Community is everything.
Here’s how we built ours
at 42 Berlin

At 42 Berlin, our students have the autonomy to decide the pace and projects that make up their software engineering journey, but this does not mean they have to do it alone. Our peer-learning methodology puts community at the centre of everything. The encouragement of collaboration over competition is felt throughout every aspect of campus life, resulting in a more holistic approach to coding education that has seen connection on our campus thrive.

Hey, thanks for stopping by!

We can’t wait to walk you through a little piece of the 42 Berlin universe within the coming words. But before we dive in, let’s conduct a little thought experiment.

Are you ready?

For just a few seconds, I want you to close your eyes and let the idea of a software engineer/coding come into your mind. Got it? Ok, now notice the images, scenes, labels that spontaneously come up when you paint a mental picture of these words/concepts.

Just let whatever comes to mind, stay in mind.

Once a clear image has formed you can open your eyes.

So, what did you think of?

Our guess is that if we had to pop into someone’s thoughts as the idea of coding floats in, we probably would find something along the lines of: solitary human being sitting behind bright computer screens, endlessly scrolling through code, checking out youtube tutorials, and so on and so forth.

If you found yourself thinking of something pretty similar to this then maybe we’re telepathic. If you didn’t then, woohoo, maybe you’re already miles ahead of us!

Now, of course there is some truth to this stereotype; software engineering education is notoriously expensive and inaccessible, so it makes sense that many coders would learn in isolation from youtube videos and focus on independent learning projects in their own time and space. 

But when you take these skills into the working world and real life situations, the gaps in practical and interpersonal skills tend to pop up pretty quickly. This is where the 42 mission comes into things. One of our core goals is to provide high quality software engineering education for free, in a way that is accessible and promotes student well-being to the best of our ability.

At 42 Berlin we’re challenging the stereotypical idea of coding education through the method by which we teach. Well, we don’t actually teach. We implement a peer-learning methodology that allows our students to work together on projects and progress much more quickly than the average coder would do alone. Interpersonal skills, such as the receiving and giving of constructive feedback, are constantly improved upon and connection between students is a cherished facet of the course. 

Our peer-learning approach gives each student autonomy in their learning journey; they can go at their own pace and choose the projects that interest them the most. However, they have a network of peers always available to help them, work on group projects, share knowledge, and provide feedback and advice when they reach an obstacle. 

When students start their learning journey at 42 Berlin, we stress our core values. We give our students huge flexibility and freedom in their life on campus, we just ask for them to act in alignment with these sentiments that aim to ensure that purity of intention stays at the core of our campus activity.

This mindset extends far beyond the code. In fact, by just walking onto our campus you can feel the collaborative spirit that permeates all activities and creates the holistic community that is evolving on 42 Berlin soil everyday.

The result of this freedom and autonomy has been astonishing. By allowing each student to give back to the community in a way which feels true to them, our campus life is hugely diverse but, most importantly of all, authentic. From the creation of clubs, to communal clean ups, to yoga sessions, BBQs, student council, community meetings, and transparent feedback loops; we make sure each student can exercise their voice and their joy inside and outside of their projects.

To paint a more vivid picture of what the 42 Berlin community looks like in practice, we spoke to some students:

Florian, 42 Berlin Student, Member of the Sustainability Club: