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 In Febuary 2008, I undertook the MCPD: Web developer (Fast Track) course with Koenig at their Shimla branch. My experience was fantastic… from the top notch service provided by the Koenig support staff, to the high level of quality training from my knowledgeable instructor.
I have traveled considerably throughout the world and I’ve been to India before, so in terms of culture and environment, I knew what to expect. Nevertheless, I found it very refreshing to be met at the airport on my arrival in Delhi, escorted to my overnight hotel in Delhi before being transferred right to my train seat for the train ride to Shimla.
If you haven’t been to India, then this would be a great way to have a trip here – training at Koeing would provide an easy introduction to the country. Of course, after your training there are so many things that you could go and see!
In Shimla, I stayed at the Hotel Willow banks and I would recommend this hotel to anyone planning a stay in Shimla. The hotel is well positioned and is directly on the pedestrian Mall which forms the central shopping bazaar of Shimla. It is only five minutes stroll to the were the Koenig taxi will pick up and drop off students. The hotel is also only a 40 minute walk (or quicker if you are fitter than me) along a very picturesque mountain road, complete with jaw dropping scenery and plenty of monkeys!
As well as with the Internet access at Koenig, keeping in touch with the world was easy - Koenig students receive a discounted rate for WiFi at the hotel so email and web surfing was fine (a few minor outages). A cheap local SIM let me use my mobile here - calls to the UK were significantly less than roaming prices.
The hotel restaurant food was fine (standard quality & no problems), but if as I was here for a while, it was great that the hotel is just a few short minutes from a number of restaurants, ranging from budget to more expensive (most restaurants serve Indian, Chinese, and continental cuisines). There were many other shops for all my spending needs: including general stores, camera stores, clothing stores and more. There are several good coffee shops and even a Domino’s, just in case one has an urge for some fast food direct to the hotel room.
Praveen and all the staff at the Shimla office were incredibly friendly, smiling and very accommodating. They were able to provide assistance with all matters, including: organizing transport, obtaining further study materials, food recommendations and posting things home.
Like most courses, I feel that you get out of your course what you a willing to put into it.
The training is intense and covers a lot of material l and I had to work very hard to keep up. There was a considerable amount of material to cover. MSDN and the Internet provided a good accompaniment to the Microsoft Official Curriculum for more in-depth reading.
Most nights I would meet with the other student for dinner and then I would return to my room for study into the night. I would recommend that students prepare themselves as much as possible before coming on a course, (including significant reading of relevant materials) as this will allow you further time to spend on the Lab/Practical components, and to help reinforce the days lessons.
I wished to strength my .NET experience with some formal training, and I feel that I’ve achieved this objective. The only problem is now I want to do even more training! As well as this valuable training I’ve received, I’ve also made very good friends here at the course and hope to see both the other students and my instructor again!
I would recommend Koenig as a training provider for any potential hard working student, especially if you don’t mind being a little flexible and can handle being outside the comfort zone of your own home. The rewards are fantastic. |
