5 Reasons Why People Drop Out of Data Science Bootcamps
There are countless ways to learn data science and AI in 2023. Between YouTube videos, getting a degree, and everything in between, there’s a right way to learn for everyone. A popular way to learn data science, however, is through bootcamps, or short-term learning experiences that provide a crash course in the skills needed to learn a topic. Even though bootcamps are shorter than other learning methods, people still drop out of them due to a variety of reasons. Here are five reasons why people drop out of data science bootcamps and why a mini boot camp might be your better option.
Bootcamps are too expensive
A big reason for people switching to bootcamps instead of another college degree boils down to cost, yet bootcamps can still be quite pricey with most going from $7000 to over $15,000. That’s a lot of money to learn a topic in a short period of time without earning a degree at the end. You do learn quite a bit from a longer bootcamp, but those skills aren’t always the in-demand ones, whereas a mini bootcamp is laser-focused on the skills someone needs to make a career shift.
Bootcamps aren’t exhaustive
Some will say that bootcamps don’t teach enough about data science compared to a degree. That’s a pretty subjective claim, as ultimately it depends on what you want to learn and only you can decide if you’ve learned enough. While mini bootcamps don’t cover as much as a longer bootcamp or a degree, you will still learn the core skills in the field, such as Python programming basics and AI literacy, and also dip your toes into some advanced applications like computer vision and NLP. Mini bootcamps aren’t meant to be exhaustive, but they’re designed to teach you the core skills needed to get started in the field and to equip you with the skills you need to learn about advanced applications how you want.
Not enough other benefits
A solid and thorough understanding of data science is helpful, but it’s not enough for someone’s career to come to fruition. Like any career path, having additional resources can help you find a job. Many bootcamps focus only on the content — which is of course the most important part — but neglect other ways of helping career changers. An ideal learning approach will also include networking opportunities for students to meet potential employers, career and resume advice, and even access to other on-demand materials to supplement their primary mode of learning.
Not accessible enough
A general benefit of bootcamps is that they should be easily accessible to anyone who wants to take them, as opposed to degrees that have set semesters and timelines. An ideal bootcamp would have multiple offerings throughout the year, with both in-person and virtual options, and include on-demand training to fill in any gaps that you’re curious about.
Too long
Even though bootcamps aren’t degrees, some of them still take way too long to complete. Many bootcamps take 7–15 weeks to complete, which can be ideal for some people, but not for everyone. Some bootcamps can be quick week-long crash courses in a topic, so you know in a very short period of time if the topic is right for you. You’d hate to devote months to a bootcamp just to realize that this isn’t the right career shift for you! Plus, it’s easier to work around a schedule to knock it out in a week or two rather than devoting months to it.
The answer? ODSC Mini Bootcamps
All of the issues with longer, more expensive bootcamps don’t apply to an ODSC Mini Bootcamp. With ODSC mini data science bootcamps, you can get the training you need in a shorter period of time than most other data science bootcamps, with the information you need to get started, extra career resources, and on-demand training to a massive library on the Ai+ Training platform so you can learn what you want, when you want.
We have two options coming up in the near future. There’s ODSC East coming to Boston and virtually this May 9th-11th, currently 40% off, and also ODSC Europe coming to London and virtually this June 14th-15th, currently 60% off. Each bootcamp option includes pre-bootcamp sessions to help you get caught up to speed with important topics like data science and AI literacy, and access to our Ai+ Training platform for 1 year with on-demand sessions from past conferences.
Originally posted on OpenDataScience.com
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