Code Institute

I recently completed the Full Stack Software Developer course at the coding institute, and I must say it was an exceptional experience. The program provided a unique and exciting coding experience that truly expanded my skill set. The Tutors, Mentors,... Read More Slack Community, and Student Care were knowledgeable and supportive, and the curriculum was well-structured. I gained valuable hands-on experience and practical knowledge that greatly enhanced my software developer capabilities. I highly recommend this course to anyone looking to delve into full-stack development.

I am based in Ireland, and started the 12-month full-stack diploma in Feb 2023, at that time I knew I wanted to start my own business and had done some entrepreneurial training. I didn't really know what to expect, but as I'd originally trained as a programmer... Read More some 35 years previously, believed I'd have a lot of transferrable skills as had a good understanding of logic, databases, projects etc from my IT project management career. I thought I'd dedicate 3 hours per day on average and complete the course in half the expected time. Oh and I expected I'd learn full stack development and be able to code to order. I also hoped to make contact with other aspiring developers who may be interested in the startup world.
Hmmm well to say I learned a LOT - about development, about myself, about this ever changing coding world - would be an understatement. My experience of the course was that it was fully immersive, I completed 5 projects over the 12.5 month duration (yes, I actually had to take an extension on my last project as found the deadlines too tight), to meet project deadlines I typically put in 50-60 hour weeks for 3+ weeks before each deadline.
In Ireland, each intake group was assigned a cohort facilitator, we had Alan who was brilliant, engaged with our group of say 14 students, and chaired weekly standups where we each outlined our progress, demo'd our projects to date, and got feedback and tips from the rest of the group. This was possibly the most useful support as it pulled me forward when I started to flag, and reminded me of the standards and academic expectations. Speaking of which, my mentor Mo took the time to get to know me, gave a considerable amount of guidance at the start of the course, and referred me to resources demonstrating best practice documentation, coding, testing, visual appearance, and presentation styles.
So - not quite in sequence I learned github, HTML CSS, accessibility, performance and code-standards validation, wireframing, 5 UX planes (strategy, scope, structure, skeleton, surface), responsiveness, structuring a good READme, Javascript, Python, Flask, Agile project setup & tracking in github, Django, deployment and hosting of front- and back-end sites. My final project: a reasonably sophisticated e-commerce solution with Stripe integration and supply-chain features. (I probably learned a bunch of other stuff too)
Code Institute offers monthly faciliated hackathons, I took part in 3 of these; collaborative programming escalated and embedded my learning, and watching how others approached technical and solution challenges taught me a lot. How to work together, shortcuts that weren't even in my awareness, different ways of thinking, and very importantly, creating a pitch that resonates with the from-indsutry judges.
One of the biggest takeaways for me is REALLY improved skills around design (wireframing, UX ), project structuring & tracking (Agile github), validation, and communication. I found CI to be very egalitarian; information shared REALLY helpfully amongst peers; great female support; democratic communication process via Slack channels; students very willing to help one another. Hackathons meant peer support - although in competition, each team will still try to help the others.
Since completing the course 2 months ago I have taken one of my academic projects and brought it to the business world, won a prize in a business hackathon, and received part-funding approval from my Local Enterprise Office and am engaging in a feasibility study. I've getting help from some of my CI colleagues (thank you Georgina!) in building this out to an MVP and engaging in the startup/tech/finance worlds to establish a market for this new site/app.
Would I have been able to do this before CI? NOPE. Knowing I have the hands-on skills to turn to any problem is a big game-changer. I'm not dependent on anyone else to code for me ..... it doesn't mean I'm a brilliant coder, I still have a lot to learn, but I'm equipped to research any gaps. I attend tech meetups and participate equally. My work is efficient. I can verbalise the process to non-tech as well as tech audience.
So in summary I began this course not knowing what to expect and somewhat arrogant about what I'd achieve. I've finished it hugely excited about what's already done, and what I can do in the future. It's not an easy road but its well worth travelling. Thank you Code Institute!

The pros of this diploma course are the invaluable community and access to other students and mentors through the Slack community. The course is really what you make it, like all courses. There are so many opportunities to network and learn. I found the... Read More grading criteria very fair and clear unlike other courses I have completed in the past. The course content is robust for a foundational knowledge in Full-Stack software engineering. I found the lecturers engaging and I liked how they simplified new and abstract concepts to career-changers like myself with no background in computers, science or math.
I invested in this course a year ago to give me a kick-start into my new career and I am very happy with my decision to go with Code Institute and would recommend it to anyone in a similar position.

Code Institute does a wonderful job in introducing you into the wide web of software development in incremental steps. The course is designed in a way that even if you have never written a line of code in your life, you’ll feel very comfortable and confident... Read More with it by the end!

10/10 would recommend this course if you’re planning to kickstart a new career in tech!

I'm very happy that I chose this course with Code Institute, and if I had to choose again, I would choose this course again. Here are my thoughts: Although the course content is only sometimes the most up-to-date (for instance, they used an older version... Read More of Django, which caused my final project to fail as all auth email verification changed in Python's latest version. I had to pay a £50 fee to resubmit by explicitly choosing an older version of Python. Not cool.). However, it's not a significant concern from a more distant perspective as they teach you the right mindset. They teach the fundamentals, and you'll be on your way to growth. One of the strongest reasons I would choose this course again is its community. They provide genuine support, guidance, help, and motivation, and there's generally a positive attitude that makes learning more enjoyable and effective. The monthly hackathons are where I learned the most because we had to apply what we had just learned and improvise. Some students complain about not getting hired by companies, but I believe that courses like this are there to help you get started, and then you have to take it from there. It's impressive how many alumni are still around to help and improve the new students. The second asset that I want to highlight is the mentor sessions. I had the most effective sessions with my mentor, who gave me a clear perspective on the course and very insightful feedback about the industry and how to solve problems with coding in general. Thank you for this course!

Studying in Code Institute has been amazing so far! Amazing support from both mentors and facilitators. They provide you with opportunities to join hackathons and collaborate with other people on projects. They provide support in careers and helping you... Read More be ready to find a job in the field.

I have been on the Full Stack Software Development course since February and I think it’s fantastic. It is definitely challenging at times but when it clicks, it is so rewarding.

I have also just participated in my first hackathon and it has been a brilliant... Read More experience. I have learnt how to work on a collaborative project, it has boosted my confidence and I got to meet some amazing people both from the course and from Tech companies. I highly recommend Code Institute to anyone who wants to get into tech.

I feel satisfied with the curriculum, it covers a good range of the full-stack kit. You can choose 1 of 3 specializations for the last project, which is a good way to further your knowledge, but only in ONE area, as they remove access to the course material... Read More once you submit your final project, which is very unfair. However, they offer many career support and student/graduate monthly events like hackathons, meet-ups, webinars, and forever access to the Slack channel.

Fully flexible online course, obviously you have to put in your own work and do a lot of research but support is amazing and you’ll certainly learn a lot. Community on Slack is fantastic and hackathons Code Institute organises are great source of knowledge... Read More and networking. At the end of the day, it’s up to you how much work you put in, how much you get out of it.

I can't rave highly enough about my experience with Code Institute. I was extremely nervous about the implications of trying to career switch in my late thirties, not to mention the financial implications of the course, but I can honestly say it's been... Read More the best decision I've made.
I enrolled in the Full Stack Software Development course in October 2022 and completed in February 2024 - this was longer than the year timeline due to some personal circumstances that caused me to take a couple of absences. The CI student care team were absolutely amazing during these tough times, and they simply couldn't do enough to support me.
The course itself is very engaging and hands-on which I consider really important for an online learning experience. The Slack community was without a doubt the best asset in my learning journey, and continues to be now I've finished the diploma. Not only are you surrounded by a community of peers and alumni but you're also offered the opportunity to take part in monthly hackathon events. I personally took part in 4 hackathons; 3 hybrid with an in-person element in London, and 1 delivered virtually. I learnt so much from my peers at these events and had the opportunity to be a part of a development team working on a real project, and gaining real experience of working within an Agile environment.
The course content itself is good. The walkthrough projects are excellent at providing an opportunity to put learned skills into practice. At times the content can feel outdated and dry, but one thing I've learnt from being involved in this industry is that skills/languages/frameworks are constantly changing so, for me, part of the learning journey is understanding how to find new solutions and update your skills. No education provider can be changing their entire content every week! I also truly believe that success as a developer relies quite largely on your ability to problem solve - which CI teaches you to do!

Overall the staff, students, and external professional contacts make this company and course 5* for me. Oh and also I should mention the careers team is first-class! You get a 1-2-1 careers consultation as part of the full stack diploma and I found it so useful to have their individual specialised advice.