
- cool peers: the people that make the commitment to do a coding bootcamp are driven, dedicated and the kind of people you will enjoy working/learning along with.
- instructors: I can't stress enough how good the teachers and TAs are at Lighthouse. The lecutures are fun, engaging and clearly explained.
- projects: the project based work keeps things interesting. Which is needed to keep things focused during the heavy workload.
- iteration: Lighthouse is constantly changing and improving their curriculum to match industry changes and make the education better. Even during my time there, little changes and tweaks were made.
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Bob
Really bad short classes
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It is not 36 hrs as it says on the website. Every class starts with 1hr of just going through slides with words with an unethusiatic instructor. After the 1hr, you are free to go or do some exercises that take about 30 min to finish.
Some days we get exercises to work on and other days we just do some reading written by the company. But the information is medicore and very short (about 5 min reading). We didn't do much. I felt alike it was place to hang out with an instructor. The whole class doesn't really have a goal. Rather, the whole course felt alike " here are list of things you should know related to some coding, and bye go home or whatever."
Honestly, the course can be silently more engaging and challenging or teach students how to learn better so that they can code some basic apps. On the last day we just looked at games (1.5 hrs of my money drained down the toilet) after the slides were done. Also, I was told that the some course materials were too hard for students, such as learning parsing. The company refuses to change the material because it was in the Vancouver branch, and the instructor gave up on teaching material because he knows students can't learn it at their level.
The course is just so expensive for the materials, and quality. This is almost a scam to make money off people who are naive and not knoweldgeable in coding.
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James
Best Bootcamp in Canada
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Did a ton of research, visited every bootcamp location in Toronto and had a friend go to Bitmaker while I went to Lighthouse. I just graduated this week and my friend and I have been sharing our experiences, and there is no doubt I got the better education. We actually co-coded together, and I think he might be smarter than me, but my knowledge of how things work, different frameworks and how to learn quickly were so far ahead that he said he might go back and tell them he wants a refund. He was near the top of his class while I was definitely amongst the second half.
I haven't gone throught the Career Services yet, but they have been really transparent with how it works, how it's not a guarantee, but almost all grads I speak to says they got jobs, companies knew Lighthouse and they respect the quality of the grads coming out of the bootcamp as some of the best.
Was a bit worried in terms of bootcamps at first, but really happy with this whole experience. It definitely matters which one you pick though, which is why I came here to give a review.
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Brian Bancroft
It does what it claims to do.
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There's little question that Lighthouse Labs is one of the better schools I've come across in the coding bootcamp world. I finished a little while back, but the current and after-grad assistance has been swell. It's been about 45 days since the end, and everyone in my cohort who wanted work as a dev in Toronto has found it. Each and every one.
The curriculum is solid, and has enough flexibility to allow individuals to make it their own thing to suit their interests. Web-framework for a rasberry-pi sensor network? Sure! Web-GIS tools? You bet. Diabetes monitoring templates for insulin pumps? True story, with a proven outcome! They can help you follow your dreams starting from the fundamentals up so long as you bring your passion to the front.
The cast of instructors and mentors are diverse in character as well as background, and are there to help offer results. They can help you build yourself in fundamentals and base frameworks so you can do that thing.
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Thomas Friesman
More than just a bootcamp, LHL is a group of passionate, caring, intelligent people who are committed to helping you reach your goals.
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In the iOS Bootcamp the pace of learning was intense, and it never lets up. And that is one of its best features. You never feel like you had an easy day, or a wasted day. The lectures start with intermediate topics and grow in complexity very quickly from one day to the next. You are always covering new ground, mastering new concepts, and taking on bigger and more complex assignments. By the end of the 8 weeks we were all creating projects we wouldn't have thought possible in week 1. The leap in learning you make in the 8 weeks in truly incredible.
I had no background in coding, comp-sci, or programming but was still able to handle the workload, just barely. The TA's and instructors made sure that they were available to help, but never just handed you the answer. They insist that you learn as you go, rather than giving you the answer, which I am grateful for. With an extremely low ratio of teachers to students, help is always at hand, 12 hours a day. It is this close interaction with instructors and other class mates that I feel really makes all the difference. It is like having a private mentor for 8 weeks, 12 hours day, sharing all of their knowledge openly.The staff are amazing. Instructors, Admin, and everyone else really come together to help make the bootcamp experience the best it can be for everyone. There are plenty of social events, as well as meaningful and important opportunities to interact with and get to know many of Vancouver's top tech talent.
The only thing I wish had been done differently is the prep work they recommend you do before taking the course. It should be more in depth and tougher. I think students would get more out of the course if they were more prepared. Having said that, if you have any programming, coding, or comp-sci experience you will probably not need the prep. My comments are more directed at those of us without any background in tech. -
Anonymous
Why are there so many good reviews?
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I get that some people have been happy with their decision to go to lighthouse, but i’m pretty shocked that lighthouse has close to 5 stars. Who is writing all these perfect reviews? I’m sure a lot of people are happy with their decision to take this course, but I know plenty of others who are not. And it’s not because they didn’t work hard enough because believe me, pretty much everyone in my cohort worked their *** off. The reality is that two months of coding just can't make you anywhere close to a competent coder….and not everyone has months to spend afterwards trying to learn everything else they need to know.
I’m not trying to ruin the reputation of lighthouse or anything because the people who work there are really nice people. I just really want people to know the truth before dishing out so much money. Wish more people would leave reviews about their experience because if I had read them I probably wouldn’t have gone to lighthouse and I probably would have been better off.
***Make sure you read that outcomes report VERY CAREFULLY. It only covers students who were at lighthouse BEFORE sept 25, 2015.
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Anonymous
Lighthouse Labs Alumni
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For someone who really wanted to get into a more Tech focused Development role, I found this to be a great option to pursue. I had minor instruction on basic programming fundamentals prior to this course. Originally wasn't too excited about tech but developed a love for the limitless possibilities and practicality of the skills. Lighthouse Labs definitely helps to foster that focus on building things while learning along the way and sharing a space with startup companies using similar technologies to make new businesses and helping people. They definitely create an environment that encourages learning and leaves you wanting more. The teachers definitely put in more time to help you figure things out and the staff including career services put in massive amounts of effort to help you succeed. They really invest in you and do so much more than you would expect from traditional schools or career services. The only catch is that you have to put in the hours to get the most out of it and show that you really want to improve rather than just talking about it. -
Anonymous
Get some more coding experience first
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As someone with very little coding experience going into this bootcamp, I don't think I got as much out of it as others. Most of the people who did well either had engineering backgrounds or spent quite a bit of time coding before starting the bootcamp. I'm not saying it's impossible to do well without that background, but it will probably be a bit of an uphill battle. Plus, there is A LOT to learn after bootcamp to get yourself ready for technical interviews. I don't understand why lighthouse can't just make the program a bit longer but actually teach us most of the stuff we need to know to get a decent job...
If you're not a fast learner and you have had very little exposure to coding, please rethink taking this bootcamp (or maybe any bootcamp). Get some more experience coding first. If you don't fit into the lighthouse educational model, you will be quickly left behind. Lighthouse actually makes you roll over into the next cohort if you don't pass the first two tests. And they don't tell you ahead of time that rolling over is a possibility or that there are tests. I found out for the first time on the first day of classes, and of course you never think that you will be one of those people.
You can get a lot out of Lighthouse if you have the right background. If all you've done to date is some codecademy courses, you need to rethink your decision to enroll. I learned a lot of awesome stuff and the TAs were great, but I probably wouldn't do it again to be honest. It's just not worth the time and money.
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Jason
My Experiance
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Light House Labs is a scam... In the 8 weeks they cover very little as far as material and what they do cover they race throgh. They are very rude and inconsiderate. Your treated as if your lucky to be there and its an honor for you to pay they money.. They staff are paid $35k/year and promise that after you graduate you will make hundreds of thousands... Its a royal joke! Be very careful!!!
May 16, 2013: Course Report Admin combined the following with a duplicative review titled "Not Satisfied! Beware!"
I went through a rushed interview process that seemed staged. As if the company was making false barrieres to entry to seem exclusive... I didnt worry about it becuase I was drawn at the "opportunity" to get a good job in the tech sector after... I pay over $9k to take the course and they had as work off www.codeacademy.com most of the time. We learned very basic material when it was marketed as cutting edge. No employers take these guys serioustly... Shortcut ... To make things worse, next door there is code core where they get an extra month of teaching/mentorship for the same price. I got ripped off and lied to by the staff at light house labs. Be careful.
Rebecca of Lighthouse Labs
Marketing Manager
Apr 22, 2016
Hi Jason,
We wanted to take the time to respond to you personally. We are really sorry that this is the impression or experience you've had with us, and would love to hear more about it. All of us at Lighthouse are highly dedicated to our students success, and we do our very best to make no claims about our program being easy (it is a very difficult program). It is true that we do cover a great deal of material in a short amount of time, the true goal of the intensity of the program is to make sure that our graduates are absolutely prepared for the workforce. We try to make that expectation crystal clear in every interaction with prospective students from our website, our admissions process, and face-to-face interactions with any of our staff member. We get validation of this approach through the constant feedback we receive from our students who appreciate being pushed out of their comfort zone.
We’ve setup a rigorous admissions process, which consists (at minimum) of an hour long face-to-face interview dedicated to setting the expectations of how intensive our program is, and evaluating the applicant's passion for coding, their grit, and their ability to handle a program this intensive. We do our best to only accept applicants we believe can succeed, and we have a generous refund policy in case they someone needs to withdraw. If this was not the case from either experience or expectation perspectives- we’d want to hear about it.
In regards to our staff, so far anyone who has come through our program have attested to how much our staff care about student success: we all put 150% into making the experience as personal as possible. We encourage students to provide daily feedback, and we work really hard to action that feedback. We've never claimed you will make hundreds of thousands of dollars on graduation – we recently published our Student Outcomes Report, which shares our student outcomes data with the intention of being more transparent.
We are always open to feedback, if you have gone through our program, you likely know us all well and are welcome to reach out to any of us, or the Education team via Slack, give us a call or shoot me a line to hello@lighthouselabs.ca.
Best,
Rebecca -
Anonymous
Awesome coding bootcamp
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My overall Lighthouse Labs experience was awesome. Unlike most other reviewers here, I came to LHL with a programming background. At the beginning I wasn't too sure if LHL will be the right choice for me to update myself with the current web technologies. After I done my research for their alumni, talked to the head instructor, and saw the curriculum I was then convinced that this is the right place for me to update my web skills.
The teaching approach they do at Lighthouse might be different from what I used to get from university. At LHL, we only have about an hour of lecture each day and focus on hands-on for the rest of the day. I actually really enjoyed this approach of learning as I got to get my hands dirty into programming and problem solving and not focus too much on spending hours of lectures. Another unique features that LHL provide to students are the TA supports. We have about 50 TAs around for supports after lectures and until late at night. Having TAs around are really helpful especially when we need a guidance on problem solving and it also helps us to learn faster. The TAs also helped us with code review and make sure we write a maintainable code. Aside from those above, each of us also got assigned a pod leader who will conduct a weekly technical interview and group code review. The technical interviews really help us tremendously especially we will be starting to look for jobs midway of the program. -
Anonymous
An exposure to many things; better organisation and execution of curriculum needed
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+ If one works hard, one shall be impressed with the projects one produces. Lighthouse does offer an environment for that.
+ One certainly is given an exposure to multiple prominent tools, frameworks etc. e.g. Sinatra, Rails and Node.
- Often the purpose or utility of the exercises / assignments was unclear; often, the assignments provided no useful knowledge / skills towards the projects; so many assignments feel of no use at the end.
+ There were some excellent TAs / assistants / mentors who helped to understand the problem and the solution.
- Sadly, they were all in the evening. The morning TA's mostly provided band-aid solutions or solved one problem only to introduce another.
+ Lighthouse encourages that relationships with it and one's cohort mates be maintained after graduation.
+ Lighthouse provides career services
- Those career services may be slow, especially on the Toronto side
May 16, 2013: Course Report Admin combined the following with a duplicative review titled "Prior exp. in design / prog. needed."
This course may be marketed to the general public but in reality the way in which Lighthouse operated requires a person to already have experience, not just familiarity, with either design or programming.
A backend developer can practise at being a full-stack, as can a front-end dev. or designer, by supplementing their existing skills in one area with the other.
If a person has no experience or only familiarity in either area then it is too difficult. It is, afterall, a bootcamp, so there is no gradual process. Often, there wasn't even a process.
It was a bit like being visually shown a parachute then being thrown out of a plane. A person has only so much time to learn to find the lever and learn to use it. -
Anonymous
Web Development
Lighthouse Labs gave me the problem solving skills and basics to be able to work at any job. This program is boss.
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Shannon McDonald
Learn to love going to work.
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When I signed up for Lighthouse, I was looking for a way to get out of the career direction I was heading down and quickly acquire a new set of marketable skills. The program more than delivered on that front - I found my niche in web development, and I'm happier with my current job than I ever though I could be at work. The fantastic instructors are well supported by an increasingly impressive roster of TAs and mentors, and the curriculum seems to be consistently evolving. Attending class every day in such a bustling entrepreneurial space (Launch Academy), with such talented and motivating people was really inspiring (and sometimes intimidating), but very beneficial when it came to pushing grads out into the workforce. It will still take a lot out of you to succeed in the bootcamp environment - hours are long, the flood of information is overwhelming and frustrations are high - but with dedication, focus, and at least a bit of a natural proclivity towards problem-solving, Lighthouse will give you the tools to get there.
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Anonymous
Web Cohort June 2015
It was a great experience with LighthouseLabs, really knowledgeable people who enjoy teaching . It helped me realize that I am capable of programming and learning at a higher level.
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SooJeen
Best Bootcamp
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Let's start with the instructors and TA's. They are working developers. They are there because they love the field of coding and development and want to help others learn and grow. Get to know your TA's, ask about their work and learn from their life experience.
The curriculum is great. It is carefully crafted to teach the principles of programming and give you a familiarity with the frameworks and tools that you'll be using in your day to day work. The days were long and the information and learning did not let up. Every day brought another nuance or layer to what you had already learned.
I was one of the fortunate ones who had a job offer before graduation. The career services is great. They help you craft your resume and get employers in to see your work and interview you. You graduate as a full-stack web developer and you will have a lot of on-the-job-learning ahead of you.
Web and Software development is a journey of continual learning. And Lighthouse Labs understands that and prepares you for it. It has the feel of a trade school apprenticeship, but it's much more.
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Erica
Great School!
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I expected a lot going into this course, and I was not disappointed! Not only is the course amazing, but the community is amazing -- It is welcoming and active, and I quickly felt right at home. As an Alumni, they do a very good job of keeping me in the loop and in the community -- I still feel supported by all of the staff, teachers, and TAs.
The curriculum is challenging, and you should expect to be busy, but it is manageable.
The job support is great too, they organize events and interviews to connect students with employers.
Overall, I feel they prepared me well for my current position as a developer. It was the best education decision I ever made.
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Anonymous
Awesome
Although I wouldn't suggest going in with no coding experience. Its really tough and time consuming even for the people who have comp sci degrees. The TAs are awesome and support from career services is excellent.
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Johnny Ji
It'll be challenging but worth every single second.
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I highly recommend Lighthouse Labs to anyone who's thinking about it. If you take the time and put in the hours, it'll change your life.
I went from being confused about my future drifitng through university like everyone else to now loving my work, getting paid to learn and loving the apps I create. Meanwhile all my friends are still sitting in Philosophy 302 or something. (No offense to Philospohy majors)
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David Feimer
web development
8 week boot camp -
Anonymous
If coding knowledge you request, Lighthouse Labs would be the best!
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You meet your teachers and you know
it will be fun to be a member!
Each day your skills just grow and grow;
each day unique, you will remember!
You will be there for Don's great lectures
with nicest smell of coffee cup.
You won't have time to make conjectures
when meet Khurram.. you hurry up!
You can talk Python with Murat,
and choose TA to ask a question.
Charlyn will make you a magnate
providing jobs with nice agression.
You will enjoy sublimest pretty
with sunny teacher Monica.
All this is in the heart of city
creating code as music from harmonica! -
Anderson
immersive web development
8 weeks bootcamp -
Anonymous
Great Immersive Program
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The web development program at Lighthouse Labs was, well, intense. There was a lot of content to cover in the 8 weeks, but the instructors did a great job at delivering the information in a way that was easy to digest. There was always mentors around to help us with our work, and the atmosphere was very inviting and conducive to positivity and learning. The fact that they share space with Launch Academy allows students to network with industry professionals, and get a feel for startup culture. While this course is not for the faint of heart, with enough will and determination, anyone can excel in this program.
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Brian Khoshbakht
Lighthouse Labs iOS Bootcamp Review
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Before signing up for Lighthouse Labs, I had some prior coding experience doing web development and taking university computer science classes, but what I really wanted to do was mobile development (which isn't really offered in depth at any university). I had looked at some tutorials online for iOS development, however they weren't quite enough to take me to the level I needed to be at.
I thought extremely hard about joining Lighthouse Labs primarily because of the cost. Upon joining, I realized that the course was actually filled with amazing content and very knowledgable teaching assistants! In other words, the bootcamp at Lighthouse Labs was worth every cent!
I thought my prior coding experience would give me an advantage over other students, however I was wrong (in a good way). Not only was the bootcamp challenging, but I learned lots of new things; and what I learned wasn't just about iOS development, but about software development in general! Now I feel like I actually understand computer science instead of just hacking away at something I don't understand. I don't want to say that you shouldn't go to university or college, but from my experiece, I felt way more job-ready upon completion of Lighthouse Labs than from my university program.
The first four weeks were the most challenging becase of all the new knowledge being thrown at you and all of the assignments I had to complete. Once I absorbed all that material, and completed my first, real project, I felt confident enough to do anything in iOS. Not only do I feel confident to code on my own now, I feel confident enough that I can accomplish anything if I just put my mind to it!
Close to and after the end of the program, Lighthouse does a pretty decent job at connecting students with its network of employers. It is extremely difficult for junior developers to find work. That is why Lighthouse Labs sets up things like employer speed dating events (where students breifly meet and interview with various employers), resume and interview workshops, and lastly, sending student resumes to employers that would be a good fit to students.
In conculsion, if you are thinking about learning mobile or web development, join Lighthouse Labs. You won't regret it!
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Anonymous
Delivers what is expected of a coding bootcamp, and much more
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Having no prior knowledge of programming, I was extremely skeptical of educational institutions that claim to prepare you for a new career in two months' time. I was extremely motivated to change careers at the time, and so I took the plunge.
Not only does Lighthouse provide you the skills to become an employable web developer, it also provides you with the opportunity to integrate yourself with the local tech community. There are countless occassions where you are exposed to entrepreneurs, senior web developers, and other important members of the industry. By the time you graduate, you will have known many developers and business that are in the area you are trying to find work in.
And find work you will, because the career services at Lighthouse is stellar. They do their best to match you with an employer and expose your resume to more companies than you could ever do by yourself.
As a person who initially had no industry contacts or programming experience, I am highly satisfied with what Lighthouse has provided me.
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Ramon Savinon
Life at lighthouse and beyond.
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I can still remember the first day, it was the only time we ever got breakfest treats served to us in the boardroom table. I guess the staff wanted to sweeten things up since they knew it would be a rough week for us. the first week went by and every day seemed like an odessy, with every task increasing in complexity and building upon the knowledge bse of the previous one. So many lines of code written, tested, deleted and rewritten. The next couples of weeks at lighthouse have infamously been name "hell weeks", two exams and a midterm project, orms and http protocols.
if you make past that while feeling like you've actually become a better developer, you should be proud. the last month of the program will be significantly easier and enjoyable.
Overall it was a great experience, the staff was always more than willing to help, and TA' s are there until late. Lectures are short and usually straight to the point and exams are well designed.
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Anonymous
Life changer!
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My experience at Lighthouse Labs was life changing for multiple reasons. One, I was immersed into an excellent curriculum with interesting learning material that challeneged me to work hard and learn fast. Never, however, was I without the support of LHL's enthusiastic and caring TAs.
Two, LHLs welcoming, nurturing, and fun culture creates a perfect environment not only for networking and creating promising future career connections, but also a network of friends and warm connections in the Vancouver tech community. As an alumni I feel I always have the support of the staff at LHL.
Three, I feel that LHL has prepared me well for the internship I was hired for rigth after finishing the program. My supervisor (senior dev) is impressed with my level of knowledge and speed of learning.
Coming into the program with very minimal coding experience, I feel my career change was extremely successful and within 2 months at LHL I am capable of working in the tech industry and I have a network of connections for future career purposes.
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priyathanya
web development
This was definitely a mind blowing experience for me.what people can ddo in years of college education, they were able to accomplish it in 2 months. if you are looking for a tech job, coder position , with a deadly want to create awesome code. This is definitely for you.
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Simon Rai
Immersive and Engaging
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My experience at Lighthouse Labs was very positive, and totally exceeded my expectations. I really wasn't sure if it was possible to learn to code in just 2 months but I actually was coding my own apps *from scratch* by the end of the program. For my final project, I made an MVP for an app that helps you create online invitations. I think the biggest thing is that you spend more time working on apps then you do in lecture, so you are learning a lot more. And, being sorrounded by other programmers and smart people helps you grow a lot as a developer.
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Anonymous
Ali
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I left my comfortable white-collar job to pursuit my fascination with technology and software development - it wasn't easy but it has paid off. The people running LHL really care about what they're doing and it definitely shows. They have outstanding teachers with decades of combined experience from different backgrounds. The facility is awesome, their staff is kind and helpful and they give you access to some of the best and most innovative people our tech community has to offer through guest lectures, presentations, and talks each week.
I went from zero to having a solid foundation in coding concepts, from which I've been able to continue my learning at a fast pace. They teach you how to learn and solve problems so that you can be self-sufficient after the 8 intense weeks (because in this industry the learning never stops - and that's awesome!).
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Anonymous
Get your ass kicked in the most fun way possible
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I had zero web development experience before joining LHL but found the teaching style extremely approachable. Instructors are technically very expert, and actually good at communicating that expertise. TAs are plentiful and friendly. Everyone teaching has actual experience developing in the field and the emphasis is definitely on getting things done. There's only 90 mins of lecture a day, to explain fundamental theoretical concepts, but most of the time is devoted to actually building things and breaking them. Don't expect to be spoonfed, instead expect to be trained in how to decipher documentation, how to take an application apart to find its point of failure, how to think logically through a problem - in short, what programming is actually like in the field. I thought it was a good balance between theoretical and practical aspects of software engineering.
Culture is fantastic. There's such a palpable and contagious enthusiasm for learning, people (teachers) are there because they want to be. Being located in a hub of the tech scene doesn't hurt. It's an immersive introduction to what working in tech is like.
LHL is also very well networked and if you're at all competent, it won't be hard to land some kind of job right away and start gaining some real professional experience.
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Garry
Web Development
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Lighthouse Labs was a great experience. It was intense, challenging, and equally worthwhile. The skills I've learned while at Lighthouse Labs have allowed me to change how I look at situations, identify a problem, and engineer a solution for that problem.
The instructors were tough, but fair. They're always willing to come and help. They will help us not to give us the answer, but to help us look at our problem in a new way that allows us to realize or find the solution.The TA support was incredible. They, too, stood for teaching rather than spoon-feeding, and every classroom experience helped us come out richer.
I will always remember my time at Lighthouse, and the amazing skills that I have gained by being there. Out of the sheer amount of hours my fellow students and I spent together, I've made friends that I will always keep. I would recommend this to anyone!
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Regan Perkins
The best way to jump into a new career
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I was part of the November 2014 cohort. Making the desicion to join Lighthouse Labs was one of the hardest and ultimetly one of the best decisions I have ever made.
The teachers at Lighthouse are amazing, smart and patient as are the assistents (there are always a few working and they where a big help to me). Beyond learning to code (which you will) the community of teachers, students and mentors is an invaluable benifit of attending Lighthouse Labs.
Having graduated Lighthouse Labs I was able to secure a job right away and gain experiance with a company I otherwise would not have had the skills or the connections to join.
I would 10/10 recommend anyone truly intrested in tech and who is ready for a challange to attend.
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Anonymous
Fantastic course!
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I worked for a few years in research and was looking for new challenges. I had completed a couple of online courses that made me realize that programming is really fun but these were of course not enough to start a new career. Having already spent a few years at university, I didn't really see myself doing it again but I came across Lighthouse Labs by chance. Within a week, I had applied, gone for an interview, been accepted and decided to join the program. Of course I was worried I wouldn't be able to complete the course or wouldn't be able to find a job/internship afterwards but I decided to take the 'risk'. Lighthouse Labs graduates seemed to be doing very well so it didn't seem very risky anyway, clearly the teachers were preparing the students very well for what's on the other side and I felt that I would 'just' need to work really hard and learn as much as possible.
I am very pleased with my decision. The program was intense (make sure you spend as much time as you can on the prep course, it really helps!), we learned so much in a short period of time and it is absolutely life consuming but so much fun! I was really excited every day so find out what we would learn next. The environment is very nice, being at Launch Academy is just perfect, people who work there are really friendly and it's a very inspiring and warm environment.
Everyone at Lighthouse Labs is supportive and friendly, there are TAs around pretty late in the evening and on the weekend to help us and it is nice to be able to talk with them about the tech scene and the work they do.
Lighthouse Labs has a very good network which helped me start an internship a couple of weeks after the Demo day...no bad at all! ;-)
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Anonymous
Total Life Changer
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I attended Lighthouse Labs January 2014 cohort. As someone who worked in healthcare for almost 10 years with very little coding experience, but a desire to get into the tech industry, I had no idea where to start. Do I try internet tutorials? Do I know what online tutorials to choose? Do I have the disipline to learn this stuff myself and put in 16 hour days to learn it?
Going to Lighthouse was honestly one of the best and hardest things I have ever done. The program in Vancouver was absolutely life consuming... as it should be. I figured that I would sacrifice 2 months of my life and come out better on the other side because of it. The experience certainly did not disappoint.
More important than the "stuff" you learn there is the philosophy and work ethic you learn there. It is this that will give you the confidence to tackle the problems you'll face when you leave the program, and not be afraid to take on big challenges.
I entered into a 3 month co-op after the program which turned into a full-time position as a developer.
The TA's worked in tech, knew their stuff and were all around awesome.
The other students in my class were an amazing bunch and I couldn't have imagined spending 2 months with a better group.
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Anonymous
A+, number one best
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July web alumni here, and I can say that Lighthouse Labs changed my life. My primary goal with Lighthouse Labs was to get into the Vancouver startup scene as a developer, and I greatly succeeded at that. I have a software engineering undergrad degree from McGill and had two years of corporate tech industry experience, so I knew I could do well if I worked hard. I worked my ass off on both coding and networking from week 1 day 1 until week 9 Demo Day, and it paid off. I started my new 'software developer at a startup' gig after only 1 week after Demo Day. The instructors and TAs are all great, and the alumni network is pretty phenomenal. The fact that it is located at Launch Academy with HIGHLINE (probably the best incubator/accelerator in Canada) is just icing on the cake. I still stop by often to see friends, network, and talk about my career/goals over beers. Take the iOS/web bootcamp at Lighthouse Labs if you're serious about choosing developer as a career.
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Anonymous
Awesome course!
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I was in the September 2014 web dev Cohort and had a great time building my skill set and exploring the world of web development.
I was hesitant at first, as I knew little about coding before enroling; but I know an opportunity when I see one. A gaurenteed job after 2 months of hard work is more than worth it, especially when the alternative is a 4 year computer science course, which costs far more and does not gaurentee a job. I'm now coding professionally in vancouver and love my job.
The Instructors know what they are doing, and are experienced members of the industry. Furthermore, they are friendly and there is almost always a TA on hand.
We learnt more than how to code: they teach you how to learn, and how to pick up new coding languages quickly. For example, I learnt python on my own in less than a week- something I would have never been able to do before.
I got a job afterwards, which was amazing. They encourage you to get out, meet people and join meetup groups. Lighthouse labs provides tonnes of resources to make employment afterwards a breeze.
Overall, the experience was phenomenal. I learned lots, and am now an active member of the extensive and growing alumni community. The truth is, Lighthouse labs is the best way to become a developer in vancouver. If you are hesitant, don't be: it will change your life.
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Amber Spencer
Former Student Review
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I am a former student of Lighthouse Labs, I joined their June 2014 cohort. I had a non-technical background in business development and marketing with very minimal coding or technical experience. I can honestly say it was one of the best decisions I ever made. I learned more practical and immediately applicable skills in two months than I learned in three years at university. It was extremely challenging and pushed my limits – exactly what I was looking for!
I definitely couldn't have done it without the support of my fellow students and Lighthouse Labs' top teachers and teaching assistants. I came out of the course fully prepared to enter a company as a junior developer and was successful in doing so. One of the greatest things about being alumni at Lighthouse is their incredible network – as a former student, I am always welcome back to my second home and it is a very warm environment. I often go there to work on my current projects for both the social aspect and also the incredible support.
Job prospects after the course were excellent, they have a great co-op network and encourage students to participate in networking events as well as holding their own in-house events.