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Here are the answers to the most frequently asked questions about 42 and the Adelaide Campus. If you have any other questions that have not been answered, you can contact us at support@42adel.org.au.

Practical Information

Yes, you do not pay anything to be part of 42. We will not charge you either before, during or after your journey with us. The costs of transportation, food and accommodation (if you are not from Adelaide) are up to you.

It is possible to work on your projects remotely, but it is only on campus that you have access to 42 servers. An essential part of journey 42 is traced through human interaction, with physical presence through our peer to peer pedagogy. This interdependence that you and your peers naturally share will drag you to campus.

Yes you can. This is not impossible. The experience we have with sister schools is that it is not easy, but possible. To be successful at 42, you will need to invest a large amount of time in your activities on campus (during the pool it is, on average, over 60 hours a week and during the normal day it is on average 30 hours). Because of this, working and attending 42 at the same time can be exhausting, so keep this in mind.

Although we do not recommend it, you can pause at any time during your two year study period. The journey at 42 requires time and dedication and we understand that sometimes it is not possible to continue for a period of time. Instead of simply stopping to come to campus, come and talk to the pedagogical staff to help find a solution. If pausing your studies is the best option for you, then you can utilise the days given as part of the 42 Cursus.

The 42 Pedagogy

Well, “The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy” of course. They seek the answer to everything and, for that, builds a super-intelligent robot capable of answering any question. When questioning the robot about the meaning of life, the universe and everything, he gave thousands of years to perform the calculations and discover the answer. That answer was just that number. 42 is our answer to how the education of the future can be.

The first 42 was École 42 in Paris, a free private programming school, opened in 2013 by Xavier Niel, a billionaire entrepreneur in the telecommunications industry. With a disruptive methodology, a model never seen and liberating philosophy, 42 achieved impressive results (100% of graduates were employed in France). Due to the great success, other schools around the world have partnered with 42 to offer the same experience. And so 42 Australia was born.

Yes, we are part of a worldwide network of over 52 campuses in 31 countries, with more than 18,000 students studying across the world. 42 Adelaide is the first campus in Australia.

The 42 Adelaide Campus opened in June of 2021 and had their first intake of students in September of the same year. If you would like to keep up to date with the ongoings of 42 please follow us on our social media pages.

Learning Model

All 42 Network campuses share very similar project trees, with more than 200 projects structured on a graph we call the galaxy. When you complete a project, move on to the next one on the trail, until you can choose between different paths, to acquire different skills. Each student has their own unique experience.

You progress in the curriculum by completing projects and gaining experience points. With these points, you level up and unlock projects and specialization trails. You are also recognised for mastering specific skills and completing missions or contributing to the wider community. Levels range from 0 to 21.

The original curriculum was created in 2013 by the 42 Paris team, which consists of veterans of computing and pedagogy in France. Since then it has evolved according to the cooperation of staff from Paris and other campuses, as well as companies and even students themselves, who can suggest and develop projects together with the pedagogical team.

At 42, the progression in the program happens by obtaining points, as if it were a game. With these points, you level up and unlock new projects and learning paths. Your level defines how far you have progressed through the program, so the more points you earn, the further you get. After level 7, you enroll in your first internship and then you can start choosing your specialisation path, on your way to level 21!

42 is based on “peer-to-peer learning”, or peer learning. 42 students learn from themselves and in groups, seeking information and experimenting to the limit. Behind the projects and the pedagogy there is a team that carefully designs the context and the challenges and monitors everyone’s progress.

Peer-to-peer learning, or peer learning, is a learning model in which participants learn from each other rather than from a single teacher. This exercises critical thinking, group work, communication and a sense of community. Members also evaluate each other and learn more from each feedback given or received from their peers.

In project-based learning, students gain a deeper understanding of a subject through active exploration of real-world challenges. You learn by doing and critically evaluating the result, instead of simply following instructions and memorising.

Your peers and our very famous “moulinette” system will evaluate the quality of your projects based on a score scale defined by the pedagogical team.

The admission process

From time to time, we open registration and notify you through our website and social networks. The candidate must register and complete two games online, totaling a little more than two hours. It is important to remember that this test should not be done by cell phone, but on a computer. Not only because it takes time, but if you fail there is no way back and you can waste the chance. If you pass, you will be invited for a physical check-in to meet the staff and learn more about 42. Finally, you will cross the final frontier, the famous Piscine (pool) – an immersive training that lasts 28 days, super intensive programming that defines who becomes a lifelong member of the community 42. 42 only requires candidates to pass tests online and come to a check-in meeting before signing up for a piscine.

You must be over 16, know how to use a mouse and keyboard.
The determination and willingness to learn cannot be lacking either.

Online tests can be taken from anywhere in the world. During the Check in and the Piscine “Swimming Pool” phase, you must come to the Campus in person. This will be stepped out for you on our applications portal.

We will have approximately 200 places available per year.

No way! There is no coding experience required to be successful at 42. Globally our campus statistics tell us that about 50% of our “42 students” had no prior programming experience. And there is no evidence that those who already knew how to program do better than those who did not.

42 offers a world-class curriculum that challenges students with projects of exponentially increasing complexity. Each problem is unique and requires you to think outside the box with your peers. Everyone, programmer or not, can find a very meaningful and rewarding path within 42.

"THE PISCINE POOL"

The word “Piscine” is the French word for “swimming pool”, meaning that everyone should jump into the water and learn to swim together while having fun.

It is a month of immersion, everyone dives deep into new challenges each day, many are “floating”, and if they don’t want to drown, you will have to learn to swim together.

The selection pool, or just the pool, is a test period that lasts 28 (twenty-eight) days. During the pool, you will discover the basics of programming, from scratch. There are no prerequisites of any kind: you do not need prior experience, you do not need a diploma, as long as you are over 16 years of age. The pool is extremely stressful, challenging, frustrating, fun, and very, very intense. Don’t expect a break on weekends. There is no fixed number of candidates to be selected. This means that there is no competition between candidates, and anyone can be selected – as long as they learn to swim.

Our pools run for 28 days (and yes it is 7 days a week). At 42 Adelaide we will be running pools 3 times a year. 2 at the start of each year and one in the middle. When you are participating in a pool our campus is open 24/7 so we can arrive and leave at any time you prefer.

The pool is designed in such a way that both you and 42 can validate whether this learning model is right for you. If you are not accepted at 42 Adelaide after the pool, this format may not be for you – and that’s fine! There are many different ways to learn programming, and we recommend that you try other styles as well. In addition, you may be taking the place of someone who has never tried.

No problem. Candidates are free to leave the process at any time. The pedagogical staff would only be very grateful if you shared your reasons. Who knows? Sometimes talking straight to someone about it can change your mind.

We will have 1 or 2 intakes into 42 Adelaide each year after the Piscine or “Pool”. It is best for you to start your studies with us as soon as possible, for the best results. It is much better for you if you do not interrupt your learning process.

That being said, we do not prevent you from entering later if you are not be able to start your journey right after the pool, it might be fairer to leave the place open for someone who is ready to start.

To be successful at 42, you will need to invest a large amount of time in your activities on campus (during the pool it is, on average, over 60 hours a week and during the normal day it is on average 40 hours). Because of this, working and attending 42 at the same time can be exhausting, so keep this in mind.

Information For Potential Hiring Partners

If you are looking for tech talent and can see the value in offering part-time employment while someone is studying at 42, we want to hear from you. In partnership with SRA Technologies we provide an end to end recruitment process, from job placement to short listing, hiring and post placement support. We focus on getting students into a digital cadetship while they are studying, so you don’t miss out on talent and students can earn while they learn.

Full-time graduate or internship placements are only available once a student has completed their fundamentals at 42. We work with companies to place students on a cadetteship while they are studying their fundamentals, as it is the best mechanism to ensure you don’t miss out on talent. We have a saying at 42, if you are waiting for a graduate you will be waiting a long time 🙂

Rather than short training focused on a specific field or a coding language that will quickly become obsolete, 42 offers its students the tools to tackle the technological changes they will face throughout their careers. In 42, students will “learn to learn”, thus developing the ability to adapt and find concrete solutions to problems based on current knowledge and tools. You can look deeper into the technical skills here

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Practical Information

Is 42 free?

Is it possible to do 42 from a distance?

Can I work part-time while at 42?

Can I stop, then restart my studies?

The 42 Pedagogy

Why is it called 42?

What is the history of 42?

Are there other 42 campuses?

When did 42 Adelaide open?

Learning Model

How is the learning structured?

How is the journey gamified?

How is the curriculum kept up to date with industry and current trends?

What is a gamified program?

Why don't you have teachers?

What is peer-to-peer learning?

What is project based learning?

Who will evaluate the quality of my projects?

The admission process

How do I apply to come to 42?

What are the requirements to apply?

Do I have to go to Adelaide for the selection process?

How many positions do you have avaliable per year?

Do I need to know the basics in coding before appying?

I can already code, is 42 for me?

"THE PISCINE POOL"

Why is the selection month called a pool?

What is the pool?

When do you run pools and what are they?

What happens if I don't get selected, can I try again?

What if I want to leave the pool early?

If I get selected, do I have to start in the same year?

What times do I need to be available during the Piscine?

Information For Potential Hiring Partners

What are the talent hire services we offer?

Can I offer Full-time?

What type of tech skills are students developing?