See below for Classroom FAQs for the BSF Digital Scholarship Program
What is the duration of the program?
- The program is designed to run from May 10, 2023 until August 09, 2023. However, it is important to note that the program is self-paced and you can finish it in less than the designed duration if you are willing and able to do so.
How many hours a week should I expect to spend on my coursework in order to finish on time?
- Between instructional content, quizzes, projects, and other course-related activities, we recommend allocating 10-15 hours a week for learning.
I feel lost after accessing my classroom, is there any guide to help me?
- Please watch this tutorial video that will help to get you familiar with your classroom.
What is the role of the Session Lead and how can I know who my session leader is?
- Your Session Lead is there to help you successfully progress through your track from enrollment straight through to graduation. The Session Lead is the person who will be conducting your periodic connect sessions. They will answer your questions, help you overcome any technical challenges, point you to helpful resources and give you guidance to complete the program successfully. Once you are enrolled in your track, you will receive an email informing you about your Session Lead. You can also know more about your Session Lead, among other session details, from your classroom.
What happens during a Udacity Connect session, and what are the goals?
- Udacity Connect sessions are focused on delivering three key benefits:
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- Collaboration: You'll have the opportunity to work with your Session Lead and peers to complete projects, overcome challenges, and master new concepts.
- Accountability: You'll benefit from check-ins with your Session Lead, who will help you with goal-setting, time management, and motivation.
- Efficiency: By attending your connect sessions and spending around 10 - 15 hours per week on your independent study, you will successfully complete your track just in time.
I have missed a connect session, what should I do?
- You must reach out to your session lead in advance on Slack to inform him or her that you will not be able to attend your session, as the Session Lead is responsible to track your attendance. If you have already missed your connect session, please reach out to your Session Lead immediately with a clear explanation of why you did so and why you were not able to inform him/her of this in advance of the session. The Periodic connect sessions are very important and are considered one of the main pillars of the program. Missing sessions might cause you to fall behind and could put your enrollment in jeopardy. Connect Sessions are not mandatory, but strongly encouraged and participation is monitored.
How often do Udacity Connect sessions take place?
- Udacity Connect Sessions will take place on the same day and time periodically. Attending Connect Sessions is a mandatory part of participating in the program and failure to keep up with attendance will put you at risk of losing your Nanodegree. The exact timing for your weekly sessions will be shared with you at the beginning of your track via email and will also be available on your classroom home page on your classroom card.
What is the duration of each session?
- Your session will be 2 hours long.
What should I be ready with for a Udacity Connect session?
- Prepare your own laptop, headphones, power cord, and whatever else you find helpful. Also, please make sure your internet connectivity is stable and strong to be able to attend the session with no problems.
If I need support with my projects or content, who can I reach out to?
- You can always reach out to your Session lead on Slack. They can answer your questions, point you to helpful resources, and give you guidance to complete the program successfully. Your Session Lead is there to help you successfully navigate your Nanodegree straight through from enrollment to graduation.
What do you mean by the "Slack Student Community?"
- Once you are enrolled, you will be given access to the student Slack Community specific to this program. You will receive your Slack invitation via email once you are enrolled. This enables you to connect directly with your classmates in real-time; all Udacity students regularly use these forums to support each other's work, answer each other's questions, and share relevant ideas and resources. Also, the community team will be available to answer your non-technical questions. Students who are active in our Slack community tend to submit projects before the deadline and graduate on time so we highly encourage you to join the conversation and contribute to our vibrant community.
How can I use Slack to be able to post my technical questions?
- Once you are enrolled, you will receive an email invitation to your Slack Channel - please follow the link and instructions to register. If you need to learn how to use Slack, you can watch this tutorial video. We recommend reading the guidelines for Slack. You can also download the app on your mobile phone to stay updated! It is available on both the App Store and Google Play!
How do project reviews work in the Nanodegree Program?
- Every time you submit a project, you will receive personalized feedback on your project submission from one of our expert human project reviewers. They will not only tell you what you got right and wrong but they will also provide some guidance on what you should try next and give suggestions on how you can go even further with your project. Once your review is ready, you will get an email notification which you can follow to the review.
- There are three results for the review:
- Meets Specifications: This means you passed your project as you met all requirements.
- Requires Changes: This means that you failed your project. However, the reviewer will highlight which part that requires to be edited so that you pass the project on to your next submission. You can resubmit your project again after editing it through your classroom.
- Ungradeable: This means that the reviewer was not able to grade your project. This could be because you either submitted the wrong files or the files submitted can not be opened because they are in an unsupported format. You can resubmit your project again from your classroom after addressing these issues.
What is plagiarism?
- Plagiarism is any act claiming or implying another person’s work is your own project, we advise you to avoid Plagiarism ”Cheating”, do not copy the code, or part of the code, or use any cut and paste mechanisms verbatim, learn more about Plagiarism by clicking on this link.
How do I maintain my seat in the program?
- Make sure to follow the program schedule presented in your classroom and you will be well on your way to graduating from your Nanodegree Program on time. However, if you do not make sufficient progress within the first 3 weeks of your program, you risk being "Revoked", or removed, from the program. The criteria you must meet in order to avoid being revoked include submitting one project or completing the lessons as per your weekly schedule
Can I participate again if I failed to graduate on time?
- Students who fail to graduate will not be able to participate again. Individuals are only eligible for one Nanodegree Program across the duration of this program. As such, make sure to sign up only if you are willing and able to commit to learning and graduating within the allotted timeframe of the program.
Will I have access to the material of my Nanodegree after I finish it successfully?
- Yes, you will have indefinite static access to the content after you graduate from your Nanodegree. Static access will include classroom content that will not be updated over time. Such access will not include access to projects that were not previously submitted, as well as certain services, such as community channels, project reviews, workspaces, labs, or quizzes. Also, please note that learners will lose access to the content if they fail to finish within the Nanoderee's deadline.
