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.

This is an older and smaller campus in the city (East side neighborhood) that is well maintained…read moreand clean. It can be a little difficult to navigate at first. Parking can be a challenge at certain buildings. There are overflow lots but those fill up quickly as well. Fun things to see while walking around the campus from sculptures to gardens and more.

Urban Campus turns out incredibly competent RN's from their ADN Program. Second Consecutive…read moreGraduation "Pinning Ceremony for some VIP Nurses I've been Blessed to work with and to know.

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.

I highly recommend Merlin Works, the instructors are amazing, helpful and caring, it's hard to…read moreadmit failure but the class and the instructors make it much easier, there seems to be a no judgement zone which helps build success. They know how to build a team environment. You don't have to be into theater or comedy to enjoy this class, but if you are looking to improve yourself at work or at home or even with your friends, this class does it. Thanks for an experience of a lifetime.

Devon reached out and began by immediately lying. When called out, he turned into a jerk (his scam…read morewas exposed so why not?) Best to stay away from this place I can see from the other reviews left before me that their reputation is pretty bad anyway.

The CDL instructor, Raymond, an experienced truck driver was full of knowledge. He was always…read moreavailable and really wants his students to succeed. He went above and beyond and I would consider him a friend at this point. All the employees, from Raymond, to my recruiter, Hanifa, to the director, Dr. Johnson are all very hard workers and answered my calls and texts promptly, even on the weekends. They all work early to late for their students. They were easily accessible. All the students who were there with me were very friendly and we all encouraged each other. I passed my DPS skills test on the first try and couldn't be happier with this school. I would have given 5 stars but I rarely do, but I would definitely recommend! Happy Trucking!

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 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.

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

Extremely rude staff. Aggressive on the phone and a general disdain for the public.read more

I wanted to reboot my Spanish speaking skills last year, so I took two Spanish classes at this…read morelocation with Professor Davila and LOVED everything about my experience. She is such a dedicated, gifted, and generous educator. Her love of the language and teaching to others was infectious, and it motivated everyone in the class (which was needed because they were close to 4 hours a pop!). There were a wide range of ages in both classes from 18-60+ and we all felt inspired, challenged, and supported by her. I'm looking forward to taking more of her classes in the future!