Miriam Webster defines effort as conscious exertion of power: hard work

If you want to learn Drupal, you need to put forth some effort, and if you want to do it properly, get ready to exert some power for months, not days.  People ask us all the time if they can get a job right out of our Drupal Career Online program. The truth is, it depends on how much hard work you put in to get out ready enough for an internship or junior position. Whether it’s Drupal or anything else, learning something and being able to apply it well depends on how much you absorb and practice, both of which are best done over time.

Last summer, James Dennin wrote an insightful piece of advice for those seeking careers in coding for Fusion.net. It touches on a lot of the same issues with bootcamps that we have heard about for years from students who come to DrupalEasy Academy after disappointing experiences. While we don’t like to throw barbs, we like less the sad stories of lost dollars and time in unguided crash courses where people are seated in a room, immersed in videos and teamed with other, non-skilled newbies on trying learn Drupal. A 5- or 10-day whirlwind of information overload is seldom a successful learning experience.

Becoming proficient in Drupal is no cakewalk; it includes amassing knowledge, learning best practices and developing skills as part of a challenging learning process, whatever your process may include. Education experts recognize as many as seven different styles of learning, including:  Visual, Aural, Verbal, Physical, Logical, Social and Solitary. Most people find a combination works best. For anyone, regardless of the learning style; taking the time to really soak it in and get some hands on experience is key. The bottom line is that Drupal takes time and practice.

For those who do well on the solitary route, Build-a-Module, which routinely supports students and alumni of our career training program, has a solid, comprehensive library of instructional videos that you can take your time to work through with a modest monthly subscription.  You can also check out Drupalize.me.

For those who learn better with a formal course or need to train-up a team; our Drupal Career Online program uses live instruction; a stackable-skill designed curriculum; practical exercises; and group learning.  We also provide resources like lesson guides, screencasts for every lesson, and help when you need it. In addition to all the great feedback we get from our students and all the great graduate case studies, we ensure our program meets accepted educational standards as a career program, so we go through an annual review to ensure we remain a licensed, post-secondary institution through the Florida Department of Education, Commission for Independent Education (see page 21 of the linked PDF.)  

We are committed to Drupal and developing awesome Drupal talent, which is why we cringe when we hear about drinking-out-of-the-firehose learning scenarios. It is also why we have been perfecting our course (yes even making it longer) over the past 6 years. Best practices and allowing students the time to soak up what they’ve learned, along with hands-on projects and expert-developer instruction are fundamental elements of Drupal Career Online. It includes 84 hours of live, online instruction over 12 weeks as part of the learning community of current students and alumni. The course covers practical projects and assignments, and includes 12 co-working labs and instructor office hours, which are available to current students and alumni every week. The Spring 2017 session begins March 13, with the deadline to apply March 6.  

For most, learning anything, especially Drupal, is a process that takes an investment of time and effort, not just from the students, but from those who endeavor to help them learn.  Don’t cheat yourself and risk wasted time by trying to save time. Whatever learning styles work for you, make sure you take the time and put in the effort to follow a logical path that builds knowledge and helps you get comfortable with key skills in the way that ensures your hard work leads to your ultimate success.

For more resources about becoming a Drupal developer, take a look at our Career Resources.  To learn more about our upcoming Drupal Career Online Spring session, sign up for one of our free Taste of Drupal online information sessions in February.

take your time concept clock Photos by Pond5