Students usually like studying with a mentor because they have a fixed schedule and the opportunity to ask questions about things they don't understand. But there are also some non-obvious advantages of studying with a mentor.
In this text, students share what they liked about learning at CodeGym with a mentor, apart from the advantages that lie on the surface.
The comfortable adjustment of training according to your background
The course program with a mentor is designed the way that every student with any level of knowledge can progress in learning. The mentor presents the information step by step so that the student has time to understand and absorb it. 90-minute online lessons are held twice a week: during that time students explore new theory and receive personal recommendations.
What do our students say about it?
I still remember the first lesson and how the mentor carefully explained the information to us. At the beginning of the course, the mentor's support is crucial because the majority of students still don’t have the programming mindset. As a result, they don't understand many things. Over time, I’ve learned to cope with the new material independently and asked for help only if I spent more than one day on a certain task.
People without a technical background can surely join CodeGym University courses. There might be people with different background in the group, but the lecturers follow the curriculum. So if you are running ahead and have additional questions, you can ask them individually – either in the DMs with a mentor or in the general Slack chat.
On the contrary, if you don't understand something during the online class, you can read the lectures on CodeGym, where we study and do practical tasks. Their style of explanation is different, and it helps you to grasp the material better.
The lectures are written in a simple manner: they are understandable to everyone, not only people with a technical background. So, you need to take classes and homework responsibly, study regularly, and avoid long breaks. If you stick to this routine, you can get this profession.
There are no complicated words and terminology in a course with a mentor, at least at the first levels. Therefore, even a rookie can understand what is being said. This is another crucial aspect that made my learning comfortable.
The exchange of ideas with like-minded students
When you study with a mentor, and in a group with other students, you can communicate with other students outside of class to discuss complex topics or do joint coding projects. Usually, it makes learning much easier: students solve tasks together and share their learning and job search experiences.
What do our students say about it?
Denys Dudnyk:
We had a very active group chat, where we talked a lot, discussed topics, and clarified certain aspects of our training. At the end of each module, we must prepare a project. My group mates and I usually call each other and discuss what to do and how to do it better. It can be challenging to guess on your own, so we deal with the task faster after discussing it during the call. Communication with classmates is essential.
Tanya Karpenko:
It's cool to have a community interested in the same knowledge area. Some students pass the course faster, read additional literature, and share their thoughts in the chat. So you can chat and learn more. Even if you don't know how the problem should be solved, there is always an opportunity to look at other students' train of thought and create your solutions based on what you see. It's fantastic that you can use the experience someone else has gained and not beat the path on your own.
Ability to quickly verify the information with an experienced developer rather than Google
In addition to the fact that studying with a mentor disciplines the student, it also provides an opportunity to clarify unclear information quickly. It is a significant bonus at the beginning of studies when a student is just entering the programming field and doesn't see the whole picture.
What do our students say about it?
Tanya Karpenko:
You can ask for help from a mentor at any time – in private messages or a general chat – and thus find the answers you need. You don't need to spend time searching for information and checking it, as you can rely on the teacher's experience.
Mastering the fundamental programming tools under the supervision of your mentor
Students get the knowledge they need during the course with a mentor to work on real-life projects. During the course, you get used to working with development (Intellij Idea) and communication tools (Slack) that are used in real projects, you also learn to work with systems-version-control tools (GitHub). Besides resolving tasks, you also write an actually interesting project under the mentor's supervision.
What do our students say about it?
Alex Caseres:
After the course, I went to job interviews, and got a real internship at a company, where I later received a job offer. The Java University program is exactly what you will need at work. The course gives you the required technologies and nothing extra. That’s a strong benefit of the course.
Wrapping Up
We've presented you four non-obvious advantages of a coding course with a mentor. These and other advantages help our students learn Java successfully and become developers. What is the most important thing for you in learning programming?
I still remember the first lesson and how the mentor carefully explained the information to us. At the beginning of the course, the mentor's support is crucial because the majority of students still don’t have the programming mindset. As a result, they don't understand many things. Over time, I’ve learned to cope with the new material independently and asked for help only if I spent more than one day on a certain task.
People without a technical background can surely join CodeGym University courses. There might be people with different background in the group, but the lecturers follow the curriculum. So if you are running ahead and have additional questions, you can ask them individually – either in the DMs with a mentor or in the general Slack chat.
On the contrary, if you don't understand something during the online class, you can read the lectures on CodeGym, where we study and do practical tasks. Their style of explanation is different, and it helps you to grasp the material better.
The lectures are written in a simple manner: they are understandable to everyone, not only people with a technical background. So, you need to take classes and homework responsibly, study regularly, and avoid long breaks. If you stick to this routine, you can get this profession.
There are no complicated words and terminology in a course with a mentor, at least at the first levels. Therefore, even a rookie can understand what is being said. This is another crucial aspect that made my learning comfortable.
