Haiku Academy

I recently completed Haiku Academy's 10-week Full-stack bootcamp in March (2024). The bootcamp consists of 3 weeks of online learning with a weekly meeting followed by 7 weeks of in-person learning in Koh Phangan, Thailand. The bootcamp's website claims... Read More "Our courses last 10 weeks (7 on-campus + 3 online, 40 hours / week = 400 hours total)" on the main page and in the FAQ it states: "Once you arrive in Koh Phangan for the 7-week in-person part, the schedule follows a Monday to Friday format from 9 am to 5 pm. Each day brings a diverse range of activities tailored to the topic at hand. You can expect a dynamic mix of engaging lectures, interactive workshops, live coding sessions, collaborative pair programming exercises, interview simulations, and group projects." However, this was not the case in my batch. Our schedule consisted of a 60 - 90 minute lecture starting at 9am, followed by either independent practice of the subject covered that day or working on the group project, depending on the day. There were teaching assistants to help if you had any questions, but they were only required to stay until 2pm. So in reality, we only received 25 hours per week of lecture + assistance if needed as opposed to the 40 hours per week stated on the website and by the director himself in the initial interviews (a 37.5% difference). I talked to the director about this and he claims that "40 hours per week is the minimum required of our students", but I would not have signed up for an in-person bootcamp all the way in Thailand (I live in the US) if I knew more than 1/3 of the bootcamp would consist of independent work without anyone to answer my questions

The course was good if you come in at an intermediate level and only plan to learn the fundamentals of Front and Back-end development, but one of the reasons for the poor review is that is not how it was sold to me. I enrolled in this course with high hopes, and initially, it delivered. The introductory materials were of good quality, and the instruction was clear and engaging. However, as we progressed into the more advanced topics, the quality started to slip. The explanations became less coherent, and the instructor's engagement seemed to wane. The instructors never really made sure that the material was clear for all the students before moving on to the next topic. Their was never any sort of review of the day's or week's material to ensure that students grasped the topics.

Throughout the course we had one big project to work on, a mock-up of the Airbnb website. We were broken up into groups which changed weekly to bi-weekly to work on the project. This was really good to have a kind of real-life experience working on different teams and learning to use Github like you would if you were a professional programmer. The problem, however, is that not a single group finished the project by the end of the course, so we really don't have anything in our portfolios to show.

As far as job support goes, there was none whatsoever. The only tip we got was to google recruitment agencies for ourselves.

I made a lot of lifelong friends from the course and we had a lot of fun on the island outside of class, unfortunately that is not something I would be willing to pay $3500 for. As it is true that this bootcamp is sold at a major discount compared to others, you get a discount bootcamp in return.

As the previous review stated, there was no lack of disappointment and unprofessionalism in batch 11(their last class). What is promised on the website and the reality of the course are two seperate worlds. As stated the the course was supposed to be... Read More 40 hours per week but the reality was it started at 9am ended at 2pm Monday-Friday(5hrs/25hrs a week), the director is the primary instructor, and has 2 teacher assistants, everyday at 2pm the director was the first to leave, no matter if you had questions or not, he left. There would be a 1-2 hour lecture many times just 1 hour and then you were left to your own devices for the remainder of the time (you could ask questions during that time). The course material was lackluster at best. Immend this course, the main instructor will get annoyed with your questions, make you feel dumb, and call you out in front of students, to assert his do had my suspicions, so I used an AI checker and it came up with conclusive results of chat bots being used to write most if not all of the course material. That being said, the material was quite vague on explanations of methods and the intricacies of the code. If you are a beginner I 100% do not recominance. I personally witnessed two students pulled off of a project because they did not have a basic understanding of fundamental elements vital to the course project, which made them struggle to grasp future concepts even more. The instructor pressured us to go to his events rather than staying in and practicing core concepts for future lectures and projects. The final project, was supposed to be a functioning clone of the Airbnb website, unfortunately, no one from our batch left with a functioning web app. The final day was supposed to be used for deployment of the website, yet the majority of the day was spent on taking a final exam and grading it, which meant we had less than 2 hours to deploy 17 projects which is completely unrealistic. He then proceeded to blame us for not having enough time. You get what you pay for, and remember this is a course that comes at a 1/3 of the price so I guess it’s fair that we get a 1/3 of the course material. Now for the good, the concept of learning away from home is honestly a genius, it removes many of life’s daily distractions and if used properly you can learn a lot in a short period of time. I as well as many other found themselves researching answers to our common questions online in our free time and on weekends. The other 2 teachers assistants were great and made themselves available to answer questions after class and even on the weekends. Definitely more approachable with beginner questions. If you are an intermediate this may be the course for you but if you are a beginner stay far away. The last positive remark is the life long international friends that I have made. You feel a certain camaraderie, with people knowing you all went through the same challenges together. I cannot in good faith recommend Haiku Academy due to the unprofessionalism and lack of accommodations for beginners as well as the total disrespect toward students.

Nothing you can’t learn online—in fact, it seems like a lot of the content that was written in the online student portal was copied and pasted from other online bootcamps. The website promised 40 hours per week of instruction with 3 experienced teachers... Read More from the industry, but we had class roughly 25 hours per week. I have no doubt that 2 of our teachers were experienced, but they were not the greatest teachers. The third was a recent Haiku Academy bootcamp graduate, fully in the pocket of the founder. Me and my classmates were often intimidated to ask questions and were left feeling stupid when we didn’t fully grasp a concept. When we didn’t understand something, we were encouraged to re-read the course material, or they just debugged the code for us instead of explaining it. With continued education of coding basics, I’m learning how much we weren’t exposed to. “Job support” was condescending mock interviews and a string of empty promises for connections in the industry. I know that not every course can teach everything, especially not one that’s 10 weeks long, but I still can only imagine that there are far superior courses out there. While many past students may have had a good time making friends in Thailand (myself included), I wouldn’t in good conscience recommend Haiku Academy to anyone. It’s cheaper for a reason.

I joined Haiku Academy while looking for a career transition after working for many years in the music industry. The experience is one that I believe will have a significant impact on my future. I am greatly appreciative of Tony, Yam and Ester (who were... Read More my teachers/tutors during my time at the academy) - they posses vast knowledge of all subject matter in programming, web development and related fields - I couldn't be happier with the time I had with them. They are kind, fun an knowledgeable, and they provide the perfect support for taking on a challenge like this. Haiku is a serious bootcamp that takes you through an immense amount of content in a short period of time. If you are willing to work hard and dedicate yourself - it offers a rare and unique opportunity to learn life changing skills in the best of environments. Aside from the excellent course content, I made friends that I will keep for the rest of my life during the 10 week experience. It was really special, and I feel very lucky to have been a student at Haiku. I would highly recommend this bootcamp for anyone who wants to learn to code, or who is looking for a career shift like I was. Thank you Haiku Academy for the great experience.

Amazing boot camp that covers all the relevant programming languages to get into Full Stack Software Development, and a lot of hands-on experience. Tony, Yamil and Ester are always there to support you and help you develop the necessary skills to build... Read More your projects and your portfolio to apply for jobs after. Koh Phangan is an amazing place to live, full of amazing activities, parties and food. It's definitely a great experience.

I've fully enjoyed my time here at Haiku Academy and would recommend it to anyone looking to learn to code in a new environment. The curriculum is great and learning away from home means you can fully concentrate on your studies without distraction (except... Read More the sun, sea, and sand). If you want to learn to code and have a fun life experience then go for it!

I about to complete the 10-week coding bootcamp that was nothing short of amazing. The instructors were not only knowledgeable but also incredibly supportive, making the learning experience top-notch. The hands-on projects and collaborative environment... Read More were truly transformative. I gained valuable coding skills and built a network of inspiring peers. This bootcamp was a stepping stone to a world of opportunities. I highly recommend this bootcamp to anyone seeking a fast-paced and rewarding coding education. It's an experience that will change your life.

Haiku Academy Boot Camp has been an incredible journey! The wealth of knowledge and skills I've gained in such a short time is astonishing. What sets this program apart is its affordability without compromising quality. The instructors are top-notch,... Read More offering comprehensive training and personalized guidance. From mastering the art of haiku to refining my creative writing, I feel more confident than ever. The value for money is exceptional, making it accessible to a wide range of learners. I wholeheartedly recommend Haiku Academy Boot Camp to anyone seeking quality education at an affordable price. It's an investment in your future you won't regret!

Hey there! Let me tell you about the incredible time I had at Haiku Academy. This coding bootcamp was an absolute blast! During the seven-week program, we dove headfirst into full-stack web development. We learned JavaScript, HTML, CSS, React, MongoDB... Read More and more. The instructors really knew their stuff and made sure we were up-to-date with the latest in-demand tech skills. But you know what made it even better? The awesome classmates and instructors I had the pleasure of learning with. We shared many fun memories and supported each other on our journeys to become programmers. And let's not forget the location—Koh Phangan was our tropical playground! On our days off, we hit the beaches, explored the island, and soaked up the incredible nature. It felt like the perfect environment to learn something challenging and new. If you're looking for a coding journey, Haiku Academy is where it's at. The curriculum is top-notch, the friendships you'll make are priceless, and the paradise backdrop is unforgettable. Big thanks to Tony and our TA Ester for a great experience. Haiku Academy gets my enthusiastic recommendation, forsure!

These 7 weeks were the best of my life, the island gives you an opportunity to fix everything about your life as you get the freedom and control of everything you do, the way you want it done. It's peaceful, rural and full of activities. The whole batch... Read More was amazing in terms of tolerance and support. We grew so close together as friends that it was difficult to say the last goodbye at the end of the bootcamp. The course is pretty intense, paced just right that you don't feel overwhelmed. I went in with zero programming knowledge and came out a confident full stack developer. The schedule & lectures are pretty well thought out. I was running my own business, which obviously I had to work on remotely while being there. Didn't have any trouble managing between the school, the work or having fun. You gain confidence by applying your recently learnt skills on the projects assigned to you. Tony (The Instructor) & Ester (The TA) both were very helpful with getting you through the projects whenever you got stuck. Their test based approach is highly appreciated as it develops a habit in you to test everything before moving forward. Guidelines on all aspects of programming from Fundamentals to Job Applications are pretty well detailed. Ester (The TA), one of the best humans I have interacted with. She was very polite, helpful & friendly. Plus point, she used to organize super events after school hours to keep everyone engaged. Tony (The Instructor, AKA Sensei), made sure we all were caught up with everything without getting exhausted. Very clear with the instructions and explanation. He was very friendly, specially when you would ask for any sort of guidance on or off course. Plus point he would help us keep track of events going around on the island. Highly recommended for someone who's looking for a career switch into programming.