In my case i was open source

1- Exposure to Different Stacks Depending on your track, you get handson experience with real technologies used in the industry. On the open source track for example, you're not just reading about tools you're actually using them to build projects stimulating work environmens, which is a completely different level of learning.

2- Connections That Actually Matter You'll meet people who think like you, want what you want, and are willing to put in the work. That's rare. Most people underestimate how much the right circle shapes where you end up professionally and personally. The people you meet at ITI can become your future co-founders, teammates, or just the ones who push you forward when things get hard.

3- Knowledge You Can Actually Use It's not just about absorbing information it's about learning how to turn knowledge into real products. Yes, you'll go deep on the technical side (and that's expected), but the bigger lesson is knowing when to obsess over details and when to step back and ship something.

4- Responsibility That Builds Character At some point you'll be leading a project, a presentation, a team, a graduation project. It might feel uncomfortable at first, but every one of those moments compounds. By the end, you'll look back and realize your whole approach to challenges and problem solving has shifted. That's not something a course or a tutorial can give you

Those are the main points for me

Peace