inscribed Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 I know there's at least a few people here with mathematical/programming backgrounds, so I'll share this here. http://www.udacity.com/overview/Course/cs373/CourseRev/feb2012 Over the course of seven weeks, starting February 20th, you'll learn how to program all the major systems of a robotic car, by the leader of Google and Stanford's autonomous driving teams. Registration is open until the 27th (the day the first assignment is due), and the class is completely free. The top people completing the course will have a chance to submit a resume, which is a major bonus. That aside, its a great opportunity to learn some neat stuff directly from the top people in the field. The class does require some basic knowledge of statistics and linear algebra, and programming in Python will be required. Even with zero experience with Python, the language is pretty easy to pick up with even a small amount of experience in other programming languages. The class is definitely worth checking out. They are also currently offering a course on building your own internet search engine, if robotic cars aren't your thing. Same registration deadline and also free. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
f0xx Posted February 23, 2012 Report Share Posted February 23, 2012 Thank you for bringing this up. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyzarius Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 you guys like that, you shuold google "Amateur Drone Pilots" Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
H&R Posted February 24, 2012 Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 Haha in python. Have fun Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted February 24, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 24, 2012 you guys like that' date=' you shuold google "Amateur Drone Pilots"[/quote'] Sure, that stuff is interesting, but this isn't googling robotic cars. This is a legit, educational class from the two top people in the field that teaches a skill and has potential to lead to job offers. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 So did anyone else end up enrolling in this class? The registration deadline got pushed out until Wednesday because of an issue with the due date for the first assignment. I just finished the first assignment (two free response statistics questions, one multiple choice, and one programming assignment) up myself, and the material isn't too hard so far, but its challenging. Learning the in's and out's of Python was the most time consuming part for me. The math so far has all been basic statistics and algebra. I recommend enrolling while there's still time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyzarius Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Sure' date=' that stuff is interesting, but this isn't googling robotic cars. This is a legit, educational class from the two top people in the field that teaches a skill and has potential to lead to job offers.[/quote'] great, have fun. haha, of course the drones use the same language, and can be bought at home allowing for you to freely "play" with the programming language. Most of the techniques you will encounter in your "free class" I am sure come from the labors of the amateur community. Which uses Python to fly and drive robotic drones, and we have been doing so for a few years now. If you are serious about this kind of thing, having built and designed your own prototypes, and knowing how to do so, would be crucial to that end resume process. But hey, why diversify your experience with python in hopes to get that reusme slot. I mean this is a REAL free class and all Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 lol... You're right, I'll just add "I can google amateur drones" to the end of my resume. In fact, why did I bother even going to college in the first place? I'll just add "I can google calculus and thermo" to the resume too. Why bother with any classes at all? Really, I should just put "I built my own hobby robot" on a resume, send it off, and wait for the job offers to roll in. I'm sure this class would be well below you, with your "few years" of experience on building hobby robots, and you could ace it with your eyes closed. Internet arrogance... always a pleasure. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyzarius Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 wow, man...you miss the point. There is an existing community of ametuer drone operators, many with college degrees (since this seems important to you). They use the programming language your class focuses on in test environments, and have pioneered the concepts and techniques used in your very class over the last several years. The point was, on a resume you can have nothing better than hands on experience, drawn up plans, workable prototypes addressing different logistics issues using the programming language in person would be something ANY hiring developer is looking for. The cutting edge of almost any new technology, in this case computer controlled cars, is always in the amateur field. This is true for Desktop PCs, cel phones, radios, and yes..your robotic cars. Maybe you should put your insecurities aside and realise I wasnt trying to attack your class, but offer you a medium through which you can find a wealth of information about the language your using and a way to apply it at home. ...Oh and the hobby robots, Im sure thats a REQUIREMENT for anyone who shows a true passion for the field in question Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I'm not sure exactly what you are trying to argue here... I'm just going to say that I'm not exactly in a position where I need to develop my resume any more, and I'm definitely not lacking in professional experience with almost every aspect of full size, military drones. The point here is... that the two experts in the field of programming robotic cars (as in, the guy who not only was the first ever to win the DARPA autonomous car challenge in 2005, but also developed Google Street-view) are offering a class where they train students in the very same method of programming and design that they used to win the DARPA challenge, and will be taking the resumes of the top graduates to pass around to head hunters looking for qualified individuals. You are more than welcome to start a new thread on how great you are for building a robot (honestly, who hasn't?), but this thread is specifically for getting the word out about a great educational opportunity. It would be like if Stephen Hawking offered a free online class on modern physics, and then on top of that, asked for resumes from his top graduates to pass around. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyzarius Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 I still do not see why a community using python to do what your class teaches isnt a resource for anyone wanting to take your free class... Python is a pretty high level, great object oriented language. Have you used it prior to this class? It beats some of the older languages in its readability, even when you have bad or no remarks you can take things apart pretty easily. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The-Nameless Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Experience > Degree. I recently got hired on as a Cad designer. I have no degree, or formal training beyond "I need a picture of an L-bracket, go figure out how to draw one". I beat out two college grads with CAD certs because I have experience in the field. Between my computer experience, and my personal experience customizing, and repairing my cars/homes/boats(these get more repairs than a glass basketball hoop) lead me having 6 years of hands on experience, as opposed to 4 years of theoretical experience. If you want to get job applicable resume fodder, begin doing things for yourself. There are hundreds of computer programmers out there applying for jobs, waiting with no income. Maybe 10% of those are applying that knowledge to make $1 apps to bide time/get experience while they wait to get a reply. "I have no recent job history because I have not been employed. I have been searching for an employer." "In the last six months I have grossed 12k due to independant programming. I feel it is now time to further my career by pursuing employment with a growing employer in an ever expanding field" Which one are YOU going to hire. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted February 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 Which one are YOU going to hire. I'm going to hire me. Seriously, this ain't the thread to get on a soapbox about experience vs. degree. Obviously both are important, among other factors, and everyone has their own idea of the best way to prepare for a given field. No one here is saying otherwise. Kyzarius wanted to arrogantly jump in and downplay this opportunity as some Phoenix-Online level class made for kids with zero experience in programming and zero practicality, when the reality was that he didn't have his information straight. I don't want other forum-goers who would otherwise benefit from the class to dismiss it based off of his "quotation marks". In fact, the entire mission statement of Udacity is to revolutionize the modern education system by offering higher level subjects (AI, Robotics, etc) to everyone free of charge, and to focus more on experience and practicality rather than classroom lecture. The students who show a lot of skill in a subject can then be connected with employers looking for people with those skills. The program is backed by some very recognizable names, including Salman Khan, of Khan Academy fame. Udacity is pretty new (less than a year old) and is already shaping up to be pretty big. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kyzarius Posted February 27, 2012 Report Share Posted February 27, 2012 jump in? Arrogantly talk down? Dude you have issues. All i did was try to suggest an alternate source of python related material and you got your nerd rage on. This is a discussion forum afrer all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted February 28, 2012 Author Report Share Posted February 28, 2012 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted March 31, 2012 Author Report Share Posted March 31, 2012 Just as an update for those interested, Udacity has four new classes starting up April 16th. Like I said before, Udacity is really grabbing some high profile people to teach these classes, and success in class can lead to potential job offers, or at the very least, some great community contacts. It's also alright to just take the classes for the unique opportunity to learn from some of the best in their respective fields. The classes coming up include a class on "Web Application Engineering" taught by Steve Huffman, the founder/creator of reddit.com, and a class on "Design of Computer Programs" taught by Peter Norvig, the Director of Research at Google. The other two classes are "Programming Languages" taught by a Dr. Wes Weimer, known not only for his work on the Helix Project, but also some great Baldur's Gate II mods, and a class on "Applied Cryptography", taught by Dr. David Evans, one of Udacity's founders. These are really great classes and completely free. If you have any interest in programming or design, you owe it to yourself to check these out. I'm personally enrolled in the Design of Computer Programs and Applied Cryptography classes, but I'd take all four if I had the time. Unfortunately, the only one who expressed interest in the Programming a Robotic Car class was Foxx, and he's now banned. There's still two weeks left in the class, but it has been an amazing class so far and hopefully is an indicator of things to come with these other classes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
inscribed Posted June 27, 2012 Author Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 New classes are up at Udacity again. This time, they are branching out from computer science classes to include an Intro to Physics and an Intro to Statistics class. The Statistics class is looking to break 160,000 students enrolled, a record previously held by their Intro to Computer Programming class. I'm educated enough to teach either of these classes, but I'm still enrolled in both to check them out and to support the cause. Don't let ego stop you from giving them a look. Back on the computer science side, Udacity is adding "Algorithms", "Logic and Discrete Mathematics", and "Software Testing". Again, these are free, 6-8 week long classes taught by respected and established names in their fields. There is no penalty for failing or dropping out (just enroll again at a later date, or delete the class from your transcript) and there are no pre-reqs for any of the classes, so you have absolutely nothing to lose by trying out one or two for a week. It's completely at your own pace, and there are no deadlines or penalties for lateness. The classes I've taken so far are set up quite well, and the community is great. Also, here is a great article that discusses the influence of online education on the traditional brick & mortar schools, and the credibility of online classes on a resume: http://bostinno.com/2012/06/26/will-employers-ever-take-online-learning-seriously/ "Real" online education is still in its infancy, so a lot of what is mentioned is still open to speculation. Udacity is mentioned, as well as Coursera, Khan Academy and MIT OpenCourseWare. The next decade will bring a lot of change to the face of higher education. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mali Posted June 27, 2012 Report Share Posted June 27, 2012 I took Biostatistics not long ago but I've gone through about a quarter of the stats class because I like the lecturer. Good stuff, and useful to refresh on the basics from time to time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mindflayer Posted June 28, 2012 Report Share Posted June 28, 2012 Experience > Degree. I recently got hired on as a Cad designer. I have no degree, or formal training beyond "I need a picture of an L-bracket, go figure out how to draw one". I beat out two college grads with CAD certs because I have experience in the field. And most of the time they'll get you cheaper because you don't have that piece of paper. Experience & Degree FTW. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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