I've been in IT doing systems and network support since the mid-90s. I've always been interested in coding and development and have recently started to go down that learning path.
I have to say that it's more of a "buyer beware" environment. You need to do proper research before picking a class. Are there a good number of positive reviews? Are there current reviews? How long has it been since the class was updated? Is the instructor engaging with students in the Q/A section and/or via announcements? Just like any learning exercise, you will get out of it exactly what you put in to the experience. They are also never the complete answer to a learning path, but they are a step along a larger path. That path should include project excercises and other learning tools like print media and peer groups like Dev.to or forums on Reddit and Stackoverflow.
I guess courses just aren't for me 😕 I've taken well-reviewed courses in the past and have walked away disappointed and bored.
To each their own, I suppose!
Courses are definitely the way to go if you want to gain domain knowledge, though. For projects, I prefer just diving in head-first and digging myself out of any holes I stumble into.
I've been in IT doing systems and network support since the mid-90s. I've always been interested in coding and development and have recently started to go down that learning path.
I guess there is also a question of skill level? If you are taking something that is not challenging, it's easy to be bored or distracted. That said, while the videos are obviously self-paced, each learner will have personal preferences on the type of media and class structure they learn from best. The key point I have learned over the years is that there is never only one solution to a problem, or one path to a goal.
That's also true; I've often felt that some courses move too slowly for me, and that I'd rather jump ahead and get to the "good stuff." That's why I prefer Googling-oriented learning: searching what I need to learn, when I need to learn it, and going from there :)
I've been in IT doing systems and network support since the mid-90s. I've always been interested in coding and development and have recently started to go down that learning path.
Agreed, I have definitely run into the same thing. Taking a PHP class will end up rehashing a ton of basic HTML items. (Wait, PHP is dead). The last one I did though, I ended up picking up a few new tidbits that relates to VS Code as well and tricks with PHP includes. So, in my experience an open mind can usually make that Udemy class worth the $9.95 and a few hours of my time. LOL, I really am sounding like a Udemy fan boy 🤣
Programmer, humorist. Host of the Citizen Coder Podcast. I interview developers from all over the world, from beginners trying to break into the industry to senior devs.
I'd say if anyone is doing a course, to stop after doing the fundamentals part and try to find practice, unless you lucked into a course that includes a lot of exercises. I should start a list of courses that include real practice in them. So far I just know for sure of the one I'm taking.
I've been in IT doing systems and network support since the mid-90s. I've always been interested in coding and development and have recently started to go down that learning path.
Lately, I have been looking for classes that are based around building a project (or projects). It's admittedly more difficult to find something that hits all of the criteria I look for in a Udemy class that I am spending money on, but my experience with that formula has been pretty good over the last few months.
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I have to say that it's more of a "buyer beware" environment. You need to do proper research before picking a class. Are there a good number of positive reviews? Are there current reviews? How long has it been since the class was updated? Is the instructor engaging with students in the Q/A section and/or via announcements? Just like any learning exercise, you will get out of it exactly what you put in to the experience. They are also never the complete answer to a learning path, but they are a step along a larger path. That path should include project excercises and other learning tools like print media and peer groups like Dev.to or forums on Reddit and Stackoverflow.
That's my opinion at least ;-)
-Fred
All good points, Fred.
I guess courses just aren't for me 😕 I've taken well-reviewed courses in the past and have walked away disappointed and bored.
To each their own, I suppose!
Courses are definitely the way to go if you want to gain domain knowledge, though. For projects, I prefer just diving in head-first and digging myself out of any holes I stumble into.
I guess there is also a question of skill level? If you are taking something that is not challenging, it's easy to be bored or distracted. That said, while the videos are obviously self-paced, each learner will have personal preferences on the type of media and class structure they learn from best. The key point I have learned over the years is that there is never only one solution to a problem, or one path to a goal.
That's also true; I've often felt that some courses move too slowly for me, and that I'd rather jump ahead and get to the "good stuff." That's why I prefer Googling-oriented learning: searching what I need to learn, when I need to learn it, and going from there :)
Agreed, I have definitely run into the same thing. Taking a PHP class will end up rehashing a ton of basic HTML items. (Wait, PHP is dead). The last one I did though, I ended up picking up a few new tidbits that relates to VS Code as well and tricks with PHP includes. So, in my experience an open mind can usually make that Udemy class worth the $9.95 and a few hours of my time. LOL, I really am sounding like a Udemy fan boy 🤣
I'd say if anyone is doing a course, to stop after doing the fundamentals part and try to find practice, unless you lucked into a course that includes a lot of exercises. I should start a list of courses that include real practice in them. So far I just know for sure of the one I'm taking.
Lately, I have been looking for classes that are based around building a project (or projects). It's admittedly more difficult to find something that hits all of the criteria I look for in a Udemy class that I am spending money on, but my experience with that formula has been pretty good over the last few months.