Udacity Review Introduction
"We're taking a risk for you, the student." That is where the name "Udacity" came from, according to co-founder Sebastian Thrun. The word audacity represents bravery, and it's a good fit for the online education platform. You may wonder why this is the case.
Well, I say that because Udacity was a pioneer in the e-learning industry. MOOC sites were not as popular in June 2011, when Udacity launched, as they are now. At the time, major online education platforms such as Coursera and edX did not exist. In the summer of 2011, starting a MOOC company required courage and a willingness to fail.
They did not, however, fail. Not in the least. In fact, their audacity paid off handsomely. In 2015, four years after its inception, Udacity became a unicorn company worth $1 billion. And the figures have continued to rise since then. The number of online students enrolled in Udacity courses has now surpassed 11.5 million.
Udacity is one of the few e-learning platforms that has been a success from the start. Consider Udacity's very first course, an introductory course in artificial intelligence. With over 150,000 students enrolled, this course drew a lot of attention.
With statistics like these, it's clear that Udacity is a MOOC behemoth that should not be overlooked. But, with Nanodegree tuition costs rising, is Udacity still worth it in 2020? Is it, on the other hand, a dinosaur company doomed to fail? Let's find out the answers to these questions in my Udacity review. Alternatively, you can learn more about the best Udacity courses and Nanodegrees.
What is Udacity?
Udacity is a Silicon Valley-based for-profit online education platform. Massive open online courses (MOOCs) and micro-credential programs are available on the platform (Nanodegrees).
Udacity's courses are the result of collaboration with well-known Silicon Valley corporations. Google, Facebook, Nvidia, and Amazon are a few examples of these corporations. Udacity's goal with these collaborations is to provide students with up-to-date practical knowledge. Furthermore, they concentrate on teaching the skills that are currently in high demand in these businesses.
This is also why Udacity's most popular category is technology-related courses. After all, technology accounts for the vast majority of Udacity's corporate partnerships. Above all, these corporations require technology experts. It is Udacity's responsibility to train them.
Udacity's Nanodegrees and courses, however, are not limited to programming topics. Udacity also has some excellent business and data science courses. In fact, my personal Udacity experience stems from a Business-related Nanodegree. That program is Udacity's Digital Marketing Nanodegree in Business. Throughout this Udacity review, I will highlight my personal experiences.
Who is Udacity’s CEO?
Gabe Dalporto is the current Chief Executive Officer of Udacity. Sebastian Thrun, co-founder, currently serves as President and Chairman of the Board. David Stavens and Mike Sokolsky, the other two co-founders, work on unrelated A.I projects.
Is Udacity accredited?
Udacity is not a recognized educational organization. Udacity's programs are also not credit-bearing. As a result, they can't be used to transfer credit to accredited educational institutions. Certificates from Udacity, on the other hand, are valued by tech companies looking for new employees.
How Does Udacity Work?
Udacity learning is a very simple process. Even someone who has never learned online before will find it simple. To be more specific, the program I completed on Udacity was the Digital Marketing Nanodegree. As a result, that will be my point of reference. It is critical to recognize that other Nanodegree programs may differ in some ways. However, the fundamental working process of Udacity remains consistent across the board.
Taking a Nanodegree on Udacity involves the following steps:
- Choosing a course
- Paying the tuition fees
- Course onboarding
- Going through the course lessons
- Taking quizzes
- Completing graded projects
- Graduating with a certificate
- Taking advantage of career services
Choosing a course
On Udacity, you can find a wide range of online courses and Nanodegrees. As a result, selecting the best one for yourself is the most important step in the learning process. The first thing to remember is that you should not make a decision based on a spur of the moment. Instead, look over the list of topics and consider what you might be interested in pursuing as a career. Udacity places a premium on career development and landing a high-paying job after graduation. As a result, if you want to get the most out of Udacity, you should keep this in mind when selecting a course. Choose a field in which you can make a long-term career. Is this a personal recommendation? Take a look at Udacity's data science classes.
Paying the tuition fees
After you've decided on the program you want to pursue, it's time to sign up for it. Udacity accepts a variety of payment methods, including PayPal and credit cards. It's also worth noting that Udacity offers some free online courses. These will be free of charge. However, the vast majority of online courses and Nanodegrees do require payment.
And, because Udacity's courses aren't cheap, make the most of the ones you subscribe to. Put in as much time and effort as you can into the curriculums. You will ensure that you get your money's worth by doing so.
Course onboarding
You will go through onboarding when you first begin an online course on Udacity. You will prepare yourself and Udacity for the upcoming studies during onboarding. This includes, in particular, the following:
- completing a questionnaire
- Examining the syllabus
- Making a study schedule for yourself
- Establishing personal study reminders (syncs with calendaring software)
This type of comprehensive onboarding is designed to prepare you for the program and assist you in making the most of it. Its purpose is also to assist you in setting concrete goals for progressing through the syllabus. That's why you have study reminders and personal study schedules. Overall, I think Udacity's onboarding is among the best I've seen. It's straightforward but effective in preparing students for digital studies.
Going through the course lessons
After you've completed the onboarding process, it's finally time to begin learning. You can access the syllabus and jump to any point in the curriculum from the left-side menu. This is useful if you want to rearrange the order of the lessons. After all, each student has unique requirements, and some may prefer to begin in the middle – or even at the end.
The majority of the course lessons are now divided into 10-20-minute segments. And, in my experience, video lectures make up a large portion of Udacity's course lessons. This is both a plus and a minus for me. If done correctly, I enjoy video-based lectures. And Udacity's video lectures are among the best available. But I've never been able to motivate myself to sit through dozens of hours of video-based curriculum. That is, if there is no practical work in the interim. Fortunately, Udacity's courses include quizzes and graded student projects in addition to videos.
Taking quizzes
You'll take quizzes as you progress through the course lessons on Udacity. These quizzes are typically given at the end of course units. They also serve as a check to see if you comprehended the lesson materials.
Udacity's quizzes, in my experience, are quite simple to pass. That is, if you pay attention to the lessons and take notes. However, Udacity's quizzes aren't so simple that you'll be able to ace them solely on intuition.
Taking this into account, I believe Udacity's quizzes are effective at what they do. Many of the other MOOC platforms I've tried have issues with quizzes. Some MOOCs have included quizzes that have nothing to do with the course material. It's infuriating to study for hours only to discover that you don't know the answers to any of the quiz questions. Udacity, on the other hand, did an excellent job with this. The quizzes are derived from the lessons, and if you pay attention in class, you will also pass the quizzes.
Completing graded projects
The graded student projects are at the heart of Udacity's teaching system. These are real-world projects that are evaluated by professional mentors. And their primary goal is to provide students with hands-on experience.
Mentorship through these types of projects is an essential component of Udacity's curricula. To get the most out of your Nanodegree, make sure to ask your mentors questions. Here's another suggestion: participate in student-to-student discussions. These can be just as beneficial as speaking with a mentor. The entire learning system at Udacity is built around these graded projects. As a result, you should take advantage of them whenever possible.
Graduating with a certificate
To be eligible for an Udacity certificate, you must meet the following requirements:
- Complete all of the course lessons.
- Complete all projects with a "Meets Expectations" grade.
That's all! In theory, completing an Udacity Nanodegree is very simple. However, fulfilling these two aspects takes time and effort. If you want to get your money's worth out of your Nanodegree, make sure you do it not only for the certificate but also for the knowledge.
Taking advantage of career services
This step does not have to be the last. You can use Udacity's career support resources as soon as you enroll in a Nanodegree. However, because it is not directly related to the course syllabus, I listed it as the final step. Instead, it functions as a stand-alone feature.
Udacity’s career resources include the following:
- Cover letter reviews
- Resume review
- LinkedIn review
- GitHub review
All of these services are extremely beneficial if you want to start a new career. By pursuing a nanodegree, you will gain access to resume templates as well as a network of technology companies. It's worth noting that Udacity no longer guarantees graduates a job offer. Nonetheless, they make every effort to ensure that their graduates have good job prospects.
Review of Udacity's Pricing & Costs
The cost of taking an online course or Nanodegree on Udacity is largely determined by which one you select. To be more specific, the cost is primarily determined by the length of the program. This is due to Udacity's recent transition to a subscription-based pricing model. This means that if you want to pursue a Nanodegree, you will have to pay a monthly fee. As a result, the program's cost is directly proportional to its monthly duration.
Udacity used to have a fixed pricing model, which meant that all Nanodegrees required a one-time payment. In many ways, this pricing model is more equitable to the user. After all, paying a one-time fixed fee entails purchasing access to the course and that's it. There is no rush, and you can take the course at your own pace.
Udacity students, on the other hand, must rush through the course lessons due to subscription-based pricing. That is, unless they want to pay exorbitant monthly fees. However, I would not be so quick to condemn this price increase. This is due to the fact that some students may benefit from the pricing model change. More on this later.
How much does Udacity cost?
The monthly subscription fee for Udacity's Nanodegrees is currently $399. Students can also pay for multiple months at once at a reduced rate. On Udacity, you can also find some free online courses. However, they have fewer lessons and do not have the same quality as paid Nanodegrees.
How can I save money on Nanodegree costs?
There are a few options for lowering the overall cost of a Nanodegree. These are the approaches I would advocate:
- Take advantage of promotional codes
- Complete the Nanodegree as soon as possible.
- Scholarships are available through Udacity.
The first method, discount codes, requires you to locate an organization that has received an Udacity coupon. E-Student is one of these organizations, so use our link to save $50 (approximately 15%) off the cost of any Nanodegree.
The second cost-cutting strategy, completing the Nanodegree as soon as possible, is self-evident. You can take advantage of Udacity's new pricing model, which is based on monthly payments. Reduce Nanodegree costs by finishing the program in less time than the official estimate. You'll have fewer monthly payments to make and will save a significant amount of money as a result.
Scholarships are a final cost-cutting measure that is also relatively simple. Check out Udacity's scholarship page. Check to see if there are any open scholarships for which you might be eligible. If so, submit an application and hope for the best. You may even be able to obtain a Nanodegree for free as a result of your efforts.
Review of Udacity Nanodegrees
I'll go over Udacity's Nanodegrees in this section. This will be an assessment based on my personal experiences with pursuing a Nanodegree. To be more specific, the Digital Marketing Nanodegree in which I participated in 2020.
When people think of Udacity, the first thing that comes to mind is nanodegrees. After all, these are the online education provider's most popular programs. And there are numerous success stories floating around the Internet. Stories of people who landed lucrative jobs at Google and Facebook after completing a Nanodegree.
These success stories, however, should come as no surprise to anyone. After all, it is the titans of the tech industry who are driving Nanodegrees. All of the topics covered in the Nanodegrees are directly from Silicon Valley. If the tech industry is short on professionals in a particular field, Udacity will teach it with a Nanodegree.
Nanodegrees become very appealing when combined with extensive career support services and best-in-class user experience. Not to mention the course materials' usability and high production value. These are some of the reasons why Udacity is one of my favorite online learning platforms.
However, the cost of Nanodegrees is increasing year after year. This is why it is critical to assess Nanodegrees based on their cost-effectiveness. In particular, their cost-effectiveness in 2020. This raises the central question that this section seeks to answer. The question is, are Nanodegrees still valuable in 2020? Let us investigate.
Not enough practical exercises
I would have liked to see some more practical exercises incorporated into the Nanodegrees. When I am working on practical challenges, I find that I learn the most. This could imply practical coding challenges in coding. In Business-related courses, this could mean simple financial analysis challenges.
I enjoy practical exercises, even if they are in the form of very simple assignments. Udacity did have some, and I don't think it's a significant disadvantage of Nanodegrees. However, I would have liked to see more. There were numerous quizzes and graded practical projects. However, I would like to see more practical exercises incorporated into the Nanodegrees in the future.
Conclusion: Is Udacity Worth it?
Even though its pricing has increased in recent years, Udacity is still worth the price in 2020. That is because, overall, my experiences with Udacity were very positive. Above all, the platform's well-designed curricula, mentorship, and career services make it worthwhile.
Throughout this review, I dug deep into Udacity's various features. I examined the Nanodegrees, user interface, online reviews, and other aspects. My review of Udacity was hampered by the fact that I had only completed one Nanodegree myself. It's possible that other Nanodegrees are better or worse, but I have no recollection of that.
Despite this, I remain confident in my assertions about Udacity. That's because the online Udacity reviews I read all seemed to echo the same points I did. Everyone seems to agree that nanodegrees are expensive in 2020. However, the general consensus appears to be that Udacity's online programs are of very high quality. And some of its greatest assets are its career services and mentorship.
I can say confidently that I was very pleased with Udacity's Nanodegrees. While they have become increasingly expensive in recent years, they continue to provide excellent value to students. This is especially true for students with an interest in artificial intelligence, data science, or business. Students in these fields will get a lot out of the MOOC platform Udacity.
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