Horizons School of Technology

Horizons was one of the best decisions I ever made. I was able to learn the fundamentals of developing and creating products, meet amazing people, and hear from prominent thought leaders in technology. I had a small understanding of the basics of programming before starting Horizons, but within 3 months I knew the ins and outs of the developing to the point where I, and a couple of my friends from Horizons, were able to launch an app on the Apple and Android App stores.

Horizons is an amazing program, and I would recommend to anyone thinking about getting into or wanting to enhance their technical skills.

I came in looking to learn how to build something with my bare hands (and as a non-cs major). After a few months with Horizons, I felt pretty confident that I could build anything I wanted or at least learn how to build something, if it wasn't apparent. Throughout the program, the lectures were fantastic (shoutout to Moose and Graham!) and during the pair programming, I could tell many of peers were very sharp and pushed me to be better. Furthermore, if you got really stuck, TA assistance was very accessible from ex-software engineers, who were quick to assist. The whole concept of the demo day / hackathon I thought was well executed and contributed to Horizons feeling more than just a coding bootcamp to get you a job (although it very much can do that). It felt like you were really there to learn and build something great. Factor that with the guest lectures, where we got top people in tech to talk about how they made it and advice for us. The whole Horizons experience, in my opinion, will be more than any other bootcamp out there, its THE gateway into the tech world.

If you are looking to gain fundamental knowledge on web development or software engineering, look no further. Horizons will give you the tools you will need to build some amazing products and launch a career in software engineering.

Throughout the course, Horizons had TAs that were dedicated to staying up with us until the crack of dawn so that we could understand the course material. Towards the end of the program, you are given an opportunity to create your own product (great for people who come in with start-up ideas) or work for an actual start-up (some of our students worked on a project for Optimizely). These projects were monumental in supplementing our coursework and giving me the real-world application to what we had spent learning in the first half of the program.

Finally, Horizons was incredibly supportive during the job search. I was able to schedule multiple mock interviews with TAs and get very personal feedback on how to improve before my actual interviews (something that can be pretty costly -- think gainlo.com). TAs also provided resume help and also tips on negotiating salary/benefits once you get an offer. 

If you are hoping to switch careers or gain insight into the software engineering world, I would highly recommend Horizons.  

I came into Horizons with some algorithmic coding experience and left with the ability to harness the NodeJS library in building scalable backend databases with MongoDB and Express and responsive frontend designs in React and ReactNative (along with traditional HTML, CSS, and Pug (Jade)).

Pros
+ learned professors and devoted TAs
+ dynamic course work that fit to my need
+ plenty of guidance in the career path
Cons
- cost, although the value of this course is well within reason

“Take tremendous risks in your 20s” is a phrase I live and die by. Many people balk at the idea of taking a few months off to rediscover themselves or learn something new because it will not puff up their resume. I, personally disagree with that and think that not taking the risk to join Horizons is a risk one cannot take. 

Through Horizons, I was able to truly realize what I am passionate about and why I am passionate about them. Not only that, but I also got the chance to pick up many once-in-a-lifetime experience, invaluable skills and most importantly, everlasting relationships. 

If you have a killer startup idea but lack the skills to build it, Horizons will be your answer. If you want a career in the tech industry but lack the knowledge or experience, Horizons will be your answer. If you are in any sense passionate about tech, Horizons will be your answer.

I went into Horizons with the desire to explore coding and technology more so than I had previously been exposed to, and was amazed by how well they managed the program. They emphasized learning how to learn more so than simple code reiteration. Though I already have an engineering background, I gained a much better understanding of software through the coursework and projects. I can now pick up new coding skills with relative ease. And the founders stood by to mentor us along the way, setting up a speaker series to help build our networks and expand our knowledge of the world at large.

As a young CS undergraduate, I was eager to explore the innovative tech industry in the San Francisco Bay Area.  I was aware of the various programming bootcamps that were popping up throughout the country, but Horizons was recommended to me by my advisor.  Looking back, the program was quite intense at times as it covered many different concepts and technologies. Yet, it never felt too stressful to handle and the instructors made sure to only cover tools and frameworks relevant to the current job market.  The skills I acquired at Horizons didn’t just create opportunities for my career path, but they also proved helpful in understanding the CS concepts that were taught in my undergraduate studies. Upon attending Horizons, the breadth and depth in knowledge of software engineering practices along with the ability to network and communicate with the bright minds of the Bay Area contribute to one’s inculcation of the developer’s mentality.  This was a rather exciting process for me.

Horzions School of Technology is similar to many "summer"/semester programs. The results gained are a lot on you. What differs comes from the potential.

Horizons does a great job with how they work with you on a personal basis. Each person is unique and their program is shaped on their own, but the basic mold provided by them is already so advanced. The education is strong for people experienced in web development and those who've never coded in their lives. Though, the difficulty may change.

Along with the amazing education, indivudals get to meet amazing peers. Half the experience is the city and people. Currently, they could build an entire campus if they move to a cheaper location, but they understand the value of being in the center of SF. They've made much of the experience through their learning process as a company. 

I can't say enough great things about the whole company and program.