I had joined the 2nd cohort at MakerSquare in fall of 2013. Prior to MakerSquare, I had tried…read morelearning Ruby and JS on my own, through countless books and online tutorials. Having completed a few guides, I realized that my ability to learn "how to code" was hindered simply by my style of learning. I love interactive q/a style learning, which is what led me to MakerSquare. Of the different programs out there, the one thing I would urge others to consider is that they place a heavy amount of weight onto prework completed (how much work you've done ahead of time) and community-fit. If you're a solo worker and not a fan of collaborative environments, you may want to consider other programs. Anyways, long story short, I would whole heartedly recommend this program. As classmates, I had former programmers, retail store workers, a professional photographer and even a former elementary teacher. Out of the program, each of the students were working as professional front-end engineers (junior developers) within weeks of graduating. So safe to say, MakerSquare has a great professional network, and they know how to teach code. The classroom environment (the location on Congress ave) was a bit cramped at times. But from what I've heard the class size is now capped at 18, vs. 30 or so when I went through. All the 'issues' I had (space constraints, less than ideal student:instructor ratio, and focus on advanced concepts (algorithms and data structures) has been completely addressed. According to the staff, Cohort 5 is operating on an almost night/day difference of curriculum than what I had. So not only do I give the program 5 stars, I would (and likely will) retake the course to take advantage of their newest curriculum.

In short, I'm very happy! Though I'm not programming on a daily basis, I was able to get into the…read moreSt. Louis startup scene which was my main goal before enrolling at MakerSquare. I've also built a really awesome network of programmers and startup gurus in St. Louis and I believe that's thanks to MakerSquare! :-) I joined in Winter 2013-2014 (Cohort 3 Represent!). My reason for joining originally was not initially to become a software/web developer. Rather, I wanted to be able to communicate better with programmers that I worked with. I wanted to gain better access to the startup network. And most importantly I have a lot of ideas that I wanted to explore on my own - I didn't want to have to rely on finding a developer to build my ideas and turn them into a reality. I came out of the program having learned web-development with a strong emphasis on solid software development skills. Here's what I loved about MakerSquare: Curriculum: I was impressed by how much I learned. I literally had no experience in programming and I can now build web applications that ACTUALLY work. Not just simple interactive sites, but fully dynamic applications that work heavily with javascript on top of a rails framework. Moreover, all of this was taught with a very clear emphasis on test driven development (from the beginning) and solid software development principles. Instructors & Culture: They actually cared about the students and our progress and they were just all-around cool people. The culture at MakerSquare was actually a huge focus in the organization. I think what I loved most was learning how to learn all over again. I gained a new confidence that I've never had. The energy was also great, everyone had awesome ideas - from students to staff. Feedback: I would have liked to have more experience with Ruby and really learning how to code w/algorithms and such vs. w/Rails which is just teaching you the framework. From what I gather, Rails is now being treated as a detail vs. a core of what we learned. When we learned rails, it was about utilizing the framework for its ActiveRecord and quick-to-web functionality. MakerSquare still teaches web development (rails/mvc, http, javascript, etc) but now only after teaching other concepts that are applicable not just to the web, but to all software (test-driven development, SOLID principles, application boundaries, decoupling, databases, interfaces, software architecture, etc). I would have loved a deeper problem-solving skillset through exposure to algorithms. Looks like I was one cohort shy of that. MakerSquare now integrates algorithms and algorithmic thinking from day 1. Finally, MakerSquare was split into two nearby locations (Congress & Brazos). The extra space was nice, but it felt disconnected and I think it kept our cohort from being as close as some other cohorts have been.

I completed the UT CELTA program in 2015 before moving to Spain. I found the program very…read morebeneficial in preparing me for the challenges of teaching English as a foreign language. I had no idea at the time how challenging and different the process is from other class room activities. I have taught technical classes in networking and video technologies over the past several years and thought that experience would have adequately prepared me for teaching English AFL but discovered the process is completely different. The UT CELTA program provides the tools to teach where a common language is missing. This can be frustrating for both the student and the teacher and having a toolset to bridge the missing and most common form of communication, speech, addresses and prepares the instructor for the specific challenges of teaching a foreign language.

It was absolutely a great chance for me to take CELTA at UT Austin. I enjoyed and learned a lot…read morefrom this course. The tutors were so supportive and helpful and I benefited a lot from their great feedbacks. The best part of CELTA was learning to manage my time more efficiently and making lesson plans in a very organized way. The UT CELTA provided me great job opportunities in Japan where I could apply the strengths and skills I gained in this program.

Austin Free-Net (or AFN) is a nonprofit where you can really get to know your community!…read more The center provides computers and digital literacy classes to the underserved, as well as an IT program. There are a number of labs around the city in community centers, the M Station, Trinity, and the ARCH, to name a few. The staff at AFN are amazing!!! They really want you to come in and help them in the way that YOU want to contribute, unlike other volunteer gigs. As a trainer, I supervised labs, taught basic computer navigation skills and helped clients complete resumes, search for jobs and other resources, and apply for state benefits. In the office, I did research, put together events and public relations campaigns, and edited class curriculum. I also lent my hand in the IT dungeon, where all the nerds hang out. I would definitely recommend AFN as a place to volunteer. As the saying goes, if teach a man to use the computer, then he can use it to get a job. Here, you can actually do that.

From the owner: Austin Free-Net is a non-profit formed in 1995 to ensure that the power of computers and the…read moreInternet is accessible by all in the Greater Austin community. We help to empower people to find meaningful employment, obtain resources and take control of their lives. We teach basic computer skills to bolster the workforce.

I had a blast taking improv here. I was scared to death approaching the building for my first…read moreclass. But then the instructor got us playing improv games and I found out that in improv a person has to focus on the here and now. That took away my nervousness because I forgot about myself while paying close attention to what my scene partners were going to say or do next. And there were so many outbreaks of laughter! I highly recommend Merlin Works for learning to communicate clearly, focusing on the present moment, building confidence, thinking on your feet, teamwork, and having more fun than one human being usually has in eight weeks.

Paid for 5 classes but was only allowed to attend one because of their dubious billing model. That…read moreclass is the reason for the star, if there were more classes, would have given more stars, but one star when paid for five and only allowed to attend 1.

This large and modern campus which is also home to Austin PBS was once a shopping mall. You can…read morestill feel the elements of the mall in some areas. For example, you can definitely tell that one of the lab/classes was once a Limited or some variation of that store and its multiple entities. Parking is great and ample. I really like being able to park in a covered garage. It's an easy campus to navigate once you get the hang of it. Extremely clean, open, bright, and cutting edge.

Amazing school! They…read moreturned a mall into a state of the art community college. Imagine taking a class inside of what use to be Hot Topic. What a great and creative way to repurpose a space! I took a jazz class here and it was incredible. The teacher Dr J, was top notched. Highly recommend a class here or stop by and check out the art museum. 10/10 Textbooks

I was looking for a career change when I was thinking about selling my small business. I decided on…read moretaking the 10 week online data analysis course. These courses might be great for someone who has their company paying for it but to me they're extremely overpriced if you're footing the bill and looking for a career change of any kind. Goes way too fast and it's just not likely for a 10 week course coming from no experience to become proficient enough to get a decent job in the field. The "advisor" told me no experience was necessary and the "front desk girl just finished that course and got a job". To me it feels like a lot of the for profit schools that tell you all you can do and charge a ton. There are basically free sites/courses that can teach you the same thing. I messed up and I accept that which is why I'm leaving this review to help the next guy/girl.

A+ for their Web Development Immersive Class…read more Before coming to General Assembly, I had little to no experience with coding. After 12 weeks of focus and hard work, thanks to GA, I have built a strong foundation for a career in front-end development by gaining exposure to a broad range of technologies. The intructors were fantastic. The experience they bring to the classroom taught us to think like developers by providing just enough guidance to maximize our time in the program while allowing us to struggle through obstacles the right way rather than taking shortcuts. I can honestly say I learned more during those three months than I did in college. Moreover, the outcomes team provided more than enough tools, and networking opportunities to land a job I was excited about. Make no mistake though, you will get out whatever effort you put into this course. Don't sign up if you're not ready to work hard. Beyond providing a hard skillset, this course inspired me to challenge myself and enjoy the learning process again. With each new project comes new puzzles to solve, and with each new language comes new obstacles to conquer and skills to master. On the whole, I'm thrilled to be graduating with the confidence to take on the ever-changing field of web development.

Obviously, when you take courses at one of the World's best universities you get a good result and…read morea good learning process, but I couldn't expect that it would be so good... The teachers and the staff are absolutely confident in what they do, because all of them have a big experience and many of them taught English to foreign students, so they know what you need and how to provide it to you. Big variety of levels according to your English, including Academic English Program, which is really helpful and strongly recommended for those who plan to do their Graduate program at a university. They prepare not only for study itself, but also to the daily life in an american university. Social activities and different events, that the teachers organize, make the environment really friendly and happy. The prices are very fair, honestly I think that eventually you get more than the amount you pay. It's a really good place to study English.

If you are uneasy to use English, this school would give huge improvement in English to you. I have…read morebeen here about 7 months and I started studying English with this school. I had a phobia that speak English because I had never used English in my life before I came here from South Korea. I only used to speak it at school for tests. This school helps me a lot to get enough self- confidence in English. Even though I am still making on it, I strongly recommend you studying at this school. If you do, you are on right way to get a new language.

It's tough to admit as a father that i am not a very good teacher/tutor for my daughters math…read moreneeds. Heck...even i was confused and challenged by the TAKS weird questions and other assignments. So i reluctantly surrendered and found Lacie Taylor of Taylor-Made Tutoring. And what a great find. Five minutes after meeting Lacie you will feel comfortable with her and her methods. Her warm, calm and encouraging approach to teaching various learning methodologies is something i could never do. And so my daughter took to her lessons immediately, i am happy to say. She has responded very well and the improvements she has made are a great reflection upon Lacie's skills as a teacher. Another benefit to Taylor-Made Tutoring's math program is that they offer an in-home tutoring option where instead of having to drive in and out of Lacie's place of business, she has other tutors on her staff who will come to your home for the lessons. This is a valuable alternative at times. Taylor-Made Tutoring offers tutoring from elementary levels to very high math courses and we will likely be using her summer math camp to really get ahead this year.

We unschooled our daughter, with no formal math training until she was 12, at which point she went…read moreto a small school with a relaxed academic approach. When she decided she wanted to try an academically rigorous high school, we connected with Lacie. After 8 months of one on one tutoring with Lacie, our daughter was completely caught up and ready to walk into a her freshman math class with confidence. We just received her first quarter grades this afternoon - she's in the pre-AP program and has an A average! The best thing about Lacie's program is the emphasis on developing sound study skills. We feel this has benefited our daughter in other academic areas. Thank you, Lacie!!!