What are your impressions after the Academy? 

After the Academy, I am very satisfied. I gained a significant amount of knowledge and skills related to the Android system, which I can now apply in practice. I’m happy with mentors Marcin and Przemek. They conveyed the knowledge in a straightforward manner. They were also very helpful during task reviews, always available to assist with any problems. The biggest plus was working with such experienced programmers. Overall, my impressions are very positive. I learned a lot about how commercial work looks like.

Did the Academy meet your expectations? 

The Academy met my expectations. It offered a wide range of topics, from basic implementation to advanced concepts used in everyday commercial programming. All the knowledge and skills I acquired during the Academy have enabled me to design and program more efficiently. Therefore, it definitely met my expectations. 

What was the biggest challenge for you during the Academy? 

The biggest challenge was the final tasks – the completion stage of the application. We transitioned from simple tasks, such as creating views, to advanced functionalities involving databases. It required spending quite a bit of time on it. One of the tasks, which involved saving user locations, was particularly challenging. However, with the help of Marcin (mentor), we managed to complete everything successfully. Overall, there were several challenges, but we managed to do them well. 

What was the biggest advantage of the Academy? 

The biggest advantage of the Academy is its practical nature. There were lectures where we learned about specific technologies and frameworks, followed by implementing those functionalities. This is a crucial aspect of mobile app development. Therefore, I think the process of building a complete application was the biggest advantage. If we were to create a more complex application where some of these aspects were missing, I would probably feel unsatisfied. 

Have you noticed progress in your Android skills? 

Yes, absolutely. For three months last year, I worked as an Android Developer, and that was just the beginning for me. The Academy provided me with a broader perspective on the system. It covered everything from basic principles and patterns to the entire architecture of the system, as well as contemporary programming techniques. It wasn’t outdated content; everything was up-to-date. I consider my progress to be significant and meaningful. Without this Academy, I don’t think I would have learned so many essential things in just six months. I greatly appreciate the feedback from mentors during tasks and knowledge acquisition. In terms of experience, I still consider myself a junior, but in terms of knowledge, I’m closer to the mid-level. 

Do you think the Academy will help you in finding a job in the Android technology field? 

I believe it will. It provides additional experience and skills. However, the job market situation is quite challenging, as there are not many job openings for Android developers. Nevertheless, I believe that after completing the Academy, I will eventually find employment, if not in the near future, then later on. 

Would you recommend the Academy to others? Why? 

Absolutely, I would highly recommend it. It was conducted in a good manner. Certainly, the programmers who led the Academy will have their own insights that will help improve future Academies. Why? By participating in the Academy, we have access to many mentors who can genuinely help us acquire knowledge and practical programming skills. Learning by ourselves for six months is possible, but having contact with mentors is crucial. Additionally, the program was very well organized. I really enjoyed our meetings. Of course, the Academy required a significant time commitment, but I think it can be balanced with work and studies.