Hola Code

Sure, it has an excelent academic quality and the staff is incredible at their job (I honestly think many of them are over qualified geniuses teaching to complete noobs to technology like me), but what makes it special is the human quality of the whole program. I learnt to think differently in order to solve problems, which helped me to code but also to solve real life issues.

With three meals a day, a psycologist to talk to when you need, a stable income and even childcare for my kids, they helped me through hard times so I could focus in learning, and for that I am forever grateful. I don't know of anything like this and do recoomend it, 10/10.

I feel proud to be part of HolaCode, i graduated last November. At first i was not sure that Hola Code was real, so i risk to leave my job beeing a single mother and only support for my kids, but beleive me it was the best desition, i did not know anything about computers before Hola Code, so it was a little scary because it was something new and it required alot of effort, Hola Code is not easy, because it is a intensive program and reaquieres alot of effort but belive me when i say this, Hola Code its worth it and its the best thing that happened to me!!! besides i did not know anything about computers, i became a software engineer after 5 months and today i have a great job as a software engineer, Hola Code helped me trough all this process and still helping me, here they are not only some people teaching, there is also people supporting you every day, you can find a comunity here. I highly encourage you to be part of Hola Code if you want to become a better person and going the extra mile its all you need to become great.

As alumni from the 1st generation at first, I did not know what to expect since I've never heard of any type of program in which they teach and feed you every day plus they support you with a weekly stipend so you can keep concentrating in your studies. They will walk with you every step of the way and support you in anything you might need help with. When you read the program's syllabus you read that you learn CSS, HTML, and Javascript among other things. But since the first day there are other skills which you are working on and others you are developing without even noticing. If you wish to start this career path and you have 0 experience or haven't even heard of CSS/HTML/Javascript this is the best place to start, you will go from knowing nothing to a full stack software engineer. One of the best things about HolaCode is that not only do they teach you, they also help you get a job, not just during the period in which you are there as a student but if for some reason you don't land a job quickly they will keep having their doors open for you and keep supporting you till you get one. One would think that you just go through the program and you never see them again but you will end up with them being your second family, the environment and relationships made there are so strong you will keep coming back and you will find yourself reaching out for one another to meet up and reinforce the bonds that have been established. 

HolaCode is more than a bootcamp, it is a training centre for future software engineers ... This bootcamp is not only looking for your talent but brings the best out of you. It gave me lifelong tools, provided all kind of assistance and made me grow personally and professionally. There is something very important about this bootcamp, yes it gave the best software engineering skills, but also it taught me important values and made me feel part of a family, a community and a society I can contribute to. Moreover, HolaCode helped me to work together as a team because everything could be achieved easily. During my time in Holacode I focused 100% to become a software engineer, for 5 months I worked, I ate and I dreamt code. The high standards and excellent technical level made my integration into the labour sector in Mexico and the in the world easy.

I am currently working as a Software Engineer in Yalo (www.yalochat.com). I am DevOps Engineer and I do believe I have found my passion and HolaCode has allowed me to become what I always wanted to be. Thanks to that, I keep learning and working with Facebook and Whatsapp engineers taking world-class challenges. HolaCode saved my life and gave me back a lot of what I had lost and they can do it for you too.

Hola-code is a life changing program.mind changing, And the best learning experience I have ever had in my life the people I meet there are part of my family and my community the five months on the program prepare me to gain the skill to face the world out there and the challenges that software development will bring and I can proudly say that those skills and that mind changing adventure is thanks to this bootcamp I am ready for a bright feature and a continue learning experience

A combination of excitement and nerves fueled me towards my start date as I didn’t know whether or not these sentiments were purely fabrications. As I enter week eight of my coding bootcamp experience, I can assure you that these people did not exaggerate.

Coding bootcamps are difficult by design due to the short amount of time available to transfer a massive amount of programming knowledge into your brain, but I’ve found some things that will make the experience more manageable and enjoyable from the start.

Understand when to call it a night
There are a lot of tough decisions that you will have to make in your short time at a coding bootcamp, and your amount of sleep is one of them. In our first week, we dove headfirst into Git & GitHub, JavaScript (functions, objects, arrays, callbacks, prototypes, & classes), CSS, and React! And there I was expecting us to spend the first two weeks on HTML and CSS.

Each day had what felt like an endless amount of assignments, and I worked around 16 hours a day for the first couple of weeks trying to finish everything assigned by the end of each night. Needless to say, I felt physically horrible. After getting stressed out to nearly feeling like I was going to lose my lunch the day of presenting our first projects (I was having issues making an API call with minutes left before presenting), I decided I couldn’t do that to myself anymore.

There will always be more work to do, but it’s extremely important to get enough rest throughout the process. Also, if you exercise regularly, it’s definitely a good idea to keep that going too. Your brain, body, and code will thank you later.

Ask for help when needed
This one sounds obvious, but it bears mentioning. You’ve paid a lot of money for this experience, and it’s not productive to waste hours on an issue that you can receive assistance on.

You absolutely want to develop strong researching and critical thinking skills. However, your mentors and classmates are around you for a reason. Some people suggest not spending more than 20 minutes on one problem. At that point, consider having another set of eyes look at the problem. I tried figuring everything out own my own in the first couple of weeks, but I eventually learned to utilize my resources. No shame in getting help!

Learn how to use Git branches
Learning how to use Git branches can prevent you from experiencing deep, gut-wrenching heartbreak. I had done my share of Git tutorials, but it wasn’t until having to use Git branches with a team that I finally understood how to use this powerful system.

I used to edit everything on the master branch in a project. Anytime I got to a point where my code was all messed up and I couldn’t undo my way back to half-decent code, I would start over... This happened 6 times on my first project which wasted an incredible amount of time and added loads of stress.

Now, I rarely ever work directly on the master branch. If there is a specific feature that I want to work on, I’ll create a branch named after that feature and work on that separate branch (pushing often in case I need to go back to a previous version). Once that feature is finished, you can then merge it with the master branch. Feel free to reach out to me if none of that makes sense and you would like to avoid curling up in fetal position in a pool of your own tears because you’ve started over for the 10th time.

Spend more time with pure JavaScript. 
Looking at frameworks, libraries, backend technologies, etc. before the lectures ahead of time is great. For example, React uses a component-based architecture which has a different flow and feel than working in html, css, and js files. However, to make things actually happen, you’re still going to need a lot of JavaScript.

You’ll still be iterating through arrays, creating constructors and methods, looping, etc., so continue practicing your JavaScript. Free Code Camp and Code Wars are two places that I personally go to sharpen my JavaScript abilities thanks to my brother Bruno T. And if you haven’t yet looked at any ES6, it may be worth getting familiar with as it works nicely with React.

Last but not least, don’t neglect socializing. 
There will be many times when a group is going out to eat or a classmate wants to play ping pong and you’ll feel like you have way too much work to even think about stepping away from the computer. Remember, there will always be more work to do, and you need to take breaks. Also, whether it’s for social or career purposes, it’s great building up a strong network. You’ll enjoy the experience more with friends, and your classmates and mentors very well may help you get a job in the future.

At the end of the day (or hola code cohort rather), you are there to become job ready, so you’ll want to be building up your network throughout the process. Meetups are great way to do this too. Find me and I'll personally share those links.

There you have it, I invite you to take a good chance a good risk to have an amazing quality life for your future. And if you ever feel like quit, just remember the reason why you took the desicion on the first place, but the meat of everything you’ll be doing in a web development bootcamp is still JavaScript.

God Bless Hola Code!!!

https://www.linkedin.com/in/ricardo-varona-holacoder/

I came into Hola Code thinking I would learn Javascript, but what I got from it was more than just a skill. I acquired knowledge on  how to build entire web apps. 
This experience helped me to change my mind set and logical way of thinking, I became autonomous and can learn how to use new tools and framework in just a couple of days.
Hola-code has a strong community in which you don't only meet mates and mentors, you become part of a family.
Ambient, people and curriculum are great! 
Joining Hola Code is one of the best decisions I've made.