| | Anonymous | I've never written a review that was less than positive for any company - but feel like my experience might be helpful when someone is considering which bootcamp to attend.
I did not have a good experience with Helio - and count the $5k I used to take the first class a loss.
For context: I took the full -Stack web development after hours course in 2019 (It's taken me awhile to get up the nerve to post a review)
Here are some of the main issues that kind ruined the experience for me:
1.CURRICULUM: While the teacher was nice - there was very little structure around curriculum. It seemed like he just showed up and started talking. I had to miss the first week due to being out of the country, but according to the curriculum, the first week was covering HTML basics so I took an online course to make sure I could hit the ground running. When I arrived on the first day, however, Javascript was being covered, and it looked like they were pretty far along. I spent the first 3 hour class completely lost.
2. ENROLLMENT: I did my research when looking at companies, and Helio's after hours class was a candidate, but I didn't commit until I talked to the enrollment counselor. Looking back, I feel mislead by what was told to me that tipped me off in the direction of going with Helio. He stated that there was a set curriculum for each course that all instructors follow (not the case for my class) and that Helio was connected with an "adult learning" company so the pedagogy would work well for those working full time and taking the class after hours. There are so many online courses for free, but I wanted a structured environment where I could work with others.
3. KEY CARD: I was unable to get into the building for the class for three weeks. This was very frustrating and had resorted to waiting outside the front doors of the building hoping someone would let me in before the class began. I emailed (and have copies of all the emails mentioned) to ask for a key card after the instructor and the instructors assistant were unable to provide one after two weeks. I was told it was going to come soon, and still waited another week for access to the building. It's a small but rather crucial thing to be able to get to the classroom, and I didn't appreciate feeling like it was a bit of a wild goose chase to get in.
4. OVERPROMISING and UNDERDELIVERING: While I could tell that all the students in the class were working hard - there was a dramatic and very clear difference between what was being taught and where the class was at. I was told over and over again that this was normal and expected, but it got to a point that, when told to 'work with a partner' the room fell silent because no-one knew how to do what was being asked. After I called and talked with the leadership at Helio several times, a person was sent into the classroom to ask how it was going (with the instructor gone). The feeling in the room was palpably tense and there was ALOT that people had to say, none of it positive. The Person sent in did a great job hearing all the comments, but then NOTHING changed in the actual class. Really disappointing. On the outset, it was expected that everyone do 20 hours a week outside of class (which I know not everyone did, But even when I DID put in all that extra time, it was impossible to keep up) I feel like Helio should either decrease what they are promising students will learn, or standardize the lessons so every class learns the same things and they get a better sense for pacing. There were also different "homework assignments" being given by the assistant and the instructor and there didn't seem to be any way to figure out which ones do do.
5. PRESSURE to INVEST MORE: From the beginning, I was asked to sign up (and pay for) two classes. The after Hours 1 and 2 together are 10K. I chose to take the first class (5K) and see if it worked for me before investing more. When I was unhappy with my experience, I was told several times that I could "Retake" the class for free. That was reassuring, as I thought I could just deal with a crappy situation first time around, and take the class again in the fall.
6. DECEPTION about REPEAT POLICY: However, when I asked to repeat the class halfway through the first one (knowing I would need the chance to revisit the curriculum before moving onto advanced material) I was told I had to pay for the second class (ANOTHER 5k) before I was allowed to take the first one over again. I have IN WRITING from the people at Helio that this was NOT in the fine print. However, on the phone it was a different story and by this point I was so thoroughly frustrated with the company I didn't know if I wanted to spent any more time interacting with them.
From the beginning, I was clear and consistent in my communication with Helio, and I feel that I didn't receive clarity or consistency in return. I made multiple calls and probably spoke with every person on the team at some point (first to get my key card for the building, then when classmates started dropping out of the class because of curriculum mismatch, I spoke with several people in the company).
After I was told I couldn't retake the class (which is one of their big selling points, at least when I enrolled) I asked for a refund and was denied (also another selling point.)
I would recommend Helio continue what they are trying to do, but clean up their act with how they treat students/customers. I would ask for integrity in what they promise and suggest that anyone looking to take a bootcamp consider what I've experienced. I know that many learning programs have their pro's and con's (that's actually my line of work, structuring and administering educational material) and even with a wide berth, this company failed to deliver.
I would still appreciate a refund. |
