What is the Best Course to Learn IT?

There are many things to consider when choosing the right IT class for you. Your time and money are valuable resources, so it’s best to be sure you’re investing both wisely. IT training courses and certificates can be expensive and time consuming, although these two factors will vary from class to class. Plus, there are so many ways to study IT, from free tutorials to associate certificates and college degrees to bootcamps, and each will have varying benefits and challenges. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed, don’t worry. This article will help you weigh the pros and cons so you can decide which class is your best fit. Regardless of which option you choose, learning IT is absolutely worth the effort as it can open up alternative career paths, allowing you to earn more money and find professional fulfillment in a range of industries.

Are You Brand New to IT?

If you’re brand new to IT, there are many things you will want to consider. What is it specifically that you want to learn? Do you learn better in-person or virtually? Live or on-demand? Introductory classes can be attended live online, on-demand, or in person and typically cover all the fundamental theories and techniques of IT. They’re designed for those with limited or no knowledge of IT, so they’re perfect for newbies.

If you’re still trying to decide if IT is what you want to study, free resources may be a better route. YouTube videos, online tutorials, blogs, and discussion boards can be a great place to gain a general understanding of IT, so you can decide if it’s the right subject for you. While these resources will save you money, they aren’t intended for in-depth learning. If you are confident that you want to learn IT, an introductory course is a better choice. 

How Much are You Willing to Pay?

The financial cost of education is one of the most important factors to consider. You’ll want to make sure that the price is within your budget, but you’ll also want to make sure that the cost of the course is worth the knowledge and skills you will learn. While attending a professional development class is a good way to advance your career and increase your earnings, you might not want to (or be able to) pay any price to further your IT skills, and you may find there aren’t enough benefits to enrolling in the most expensive training option available.

Overall, the cost of an IT course will depend on the depth of knowledge, course length, and whether it’s live or on-demand. Typically, the immersive courses are the most expensive. A college web development degree can cost tens of thousands of dollars and take four years to complete, but will provide in-depth learning. Alternatively, a bootcamp or on-demand training course will cost substantially less, but these will only provide you with entry-level skills.

How Quickly Do You Need to Learn New Skills?

You’ll want to choose a course that helps you optimize your time, providing you with the most value both financially and logistically. If you’re looking to launch your career as soon as possible, a bootcamp or quick course may be a good option. If you have more time to commit towards learning and want to master advanced subjects, a longer course like a certificate or degree could be best. 

The skills you wish to learn will determine how long it takes you, as well. If you’re only looking to master a specific technique or trick, or only need to know the basics of IT, this will take much less time than learning the ins and outs of these essential tools. So, if you just need to learn the basics quickly, that’s important to know.

Do You Want to Become an IT Professional?

If you want to become an IT professional, you need to consider how much the curriculum covers, if career services or mentorship are provided, and if portfolio development is included. Certificates take substantially more time than introductory courses or free resources, but they offer a wider breadth of knowledge, noteworthy credibility, and the potential to network. These programs can often be attended full-time or part-time and are focused on professional development and technical training. 

While they may be longer than other options, they are also shorter than an undergraduate or graduate degree. The content covered will focus more on professional skills instead of introductory material or advanced theory, so you won’t get the immersive experience that a web development degree would give you. You also won’t spend 2 to 6 years working on a degree, or be saddled with substantial student loans debt. These programs are the fastest options available for students whose goal is immediate professional development and employment.

How Much Technical Training Do You Need?

The good news about IT is that you don’t need any technical training to begin. Basic skills of IT, like various programming languages, HTML and CSS, and certain math and science skills, can be learned as you go. Oftentimes, those new to IT have already mastered one or two of these basic skills previously. But, if you’re coming to the subject with no existing knowledge, fear not. Mastering IT is still possible.

Do You Prefer In-Person or Online Training?

This is perhaps the most important question you need to ask yourself. Online trainings are great for those who prefer a solitary learning environment with minimal distractions. They allow you to learn from the comfort of your own home (or wherever you choose), providing more flexibility. Additionally, if you live in an area with limited (or no) in-person options, online classes open up more opportunities for you. 

If you thrive in a collaborative classroom environment, check out in-person classes. You’ll be able to work with other students, make new friends, and receive live input from your instructor. These classes also provide a higher level of accountability and are a superb choice for those who struggle to keep themselves motivated or on task. They are, of course, less flexible than an online class, but often their advantages outweigh this one disadvantage. 

Learn IT with Noble Desktop

Noble Desktop’s Data Science Certificate prepares you for entry-level data science and Python engineering roles. You’ll learn how to manipulate databases and perform data analysis, read and write complex database queries, prepare and clean data for analysis, and use Python to automate everyday tasks such as aggregating, updating, and formatting data. This course also covers how to clean and balance your data with Pandas, apply machine learning algorithms with the scikit-learn library to solve real-world problems, and analyze the results to detect areas for improvement. Finally, you’ll build and present dynamic dashboards and other data visualizations and deploy your projects online with GitHub to demonstrate your analytical abilities to employers.

Their Software Engineering Certificate is another option for aspiring IT students. Divided into front end development, React Development, and Django (Python) Development, you will learn HTML to mark up web pages and CSS for styling; the fundamentals of JavaScript and Git; and how to use Flexbox and Grid to layout, align, reorder, and adapt web page content to different size screens. You’ll then move on to the fundamental JavaScript programming concepts, including variables, data types, loops, and DOM. Plus, you’ll cover topics like React, a powerful JavaScript library for web development, and master Node.js, MongoDB, and Express.js to round out your JavaScript development skills.

By creating a portfolio of projects, preparing for common interview questions, and polishing your resume and LinkedIn profile, this course will have you ready to pursue a new job in software engineering in as little as 20 weeks (on a full-time schedule). One-on-one mentoring and a free one-year retake are included in the cost of this course. Payment plans and tuition assistance are available, and this training requires no previous experience, making it great for beginners.

Or you could try your hand at Noble’s Python Developer Bootcamp. This three-week online course teaches Python for software development with Django, Django REST, and other developer tools like Git and SQL. You’ll start by learning the basics of Python, including its lexical syntax, then move to more advanced topics like dictionaries, custom functions, and sorting algorithms. In week two, you'll learn object-oriented programming, how to work with APIs, and get an introduction to web databases using SQL. By creating projects that can be added to your portfolio, you’ll master URL dispatchers, querying models, and automating tasks with Django, as well as how to work with images, authentication, and use API endpoints with Django REST. 

It’s recommended that you are comfortable coding HTML and basic CSS. You should possess an equivalent knowledge of Noble Desktop’s Web Development with HTML & CSS class, and mastery of another programming language is helpful, but not required. Payment plans and financing are available, in addition to extra perks like one-on-one mentoring, a free one-year retake, and a verified digital certificate are included in your purchase.