42 Vienna | Digital Excellence Campus - Wien

Arthur B.

Nach 15 Monaten als Student kann ich sagen: Ich habe noch nie so viel in so kurzer Zeit gelernt.

Der Einstieg in die 42 Vienna beginnt mit einer riesigen Herausforderung. Das Aufnahmeverfahren ist sehr streng und konfrontiert Kandidaten direkt mit C-Programmieraufgaben ohne jegliche Anleitung. Es klingt auf den ersten Blick überwältigend, vor allem wenn man davor noch nie eine Zeile Code geschrieben hat, aber diese Lernmethode funktioniert sehr gut! Nachdem man sich Lösungen selbst erarbeitet hat, bleiben Konzepte nachhaltig im Gedächtnis.

Ein besonderer Aspekt von 42 ist das Peer-Learning. Beim Austausch mit anderen Studierenden werden Konzepte ständig wiederholt. Dabei entsteht eine Community, in der man gemeinsam an Projekten arbeitet und sich gegenseitig unterstützt - ähnlich wie in der Open-Source-Community. Die Zusammenarbeit schafft tolle Lernerfahrungen, und auch Netzwerke.

Mittlerweile befinde ich mich im Mastery-Teil des Curriculums mit Spezialisierung auf Systemarchitektur und Netzwerkinformation. Neben dem regulären Studium konnte ich bereits ca. ein Jahr Berufserfahrung sammeln, und mich auch anderweitig einbringen: als Tutor, im Studierendenrat und bei der Organisation von Learning-Events.

Das 42-Modell hat sich bereits in Frankreich bewährt und ich bin sehr dankbar für die Leute, die es auf sich genommen haben, es nach Österreich zu bringen.

Jonathan R.

Ich habe das Privileg, an der Programmierschule 42 Vienna teilzunehmen, und meine Erfahrung war außergewöhnlich. Die Lehrmethoden sind innovativ und fördern das selbstgesteuerte Lernen, was mir geholfen hat, nicht nur technische Fähigkeiten zu entwickeln, sondern auch ein tieferes Verständnis für das Programmieren zu gewinnen. Das Team und die Gemeinschaft sind unterstützend und inspirierend. Ich kann 42 Vienna wärmstens empfehlen für jeden, der eine solide Grundlage in der Softwareentwicklung sucht!

Enes Z.

Die IT-Schule ohne Lehrer bietet eine einzigartige Lernerfahrung für alle, die ihre IT-Fähigkeiten verbessern möchten. Die Einrichtung verfügt über modernes Equipment und eine angenehme Atmosphäre, die zum Lernen und Arbeiten einlädt. Die Schüler werden in ihrer Lernzeit von einem Team unterstützt, das sich an ihre individuellen Bedürfnisse anpasst. Die Schule bietet auch regelmäßige Workshops und Veranstaltungen an, um die Schüler auf dem neuesten Stand zu halten. und für Motivation zu sorgen. Wenn sich jemand für diese Schule interessieren sollte, empfehle ich, die Webseite zu besuchen, um mehr Informationen zu erhalten. Insgesamt ist diese IT-Schule ohne Lehrer eine gute Wahl für alle, die ihr IT-Wissen erweitern möchten und eine innovative Lernerfahrung suchen.

O.

I attended the 2024 February Piscine and my honest review would be that it was quite a rollercoaster of experience, emotions and struggles. One thing that was quite remarkable was the event organization and the coalition games which were quite nice and entertaining. They helped students relax, get to know one another, provide a team work environment met with challenges and motivation to push forward. However, the learning environment seemed very blank since even though they were implying that they would teach beginners how to code from scratch, none of that actually happened. They just provided some YT tutorial private playlist made by 42 for some exercises to get you started on, where the tutorials were basically made by 42 students giving you the most basic concepts possible while leaving some info out for you to find on your own on Google. The Peer Learning was helpful at times, however on a realistic perspective each person focuses more on their own issues and while asking for help it felt like you were begging your peers to help you out. In the Piscine you will use Shell/Bash , Git and C language using Ubuntu/Linux OS. People who had experience with C++/C# or Python/Java were able to have a head start with projects and exams, which the structure was basically creation with limited rules. It was like coding on Codewars. The Peer Evaluation was the main idea behind peer learning where students would evaluate projects on a random selection and while discussing with others, they would hypothetically share ideas and learn from each-other. When asking "tutors" (more like the student council) for help, they would just be limited to what they can answer and tell you to keep questions at a minimum or better yet not bother them at all. Some rules and guidelines made no sense, such as the double evaluation one, where the system would let you book 2 people at the same time to evaluate your project and you would get penalized for that with a community service. In conclusion, if you're a beginner that wants to learn coding it's best to learn and practice on your own first since during the entrance exam/piscine bootcamp you will have to mostly learn stuff by yourself either way. Some good resources would be reddit, git, and codespaces.

Réka M.

Vienna campus of the 42 network. Brand new infrastructure, peer-to-peer learning and great atmosphere. Plus, the beds are comfortable.

Marcel K.

I've been a student at 42Vienna for a year now, and it's been an incredible journey. The peer-to-peer learning method is not only unique but incredibly effective. I've learned so much and have had the chance to collaborate with some amazing fellow students. I am really happy with my decision to be part of this coding school.

Francis R.

As a student currently in the core curriculum at 42 Vienna, my experience here has been very positive.

The curriculum is well-designed and provides a strong foundation in software engineering. The focus on C, C++, Linux, and Shell programming gives you the fundamentals without the crutches. They have an interesting policy that you can't use programming libraries until you've built them yourself. This is excellent for truly understanding what's going on "under the hood." This transfers to any programming language later because you learn how to teach yourself any programming language or framework.

One of the best aspects is the flexibility the program offers. You can go at your own speed with an upper limit of 24 months for the core curriculum, which is excellent for really understanding the material.

The school also has different "coalitions," making the entire experience somewhat like Hogwarts. Everything is gamified and the peer review system is really well designed.

The biggest challenge here is managing your personal finances: While many students receive funding for the cost of living through a partnership of the school with the AMS (Arbeitsmarktservice), not everyone is so fortunate. Without a scholarship or other financial aid, balancing work and studies becomes a real challenge.

Overall, I'd highly recommend 42 Vienna if you're passionate about software engineering and can either commit to it at least 20 hours a week consistently, full-time or have financial backing. The experience is enriching, but make sure to consider your financial situation when planning your journey here.

Galla C.

Not all that glitters is gold 🥇 I participated in a Piscine (Bootcamp) at this Campus, and I must say: my experience is split.

The concept seems cool at first glance: Peer-to-Peer Learning, access to the Campus facilities 24/7, learn at your own pace. You are told that absolute beginners are welcome, it even sounds as if they were the target group of this program. Open, inclusive, everyone can join. I loved those four weeks and was highly motivated, ambitious.

By contrast, the selection process is totally intransparent. From our peer group, way under 10% of real beginners seem to have made it. They tell you "come as you are, it's not a competition", and they offer a plethora of community activities. Lots of noise. However, by the end of the day, only the *very* exceptional students were chosen, mostly with previous coding experience, who scored high in the exams. Contrary to their claims, many who did their best and showed talent (but had started from scratch) got excluded. This means: no access anymore. Learn at your own pace? 🤔

It's a discouraging and extremely disappointing experience — esp. for those who joined from a different country, spent every day at the campus to learn from scratch. Many of us spent money on hostels, hotel, AirBnB. Some took out a loan. We all trusted the claim of accessibility.

I gave my everything. Twelve hours per day and more, Monday till Sunday. After a cold start, scored high on my personal C projects. Engaged in the community. Did Rushes (optional extra assignments over the weekend). Helped peers. Reached level 6 and finished twelve projects (up to C07), partially with 85 to 100 percent. By the end I was on rank 6 in my Coalition with almost 1200 points contributed.

However, I had a blackout during the final exam, when I was physically unwell. This seems to have knocked me out. Got the same empty mass email as everybody. Most of us beginners are crestfallen now. Many came from abroad, hoping for a new beginning. We were unaware that our prospects were that meager.

Their slogans don't reflect reality: This School doesn't offer a serious chance to real beginners.

I wouldn't say it's impossible (I'm aware of some four colleagues who got in without previous experience, out of c. 160). If you are already based in the city and have no additional costs, go for it. It's a worthwhile experiment! It can be great fun, perhaps you like to challenge yourself. If you already know some coding, or have a background in maths/ physics/ Computer Science: Grand! Chances are good then 👍🏆

Just don't put any hope in it if you are in difficult life circumstances and NEED this opportunity. Your stress level may be too high. There doesn't seem to be a fair treatment or a careful evaluation case by case. Information is scarce.

They operate a highly automated system which does not take into account your overall performance, social skills, engagement in team work. Progress from scratch is promised to be taken into account. Pisciners cannot confirm this. The majority of a Piscine are "Cannon Fodder" who will fall off the rim in spite of heavy endeavours, or drop out during the process. I spent c.400 hrs in vain.

If you decide to join, don't let them distract you with games and gamification. By the end of the day, it is about your personal achievements. Only participate in as much as you feel comfortable with. Never compromise against learning for an exam.

It's about your scores. Your individual results and especially the exam results. You must, under all conditions, start learning C as soon as the assignment opens. Even if you are still struggling with Shell. Better even in advance!

After all those caveats: The teamwork makes it unforgettable — the guys and girls (your peers), your own strength and interaction. Staff and tutors are good persons. I miss them.

So be mentally prepared for a non-admission in spite of giving your 400%. Stay focused on your progress. Make sure to have a plan B.
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Disclosure: My impression is biased by the negative outcome. Your own experience might be different 🍀