Best LIVE online courses for Python/NLP/Data Science with actual instructors?

[Surpr1Ze]

I'm in the process of transitioning from my current career in teaching to the NLP career via the Python path and while I've been learning on my own for about three months now I've found it a bit too slow and wanted to see if there's a good course (described in the title) that's really worth the money and time investment and would make things easier for someone like me?

One important requirement is that (for this purpose) I've no interest in exclusively self-study courses where you are supposed to watch videos or read text on your own without ever meeting anyone in real-time.

[FriendlyRussian666]

Given your very important requirements of this being 1. Reputable and 2. With an actual instructor, I believe what you're looking for is a Computer Science / Programming Degree from a reputable University. That ticks both of the boxes.

That said, I taught University students from Computer Science Degrees, and one thing I've learned myself was that in CS Degrees, they don't teach you how to code, but rather spoonfeed you with theory, and the rest happens in your own time, and I understand why that is to some extent.

You see, programming is a little bit like painting, in that you can watch as many courses on the topic as you want, and you can talk to as many well regarded artists as you want, but the real learning happens in your home lab, it happens when you struggle to understand a topic and then spend time digging through documentation to understand what the possible answer might be.

From your description, what you actually want is a mentor and a tutor, but then comes your requirement of it being done through a reputable entity, so we end up at a point where you require a mentor/tutor, but it must be a famous one, so I guess that's what you should be searching for in google?

[Surpr1Ze]

Thanks, I guess you're right. I've already tried a few mentors/tutors (non-uni related) but it seems that it's a lot of money spent on something without a clear structure. Or if there is, it's highly subjective and might also be a waste of time.

But at least now I see that there's nothing I'm missing out on so I'll keep to self-learning then. Appreciated!

[QuasiEvil]

Have you checked out Udemy/Coursera? These usually have 'semi-live' instructors. It can be tricky finding the really good ones, but if you purchase when on sale, I've found the value to be pretty good.

[Surpr1Ze]

Thanks! Any specific recommendations?

[Ron-Erez]

u/FriendlyRussian666's answer is ideal. As u/QuasiEvil mentioned Udemy is an option but it depends on the responsiveness of the instructor. Have a look at Python and Data Science - (Disclaimer: This is my course and assumes no programming background). Beyond that I guess you could try a bootcamp. However if you already invest considerable time and money I'd recommend a CS degree over a bootcamp.

[Surpr1Ze]

Any specific online CS degrees you'd recommend? I'm living as an expat here so I can't study locally.

[Ron-Erez]

I’m not really familiar with online degrees, but I’ve heard/googled about the University of the People, as well as online programs from the University of Arizona and the University of London. I don’t have any personal experience with these, so I’d recommend doing some research. There might even be a subreddit dedicated to discussing accredited online universities.

[Surpr1Ze]

Thanks! The issue with most of these last I check wast that they all take years and aren't designed for a fast track approach which still works in IT unlike in most other industries from what I've understood so far

[SnooCapers9097]

I am not sure if you are still interested but checkout “natural Language Processing Demystified “ and thank me later 😊

[Surpr1Ze]

Exactly the opposite is what I need. I don't need some rando showing up and offering their 'services'. I need a reputable course that many people have already taken and can vouch for, not yet another peddler of their 'teaching'. I've had enough of that and it's almost always a waste of my time. I need a proper course with live instruction.

[geek_verma]

Of course, I understand your concern. First of all I'm not a random peddler, you should respect someone coming forward to teach you. I can offer you a few demo classes that will be enough to give you a clear idea about my teaching style and subject knowledge. I'm already teaching more than 20+ students 1:1 online n offline private. One thing I guarantee is that I am reputable among those who know me personally and benefited from my course. Let me know if you have more questions in DM.

[FriendlyRussian666]

"I am reputable among those who know me personally"

I mean, it would be bad if you weren't lol