Learning to Code: Is Udacity Right for You?
Programming is unquestionably one of the most valuable skills you can learn in the employment market. As the world continues to digitize, learning code will continue to be an asset to a company and, thus, to a job seeker.
Good programmers will always be in demand; this is true across countries and locations.
This article will take a deep dive into Udacity, one of the most popular platforms for people learning to code.
With its Nanodegrees, as it refers to in its Learning Programs, Udacity’s objective is to teach and train learners for future employment. This well-known platform collaborates with prominent technology companies like Google and Microsoft to develop learning programs focused on employers’ vital tech skills. When you use Udacity to learn how to code, you are not just learning theories; you learn using the tools as the pros to become the person you want to be.
What Is Udacity?
Udacity is a Massive Open Online Course or MOOC e-learning website with hundreds of high-quality courses to help anyone advance. Their Nanodegree courses are project- and skills-based audiovisual courses that take anyone from novice to professional life. Each Nanodegree generally consists of four to ten courses and takes three to six months to finish, assuming five to ten hours of study each week.
Its program selection is not the widest, considering it is mainly technology and business-related, and one gets restricted to particular locations. The classes get designed to be interactive and practical, so one should use what one learns on the actual job execution.
The TL;DR
Pros
To understand Udacity better, below is a list of its pros.
Content of the Highest Quality
Udacity creates its content in close partnership with business partners including Google, Amazon Web Services or AWS, Mercedes, and Nvidia.
Courses that are Absolutely Free
Over 200 free courses are available on Udacity. This free station is an excellent place to begin to understand what to expect from this well-known electronic learning community.
Services for Career Development
Anybody enrolled in a Nanodegree program will have admission to Udacity’s Career Services, which include resume and cover letter reviews, as well as LinkedIn and GitHub reviews.
Certificates
One will receive a certificate from Udacity upon completing a Nanodegree, as the company’s programs are known. However, if one uses Udacity for free, you cannot utilize this feature. Additionally, one should keep in mind that Udacity is a for-profit company, and their diplomas are not certified.
An interface that is Simple to Use
Udacity’s platform features a user-friendly interface, making it easy to navigate and locate what you want. It is a pleasurable learning process.
Cons
As expected, when there are pros, there will always be cons.
You will Need a Budget
Udacity is not inexpensive. You will find out more about this later on. If you want to participate in one of its programs, you will need some money.
No Udacity App
In 2019, the company withdrew the Udacity iOS and Android apps from the app store, and the website experience on mobile is bad to non-existent. Udacity pushes you to practice, which is something I always recommend, thus, having a large screen and keyboard are a much better for the kind of learning they intend.
Most Popular Courses and Topics
Udacity covers a wide range of IT industry skills, from Android to whiteboarding.
Programming and development, artificial intelligence, cloud technology, information science, management, autonomous technologies, and career are the seven main categories of Udacity. Let us dig deeper.
Programming and Development
One can find courses and Nanodegrees in data engineering, web development, React, iOS, Python, blockchain, cybersecurity, and more. Programming is a crucial talent in the current marketplace, and qualified developers are in short supply. Ten hours a week will prepare you for your dream developer job, whether you are new to coding, want to improve your skills, or advance your career.
Artificial Intelligence
Deep learning, machine learning, natural language processing, Artificial Intelligence for healthcare, and other areas fall under the umbrella of artificial intelligence. In the last few years, Artificial Intelligence has created millions of new jobs, making it one of the fastest-growing and most transformative technologies of our time.
Cloud Computing
Large and small businesses, cloud computing, are now being used to support their technological change. AWS, Azure, hybrid, DevOps engineering, and other cloud-related subjects get covered in this area. The growth of this technology has created a unique demand for cloud computing employment, ranging from Cloud Developers and Cloud DevOps roles to more specialist roles such as Solutions Architects and Cloud Security Engineers.
Data Science
SQL, business analytics, data visualization, and other topics get covered in information science. Udacity offers five separate programs to help your professional goals in the data science industry, including data processing, visualization, data modeling, machine learning, and data science. Plus, you may start or enhance a successful data career with the skills you learn in a Nanodegree program.
Management
With Udacity’s School of Business, you can lay the correct foundations for your profession, whether you are just starting or looking to advance. Product management, online marketing, rapid application development, and other management subjects are covered.
Autonomous Technologies
In the future years, experts predict the sector of driverless vehicles to expand. This sector includes self-driving cars, robotics, C++, and other related topics. Study 15 hours a week to advance your career in this rewarding field.
Career
The endpoint of everything boils down to having your career. Udacity offers a lot of topics, fields, and even levels of difficulty to cater to a learner’s needs depending on what they seek. Specifically, they include interview preparation for various skills or career routes, networking, and so on.
Udacity’s Cost
As mentioned above, Udacity is not inexpensive. At first sight, Udacity’s pricing may appear to be a little unclear and more complex than your typical price plan. This option is the clearest and most concise explanation available.
Nanodegree Programs at Udacity start at $399, approximately €359 or £329 per month. If you work the minimum hours each week, each Nanodegree Program takes an average of 2 to 6 months to finish. All Nanodegrees provide a few options for purchasing their programs.
At Udacity, you can choose from around 200 free courses to whet your appetite for learning. These free courses will give you an overview of some Nanodegree subjects, while others focus on professional life themes such as interview preparation and resume refreshment. The free classes will have some limits, such as the inability to receive a completion certificate or access to mentor help.
My Student Experience
Are you still having second thoughts about what Udacity has to offer? Below is my own testimony as a student that you can ponder.
I took several nano-degree programs with Udacity, the experience with their data analytics Nanodegree was fantastic. The React was done well too, but there was nothing particularly noteworthy in the course. Most of the information in the course was also available in other free materials that cover the same subject. The Deep Learning Nanodegree was a tremendous experience, especially for a first-time user of the platform.
On the other hand, the Blockchain Development Nanodegree was subpar as the materials were not updated to the most recent versions and formats of blockchain technologies. I actually dropped out of the program as I felt I was wasting my time there.
Last but not least, self-driving cars. This nano-degree is made up of two sections, the first of which was fantastic. It contained a lot of real-world applications within the material to give students first-hand experience. However, I did not finish the second section due to other priorities.
Overall my experience with them has been fantastic, and I hope they do update their materials on the blockchain nanodegree, and when they do, I’ll be there, signing up once again.
Is Udacity for You?
Udacity is for anyone interested in learning new skills in programming, business, data science, and other fields. If you are one of them, you are on the right track! Its courses will provide you with real-world skills based on real-world projects. Plus, you may learn on your own time and ask for help from mentors at any time. With Udacity, you can find the perfect program to help you secure your career in the professional field.
If yes,
Alternative Learning Platforms
There are a lot of big brands or electronic learning platforms to consider in the market. This fact can make it tough to figure out what each has to offer, how much it costs, and which one is the most suitable and capable of catering to your needs. Below is a list that could help in your decision-making process.
Coursera
Classes for learning to code get divided into specializations, which comprise many related courses that frequently get taken in order. Progressive mastery, peer assessments, and, of course, video lectures and quizzes are all features of Coursera’s platform.
Professors from Yale, the University of Michigan, Stanford, and top organizations like Google and IBM teach Coursera programs, projects, and specializations on the platform. For individuals seeking accreditation, certificates and online degrees get offered.
A Coursera Plus subscription costs $399, which is the same as a monthly Udacity nano degree. Coursera allows you to learn without boundaries. Online courses, certificates, and degrees from world-class colleges and companies can help you develop your talents. With Coursera, you may take the next step toward your personal and professional ambitions.
edX
Whether in their own life, their society, or the world, every person can effect change. Education’s transforming impact is what allows that potential to be realized. Nonetheless, only a select few have had access to high-quality education. edX helps millions of learners to unlock their potential and become changemakers by expanding the classroom through online learning.
edX provides access to the highest-quality online courses from schools that share a commitment to teaching and learning excellence. Like Coursera, edX offers university-level courses in a variety of fields, not just technology. There are almost 2,800 courses available on edX.
edX collaborates with a wide range of organizations from across the globe regularly. In connection with its MicroMasters program and other educational programs and related services, it has worked with academic institutions ranging from large research universities to polytechnics and liberal arts colleges, non-profit organizations, national governments, non-governmental organizations or NGOs, and multinational corporations.
Udemy
Learners worldwide are starting new careers, progressing in their fields, and improving their lives. Udemy has almost 150,000 courses in its repertoire. It covers a broad range of topics, not only technology.
Udemy is an online learning platform with over 40 million students taking classes in a wide range of areas. The sheer number of courses available on Udemy is a feature of most Udemy evaluations. They cover a wide range of topics, including programming, marketing, music, personal growth, and many more.
On Udemy, practically anyone can teach a course; they do not have to be experts in their industry. The cost of a class can range from $20 to $50, but it can also exceed $100. There are also numerous free courses available. Wait for one of Udemy’s platform-wide sale days/weeks before purchasing premium courses. During these promotions, most classes, even those costing hundreds of dollars, are reduced to just $10-$20.
For your team, you can also get unrestricted access to over 6,000 of Udemy’s best courses to help you learn and develop your business, technology, design, and other abilities.
Check out our full Udemy review for more information on the platform.
Conclusion
Setting yourself up for a specific career could be hard and challenging. That is why Udacity is here to help!
Udacity is a learning platform for technology and business professionals that focuses on helping you master a specific topic. It is a great option if you want to specialize and become an expert in a particular sector, such as artificial intelligence or digital marketing. Unfortunately, the certificate you will receive is not accredited. The initiatives are quite useful, and major corporations such as Amazon and Google are partners of Udacity too.
If you take its Nanodegrees seriously, you will be able to gain new talents and become an expert on the subject of your choice. This option should provide you with fresh possibilities to learn new skills and put you in a position to advance your career.
Finally, it appears to be an excellent education for anyone interested in acquiring skills and knowledge, especially programming.
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Juan Cruz Martinez
Juan has made it his mission to help aspiring developers unlock their full potential. With over two decades of hands-on programming experience, he understands the challenges and rewards of learning to code. By providing accessible and engaging educational content, Juan has cultivated a community of learners who share their passion for coding. Leveraging his expertise and empathetic teaching approach, Juan has successfully guided countless students on their journey to becoming skilled developers, transforming lives through the power of technology.