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Mitch Little
11,870 PointsIntermediate iOS Development Track or iOS Techdegree?
Good evening,
I have just completed the Beginner iOS Development Track and I am looking for advice on where to go next.
I do understand the differences between the two and the advantages of the Techdegree. However I feel there are still some fundamental concepts that I haven't covered yet, which are focussed on in the Intermediate Track and obviously the Techdegree which I feel I should learn about before starting to build projects that the Techdegree has to offer.
Currently, I am thinking of doing the Intermediate Track first to further deepen my knowledge of Swift and hopefully tie things together more so to speak. (I know there are a few more projects in the Track which will help on the iOS Development and Xcode front.) Then go onto the Techdegree to start building projects and learning from the extra workshops included.
Not to mention this approach would keep the costs down (although I am not too worried about this aspect)
Any experience, tips or anything else you deem good information would be great to hear!
Thank you to all,
Mitch
3 Answers
Ben Jakuben
Treehouse TeacherHey Mitch Little ! First off, congrats on completing the Beginner iOS track! 
If it helps, think of the Techdegree as the track experience with additional help and project work. You can certainly learn everything through the track process, and no matter what I think it's really rewarding for students. The Techdegree, however, is a higher level of commitment and engagement. The goal of the Techdegree is to be more intensive and effective for people who have a goal in mind and want the extra structure and work to build a portfolio.
That's one of the key features of the Techdegree: building a strong portfolio of projects that cement your learning and are really important to getting a job. If you've finished the first track, then you will have no trouble working through the first few projects. Related to this, connecting with other students in our Techdegree Slack channel is helpful and rewarding and can supplement the learning process very nicely.
While the cost is quite a bit higher than a regular subscription, it's worth it for certain people. I know in my own experience that I needed a little extra structure and risk to complete my learning!
If you decide to try out the Techdegree, you can of course pause that enrollment and fall back to your regular subscription to resume learning via the tracks.
No matter what you choose, we're here to help! Keep us posted about what's working for you, what you need help with, and where we can improve.
Jeff McDivitt
23,970 PointsHi Mitch -
Are you doing this just for a hobby or are you hoping to turn this into a career? I would suggest to look up on your own the concepts that you don't understand to really practice them and get them cemented in. I am not sure what the tech degree covers as far as projects go, but I would suggest going through the intermediate course and then going back to the tech degree to brush up on the skills you learned.
Mitch Little
11,870 PointsThanks for your reply Jeff!
I am in this for the long run, and would like to take it further to a career. By the content I haven't learned, I mean content that hasn't actually been covered yet. I am currently in the process cementing what I have already learned before taking on any more material.
Yes I think I will use the Techdegree as you said.
Thank you,
Mitch