(Just launched, 5.24.18, the new Data Scientist Nanodegree program!)
Chris Sunsong, a Udacity Data Science student, wrote a detailed review about our Data Wrangling with MongoDB course and its final project, both part of our Data Analyst Nanodegree curriculum. He provides great insight into the course experience, but what does his experience mean for you?
via Skilledup
On Content:
“You’ll come out of the course a much stronger problem solver, and subsequently, a more valuable employee.”
The Data Wrangling with MongoDB course proved to be a bit of an surprising experience for Chris, who had expected a beginner course with a few videos, a few exercises and a project. However, what he got was an education that more closely mirrored a university course, teaching core principles and theories as well as how to apply them to real world problems. These courses are geared towards individuals looking to gain a deeper understanding of concepts in addition to how to use them.
With regard to programming languages, we delve into what goes on “under the hood” vs just learning language syntax. It may seem hard at first, and you may feel you are out of your comfort zone, but the results are well worth the effort.
On Quality of Instruction:
“Having someone directly from the company teaching the material certainly enhanced the legitimacy of the course by offering insight into how the technologies are utilized in a private-sector setting. “
Udacity courses are often taught by instructors from leading companies in industry, such as Google, Twitter, and Nvidia, ensuring a student is learning straight from the source. The Nanodegree programs are geared towards preparing you for a career in technology, so having our courses taught by industry makes them that much more applicable to the workplace.
On Projects
“It leaves you with a valuable, real life project that you can add to your professional portfolio and show off to employers.”
The capstone project of this course, along with the other projects included in the Nanodegree curriculum, is what you can showcase on your resume and your LinkedIn profile. Each project has basic guidelines but gives you plenty of flexibility to design the project in a way that best reflects your personality and your strengths. Once it’s completed, you’ll receive feedback from our coaches on best practices and tips for more improvement. Working on and improving upon projects that are meaningful to you also inspires the passion that employers look for in prospective employees.
On Employment Value:
“An employer could be assured that someone successfully completing one of Udacity’s courses would at least have entry-level skills in the topic at hand.”
Udacity courses and Nanodegree programs strongly advocate a “learn by doing” approach. This method involves less handholding than traditional coursework, but the challenges it offers help prepare you for the workplace, where oftentimes, a problem may not have an easy answer. Sometimes, what you learn goes beyond the original project to the learning process itself. Learning ‘how to learn’ can be just as important and applicable in a work environment as your technical skills.
So, is Udacity right for you?
“Udacity is most suited for highly independent and motivated learners. Successfully completing one of Udacity’s intermediate or advanced classes is no walk in the park, and you’ll need to seriously apply yourself in the same manner you would a university-level course.”
“Serious students with a strong desire to learn will probably find this to be the best single course provider for advanced tech skills desired by today’s labor market.”
If you want to learn to apply concepts to solving real life problems, and you’re up for a challenge, then a Udacity course or Nanodegree program may be your best choice to strengthen your skills for the workplace.
Thanks Chris for completing the course and taking the time to write such an in-depth review!
