Welcome to the Java Backend repository hub for Hack Your Future Belgium.
This repository acts as a central index for the weekly Java learning repositories.
It brings together the full journey from Java fundamentals and object-oriented programming to databases, Spring Boot, validation, and security.
Throughout this track, students gradually move from:
- Java syntax and programming basics
- Methods, arrays, and object-oriented programming
- Exception handling, collections, and file I/O
- Streams, testing, SQL, and multithreading
- Spring and Spring Boot fundamentals
- JPA, DTOs, MapStruct, validation, and error handling
- Security concepts: Spring Security, JWT authentication, and refresh tokens
- Capstone project: full layered backend with AOP, security, and token management
Pre-course — 24/08/2026: Information session & interviews (In-person)
| Week | Dates | Main Focus | Repository | 🇧🇪 Belgian Holidays & Important Days | Career Coaching |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 31 Aug – 6 Sep 2026 | Java setup, syntax, variables, data types, operators, control flow, loops, and console input/output | java-week-1 | 1 Sep – Back to school | 31/08 AM Kick Off (In-person) · Karibu CP 200 Module in 3 steps |
| 2 | 7 – 13 Sep 2026 | Methods, parameters, return values, arrays, multidimensional arrays, and introduction to classes and objects | java-week-2 | — | — |
| 3 | 14 – 20 Sep 2026 | OOP deep dive: encapsulation, inheritance, polymorphism, interfaces, constructors, and class design | java-week-3 | — | 17/09 Professional Project (In-person) · MBTI Questionnaire · Karibu Soft Skills Module |
| 4 | 21 – 27 Sep 2026 | Exceptions, interfaces, iterators, collections, and writing cleaner, more maintainable Java programs | java-week-4 | 27 Sep – French Community Day (Wallonia-Brussels) | — |
| 5 | 28 Sep – 4 Oct 2026 | Generics, file input/output, Java Date-Time API, and collaborative live coding practice | java-week-5 | — | 30/09 Professional Project Coaching (Remote) · 02/10 AM Professional Project Coaching (Remote) · Karibu CV & Job Offer Module · Karibu Professional Project Evaluation · Karibu Cover Letter Module |
| 6 | 5 – 11 Oct 2026 | File I/O, streams, lambda expressions, testing fundamentals, serialization, and multithreading | java-week-6 | — | — |
| 7 | 12 – 18 Oct 2026 | Applied Java practice with projects, resources, and intermediate backend-oriented exercises | java-week-7 | — | 15/10 Job Search Tools (CV, cover letter, pitch, job ad) (In-person) |
| 8 | 19 – 25 Oct 2026 | Structured Java practice, SQL basics and test-oriented exercises, including JUnit-based examples | java-week-8 | Start of autumn school break (All Saints' holiday) | 19/10 PM Mid-term Evaluation (In-person) · Karibu Pitch Module · Karibu Job Interview Module · Karibu Pitch Evaluation |
| 9 | 26 Oct – 1 Nov 2026 | Databases in practice: PostgreSQL, JDBC, CRUD operations, and transaction concepts | java-week-9 | 1 Nov – All Saints' Day (public holiday) · Autumn school break | — |
| 10 | 2 – 8 Nov 2026 | Maven, external libraries, multithreading, testing practice, and mini-project work | java-week-10 | End of autumn school break | 02/11 AM Job Search Tools Coaching (Remote) |
| 11 | 9 – 15 Nov 2026 | Spring Framework overview, IoC and dependency injection, Spring Boot introduction, REST endpoint design, and Hibernate intermediate topics (relationships, lifecycle callbacks) | java-week-11 | 11 Nov – Armistice Day (public holiday) | 06/11 Job Search Tools Coaching (Remote) · Karibu Social Media & LinkedIn Module |
| 12 | 16 – 22 Nov 2026 | Spring Data JPA, DTOs, MapStruct, Lombok, ResponseEntity, HTTP status codes, exception handling, request parameters, and input validation | java-week-12 | — | — |
| 13 | 23 – 29 Nov 2026 | Cross-cutting concerns, AOP, Spring Security introduction, password hashing with BCrypt, global exception handling, configuration, and application profiles | java-week-13 | — | 26/11 Mock Job Interview + Company Values & Culture / Labour Market (In-person) |
| 14 | 30 Nov – 6 Dec 2026 | JWT authentication, user registration and login flows, securing endpoints, CSRF protection, pagination, sorting, and refresh tokens | java-week-14 | 6 Dec – Saint Nicholas / Sinterklaas | 02/12 Job Interview Coaching (Remote) · 04/12 AM Job Interview Coaching (Remote) · Karibu LinkedIn Profile Evaluation |
| 15 | 7 – 14 Dec 2026 | Capstone movie project: full Spring Boot application built step by step with MapStruct, AOP aspects, Spring Security, JWT filters, and refresh tokens | java-week-15 | — | 10/12 AM Job Day (In-person) · 14/12 AM Closing & Final Evaluation (In-person) |
By the end of this track, students will be able to:
- Write clean and structured Java code
- Apply object-oriented programming principles effectively
- Work with files, collections, streams, and concurrency
- Use relational databases with SQL and JDBC
- Build REST APIs with Spring Boot
- Apply DTOs, MapStruct, validation, and exception handling in backend applications
- Implement Spring Security with JWT authentication and refresh token support
- Apply AOP for cross-cutting concerns such as logging and security
- Some repositories may be added or updated over time.
- The exact weekly distribution may evolve as the curriculum grows.
- This repository is intended as a navigation hub for the Java backend track.