4-WEEK DEEP-DIVE
The highlight of our selection process is the Piscine. The Piscine (from the French word for "swimming pool") is the last phase before full admission to the 42 Wolfsburg program. It's 4 weeks long, designed to gear you up to learn the basics of programming with peers like you. The Piscine is a chance for you to discover your passion for learning software development in the context of the collaborative culture 42 Wolfsburg fosters. It's a chance for you to learn programming from scratch or dive deeper into your skillset and find out whether 42 Wolfsburg is a good fit for you.
A one-of-a-kind month
WHAT IS THE PISCINE AT 42?
Immersion
Dive into the work methods of the students of 42.
Intensive Learning
A month dedicated to stepping into programming for good.
No prior knowledge required
Newcomers are very welcome: The Piscine teaches you coding from scratch, your entry level doesn’t matter.
Learn about yourself
Discover how 42’s learning methods can help you move forward.
An unforgettable experience
The Piscine at 42 is the promise of a month that offers you new perspectives.
Radical Inclusion
We welcome all profiles: You can only move forward by confronting different points of view.
THE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE PISCINE AT 42
Learning modules
Piscine exercises are grouped in modules. You will need one day, more or less, to complete one, but you can take your time and retry as many times as you like. These modules let you focus on one specific concept. Rather than watching tutorials and copying what you see on a screen, you come up with solutions to problems by yourself and test your newly-gained knowledge in a practice-based context.
PEER EVALUATIONS
In addition to an automated evaluation, all modules must be evaluated by other candidates in the Piscine. This is what we call peer-evaluation. This is an opportunity to discover other ways to program and discuss topics tackled in the exercise. Even if the assessor and the assessed are not at the same level, everyone can benefit from this experience: peer evaluations are when you learn the most from your experience in the Piscine.
RUSHES FOR GROUP WORK
During weekends, mandatory work groups let students collaborate on projects. We call these “rushes”. Rushes are evaluated by the pedagogical staff or advanced students participating in educational activities. Advice given during the evaluations is precious and offers you thorough feedback about the way you code.
Machine exams to test yourself
Once a week, a machine exam is proposed. You must solve increasingly difficult problems in a limited time in order to test your level and use what you’ve learned. You will not get any help here. This is an opportunity to observe your progress and achievements and go beyond. You will find solutions to problems you were absolutely clueless about days or weeks before.
Having fun
The Piscine is not just about work. Events are set up for candidates to meet and start bonding. Nobody knows one another in the beginning, but more often than not, work groups turn into friend groups. To add a little competition, each candidate is randomly assigned to one of the four school coalitions so they can participate in a friendly tournament.
