A MONTH LIKE NO OTHER...

WHAT IS THE PISCINE AT 42 BEIRUT?

The last step in the application process is the Piscine. By working through challenging projects and solving daily assignments alongside your peers, you are given the opportunity to figure out if 42 Beirut’s peer-to-peer learning method suits you.

The Piscine takes place in our Beirut campus and must be completed in-person. It is a demanding, yet unforgettable, incredibly rewarding and empowering, once-in-a-lifetime experience!

IMMERSIVE LEARNING

Dive into the methods of 42 Beirut with a month dedicated to finding out if coding is really for you. The Piscine at 42 is the promise of a month that offers you new perspectives.

YOUR TIME TO SHINE

This is the last step in your admissions process, in which you will be coding non-stop for 28 days, 7 days a week, day and night to earn your place in 42 Beirut.

NO PRIOR CODE KNOWLEDGE REQUIRED

No prior programming knowledge is required; you will be starting from scratch before moving on to more complex coding exercises.

LEARN ABOUT YOURSELF

Discover how 42 Beirut’s learning methods can help you move forward, no matter what your entry level is.

FIND YOUR COMMUNITY

You will meet new friends, colleagues, and possibly future co-founders, build long-lasting connections, and make powerful contributions to our knowledge-sharing ecosystem.

BUILD RESILIENCE

You will try and fail, repeatedly. But this trial-and-error period is a learning process which builds stamina, determination, creativity and problem-solving skills.

LEARNING MODULES

42’s Piscine exercises are grouped in modules, each module focusing on specific notions. 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. Unlike the classic approach of spending time on a course and then apply what you’ve learned, these modules let you learn practically on the spot.

PEER EVALUATIONS

In addition to an automated evaluation, all the modules must be assessed by other candidates in the Piscine at 42. 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.

RUSHES FOR GROUP WORK

During weekends, students collaborate on mandatory group projects. We call these “rushes”. The aim is to make you surpass yourself and find a unique solution to a given problem. Rushes are evaluated by the pedagogical staff or advanced students participating in educational activities. Advice given during the evaluations are precious and offers you thorough feedback on the way you code.

MACHINE EXAMS TO TEST YOURSELF

Once a week during the piscine, a machine exam is proposed. You must solve increasingly difficult problems in a limited time in order to test your level and leverage what you’ve learned. You will not get any help here. This is an opportunity to observe your progression and achievement and go beyond. You will be able to find solutions to problems you were absolutely clueless about days or weeks before.

FRIENDLY MOMENTS

42’s Piscine is not just about work. Events are set up for candidates to meet and bond. These people will also become your colleagues, and possibly your future co-founders. To add a little competition, each candidate is randomly assigned to one of four school coalitions so they can participate in friendly tournaments.

AND SURPRISES...

During your Piscine month at 42, each day is different. The relentless pace empowers you day by day. Would you like to spend a month finding out about yourself while learning practical programming? 42’s Piscine is an invitation to offer yourself new perspectives, and help your curious mind flourish!

UPCOMING PISCINES

Mark these dates in your calendar and hit the “Apply Now” button to get your application process started!

February 2024
March 2024
April 2024

Apply Now

THE HIDDEN FIGURES

Katherine Johnson, Dorothy Vaughan and Mary Jackson… These women had a key role in the American space program while fighting against racial segregation. First employed as “human computers,” they made a significant impact on the program. Mary Jackson (1921-2005) was the first African American engineer in NASA. Katherine Jackson (1918-2020) calculated the trajectories for rockets of the Mercury and Apollo missions. Dorothy Vaughn (1910-2008) anticipated the rise of computer science learning and taught FORTRAN, one of the first programming languages, to her team. The stories of these women were immortalized in the 2016 film Hidden Figures, adapted from the eponymous book.