iOS Summer School: Three Months of Developing Skills and Apps

If this is your first time hearing about it, we started our iOS Summer School back in July with a simple goal –  to find three highly motivated technology students who will, under our mentorship, learn to develop functional iOS applications in the latest Apple framework, SwiftUI, all in three months. We provided them with the necessary equipment, four experienced mentors, and a flexible working schedule – what more can an intern ask for? Oh right, and it was all paid. 

Now that we have introduced you to the internship, it’s only fair to introduce you to the interns too. Meet Bruno, Ivan, and Domagoj, three exceptional students who have joined our summer school with zero experience in iOS development, and some experience in developing Android apps. To provide an even closer look, we asked our interns to share their hobbies with you, and guess what? Their hobby is programming. 😄 I guess they also like sports, and one of them is actually a self-proclaimed DJ during the night – his words, not ours. 

Anyways, Ivan learned about our iOS Summer School via social media, while Bruno and Domagoj decided to apply after hearing promising things about COBE from students that work or have worked here. If you ever doubted word-of-mouth marketing, this is your sign not to. 

For most of them, this was their first internship and their first introduction to the work of a digital agency. Only Ivan had some earlier experience in the word of IT: 

• I have a bit of experience in Flutter and have spent three months working in Java at another software development company. I know it’s not much, but it has allowed me to learn something new and get a hang of how the real world works. My first impression wasn’t the best, but coming to COBE, and seeing how you guys operate, changed my opinion for the better. You could tell the difference already from the first interview we had with your HR manager, Jurlina, and our future mentor, Mladen. The talk we had was really pleasant, it felt like a normal conversation between people with similar interests, not an interview. A big plus was that we received feedback after the interview fast – we didn’t have to sweat waiting for the results. 
  

Hearing they got the internship, they all got really excited because it meant they got an opportunity to do what they love. They didn’t feel any stress or fear, because they knew they had mentors waiting for them and standing behind their every decision. The biggest challenge they faced in the beginning, was switching from Windows to macOS. Now, they’re used to it and love it, but there was a time when they couldn’t find the Shut down option. It isn’t one of their proudest moments, but at least they can laugh about it now:

• Looking back at the beginning of the internship,  I can honestly say that our mentors immediately took us under their wing.  They were with us throughout the whole process – Ivan and Saša with the daily guidelines and advice, Jakov jumping in whenever he could, and Mladen, showing examples of code every week. We had code reviews and received feedback from them on a daily basis, which made the learning process a lot easier, says Domagoj. 
  

The internship began with learning all about the Swift language, following different online video tutorials, and listening to their mentors’ advice. Later on, they started working with the UIkit and SwiftUI, in more complex architectures, using Storyboards and XIBs:

• For me, the hardest part was building the app architecture and making the code more readable. But with all the constructive feedback from our mentors, it was easier to overcome the obstacles and learn from our mistakes, says Bruno. ‍

Besides video tutorials, they were always sending each other helpful articles:

• I want to emphasize that learning through videos and articles isn’t a one-way learning process. While we, as mentors, seek to transfer knowledge to students through various examples from practice and life, the interns contribute to the overall quality of the learning process through engagement, ideas, different views, and questions, says Saša, one of the mentors. 

All the educational content our interns used will be listed at the end of the article. We got you. 🙂 Now, what did the internship look like in terms of logistics? 

• Since the very first interview, we have been informed that most of our work will be done from home, with occasional visits to the office. Personally, I love that we were given this opportunity right from the beginning – it shows trust from your side and it gave us more flexibility. Coming to the office had its own set of benefits, of course. Other than a great working atmosphere, I could consult my mentors directly, just by walking up to them. Oh, right, and I loved the coffee, even though we couldn’t figure out the coffee machine on our own to save our lives, says Domagoj.
  

Don’t worry Domagoj, the coffee machine is a mystery to most of us. Ivan, I believe you have something to add?

• In other companies I’ve been to, I never really saw the true meaning of a team. After only three months of being here and seeing people helping each other out, I can say I finally understand the term. People at COBE are ambitious, they keep learning and growing every day, and they want you to grow and progress with them. I can honestly say all my expectations of the iOS Summer School have been exceeded. 
  

Thank you guys for the kind words, it always means a lot. For those of you who might didn’t get the chance to enroll in our summer school, here’s a list of some of the educational content our interns went through:
‍

1. 100 Days of Swift 
2. 100 Days of SwiftUI 
3. SwiftUI State Management  
4. Advanced SwiftUI Animations 
5. Integration of SwiftUI and UIKit 
6. VIPER architecture and SwiftUI 
7. Combine Module Documentation
8. Coordinator Pattern in SwiftUI
   

And, of course, a little bit of motivation from our mentors for the end: 

• If you want to start developing iOS apps but don’t know where to start, our first tip is to start using all the learning material available online, for free, because that’s all you need for starters. Secondly, don’t be afraid to reach out to a software development company or an iOS developer directly and ask for help or directions. Today, there are many communities on social networks for learning, exchanging ideas, and mutual support - make sure to join them. And thirdly, I know not everyone can afford a MacBook but if iOS development is something you plan on doing long-term, I suggest you start saving money and when it’s possible invest in it. Until then, you can run XCode on your PC, but that’s unfortunately not a long-term solution. Also, some companies and universities offer using a Mac under supervision, so you can check with your university if that’s an option. All in all, the most important piece of advice we can offer you is to arm yourselves with will and perseverance, never hesitate to ask anything, and keep working on your skills. 
  

And that’s a wrap! A big thanks to our interns who showed a lot of motivation and knowledge during these three months. In case you’re wondering if any one of them got a job after the internship, you’ll have to wait for a moment – we don’t want to spoil the surprise for them either. 😅 

If you have any questions regarding our iOS Summer School, feel free to contact us at osijek@cobeisfresh.com or our social media channels. We’re here to help. ‍