As the Springboard community continues to grow, we are constantly ideating around new ways to best support our students. One of our key takeaways over the past year has been to provide more options for different learning preferences and styles.
We hope to offer a more immersive data science learning experience by launching our new Data Science Career Track Plus course by providing students with additional resources and support.
Is the Plus Course Right for Me?
The ultimate goal of our Data Science Career Track Plus course is to more closely emulate an in-person learning experience online. If you have a background in traditional higher education with lecture-based learning or are embarking on a major career change that requires more support, this version of the course will be a good fit.
Additionally, the Plus curriculum is specifically designed with students in mind who:
- Are nervous about trying online learning and want the comfort of traditional live classroom time as well as collaboration with peers via bi-weekly live lectures
- Want to double down on building a strong relationship with their mentor—a practicing data scientist—through 2x the 1:1 time each week
- Are collaborative or extroverted learners who would like additional weekly discussion time with their mentor and opportunities to get live confirmation of their understanding from TAs (teaching assistants) via chat
- Prefer extra motivation and accountability through committing to live discussion times and working towards specific goals and tracking their progress regularly.
- Care deeply about building a relationship with their mentors and TA through working together on challenges.
What’s Different About the Plus Course vs. the Core Course?
A few core components set Data Science Career Track Plus aside from Springboard’s typical Data Science Career Track curriculum:
- Live classes with instructors and fellow students. Students will participate in biweekly, 2-hour sessions to join cohort peers in our live virtual classroom. Led by a data scientist instructor, you’ll dig deeper on challenging topics in the curriculum and engage in interactive exercises.
- 1:1 mentorship calls with industry experts. All Data Science Career Track students have access to a regular 30-minute video chat with a 1:1 mentor to get feedback on projects and answers to their questions. Additionally, you’ll have 30 minutes of additional flex video chat time with your mentor each week to get answers to your questions or extra feedback when you need it. That’s an hour of 1:1 time with your mentor every week!
- Personalized study plan with accountability sessions. Students will work closely with their student advisor in biweekly sessions to stay accountable to a personalized study plan, which breaks down what must be accomplished each week and adjusts based on what’s been covered to date.
- On-demand access to TAs for course assistance. Students have on-demand access to teaching assistants via chat to ask technical questions related to data science so that they’re never blocked moving forward in the coursework.
If you’re a student excited about the Springboard learning experience and are ready for a more immersive, high-touch approach, Data Science Career Track Plus offers the core components that more actively simulate an in-person learning environment.
With increased mentor support, live lectures, and a personalized progress experience, students will benefit from an additional layer of Springboard support.