Taking another certification with testing center has been a great and easy experience. They…read morerecently moved south of the river in Austin, TX. So they are very close in proximity to my job location. The staff has always been friendly. I never experienced any issues with them. They keep your stuff secure for you while you are taking your exam here. However, I would recommend that the get some some type of lockers to store your stuff more secure. Easy access to the facility minus the I35 traffic jams in Austin, TX. LOL While you are taking your tests they provide you two dry erase boards and sound noise cancellation ear muffs.

Have not had good experiences because of the rules about not being able to bring in your personal…read moreitems. Whether it's COVID related or space related, there needs to be a locker available to all test takers for this location. This policy is not accessible to everyone because not everyone has a car to leave their stuff in. This confrontation between test takers and staff creates an uncomfortable environment right before taking a major exam that we paid for. Besides this rule only being able to apply to people with vehicles, if this rule was placed due to COVID, it contradicts itself. I was told I could not even bring my phone and have it safely held while testing. I do not have a car so I take an Uber/Lyft to the testing center. A smart phone is required to order these ride services. I was told by the staff that they offer their phone for calling rides but 1) I do not use taxi services (nobody does anymore) and 2) this contradicts your COVID policies if we are using a "public" phone shared between many people. **Edit/Updated on 4/23/21** I've contacted them and they will now store your personal items.

I had joined the 2nd cohort at MakerSquare in fall of 2013. Prior to MakerSquare, I had tried…read morelearning Ruby and JS on my own, through countless books and online tutorials. Having completed a few guides, I realized that my ability to learn "how to code" was hindered simply by my style of learning. I love interactive q/a style learning, which is what led me to MakerSquare. Of the different programs out there, the one thing I would urge others to consider is that they place a heavy amount of weight onto prework completed (how much work you've done ahead of time) and community-fit. If you're a solo worker and not a fan of collaborative environments, you may want to consider other programs. Anyways, long story short, I would whole heartedly recommend this program. As classmates, I had former programmers, retail store workers, a professional photographer and even a former elementary teacher. Out of the program, each of the students were working as professional front-end engineers (junior developers) within weeks of graduating. So safe to say, MakerSquare has a great professional network, and they know how to teach code. The classroom environment (the location on Congress ave) was a bit cramped at times. But from what I've heard the class size is now capped at 18, vs. 30 or so when I went through. All the 'issues' I had (space constraints, less than ideal student:instructor ratio, and focus on advanced concepts (algorithms and data structures) has been completely addressed. According to the staff, Cohort 5 is operating on an almost night/day difference of curriculum than what I had. So not only do I give the program 5 stars, I would (and likely will) retake the course to take advantage of their newest curriculum.

In short, I'm very happy! Though I'm not programming on a daily basis, I was able to get into the…read moreSt. Louis startup scene which was my main goal before enrolling at MakerSquare. I've also built a really awesome network of programmers and startup gurus in St. Louis and I believe that's thanks to MakerSquare! :-) I joined in Winter 2013-2014 (Cohort 3 Represent!). My reason for joining originally was not initially to become a software/web developer. Rather, I wanted to be able to communicate better with programmers that I worked with. I wanted to gain better access to the startup network. And most importantly I have a lot of ideas that I wanted to explore on my own - I didn't want to have to rely on finding a developer to build my ideas and turn them into a reality. I came out of the program having learned web-development with a strong emphasis on solid software development skills. Here's what I loved about MakerSquare: Curriculum: I was impressed by how much I learned. I literally had no experience in programming and I can now build web applications that ACTUALLY work. Not just simple interactive sites, but fully dynamic applications that work heavily with javascript on top of a rails framework. Moreover, all of this was taught with a very clear emphasis on test driven development (from the beginning) and solid software development principles. Instructors & Culture: They actually cared about the students and our progress and they were just all-around cool people. The culture at MakerSquare was actually a huge focus in the organization. I think what I loved most was learning how to learn all over again. I gained a new confidence that I've never had. The energy was also great, everyone had awesome ideas - from students to staff. Feedback: I would have liked to have more experience with Ruby and really learning how to code w/algorithms and such vs. w/Rails which is just teaching you the framework. From what I gather, Rails is now being treated as a detail vs. a core of what we learned. When we learned rails, it was about utilizing the framework for its ActiveRecord and quick-to-web functionality. MakerSquare still teaches web development (rails/mvc, http, javascript, etc) but now only after teaching other concepts that are applicable not just to the web, but to all software (test-driven development, SOLID principles, application boundaries, decoupling, databases, interfaces, software architecture, etc). I would have loved a deeper problem-solving skillset through exposure to algorithms. Looks like I was one cohort shy of that. MakerSquare now integrates algorithms and algorithmic thinking from day 1. Finally, MakerSquare was split into two nearby locations (Congress & Brazos). The extra space was nice, but it felt disconnected and I think it kept our cohort from being as close as some other cohorts have been.

Did you know that there is a bona fide medical school in downtown Austin? It's a fairly recent…read moredevelopment thanks to a quite generous endowment by Michael & Susan Dell, plus a hefty investment by taxpayers in Austin and Travis County, and then the whole of Texas (if you include taxes paid to support our public state university systems). Dell Medical School (DMS) is part of the University of Texas at Austin and is co-located for the most part with the Dell Seton Medical Center (the replacement for our former public hospital, Brackenridge) near the Frank Erwin Center (aka "The Drum"). The institution describes itself as an unprecedented community partnership with no historical baggage and the freedom to innovate to perform its mission "to revolutionize the way people get and stay healthy in ways that make Austin a model healthy city." Even if you're not a current/potential med school student or a patient (learn about the clinic here: https://uthealthaustin.org/about-utha) in the associated health district facilities, there are some points of interest if you're in the area: #1: Public artwork You can drop by to view (or Instagram) Michael Quinn's beautiful Spiral of the Galaxy sculpture https://landmarks.utexas.edu/artwork/spiral-galaxy in the Health Learning Building (HLB) courtyard or go inside to see Ann Hamilton's foggy & diverse O N E E V E R Y O N E portrait series, https://landmarks.utexas.edu/artwork/oneeveryone. #2: Nourish Cafe (1st floor of HLB, west side) A quick, fresh & healthy bite or beverage (including coffee and juice) at college student prices - not bad! Seasonal salads, soups, sandwiches, baked and grilled items prepared by Flik Hospitality are efficiently served via cafeteria-style tray-line, and you can dine in the sunny indoor dining area or outside in the tree-shaded courtyard. A few packaged snacks and bottled drinks are available for carry-out, too. Open Mon-Fri 7:30a - 10a (coffee & breakfast tacos); 11:30a - 1:30p (full lunch bar). #3: Live music performances & other public arts events Concerts occur outdoors & indoors at different times throughout the year, such as the April "Sound in Sculpture" event near the conch sculpture in the plaza. Check the DMS calendar for the next one here: https://dellmed.utexas.edu/events . There's also a cool free & open to the public event series called "Arts and Medicine" held in partnership with the Medical Center next door: https://www.seton.net/classes/community-classes/arts-and-medicine/ #4: Rooftop garden An 11,000-square foot succulent-and-wildflower garden installed through a partnership between the UT, the Dell Seton Medical Center and the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center. Okay, this is technically on top of the Med Center garage roof, but it's visible from the DMS' Health Transformation Building and is such a cool feature! Learn more here: https://www.wildflower.org/project/dell-medical-school-green-roof

Dr. Cristal Brown is the most compassionate, attentive doctor I've ever had the pleasure of…read morespeaking to. When my mother's health started to decline, Dr. Brown's guidance was immeasurably helpful. She sat with my mother and I for over an hour, patiently explaining our options, test results, and her thought process about how to proceed. We'll be polite and call my mom "stubborn", but Dr. Brown handled her with care and grace. At no point did we feel like we were being rushed or pressured, she had clearly done her homework before sitting down to speak with us, and it really felt like we were having a long conversation with a caring friend. Dr. Brown is a huge asset to both Dell Medical school, and the medical community at large.

We heard of Advantage Testing, and Joy Lin in particular, through a friend. She told us how much…read moreher son improved his test scores after working with Joy. We engaged with Advantage Testing and requested Joy for my daughter and we had the same amazing results. My daughter enjoyed working with Joy every week and after having stalled out with other tutors and studying on her own, my daughter's SAT score jumped 150 points! She has a great rapport with the students and delivers fantastic results. We are still waiting on ACT results, but based on her practice tests, we expect to see the same jump in scores. Thank you, Joy and Advantage Tutoring!

I had the pleasure of hanging out in DelNorm day Hab recently and was so inspired by how everyone…read morewas treated and how they treated me. These are wonderful people who really care about their clients. It takes a special person to make caring for disabled their career. I'm thankful that these people exist!!! keep up the great work.

This is a wonderful day-hab for all ages. They have very warm and caring staff that makes all the…read moreattendees and staff feel like family. Thank you Mrs Delia for all that you do to make my son feel welcome! We consider Del-Norm his second home.

Let's set expectations right out of the gate: this is not a polished, corporate Christmas market --…read moreit's better. The German-Texan Heritage Society Christmas Market is cozy, chaotic, heartfelt, and packed with genuine German holiday spirit, all set against the beautiful historic German Free School grounds. The annual Weihnachtsmarkt is put on by people who genuinely love this space, the culture, and the season -- volunteers who pour their hearts into making it happen. If you remember that going in, you'll leave smiling, not frustrated. The atmosphere is extremely family-friendly -- kids were laughing, exploring crafts, and even getting treats from St. Nick as they walked in the gates. The folks working the market love this space and were friendly and welcoming, happy to share a bit of history or the story behind the German Texan Heritage Society and the event. The space itself -- with big Live Oaks and the historic architecture -- makes for a pretty special backdrop. Filled with yummy German bread, holiday treats, and drinks (I wasn't a beer drinker, but the folks around me swore the brews were good), beautiful German holiday décor and unique ornaments (I grabbed a few for my adult kids' first Christmas in their new home), festive music and general cheerful chaos -- part of the charm, not a flaw, walking through was pretty enjoyable, regardless of the chaos and lines. Grab a pretzel, some bread, a beer or whatever, and enjoy it while you wait in lines. Again, this is a volunteer-powered fundraiser. So yes -- lines can be long, and navigating the crowds can feel a bit hectic. But if you go with a playful attitude and realistic expectations, it feels less like waiting in line and more like being part of the fun. The love that goes into this event shines through everywhere. You're not just supporting an event -- you're supporting a nonprofit that preserves German-Texan culture and history right here in Austin. Go early, take your time, soak it up, and be kind to the amazing humans who make it happen. Highly recommend if you want a warm, local, and heartfelt holiday experience.

My advice is to avoid the Octoberfest. It's very expensive and very poorly run. The line for brats…read morewas more than an hour, when we arrived mid-afternoon on Oct. 12, 2024. Turns out there was only one poor cook and one order-taker, moving very slowly and answering multiple questions per customer. In stark contrast there were about 10 people taking orders for beer -- most of which they ran out of by early afternoon. There was a band playing German oom-pah favorites and not enough tables or seats. I didn't see any exhibits about the history of Germans in Austin. I spoke with one guy dressed in traditional German garb and wearing an Ask Me Anything badge. I asked him if there were Volksmarches in the Austin area. He had never heard the term. Ok, I'm sorry for venting. But really, if you're going to charge $15 entrance fee, $25 for a beer with a mug and $5 for a stale pretzel, you really need to get your act together. Caveat emptor (Buyer beware.)

Ben is the real deal. Had such a fabulous time. Very knowledgeable and you come away with an…read moreexcellent smelling fragrance.

This was an awesome experience! My friend is a big time "Frag Head," so we planned this class as a…read morebirthday present for him. While I was very intimidated to attend myself, I decided to go with him, and maybe learn something. Was I in for a surprise. Ben has organized this class for the most naive. He has meticulously laid out this experience, so that even folks like myself can find success and have a blast doing it. Not only did we learn about the different scents, their origins, and how they get extracted, but how they interact, or not, together. Our group ended up all leaving with one of a kind scents. I was very surprised at how much I enjoyed Ben's class, and just how much I am enjoying wearing the scent I made. I highly recommend this experience to everyone!!

I can't say enough about our experience with Mr. Kapasi. We had what I call Swiss cheese math…read more There were lots of holes in my daughter's math. The patience and time Mr. Kapasi really paid off and made a difference In filling in those gaps. I highly recommend his services. Really made a difference. Very nice human to boot.

Mansoor is very knowledgeable and caring. Very happy he tutored our high school daughter with…read morecalculus and it made a huge difference. We like how he doesn't just teach the problem but also shows the reasoning behind the math. Highly recommended.