You need to learn coding and data science but don’t have time to go back to school
This article is a short list of free resources for young professionals who need to get a training in coding and data science — but can’t go back to school to follow a curriculum.
The goal is not to become a data scientist but to be able to code, and to get a good idea of what data science is.
The best solution would be to join a full time, onsite training like the MSc I co-lead with Margherita Pagani, but for graduates who just got their first job this is not always possible.
The list concentrates on Python, SQL and R. Which should you learn? My advice is, if you are constrained by time: Python, then SQL, then R. Because SQL could be learned on the job (not Python), and R can wait until you have learned SQL and Python.
- Python for data science
Python is the most common programming language for data science. You should start here.
- “Intro to Python for Data Science” at Datacamp (Datacamp free plan includes 9 free courses).
- “Python for Data Science” by CognitiveClass.ai
- “Démarrez votre projet avec Python” followed by “Découvrez les librairies Python pour la Data Science” by OpenClassRoom (in French)
- “Python for data science” by Analytics Vidhya.
2. SQL
SQL is the language used to query data from a database. That’s super important in any kind of job, including business jobs.
- “SQL Tutorial Lessons” by Chartio (interactive, you don’t need to install anything)
- “Administrez vos bases de données avec MySQL” (in French).
There are not many well-made courses in SQL for free, which include interactive exercises and instructions on how to install an SQL client. So I make an exception and list these paying courses by Udemy:
- “SQL pour débutants” (in French) or “SQL for data analytics” by Udemy (not free)
3. R
R is a programming language that used to be only centered on statistics, but it evolved to become a general purpose language for data science. It is complementary to Python.
- Introduction to R by DataCamp
- R Programming Language Introduction by Udemy
- The Analytics Edge by the MITx on EdX (fixed enrolment dates.)
4. Paying platforms that contain good courses on Python, SQL, R and data science:
TeamLeada: 99$ (one-time payment for one course), with a LinkedIn certificate.
Pluralsight: 29$/month for access to the entire course library.
DataCamp: 29$/month for access to the entire course library.
Codeacademy: 19$/month for access to the entire course library.
LinkedIn Education: 29.98$ / month for access to the entire course library.
Coursera: 43$/month for access to the courses in a given specialization (in data science).
Udemy: 399€ for a specialization (a “nano degree”) in programming basics (course starts at a given date).
Analytics Vidhya: fee per course varies from free to ~150€.
