EdX
EdX courses are absolutely worth it. Its price range is between 50-585$ per course where majority of courses are available within 50-150$ range for a course. What price tag would you put on an opportunity to study a subject on MIT or Harvard? How much would cost you accommodation, tuition, your time to actually study there? Courses on EdX are made not by EdX but by individual universities which increases its value. EdX certificates have increased credibility because most of its courses have proctored exam (you are monitored during the exam by webcam, microphone and the record is reviewed by a person to avoid any cheating). This is so far the only one platform offering proctored exam in single courses.
Example 1) If you would be hiring an employee and would be chosing between 2 candidates who have similar resumes and a few extra courses (with a similar content) where the first one would have courses on Coursera and the second one on EdX with proctored exams. Which one would you chose?
Example 2) How much would you invest in order to increase your chances to get a better job? Would you invest 10$, 100$ or 1000$? Imagine if you would have this month 12 pints of beer less and invest this money into the certificate. How much better your life could get with just this small change?
EdX single courses and advanced certifications have value supported by top universities. The top content is created by top universities from all around the World and is available for anyone worldwide. Would it have any value for you to attend courses on top universities in person? The only difference with EdX is its available for anyone, without need to commute and with lower pricetag (as its courses are available for millions of students worldwide it helps to reduce the course price (compared with traditional university fee) because it is not limited by classroom size and more students is studying it more price can go lower). EdX certificate can help you to get a better job, promotion or change industry. Any EdX course is worth it. Course value is increased by ID verification, proctored exams and by an excellent essay grading system.
Example 1) When you study in your free time and applying for a job compared with your competition (considering you finished similar universities and have similar work experience) you are offering a higher value. Would you hire someone who is highly motivated and is willing to invest own money and free time in order to get such a job?
Udemy
In short Udemy is a great learning platform worth your time and money but don't forget to consider what result are you expecting from your online learning on Udemy. If you are looking for highly recognized certificates, accredited courses, university like content/assignments and exams, recognition by employers in that case Udemy is not the best fit for you and is not worth your time and money (if you are expecting this type of outcome it's better to consider EdX, Udacity, Coursera or other platforms). On the other hand if you are looking to develop a new skill/hobby or upgrade an existing one then Udemy courses are worth it (depends on the course creator). You can learn from experienced professionals within their field for reasonable price 10-200$ (most of the times is running special sale where courses are available as low as 10$, I would personally not buy Udemy course for 200$ but 10-20$ is more than reasonable price for me, it's the reason I can recommend you if the sale is not running right now it's worth to wait a few days for it). If you found Udemy as a great fit for you in order to avoid the disappointment before buying a course always check course reviews and course creator which can give you a great hint about the course content quality. If you are still not sure whether course quality will meet your expectations and you are undecided between a few courses check also the number of students already enrolled in the course and according to the course creator 's experience (can be found on LinkedIn or through Google search).
Udemy certificate doesn't have real academic value but it can offer some value especially if combined with other accredited course or related (work) experience. Unfortunately the certificate on its own (without any further connection) is not accredited or recognized by employers and doesn't serve as prove you learned all the course materials and gained all the knowledge presented in the course (graded assignments and exams are not implemented in Udemy courses). Courses on Udemy can be made by anyone (mostly independent professionals with or without experience within their field) which is the reason course content and its quality ranges from hardly acceptable to excellent. The main Udemy certificate value is based on your expectations. Certificate doesn't have value for employers (it only shows you are willing to invest your free time and money in order to get better in your job and provide a higher value for an employer) but can have a huge value for you. You can master for example photography or digital marketing skills with hands on experience course from Udemy, lift your self-esteem and prove to yourself you really did it, you learned something new, gained experience and the certificate serves as a proof for you - You did it! - that is the main value for you and the motivation to finish the course.
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