If you would like to update an existing skill, learn a new skill/hobby or interest then you should take Udemy courses. In case your desired outcome from Udemy course is to get a new job or accreddited certificate recognized by employers then I would recommend other learning platforms as EdX, Coursera or Udacity (in order to avoid wasting your time and money). The full price for a Udemy course is 100-200$ but most of the time is running 90% sale where courses are available for as low as 10$ (it's worth to wait couple of days for such a discount). Udemy courses are aiming on hands on skills where you can learn desired topic by watching course videos (or reading course materials) and immediately try it on your own to get desired experience. You will not find any graded assignments or an exam as a part of the course which is the reason why courses on Udemy are not recognized or accredited. With the 10$ pricetag to help you start with a new skill/hobby/interest or to upgrade an existing one (with step by step guide) is a reasonable price. Courses on Udemy can be made by anyone which is the reason why content quality vary a lot depending on the course creator. Always check the course reviews, number of students enrolled in the course and course author credibility (via Google search or LinkedIn - whether author has necessary knowledge and experience as he claims to have) before buying a course. I have better experience with longer courses (5 hours or more) where course creators are realy trying to provide a higher value for their students and offer quality content (in general).
Does Udemy certificate has any value? 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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