Datacamp Review
Many coworkers and colleagues have pointed me to a resource for learning data science which is the company DataCamp. After hearing so much about DataCamp, I decided to purchase the year subscription and check it out for myself. After spending a couple months working through the Python data scientist career track, I have found that I have mixed feelings about DataCamp.
To start, I would like to begin with the things I really like about DataCamp. First, it has a complete career track in both of the most common programming languages used in data science: Python and R. These career tracks go over the basic syntax of each language and then dive into the useful tools for analysis, visualization, machine learning, deep learning, and network tools which will all be used by a data scientist. The program has a well thought out chronological path to learning data science in both languages. In the Python data scientist career track there are about 67 hours worth of material which includes interactive programming and videos with professional instructors talking about different methods of using the tools that Python libraries provide for you to extract, monger, and analyze data.
For an absolute beginner in Python, it is without a doubt a great resource to learn data science. However, there are some major issues that I have found to be frustrating and disappointing with DataCamp.
For one, all of the programming exercises already have a good chunk of the code filled out for you and all you have to do is fill in the blanks. This is not how you will be programming in real life and I believe that the programming exercises should have you start with a blank sheet and give you instructions on how to get the output they desire.
Second, they go over topics very superficially and don't really give you any depth of how to use the modules that they tell you to use and just when you are getting the hang of a tool, the instructor moves on to another tool preventing the student from really becoming proficient in any of the classes, modules, or built in functions.
To start, I would like to begin with the things I really like about DataCamp. First, it has a complete career track in both of the most common programming languages used in data science: Python and R. These career tracks go over the basic syntax of each language and then dive into the useful tools for analysis, visualization, machine learning, deep learning, and network tools which will all be used by a data scientist. The program has a well thought out chronological path to learning data science in both languages. In the Python data scientist career track there are about 67 hours worth of material which includes interactive programming and videos with professional instructors talking about different methods of using the tools that Python libraries provide for you to extract, monger, and analyze data.
For an absolute beginner in Python, it is without a doubt a great resource to learn data science. However, there are some major issues that I have found to be frustrating and disappointing with DataCamp.
For one, all of the programming exercises already have a good chunk of the code filled out for you and all you have to do is fill in the blanks. This is not how you will be programming in real life and I believe that the programming exercises should have you start with a blank sheet and give you instructions on how to get the output they desire.
Second, they go over topics very superficially and don't really give you any depth of how to use the modules that they tell you to use and just when you are getting the hang of a tool, the instructor moves on to another tool preventing the student from really becoming proficient in any of the classes, modules, or built in functions.
With that said, I would say that DataCamp is not really worth your time unless you have money to blow and are absolutely brand spanking new to data science and or programming. Feel free to leave your stories about DataCamp down below this post in the comments section this is just my opinion. DataCamp may have been a great experience for someone it just wasn't exactly what I was looking for with the amount of money that I had to put down.
Thanks for reading and good luck on your own search to become a Data Scientist!
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