After quitting NUS, he went to top Paris coding school that charges no fees, has no teachers

SINGAPORE – Mr Brian Young quit the bachelor’s degree programme in computer science at NUS after just six months because he felt disengaged.

Instead of attending lectures and tutorials, he joined a start-up to become a front-end engineer for 2½ years.

Then he found out online about a coding school in Paris that has no teachers, no books and no tuition fees.

“And I thought it was the right fit for me,” said Mr Young, now 35.

So, in 2014, armed with the French he had learnt while studying for his O levels, Mr Young went to Paris and spent almost four years learning coding in Ecole 42.

He is the first Singaporean to attend Ecole 42.

Founded by telecommunications executive Xavier Niel in 2013, Ecole 42 currently has 54 campuses in 31 countries, and has trained over 44,000 students.

The programming school located in Boulevard Bessieres in Paris defies conventional higher education formats and does not require students to have any coding or information technology background.

But it is not easy to be admitted to the school.

Candidates have to first pass a two-hour memory and logic test that does not require any coding knowledge.

Then they are tested for their determination and desire as they spend four weeks in Paris doing basic coding and learning collaboratively with one another.

Mr Young made it into the second batch of students enrolling in the academy, where he and about 900 course mates sat in front of rows of computers to tackle difficult programming challenges.

Given little direction on problem-solving, they had to rely on one another and the internet to come up with solutions.

Despite 15 project failures, Mr Young completed all 21 levels in the curriculum in four years.

Less than 2 per cent of Ecole 42 students globally have been able to do this.

“I just felt that I could not go home empty-handed. I had the support of my family and friends, so despite the failures, I just kept going and trying,” he said.

All students will receive a 42 certificate whenever they decide to end their training.

This certificate reflects the highest level that they have completed in the programme, and provides an overview of their grades and competencies across various subject areas.

There is no fixed time frame for students to complete all 21 levels.

The common core curriculum comprises levels one to nine.

A level 17 certificate is equivalent to a bachelor’s degree, while completing level 21 is akin to getting a master’s degree.

42 Singapore, modelled after Ecole 42 in Paris, was launched in September 2023.

Mr Koh Chye Soon, head of ecole at 42 SG, said the Repertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles certification awarded in the 42 programme is recognised throughout France and the European Union.

“(It) indicates that one has accomplished a high level of skill training and is ready for employment that meets industry standards. Tech companies tend to hire based on skills,” he said, adding that there are several Singapore-based companies that have invited 42 students to apply for internships and jobs.

The core curriculum, which is consistent across all 42 campuses globally, usually lasts up to 18 months and covers topics such as software development using classic algorithms, file system access, and an introduction to network architecture and system administration.

In the next part of the curriculum, students can explore specialised fields such as artificial intelligence, cyber security and mobile application development.

After returning to Singapore, Mr Young applied in 2019 to study part-time for a Master of Science in cyber-security management – awarded by the University of Warwick – at the Singapore Institute of Management.

He said that although his skills in coding were great, he felt the need to remain competitive and distinguish himself from his peers.

Moreover, he learnt that cyber security was in demand and suited his personality.

In September 2020, amid the Covid-19 pandemic, he was retrenched from his job as a mobile app developer.

Despite facing numerous job rejections over the next two years, he did freelance software development work while working on his master’s thesis, and eventually earned his postgraduate degree in 2023.

He credits his persistence to the training he received at 42 Paris.

“I learnt to not give up, especially during extreme challenges, such as the pandemic. Even during the loss of work, I just never gave up,” said Mr Young, who has since landed a job as a cyber-security engineer at the Defence Science and Technology Agency.

“The core skill that you learn in debugging, understanding a problem, breaking it down, solving it step by step – those lessons learnt at 42 never go away.

“You carry them with you for the rest of your life,” he said.