Makers Academy

Honestly, I couldn't say a bad word about the course. It was tough, but as would be expected from an intensive boot camp. I learned so much that I couldn't possibly even list the stack in a paragraph. The most important thing I learned, however, was the... Read More confidence that I can learn anything. Maker's academy is a web development course - including front end and back end development. We could choose to learn what we wanted, and were given freedom to develop in whichever direction we wished. My final project ended up being a cross-platform app, and I ended up getting a job in iOS native development a few months after the course. When I started the job I knew nothing about iOS development, but I knew, thanks to Makers that I could learn anything, and I had grown knowing that asking questions and not knowing the answer right away is fine, normal, and part of the experience. Even those who have been developing for decades don't know everything - this is the fun of development. It takes time to overcome the fear of "not knowing anything" and "new things," but Makers academy left me with the logic knowledge that is underneath every language one could want to learn, and also gave me the tools I needed to know I am a developer. Everyone at Makers is supportive and will literally go well out of their way to help you learn and find a job at the end. It's a fun environment - free beers to drink, beautiful building, and lots of people to help you, and learn with too! Every day I thank Makers for helping me find the career I love so much, and the network of people that I hold so dear.

Thank you Makers!

This review might be useful for those thinking of joining Makers Academy remotely from another european country. I am from Spain and I lived in Cambridge for a year and a half before joining Makers. At the beginning I was looking for an on-site bootcamp... Read More in London, but when I discovered the Makers Academy remote bootcamp I decided to change my plans. I joined the couse, packed all my stuffs and left the U.K. I didn't even have to go to the MA offices (I have actually never been there), everything from the very start was arranged using skype, emails and Slack.

I went back to Cádiz, my home town city in Spain as it was easier for me in terms of housing and money and I accomplished the whole course from there without any impediment. Actually it was fantastic enjoying the course while being in my sunny city. I never had the feeling I could have learnt more if I would have been in London.

It is a really intense course and you really need to be 100% focused on it. From 9am to 6-7pm I was coding online with my pair partner. The fact that you are pair programming really push you to do your best everyday. The philosophy of the course is that you have to be autonomous from the beginning which I think it helps in the long run. Don't expect long technical explanations. People asks questions at the meeting, but then you and your partner have to code and try to solve the problems on your own before asking for help . Sometimes you need to stop and read part of a book or watch some videos about a subject but this is something you do on your own.

The negative aspect of not being in London comes when the course is finished and you have to start the job hunting stage. It is obviusly a handicap. London in one of the most important cities in the world and is full of professional opportunities. MA is based in London and most of their partner companies are based in the UK, but I know they are doing a big effort to expand their influence. However, sometimes you can be warned of a position in Spain, Belgium or other european country. They don't do magic, they will help you as much as they can but at the end you have to find the job. My personal experience is that by showing all the projects you have developed during the course people get interested in knowing more about you.

I am now working in Paris as a junior developer, it took me about 3 month to get my job after finishing the course. Sometimes I think of myself 9 months ago before joining Makers Academy, when I was doing a job I didn't like. It just brings a smile on my face.

I always knew I was fascinated by computers and the logical process in which they work and with the world becoming more and more reliant upon technology & software systems there was no better time to get into the industry. Makers Academy was the perfect... Read More stepping stone into the world of computers where I was surrounded by peers who genuinely wanted to learn, staff & coaches who exude the same passion and excitement I now have and very relevant material that applies to a real life working tech environment. I had high expectations joining Makers but they were completely blown away and I'm still thoroughly impressed by how much what I learned during my time there is helping me now working as a software developer!

At the time of writing this review, I've just completed three days at my new workplace as a full stack engineer. The self-realisation is still setting in that I'm no longer on the course (I graduated in April and started working in June) and I'm actually... Read More coding for a living!

I enrolled on Ronin (January 2016 cohort) and I can honestly say that both my ROI and EV from taking this course are quite something! I was one of two Roniners chosen to produce a weekly video log series to document our individual experiences - these can be found on MA's youtube page, if you're interested in hearing my thoughts during the course. Shout out to Jordan for giving me this unique opportunity, thanks for believing in me!

My experience on the Ronin course has completely changed my perspective on learning. Credit goes to Sam Morgan, the Ronin facilitator whose coaching put me on the correct path of a growth mindset, which in my opinion is a fundamental requirement to getting the most out of the course and knowing how to overcome the inevitable difficulties when faced with learning so many new languages and concepts in such a short period of time. It was at Makers that I discovered that the joys and pains of coding are not mutually exclusive, and that's the reason why I found it immensely rewarding.

Prior to Makers, I had tried to teach myself coding for a career change at the start of 2015. I'll spare you the details but I figured that the quickest route to success is to surround yourself with similarly motivated people, work alongside them with the knowledge and support from an experienced coach. Sure, all the information is out there on the web but time is money and you'll also save yourself a lot of frustration from going down the wrong paths (bad coding habits are the toughest to unlearn).

That's why Makers Academy is so great - I got to pair program regularly with a diverse group of people - so many shared experiences (mostly good and some bad) that are like mini life-lessons to learn from. Upon reflection, I wouldn't want to change anything - the last time I'd worked in a team was 2008, and the long period in between was a solitary existence as a professional online poker player. Hence why this course was literally a game changer for me.

Some opinions on the course curriculum - overall it's very good but far from perfect, and is constantly evolving (mostly for the better). I would say that the coaches aren't afraid of experimentation, however student feedback is always taken into consideration and their efforts are always coming from a place of Kaizen (continuous improvement). Emphasis is placed on understanding and not finishing the material/challenges; there's always time to do that afterwards (especially during the job hunting period, where the challenges are modelled very similar to real company tech tests).

Finally, some words on the post course careers support. I took the time to attend the careers fair on the last day alongside a few other Roniners based around London, and from talking to some of their hiring partners directly, I was invited for an interview the very next week - although unsuccessful, I was impressed by the quick turnaround made by this particular company. The careers team were good in that they constantly gave me opportunities to take tech tests for companies suiting my criteria - in this regard I made the effort to keep them updated on my search efforts. Fortunately I managed to be successful early on in my job hunt - I remember it being the second job I applied to - and I have Ruben to thank for helping me during the post offer phase.

Ultimately, I feel that Ronin and Makers Academy has far exceeded my original expectations. The 12 weeks that I have experienced have been life changing for me, and the memories and lessons learned will stay with me throughout my career. Thank you so much!

This course was the best thing i ever did in my whole life. Well worth the money to start a new career. I was not the strongest in the group and took me a while to grasp, but after putting in alot of time, and a lot of time after the course i was able... Read More to get a job as a junior dev. The only fault i could say i had with the course was finding a job at the end. I was part of the ronin class and on the last week there was a job at careers day.There was a company in my area attending, so i sold my playstation 4 to make it to makers to meet them. after meeting them and completing the test which i thought was very good. I waited 2 months to hear back i was 3 miles away from them and every one else that applied was at least 60 miles away. Lots of people got phone calls from them and i heard nothing, later after finding out why i didn't get a call, it was because they didn't even look at my test.(and they didnt hire any one at that point in time) I think the makers team should have pushed me to them being so local. Other then that the course was amazing, And what you put in is what you get out. .

The course was fantastic. I learnt a huge amount in a very short period of time. The tuition was great and there was a perfect balance of lecturing and self taught work. Everyone was very friendly and approachable, meaning I was never afraid to ask stupid... Read More questions. There was loads of ping pong and yoga, which I thoroughly enjoyed. At the end of the week, beer was provided and the office turns into a party... what more could you want? Most important of all, they helped me get a job within 3 weeks of graduating. I couldn't recommend this course more highly!!!

I was on the Jan-April Ronin course. Makers Academy was a life changing experience! I start my new job on Monday, an awesome company thats a great culture fit, I've got a great salary etc. I wouldn't have done it without Makers Academy. They teach you... Read More an amazing set of base-skills that help you prove to yourself anything is possible.

Before I started I had next to no knowledge of programming, Maker's curriculum teaches you what you need to know. They practice all the best & current industry methods & will help you find a job when you graduate!

What I would say is you need to be very dedicated! Be prepared for a few 12/14 hr long workdays & some late nights (especially towards the end of the course). You can get as much out of the experience that you are willing to put in!

After graduation & securing a job, I still have lots to learn however Makers gives you the confidence to jump in at the deep-end & tackle a problem head on!

If your having doubts book on a taster day! And if you enjoy it just take the plunge! It's been an amazing experience & I've secured myself a fantastic job with lots of possible future opportunities!

The course is really fantastic in helping you learn how to code. You are encouraged to learn independently. For the first six weeks, you pair programme on challenges - which have step by step walk throughs you can check. At first, the focus is just on... Read More understanding how to write good object orientated code (ruby and javascript). In the second six weeks you do more group work, working on projects, and learn to pick up more coding frameworks quickly (Rails, Angular). There is a focus on Agile methodology. By this point, you find you've learnt the ability to learn a new language quickly: some people decide to do their final projects in a new language/ a completely new framework.

Pros:
- You get a great understanding of how to learn independently. This puts you in an excellent position to get a job at the end, or continue to learn independently, until you feel ready to get a job.
- It's intense - so you get a lot out of your time and money.
- The coaches are really keen to listen to feedback. There are weekly retrospectives and the course is always being updated accordingly.
- There's a really fun atmosphere.
- There's a lot of support to help you get a job at the end. You can book 1-2-1s for advice/interview practice/code reviews after you graduate.
- There's a lot of momentum at the end of the course to help you get a job

Cons:
- It's not perfect. For my cohort, one of the weeks challenges didn't quite live up to expectations. The coaches were trying had been trying a new approach to the week. This is the product of a course that is constantly being updated. They took our feedback on board.
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Makers is not just a bootcamp, it's a community of passionate developers.
They provide you all the tools and support you need to start a developer career.

If you really want to become a coder Makers is definitely the right starting point.

From Bartender... Read More to ThoughtWorkers in about 6 months...
Probably one of the best decision I have ever took in my life.