Is it Worth to Pay for Android Kotlin Developer Nanodegree?
So, you come here to look for an answer - is it worth to pay so much for this course? Unfortunate, my answer is no unless you don't have cost concern.
Let's be honest, it is the most expensive course out there (even with 75% discount) that I am aware of. Of course, you don't compare this to the actual degree certificate at University.
I break down the answer to YES and NO with various reasons. So you can judge for yourself whether it is worth for you based on your own circumstances.
YES, it is worth!
- You need someone to ask and give you guidance to complete the projects.
- You are not a self-starer. When you pay for it, it forces you to complete the course.
- You want the certificate. I think the certificate maybe useful because I as soon as I updated my LinkedIn with this certificate. I was approached by the recruiter the next day. Perhaps a coincidence?
NO, not worth it!
What you pay is not the course content because they are FREE! This is explained in my previous article.
You can look at the completed code done by others and study them yourself. For example, all my completed projects are available in GitHub.
What I feel bad?
The course structure is very good, but not the quality of the starter code. Some code doesn't compile at all. The project requirement is also not 100% clear.
In fact, most of the question I asked the mentor has nothing to do with Android development questions. Most of them are related to project requirement clarifications and compilation errors in the starter code.
Also, the starer code has no continuity from one lesson to another. By right, the code that you use in a previous lesson can be brought forward to be used in the next lesson. However, the next lesson has skipped some steps. I had to figure out myself by comparing the starter code in the next lesson with my version from the previous lesson and modify the code manually.
I think we need to set the expectation correct. Since the course content is FREE, you don't expect the content including the starer code is well maintained. I know a lot of students have high expectation because they thought the content is what they pay for, which is not true.
What I feel good?
I'm not lying, the certificate makes me feel good. It feels like I have accomplished something with a proof.
If you want to aim for certificate, the most cost-effective ways are:
- Go through all the free courses and complete all the starter projects.
The starter projects information can be found in my previous post - Android Kotlin Developer Nanodegree Projects Review.
- Wait for Udacity to offer you the discount. 75% is the maximum, I think?
- Enroll the Nanodegree program with minimum 1 month subscription.
- Go full force to complete it and get the certificate!
Conclusion
I will pay for Android Kotlin Developer Nanodegree program IF I can NOT get the course content for free OR the price is equivalent to Udemy course price after the big discount, which it always has.
If I knew all this information I shared here, I likely would not pay for it. Now, the choice is yours... Good luck!