Advice/feedback on Springboard?

Bob Dole

I have been accepted for a Springboard course in Data Analytics. The course sounded interesting when I first heard of it, as at the time I was working in Analytics in Financial Services.

I'm starting to have second thoughts, however, as I realize that I'd rather move away from FS and get into IT in the future- I don't have enough experience right now. From discussions with a few people, Data Analytics seems much lighter on the IT side compared to other Springboard courses, like NCI's Cloud Computing course or DBS's Higher Diploma in Science in Computing (Software Development). I was also advised against doing Cloud Computing, as it has less prospects than Analytics.

An additional complication is the timing of classes: NCI's classes are in the evenings on the weekdays when I have other stuff on, and an email from NCI said "Attendance at all classes is compulsory". DBS's, OTOH are on 9-5, which would be fine except if I get a job in the meantime (and I hope to do so as I don't plan on being unemployed for another 9 months) I will be unable to continue.

UCD will run a Computer Science conversion Masters next year, and I'm just wondering if the best thing to do would be find some job now, save some money, and do the course next year.

So Data Analytics vs Software Development vs Masters next year. Has anybody here studied/know anybody who studied these courses, and if so what did they think of them?

RomanGod

Not sure if I can help but it's nice to see the word 'advice' not being mistaken for 'advise' like many other threads. You will go far

BurnsCarpenter

Bob Dole wrote: »

I have been accepted for a Springboard course in Data Analytics. The course sounded interesting when I first heard of it, as at the time I was working in Analytics in Financial Services.

I'm starting to have second thoughts, however, as I realize that I'd rather move away from FS and get into IT in the future- I don't have enough experience right now. From discussions with a few people, Data Analytics seems much lighter on the IT side compared to other Springboard courses, like NCI's Cloud Computing course or DBS's Higher Diploma in Science in Computing (Software Development). I was also advised against doing Cloud Computing, as it has less prospects than Analytics.

An additional complication is the timing of classes: NCI's classes are in the evenings on the weekdays when I have other stuff on, and an email from NCI said "Attendance at all classes is compulsory". DBS's, OTOH are on 9-5, which would be fine except if I get a job in the meantime (and I hope to do so as I don't plan on being unemployed for another 9 months) I will be unable to continue.

UCD will run a Computer Science conversion Masters next year, and I'm just wondering if the best thing to do would be find some job now, save some money, and do the course next year.

So Data Analytics vs Software Development vs Masters next year. Has anybody here studied/know anybody who studied these courses, and if so what did they think of them?

I did a Cloud H Dip last year as part of the ICT Skills program and it worked out very well. In tech support now.

That course covered plenty of the basics - networking, operating systems, database systems, modules in a few different programming languages. Not just cloud stuff. So it was good for getting (somewhat) up to speed.

I would have liked to do something more software specific (I really enjoyed the coding we did) but I suspect that it would be difficult to get work in software development. Entry-level roles seem thin on the ground, and you'll be up against candidates with 4 year degrees.

I'm glad I opted for the cloud HDip rather than a Data Analytics one, even though people say Analytics is the area to get into at the moment.

Fappington08

I finished the course myself in May and I have to say I was very disappointed in the overall standard of lecturing. I thought the core subjects had a lot of potential for in depth learning, data mining, programming for big data etc. However the lecturers were totally useless and did not seem to know most of the material themselves. Most of the notes had mistakes in them which meant running code from the slides did not work until someone from the class could figure out what was wrong.

The pace of the course was very slow as there were people from very varying backgrounds and some had absolutely no computer knowledge whatsoever. This meant that entire classes could be taken up with the same people asking the same daft questions and it became very frustrating, especially when there are 60+ people in the one class. Many of the classes descended into farce.

Also, there is a lot of emphasis put on business analysis and project management as opposed to the more nitty gritty technical stuff which I found very frustrating.

I currently work in Data Analytics and did so before I started the course. I am just glad that I have the letters beside my name because in terms of personal development the whole course leaves a bitter taste.

But best of luck with it anyway!!

...__...

Have to agree with Fappington
I was very dissapointed with the program while I diid a different course the challenges are the same.
People who knew no maths or hadnt done it in twenty years were expected to learn overnight.
The lecturers were not interested in teaching the whloe programme struck of this.
It would not help if you could not log in registration was all wrong (had me doing a different course). the feeling myself and others got was they looked at you like its the government paying what do you want.
It got so bad they had a "career guidance" class which we were told was compulsary on at the same time as engineering maths. you couldnt miss a class of that for fear you would be lost. I had to drop out because I couldnt log in to use matlab for 3 weeks no one would help me not even the lecturer, head of dept, I.T. no one wanted to know.
In the end I found out from a class of 30 only 6 were left to finish it.

eoinp11

BurnsCarpenter - where did you do you course?

Fappington08 & ...__... .. where did you guys do your course?

Seems that the response regarding sprinboard varys, and i guess that is down to who is providing the course.

I am stuck between springboards/ICT's - DIT (now in the lead with it's HDIP) NCI who offered me the evening course (which i don't know if there is a downside to doing it in the evenings) and DBS (which i feel may not be as strong a candidate as the others)

Maynooth is also an option but will cost up to 6000.

elrecharlie

Hi there, old thread but maybe new opinions. I've just been offered a place for this Higher Dip in GMIT through springboard, but the online version. I fear for it not to be useful and am torn between this free one and the CIT one since I'm in Cork. 
Has anyone done the online version to give an opinion?
I studied nutrition and food technology but am currently working in IT related stuff, localization. Do you guys know how useful this online diploma is?
Thanks in advance

Tenigate

One thing about online courses is missing out on human interaction. Unless you're really interested in each module I'd say they can be soul crushingly boring.

That being said, i did a springboard course in college years ago and the standard of applicants and even some of the lecturers was appalling. One lecturer, supposedly with a doctorate in computer science was attempting to teach project management. She couldnt follow simple concepts in the book (like calculating payback method), and didnt know the discount rate formula.

Classmates were worse. Most lacked basic skills like how to save a file or work with directories in windows explorer, and didnt know basic maths like the order of operations. Closing brackets seemed an impossible skill to grasp for about half the class, so their code never ran.

More an intro to computers rather than the level 8 i thought i was signing up for.

The lesson i learned is to spend a bit of cash if a goal is worth following. You get what you pay for.

Imagine if a driving instructor said she had a phd in motoring but only ever cycled a bike and her tuition would be classroom based and you'd be in a group project with a blind person... that's sorta my experience with springboard. Looks good on paper but do your research before committing time.

brendanwalsh

you get out of it what you put into it.

for some it's something to do to keep the social and turas off their back.

I know a few guys who have been very successful with some of the springboard courses; one chap in particular is heading off to america soon on the graduate visa and already has a company telling him they'll sponsor him for H1B.

it's a great spring board for people who use it!

delta_bravo

I did the UCD Conversion course a few years ago, HDip in Computer Science. There is an option to continue from the HDip and come out with a masters if you pay fees for the extra 9 months but the HDip was free fees.

I came into it with no coding or mathematical experience and found it challenging at times but thought the standard of teaching was generally quite good. Its definitely a case of you putting the work in if you're coming from a situation of little experience. There were others who had previously worked in IT or Engineering that found bits of it too slow paced but it is designed from a limited experience background.

I'd say only 10 of the 40 or so in the class finished at the HDip stage and the rest went on to do the Masters. But of the 10 I think all of us had gotten a job by the time the course had finished. A mix of grad, support and dev roles.

I can't speak for other colleges but I thought the one in UCD was very good in terms of gaining skills to get you a job and grounding in certain branches of technology. It's not going to make you an expert but it does give you the fundamentals.