Learning Advice to Master Android Basics with Udacity

Aakarsh Baiju

21 October 2022

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Course Overview

If you aspire to learn to build Android applications (apps) from scratch, you should opt for this Android Basics Nanodegree Program by Udacity. This is a nanodegree program specially curated for true beginners interested in developing apps for the market of the next billion Android users.

Android dominates the mobile operating systems market, having over 80% of the global market share. Going by the market demand, one can make a lucrative career out of app development. The course requires no prior experience in programming and will help you learn concepts from scratch and in detail.

"This certification course will help learners expand their skill-set as they get to study some of the popular industry-related skills. Additionally, Udacity also offers assistance and guidance related to jobs."

- Aakarsh Baiju

Course Structure

The certification program is a self-paced, beginner-level course. It is an online course spread over a duration of 3 months and requires an effort of 10 hours per week. Some of the critical areas you cover in this curriculum include User Interface, User Input, Networking, etc.

Katherine Kuan and Jessica Lin were my instructors for the curriculum. The instructors at Udacity deliver concepts in detail with utmost clarity and even share best practices on how software development works. The faculty's teaching style was awesome. The professors associated with this course have degrees from renowned institutions in the field of cloud development.

The course starts with the basics of Android UI development with XML files and common layout tags. Then, it shifts to the interactivity principles of wiring up a button and navigation. It also delves into data persistence using SQliite and Networking.

Technically, the course is spread over 4 prime modules:

Module 1: Android Basics: User Interface
Module 2: Android Basics: User Input
Module 3: Android Basics: Multi-Screen Apps
Module 4: Android Basics: Networking

Insider Tips

In order to get the best out of this course, I have included some important tips below that I think you might find useful.

Assessment or Grading Criteria

A lot of relevant class notes and presentations are provided along with video lessons. The assessments are given after every chapter and are based on the principles the learners have studied earlier. The faculty grade the assessments, and valuable feedback is provided simultaneously..

Career Assistance

This certification course will help learners expand their skill set. The learners will get to study some of the popular industry-related skills. The course also offers assistance and guidance related to jobs.

The mentors will guide the process of learning and resolve all your queries. The course contains a Capstone project that helps you enhance your knowledge. The faculty provides personalized feedback to all learners so that they can improve and be ready for job interviews.

Final Take

Currently, I’m a Senior Software Engineer at Saasvaap Techies (P) Ltd. The course helped me understand the basics of Android development. But, I was never able to make the switch to a native Android development profile since I lack most of the core skill sets, especially like that of structuring an application with the MVVM pattern, and utilizing popular third party packages. This course honed my basics concerning application development; an integral skill in the IT industry.