Juno College of Technology

This review is for the Part-Time Web Development and Advanced Web Development course. Applying for the HackerYou part-time web development course was one of the best decisions I made this year. Prior to taking this course I was learning on my own through various online resources where some were great and others not so much. I had started to take these online courses because I wanted to get a taste of what web development was like and see if I could make a career change into becoming a developer. I had learned a lot and even applied to the HackerYou bootcamp but my foundation was not fully there and didn’t get in. Sarah (the HackerYou Admissions Manager) was the point person who I corresponded with who encouraged me to take the part-time web dev course to build a stronger foundation. 

After taking the course I can definitely say that I had a learning experience that I could not have reproduced learning on my own. Tom, our instructor, was a great teacher who kept us engaged with his positive attitude, humour and immersive material. The lessons were broken up into learnable chunks with helpful code alongs we did as a class and with teaching assistants that were there to help us. Throughout the course we worked on 3 projects where we had to make a website. There was a lot of trial and error making the sites but the lessons provided a good foundation to work off of. There were a lot of helpful tips and tricks I learned as well like focusing on accessibility, best practices and current trends. Overall, taking this course was definitely an investment of time and money but I would say it was well worth it!

This course has been amazing. The content is clear and the level of progression in the assignments is perfect. It also helps that Tom is a great instructor and makes the lectures fun. The mentors also have been very helpful during class and even off hours.

I decided to do this course because I knew I wanted to apply to the Bootcamp (aka Web Development Immersive) but needed a little bit of HTML and CSS knowledge. Meeting with the admissions coordinator helped and made it clear that the application to the Bootcamp is competitive which also solidified my decision to do this part-time course.

Overall, I think this course is a perfect place to start whether you want a career in Web Development but have little to no experience (like myself) or if you just want to learn a new fun skill. 

A few friends of mine took part-time classes and the full-time bootcamp at HackerYou so I have only ever heard amazing things about the school. I took a free intro class with another school in Toronto to dip my foot in the web world but it was an obvious choice with HackerYou. The environment is fun and friendly and the learning style is positive and reinforcing. All of the lesson materials are simplified and laid out nicely which help with the sometimes complex language of the internet. Although the part-time program is fast-paced, the instructors ensure that everyone is on the same page and take the time to truly help you if you don't quite understanding something. The exercises and projects aid in the student's comprehension of the material and I feel as though I am prepared to apply for the full-time bootcamp in the spring! I highly recommend HackerYou if you are looking to learn a new skill or are interested in a complete career change! 

This review is for the part-time Intro and Advanced Web Development course.

This is a great package of courses for those who are new to coding! For some background, I have little to no prior coding experience and found these courses to be pretty fast-paced, but not unreasonable. You learn a lot in a short amount of time and should be able to create some advanced web layouts by the end. Tom is an excellent instructor and did a great job at conveying the information to students, while simultaneously fending off the constant heckling by one student. I do wish the class had more order though as the persistent heckling made for an unwelcoming learning environment - this is more of a criticism of that student rather than on HackerYou or Tom.

My biggest complaint is that each course only has 1 day of office hours which is simply not enough. For the premium price we pay (and it’s increasing btw) there should be at minimum two days of office hours per course. It also takes a while to receive feedback on projects which makes it hard to start on the next project when you don’t have any feedback on the previous project. The last issue I see is a clear lack of room in the building to accompany all the students trying to study. Basically, if you’re not in the bootcamp, you don’t have a place to study.

Overall, I enjoyed the course and learned a lot! Thank you to all the mentors and Tom for doing such an excellent job!

Most likely going to be one of the most pivotal decisions I've made in my life. Before HackerYou, I was more or less lost. I had been in a job as a developer before and then a year as a web administrator. I was plagued with 'imposter syndrome' and my confidence in my own skills as a developer were, by and large, low.

I made a decision to go to HackerYou after one of my friend, she had a friend who had taken the bootcamp at HackerYou in the past and she had known about the issues I was facing career-wise. She encouraged me to try the part-time and then go full-time if I liked it and I'm forever thankful to her after listening to her recommendation. 

I loved everything about the bootcamp, it was such a mind-blowing experience. The instructors that I had in Ryan and Danny were some of the most awesome instructors I've had in my life. There's actually an insane difference of environment between the university environment and the environment here. My classmates were trying their best, helped each other out and I honestly felt as though there was a big sense of comraderie amongst us and all the instructors and mentors (Zoe, Adam) were doing their best to bring the best out of us.

Best of all, it reinforced what I had already knew. I was already a developer but I was in such a huge rut because I just thought I sucked. I thought that I didn't belong in the development world and whether I should have pursued something else. Interestingly, that 'something else' may turn out to be teaching or mentoring as part of my experience at HackerYou was teaching fellow classmates JavaScript and programming concepts and seeing them 'get it' was really rewarding for me.

Also, I really appreciate the efforts of Christopher, Charlotte, Brandon, Sarah and the administrative team. They definitely made sure that questions, concerns, inquiries were tended to and always hosted these little games and videos of inspirations and other miscellaneous things to raise the morale and spirit of the class (it worked).

I could honestly write a book about how amazing this place is, but I'll just say that I've said goodbye to the imposter syndrome and that no one can break my confidence as a developer now.

I am beyond ecstatic that I made the choice to come to HackerYou, It was literally the best decision I’ve made in my entire life. Not only has it given me a brand new career, but it is also given me confidence and strong community with endless support.  

Before HackerYou I was working in the Insurance industry and really did not feel passionate about my career, I took a Ladies Learning to Code work shop on whim to learn something new and get out of my comfort zone and it was that workshop that ignited my journey to becoming a Developer.  One of the Mentors in my workshop had just finished the HackerYou BootCamp and was giving it such high regard, I knew then that I was going to make the decision to change my career  and it was HackerYou or bust !   

 I took the Part time Web Development class which really helped me solidify the basics of coding, I would definitely recommend taking a class if you are interested in code at all.  I started the BootCamp in July of 2018 as the 19th Cohort of HackerYou,  It was probably the most intense thing I’ve experienced, I learned so much in a short period of time with tight turn arounds for projects so I could apply concepts I just learned.
I literally had no social life for the summer but it was so worth it, I gained 37 new friends!  I had support from amazing Instructors, Mentors, Staff and my Cohort that motivated me to push through and come out as Web Developer on the other side.

After BootCamp It took me 3 weeks to find a job as  Developer, It was thanks to Heathers BootCamp ( after Bootcamp ) job search that really sets HackerYou Applicants apart.

I really cannot express how grateful I am that I am HackerYou alumni,  I am living my best life thanks to HackerYou !

I chose HackerYou because of all of the positive reviews online - these reviews are not wrong!

I took the Part Time Web-Dev Fundamentals & am currently in the Advanced portion. I'd suggest taking both of them - the Advanced portion takes everything you learn in Fundamentals so much further and gives you the solid foundation you need to confidently build a website. Prior to taking this course I had virtually no experience in web development, finishing the course, I can build professional sites that you'd actually come across online.

The instructor and mentors are wonderful, they bring their individual experiences to each class and are incredibly knowledgeable. The instructor and mentors use current and relatable examples to get content across. The content and speed of the course are excellent, and every lesson is supplemented with a ton of practical exercises, some that you do in class and others that you can do in your own time.

The projects for the courses are great opportunities to apply everything you've learned and the instructor and mentors are there to guide you and provide constructive one-on-one feedback.

My learning experience at HackerYou was a lot of fun, I love the culture and I would definitely recommend HackerYou to anyone thinking about pursuing Web Development.

After graduating university with a design degree, I was feeling lost and directionless. I realized the creative industry had changed drastically during my four years of study, and starting salaries for entry-level design jobs were not very appealing. I decided to explore different directions and as I always had an interest in coding, I thought a coding bootcamp might be worth a try. After lots of research I applied to HackerYou as they had the very best reviews, and now having completed the bootcamp I can see what all the hype is about.  Only a month after graduating (with a two week vacation in between!) I received multiple offers and landed a great develper job with a competitive salary.

It's important to realize that this isn't a magical way to "pay your way" to a new career, it's HARD work! Getting accepted can be challenging as well, as it is a very selective program; I got in on my second try. I took the part-time JavaScript course before I got accepted, and I highly recommend it as it will speed up your learning in the bootcamp (which means more time to make your projects/portfolio super sick!) But once you're in, it's absolutely worth it. The instructors are experienced, engaging, and make learning fun and enjoyable. The curriculum is very up-to-date and in-demand in the job market. What's really priceless though are the connections you'll form as part of the HackerYou family. The HackerYou alumni community is so supportive and friendly, you'll never want to leave!

I was very happy with the job assistance they provided as well. Having no related experience, I was skeptical of my ability to find a developer position but Heather (the CEO) coaches you every step of the way. She teaches you how to land your dream job and helps you with applications and negotiations. My employer remarked they were very impressed with the level of knowledge and professionalism I and the other HackerYou grads they interviewed displayed. Just follow Heather's job hunting guide and you will get a job; it's that simple. You will get out of the bootcamp what you put into it and if you've been accepted, you have what it takes to start a new career in web development.

If you have any reservations, I recommend taking their part-time courses, or one of the many free workshops they offer as well. It's truly a wonderful school and I couldn't be happier with the decision I made.
 

I can’t recommend HackerYou highly enough! I had looked at a couple of schools and decided on HackerYou after my initial interview with Jenny, who was wonderful – she took the time to answer all of my questions thoughtfully and provided an awesome overview of each program.

I entered into the part-time Web Development course in Summer 2018 with no previous coding experience, and am amazed by the progress I’ve made in only three months. For my final project in the course, I made a multi-page website that has elements of jQuery and JavaScript.

The facilities are beautiful, the curriculum is spot-on, and my instructor Jazz and mentors, Allison and Meagan were approachable knowledgeable and made the material FUN.

I’ve already taken on a couple of projects for small businesses and I can’t wait to return to HackerYou to further my education. This school has honestly changed my life.

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!