There was a wide gulf between finishing the third course and fourth course. Course three really dug into introducing SQL and database structure. I knew most of this from my database management class. I flew through course three like I flew through the first two courses, nothing to make me think I wouldn't be done in a matter of a couple more months. Then summer travel started with my work. I was in Lubbock, then San Antonio, then Dallas, then back to San Antonio two more times before the end of July. Traveling for work was a lot of fun, it included lots of regional food and we usually found time to do something fun and different. In Lubbock, the whole staff went to the prairie dog park. In Dallas between activities, me and my coworker Brian went to the Meadows Museum on the SMU campus. After the Dallas workshop, me and Matt drove back to Fort Worth to celebrate my grandma's 80th birthday. Eighty is an amazing accomplishment and having my grandma in my...
I have now completed course one and two in the Google Data Analytics certificate program. I thought I'd review my experience thus far and reflect on the learning. The good: - The program is set-up with videos, readings, reflections, and hands-on activities. It keeps the course moving and doesn't lead to video/reading burnout. It serves as an example of what good practices in online learning should look like. - The teachers are Google employees with ample experience in the field. They're easy to follow and talk at an appropriate speed-- sometimes I push it to 1.25x playback speed when it's moving through an area I'm proficient in. - The workload is overestimated by a long shot. I finished each course (that are 4-5 weeks long) in one week, give or take a day. I'm doing the reflections and activities. I even participate in the optional discussion board prompts. I know what I get out of this program is going to equal what I put in so I go all in. Even so, it's ...