Photo of a review of Mode tutorials as a data science resource

A Review of the Mode Tutorials

Hi, I’m Olga! I have years of experience in data science, most recently at eBay and now I work as an industry mentor at Pathrise, helping data scientists land a great role through technical workshops and 1-on-1s. Check out my review of the Mode tutorials.

What do the Mode tutorials do?

A data analytics company, Mode offers a number of resources for data scientists, including free tutorials that teach SQL and Python. Their courses feature a mix of code walkthroughs (with illustrations), readings, and hands-on projects. Those who complete the tutorials learn how to use Python and SQL, in conjunction with the free Mode platform, to conduct business analysis with real-world data.

For Python, they offer 9 lessons that cover the basics, as well as more advanced topics. These lessons include dataframes, visualizing data, building functions, and more. Their offerings in SQL are more extensive. They have 15 lessons in the basic level, 20 in the intermediate course, and 8 lessons in the advanced course. In addition, they offer 8 lessons that cover SQL analytics training. These courses teach users how to use SQL to investigate user engagement, understand search functionality, validate A/B test results, and more. Users can pick and choose which lessons to take. This allows them to focus on specific topics and skip over others. 

Photo of Mode tutorials as a data science resource

 

Who are the Mode tutorials for?

Current and aspiring data scientists can benefit from the tutorials offered by Mode. While beginners can learn the basics, intermediate and advanced data scientists can further their knowledge on new topics.

What do the Mode tutorials cost? How much work is involved?

The Python and SQL courses from Mode are free. To join, users need to access the Mode platform.

Ratings and reviews

In general, reviewers praise the Mode tutorials as an effective tool for learning Python and SQL. “Towards Data Science” listed Mode as one of the 6 best niche platforms to learn SQL and Python.

Users on this Reddit thread recommended the Mode tutorials as one of the “best options to learn SQL” for free. According to a user on the forum for Y Cominbator, “Mode’s SQL tutorial is the best comprehensive introduction to the language that I’ve come across. If you go through all of it you can get zero knowledge to 95% of the SQL skills you need as a data analyst.” G2 reviewers similarly benefited from the tutorials, with one user describing them as “beginner friendly.” 

One Reddit user enjoyed the tutorials, stating “It’s been one of the best resources I’ve come across. Very easy to understand explanations, examples, and problems to learn from and give you confidence.”

Responding to the post, another user said that he took the Mode SQL tutorials before interviewing for a data analyst role at a Fortune 500 firm and said, “I’m not sure if I would have passed the technical round that involved some pretty heavy SQL without Mode, as I’d never learned SQL at school.”

Alternatives to the Mode tutorials

If you decide not to use the Mode tutorials, there are a number of alternative resources and bootcamps that teach data science skills.

  • Metis has part-time introduction courses as well as onsite & online bootcamp options. Learn more about Metis in our review.
  • edX is one of the largest online learning platforms. They have courses from top universities like Harvard and MIT as well as big tech companies like Microsoft. Learn more about edX in our review.
  • If you prefer courses rather than bootcamps, you can check out Udacity and Springboard, which are platforms that students can use to brush up on the basics or advance their current tech skills. Read more about Udacity and Springboard in our reviews.
  • Similarly, Coursera and Udemy are learning tools with a variety of courses in data science and other topics.
  • In addition, Codecademy is one of the most popular coding programs online. They provide free courses on many different programming languages. Learn more about Codecademy in our review.
  • A free online resource, SoloLearn has a track in SQL, as well as other programming languages. 
More alternatives

How do the Mode tutorials compare to Pathrise?

The Mode tutorials are useful tools for aspiring and current data scientists who are looking to learn SQL or Python from scratch or advance their current knowledge of these languages. However, Mode does not provide live instruction, mentorship, or job-seeking guidance of any kind. 

Pathrise is a full service organization that works with data scientists on each step of their job search through workshops & 1-on-1 mentorship. Our mentors have years of experience on both sides of the hiring table and fellows in the program are supported through career and industry-specific curriculums, including resume & portfolio building, behavioral interview preparation, technical concepts and interview practice, salary negotiation, and more. 

Furthering technical skills is a crucial component of landing a job as a data scientist, so fellows in our program can use the Mode tutorials, in conjunction with our technical workshops, to advance their data science skills.

Pathrise is a career accelerator that works with students and professionals 1-on-1 so they can land their dream job in tech. With our tips and guidance, we’ve seen our fellows interview scores double.

If you are interested in optimizing your job search by working 1-on-1 with a mentor, become a Pathrise fellow. 

Apply today.

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Alex MacPherson

Hi I'm Alex! Since graduating from UC Berkeley in 2019, I have worked on the growth team for Pathrise helping job seekers hone their skills to land their dream role through curated content on interview prep, resume building and more.

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