Thank you for sharing your honest commentary and opinion. I watched your video because my 11-year-old son was looking at possibly signing up for a class. He's pretty smart, but I think he is more of a beginner, but he loves Mark Rober videos. I do appreciate that you said it is not for beginners, but that is not a bad thing either. Thanks for you and for your update that Mark Rober commented on your final project. That project with the CDs looks really awesome.......maybe we will look into building one.
Did you find a beginner's course for your son? My 12 year old is in the same situation. He dreams of becoming an engineer someday and I was thinking about this course, but it does seem too advanced for him.
Thank you! Honestly, I was debating getting the class just because of the price. After watching your video I come to realize that the class is probably not worth it for me just because as you said the price is because of the popularity of the instructor and you might find something just as beneficial. Mark does inspire me and I do want to learn more, but maybe I should explore more on my own and motivate my creativity and engineering more independently rather than seek that through an expensive class.
I hate to talk someone out of doing something, but if your goal is to learn engineering principles and how to make projects, you can find cheap options. If you want to watch videos about how Mark Rober does those things, then you have to spend the money.
@@MakerAtPlay Hey is there anything out there that you recommend? I have an EE degree but little experience with coming up with ideas and creating things but it is something I want to do more of
@@WhoOnEarthAreYou I have not taken a lot of online class, but I currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good plus is on $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
@@WhoOnEarthAreYou Mark does say in his class that not having the experience is common. The willingness to try and fail is how you get that experience. I'm paraphrasing of course. I'm glad Maker At Play recommended Paul McWhorter. His New Arduino Tutorials playlist is excellent. I've gone through a little over 40 of those videos. It gave me the skills I needed to build some projects. I think honestly just looking up projects and building them helps. I've been on this approach for a little while and am continually building more complex things.
@@MakerAtPlay I would say you didn't talk someone out of doing something, just gave them more info to make their own choice. You had great reasons for your opinion and sometimes that is the type of thing I look for before I do or purchase something.
I appreciate the candor. I signed up my son and have been totally stoked. Now I know better what to expect because I, like you, thought this would play out differently. I likely would not have knowing what you know now, but I also know that you get what you put into it. Thanks again!
A year later, I am following in your footsteps. An advertisement on RUclips told me about the class and I gave it to myself for Christmas. As of this writing, we just completed section two and I need to dig into section three tonight. I wish I had found your video before I signed up. Yes, I probably still would have signed up anyway, but it would have been nice to have the info going in. My problem with the class has been time. I don't have enough of it. I'm pretty good with Arduino stuff already, but the mechanical stuff was what I wanted. So the first project I bit off more than I could chew and did not have enough time for the prototype and build and had to give up on it. For section two, I went in with what I thought was the right level of expectations. Some stuff I knew how to do married to stuff I didn't. I spent over eight hours total on the build process and still couldn't get it to work right. I thought it was fitting that his section two videos had a lot of cuts with a voiceover of "MANY HOURS LATER." So now I'm 0 for 2. For this next project, I plan to start with EVERY requirement in the non-essential list besides core functionality and only after that, consider bringing in more. Is it worth it? I'm not sure. And if it weren't a Christmas gift, I'd never have done it. And now that it's a year later, Mark seems even less connected to the class, which is sad, but not unexpected. I know that tweaking the class would be a huge undertaking, but if it were up to me, I'd drop the whole thing down to one or MAYBE two builds as ten days is not enough for one if you have anything else in your life besides this.
Great to hear your take on Mark Rober's Class. I am looking for some interesting online classes but don't want to pay too much. Looks like I need to find some other stepping stones before I would take this class. Also, thanks for the tips on other learning websites, Skillshare and Masterclass. Keep up the good work. Subscribed!
I'm in the June-July 2021 class, just wrapped up the first project yesterday, started the second today. From the clips you had from your class, it appears that at least some of the content I'm now getting is exactly the same, maybe a few edits here and there. No complaints about that, just good to know not to take again and expect a fresh perspective or set of projects. As a fairly experienced tinkerer myself, I agree with your value assessments. So far, there haven't been any major "aha" moments for me from a technical perspective. However, learning how he works the creative side is helping me a bunch as is seeing the various project ideas in my peer group. I've already thought outside the box on my second project, not sure I can make it work in the allotted time, but I'm not sure I would have continued thinking of alternatives to my first solid idea (which will work and will be my fallback), so I guess it is already helping. I'm hoping that the third part of the class helps me with Fusion 360; I've struggled trying to learn and use it, although from a woodworking/CNC perspective. Is the class worth the cost and time to me? Yes. I've enjoyed it so far. I've improved my ability a bit to think creatively and consider alternative approaches, areas where I struggle a bit. I have one project functional, although if want to actually use it I'll need to make a refined version 3. The second project is something I'm excited about and, assuming I continue on with after the class through a technical iteration or two and then some nice woodworking to house it, will be a nice centerpiece project.
I'm glad to see your video. I just finished project 1 in the course and am experiencing pretty much exactly what you described. I suspected Mark had a few classes running at once...I had no idea there were 5000+ students. How did you find out there were that many students? It makes me curious how many are running right now for this session. Like you I still don't regret taking it. I am enjoying the videos. $249 was a little steep for the class. I'm going into this with a lot of Arduino experience. So Project 2 will be interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience.
You're welcome. Looking at the API data for projects one, two, and three used to populate the projects gallery screen ( monthly.com/mark-rober-engineering/student-gallery ) back in February, I saw 4,328 unique user names in project one, 3,321 in project two, and 1,679 in project three. Not everyone submitted a project in section one. I know as I didn't and my name didn't appear in the 4,328. So it is safe to say more than that was in the class, and you can see how the participation dropped for each section.
@@MakerAtPlay Thank you for explaining that. It makes me curious how many are in the current class. I clicked your link and it just took me to the Monthly home page. I even tried logging into my Monthly account and it wouldn't take me elsewhere. I'll have to see if this student gallery opens up at the end of the class. Because I don't currently see a student gallery.
@@JonathanDeWitt1988 I think I pasted the link wrong. This link should work even if you are not logged in: monthly.com/mark-rober-engineering/student-gallery
Fully agree with the commentary. Go into with the expectation that monthly will put you with children and all responses are by your peers. Mark's info is great and worth the money if it's disposable income, just don't expect help from a teacher or peer. If we are adults, it is our job to do this. That being said, monthly itself is joke. I definitely don't think they should make any money for the services they offer (i.e. except maybe a 5 dollar per customer charge for running a server). I asked some basic questions to their support team and some annoyances with their system......what a mistake that was. They have no clue about their own programming so took extra time to walk them through their problem. I found their support to be rude, which is frustrating because I am a singer/song writer who would have taken the other classes. Finally, remember, someone helped us along the way, so if you're in a peer group be sure to help the young ones regardless of whether noone comments on our stuff : ) Yes, we adults like the recognition too. Perhaps we need to create forums such as this gentleman to do exactly that (wink).
Cool binary clock in the background! As for the course I think a month is too short to teach ME or EE to the level where you could make projects similar to his.
Thanks. The clock was a gift from my wife. I agree, the course was just to expose you to the concepts and ideas. Not enough time to really teach you a lot.
Thanks for your review. I was going to sign up for it until you mentioned the peer groups. I like working solo so I realize this course isn't for me. However I have subscribed to two of your channels so you have some more bragging rights!
The peer groups are not very interactive. You work solo, then post to the group, but interaction is VERY LOW. Most people leave very few comments. And most of the feedback isn't very useful. It is more "This is cool! Look forward to seeing the end result."
I thought based on the advertising , or just assumed based on the cost, that there would be "lab techs" giving feedback and helping individuals out and that the supervisors would be overseen by Mark.
I love my babies and wanted to enroll both of them one age 6 and one age 10. Both homeschooling and just can't afford to pay high cost for popularity 😔. Wish it was more affordable for the low income kids so they can thrive and experience it
I enjoyed your video. I will be taking the class in 6 days. I am hoping I can learn some engineering principles I can share with members of my STEM club. I am starting a non profit club to encourage families with kids in elementary school to have an interest is STEM. I you would like to see some of my videos it's prodigy STEM on the search bar. I don't know any programing I took pascal, basic and fortran in the 80s. My son is a program engineer, but not much help. So thanks for the heads up.
Thanks. Good luck with the class. I hope you enjoy. Here is a subreddit someone created for the last class r/DoCreativeEngineering/ and there is discord called "Mark Rober Monthly Peers" that you might want to check out. I look forward to see some of your videos.
Thank you so much for the review! Just wondering, Mark's class not being a class for beginners, what prerequisites would you recommend before one could get into it? And what sort of equipment or what kind of maker space access do you think one should have in order to be able to build the projects covered? Thanks!
Strict but fair. I suppose the aspect that really works is igniting the spark and boosting motivation. For people who are already deep in the trenches that might not be what they are looking for. Having taken Ramit Sethi's "Zero To Launch" Course, I think that the advertising is unfortunate. Selling should be more of an elimination process with better targeting. There would be a lot less "I am a poor kid that can't afford taking the course" complaints on Twitter ... fewer people who realize too late that the costs spiral out of control or that what they have in mind is too hard to pull off. My summary is comparable. I also enjoyed commenting and helping people most, but I also got something out of the motivational aspects. I now have ambitions and plans that I wouldn't have dared to dream of months ago.
At the same time it feels disappointing to give actionable feedback and receiving nothing back... In terms of content, it's definitely a beginner's class, in terms of the projects, it's poorly planned for any level as many people can't receive the materials they order in time to finish the projects. I honestly can't recommend the class further, as there are many better options to learn the material and interact with others. I'm disappointed that I was a guinea pig for a start-up that has little idea what they're doing...
@Andreas Thiel: Good points. I meant to say something in my review about the boost in motivation to do a project. It did motivate me to complete the project I did in a couple of days instead taking weeks like I normally would. And selected targeting would make it better. There was at least one 6 year old in my peer group. Not exactly sure that kid got anything from the class as I never saw them post anything.
@@davinderc Valid points as well. I agree that I wouldn't call this a class for advanced users, but hard to call it a beginner class either as it doesn't really give enough detail in technical videos for a total beginner to get started. But when Mark talks about the over all engineering process he does try to make it very simple to follow it. I saw someone else comment about how the videos were too long. I agreed with that as well, instead of sitting through 3 hours of videos in one day, they should have been 20-30 minutes over a couple days. Even a 5 minute check in video by Mark each day would have made the class more enjoyable.
Thanks for this video. I was seriously thinking of taking Mark's course, but... $250 for some canned videos and interactions with other students, some of whom don't even show up? No thanks. I love Mark Rober's videos, but this course sounds like it should go for a lot less money.
Dear "Mr. MakerAtPlay", Thanks for your review. I have signed up for Mark's first course and now feel like I know a little more about what to and not to expect from it. I hope you can help answer some questions I have about the course. 1. My last programming experience was Fortran 4, a college course taken in 1970! (I assume punch cards are no longer needed) I have a brand new in-the-box Arduino and have watched several videos as to what it is and how to use it but I still, obviously, am a complete novice. Can you recommend a decent book or website that can explain coding? I have looked online and gotten some good hints but the coding explanations are still puzzling.
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good plus is on $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
Also, I highly recommend not to do voice-overs unless you are using B-role in your videos. And tripods are great but try using different shots to make it more interesting. If you need an example just look up any car commercial those are always a good start.
My disappointment as a Maker is that I am trying to encourage people to become a maker and one of the biggest influencers is charging such a high price. Don't get me wrong Mark is awesome and should get payed for his work as everyone should. People wanting to start making and can't afford tools let alone 250$ for a class is a bit much imho.
Hey I took the class about a half year ago and got too busy to finish, but I've been google searching for the sites she shared for finding parts and its been driving me nuts
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I am currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good, plus is only $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I am currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good, plus is only $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
Could you help me out with a electric go kart build I just don’t know what size controller I need to fit my motor and what kind of batteries are going to be needed for approximately 30 mins of use. I would appreciate any feedback or direction on where I can learn this information
ty I really missed out in my youth taking these types of programs... I need a beginner I have ZERO clue but HUGE desire to learn. Can you reccomeed a course online that will teach me. I once fried a hard drive because I plugged the wrong power source.. I'm now on a mission to get a clue!
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good plus is on $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
I just signed up for it last night. Wish I would have seen this first. While this can benefit those newer to engineering, I think this is just another cash grab. Sad. I wasn't sure that I would really learn anything from this class, but now I'm sure I won't, or at least not anything that I could learn for free. Unfortunate.
I agree the class was fun but a bit disappointing for me when I didn't get commented by Mark Robber. I did however like the arduino part because I am a novice so it was very informative to me.
My daughter wants to be a Mechanical Engineer. She is getting ready to go to college and I want her to take a beginner class this Spring/Summer just to get a small sample of what Mechanical engineering and engineering in general is all about. Do you recommend any beginner courses?
That's awesome. My son just finished his first year at college and is studying to be a Mechanical Engineer. Unfortunately I don't know any classes to suggest.
Hopefully you won't annoy your family with my added subscription, but at least to let them know. I know aspects of coding but how much Arduino code do I need to know? Are the peer groups international? I'm in Cyprus for example which is GMT+2 hours. Will check your video for the cd too
Thanks for the sub. You come up with your own projects so it is up to you on how much Arduino coding you want to do. The peer groups are international. There is no live chat, so you don't have to worry too much about time zone.
With a 10 minute video I learn some coding basics that are powerful enough to make about anything. The video is in Spanish but I can tell you with this basics is enough. Learn about 3 types of variables Int, float and Boolean Loops While loop and for loop If statement Basic math with variables Functions and returns And you can do about anything with just that and use the lenguaje documentation for Arduino just type Arduino docs in Google
Thanks for the great insight, I just signed up my kids for this class and am now thinking about a refund as we are all beginners and my kids really thought they would interact with Mark. One question - It says 5-10 hours a week and we are planning an hour a day, is that enough or is it really more time needed?
There will be a few days where you need to watch a couple hours of videos. And it depends on exactly how much time you want to spend on each of your three project builds. To stay on the class schedule, I don't think you can expect to spend a max of an hour on some days. But there are other days you don't have to spend any time. One key deadline you want to meet to get the most out of the class and your peer group (and increase you chance of getting feedback from Mark) is to submit your project for Peer review at the end of the three sections. When you submit it, the Monthly software will pair you with 3 others in your peer group and require them to provide you feedback, as you will also be required to provide feedback on three projects. And it is this step that also adds you project to the gallery and that is where Mark appeared to comment on the projects.
You can annoy your family with subscriber count update ....refresh...yeah that's me ... anyway, Thank-you for the really deep review. I'll stick with NASA's free website.
@@MakerAtPlay That like 250 + hundreds of dollar for the material. Yeah it is definitely not worth it. Also don’t get why he really need 250 in the first place unless it just use to like limit the amount of people so he can comment.
I'm right in the middle of the current class, and trying to get up to speed with Arduino and basically failing. This class would be a lot more fun if I knew my way around Arduinos. OTOH, I can get the Arduino to do simple things, and seeing Mark's process is quite informative. It's a little annoying how easy he makes it all look, though. I can see why so many people drop out.
This is the kit that I have used. ELEGOO Arduino UNO Project Super Starter Kit amzn.to/3oODKdk But you can search for others that might more or less sensors for different prices.
Mark has one video on using Fusion 360, but this class is not about cad modeling. If you want to learn cad, I would start with Lars Christensen RUclips channel ruclips.net/user/cadcamstuff
If you knew the story of the Monthly founder, you would never give them any money - this is the exact gimmicky stuff he was known before starting Monthly
I am interested in learning more. Do you have a reference to the story? And are referring to Valentin Perez or Max Deutsch or both? Not sure I would call Monthly gimmicky, given that Maker Rober is well known and many seem to enjoy and get value out of his class. Casey Neistat just announced that he has a Monthly class starting in January and I am really thinking about taking it as I would love to learn more about how it makes his videos. ruclips.net/video/UVA8pPxOPk4/видео.html
@@MakerAtPlay Max, The 'serial learner'. He is a running joke of the chess world after thinking he could learn chess in a month (while developing an algorithm that would solve chess). So ridiculous that is hard to explain. Look it up. That is where the origin of the name Monthly and why he has a reputation for being a gimmick. I love Casey, but that just looks like another cash grab so he can maintain his semi-retired life style.
He had the goal of playing against the Magnus Carlsen app, but the WSJ called him on his bluff - ruclips.net/video/MFNv-FJFGTg/видео.html. He his good at making money, not trying to take that away from him.
Ha ha. You noticed. Because I wrote a script for this video and didn't have a teleprompter yet so I could read it and keep eye contact with the camera. And I was too lazy to memorize it. So I just stared at the camera and pretended to be saying the script and then dubbed over the audio of me reading the script off camera. Little did I know that the video I put the least effort into would become my most viewed video. Had I known, I would have put more effort into the video quality. 🤷
Update 3/11/2021: Achievement unlocked! MARK ROBER commented on the video of my final project: ruclips.net/video/isom4NREq14/видео.html
That is awesome!
Thats cool fam
Thank you for sharing your honest commentary and opinion. I watched your video because my 11-year-old son was looking at possibly signing up for a class. He's pretty smart, but I think he is more of a beginner, but he loves Mark Rober videos. I do appreciate that you said it is not for beginners, but that is not a bad thing either. Thanks for you and for your update that Mark Rober commented on your final project. That project with the CDs looks really awesome.......maybe we will look into building one.
Thanks for the comment. I hope you do build your own.
Did you find a beginner's course for your son? My 12 year old is in the same situation. He dreams of becoming an engineer someday and I was thinking about this course, but it does seem too advanced for him.
Thank you! Honestly, I was debating getting the class just because of the price. After watching your video I come to realize that the class is probably not worth it for me just because as you said the price is because of the popularity of the instructor and you might find something just as beneficial. Mark does inspire me and I do want to learn more, but maybe I should explore more on my own and motivate my creativity and engineering more independently rather than seek that through an expensive class.
I hate to talk someone out of doing something, but if your goal is to learn engineering principles and how to make projects, you can find cheap options. If you want to watch videos about how Mark Rober does those things, then you have to spend the money.
@@MakerAtPlay Hey is there anything out there that you recommend? I have an EE degree but little experience with coming up with ideas and creating things but it is something I want to do more of
@@WhoOnEarthAreYou I have not taken a lot of online class, but I currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good plus is on $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
@@WhoOnEarthAreYou Mark does say in his class that not having the experience is common. The willingness to try and fail is how you get that experience. I'm paraphrasing of course. I'm glad Maker At Play recommended Paul McWhorter. His New Arduino Tutorials playlist is excellent. I've gone through a little over 40 of those videos. It gave me the skills I needed to build some projects. I think honestly just looking up projects and building them helps. I've been on this approach for a little while and am continually building more complex things.
@@MakerAtPlay I would say you didn't talk someone out of doing something, just gave them more info to make their own choice. You had great reasons for your opinion and sometimes that is the type of thing I look for before I do or purchase something.
I appreciate the candor. I signed up my son and have been totally stoked. Now I know better what to expect because I, like you, thought this would play out differently. I likely would not have knowing what you know now, but I also know that you get what you put into it. Thanks again!
I did enjoy the class, but it is all about expectations and you get out of it what you put into it.
Im curious- how did it turn out? Did your son enjoy it?
A year later, I am following in your footsteps. An advertisement on RUclips told me about the class and I gave it to myself for Christmas. As of this writing, we just completed section two and I need to dig into section three tonight.
I wish I had found your video before I signed up. Yes, I probably still would have signed up anyway, but it would have been nice to have the info going in.
My problem with the class has been time. I don't have enough of it. I'm pretty good with Arduino stuff already, but the mechanical stuff was what I wanted. So the first project I bit off more than I could chew and did not have enough time for the prototype and build and had to give up on it.
For section two, I went in with what I thought was the right level of expectations. Some stuff I knew how to do married to stuff I didn't. I spent over eight hours total on the build process and still couldn't get it to work right. I thought it was fitting that his section two videos had a lot of cuts with a voiceover of "MANY HOURS LATER." So now I'm 0 for 2.
For this next project, I plan to start with EVERY requirement in the non-essential list besides core functionality and only after that, consider bringing in more.
Is it worth it? I'm not sure. And if it weren't a Christmas gift, I'd never have done it. And now that it's a year later, Mark seems even less connected to the class, which is sad, but not unexpected.
I know that tweaking the class would be a huge undertaking, but if it were up to me, I'd drop the whole thing down to one or MAYBE two builds as ten days is not enough for one if you have anything else in your life besides this.
Thanks for sharing.
If your life is that busy, you need to rethink what you spend your time on.
Great to hear your take on Mark Rober's Class. I am looking for some interesting online classes but don't want to pay too much.
Looks like I need to find some other stepping stones before I would take this class. Also, thanks for the tips on other learning websites, Skillshare and Masterclass.
Keep up the good work. Subscribed!
Thanks
Very insightful comments! I appreciate your perspective on the entirety of the class. Great video! :)
Thanks
I really appreciate this review. I was considering buying a course for my nephew, but I think now I will look elsewhere.
Glad it was helpful!
I'm in the June-July 2021 class, just wrapped up the first project yesterday, started the second today. From the clips you had from your class, it appears that at least some of the content I'm now getting is exactly the same, maybe a few edits here and there. No complaints about that, just good to know not to take again and expect a fresh perspective or set of projects.
As a fairly experienced tinkerer myself, I agree with your value assessments. So far, there haven't been any major "aha" moments for me from a technical perspective. However, learning how he works the creative side is helping me a bunch as is seeing the various project ideas in my peer group. I've already thought outside the box on my second project, not sure I can make it work in the allotted time, but I'm not sure I would have continued thinking of alternatives to my first solid idea (which will work and will be my fallback), so I guess it is already helping. I'm hoping that the third part of the class helps me with Fusion 360; I've struggled trying to learn and use it, although from a woodworking/CNC perspective.
Is the class worth the cost and time to me? Yes. I've enjoyed it so far. I've improved my ability a bit to think creatively and consider alternative approaches, areas where I struggle a bit. I have one project functional, although if want to actually use it I'll need to make a refined version 3. The second project is something I'm excited about and, assuming I continue on with after the class through a technical iteration or two and then some nice woodworking to house it, will be a nice centerpiece project.
Glad to hear you are enjoying it. Sounds like your experience with the class is similar to mine. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the honest review. You might want to use Final Cut Pro for editing.
Thanks for the feedback.
I'm glad to see your video. I just finished project 1 in the course and am experiencing pretty much exactly what you described. I suspected Mark had a few classes running at once...I had no idea there were 5000+ students. How did you find out there were that many students? It makes me curious how many are running right now for this session.
Like you I still don't regret taking it. I am enjoying the videos. $249 was a little steep for the class. I'm going into this with a lot of Arduino experience. So Project 2 will be interesting. Thank you for sharing your experience.
You're welcome. Looking at the API data for projects one, two, and three used to populate the projects gallery screen ( monthly.com/mark-rober-engineering/student-gallery ) back in February, I saw 4,328 unique user names in project one, 3,321 in project two, and 1,679 in project three. Not everyone submitted a project in section one. I know as I didn't and my name didn't appear in the 4,328. So it is safe to say more than that was in the class, and you can see how the participation dropped for each section.
@@MakerAtPlay Thank you for explaining that. It makes me curious how many are in the current class. I clicked your link and it just took me to the Monthly home page. I even tried logging into my Monthly account and it wouldn't take me elsewhere. I'll have to see if this student gallery opens up at the end of the class. Because I don't currently see a student gallery.
@@JonathanDeWitt1988 I think I pasted the link wrong. This link should work even if you are not logged in: monthly.com/mark-rober-engineering/student-gallery
@@MakerAtPlay 5000 * 250 = $1,250,000. Really ?
thanks so much for the review, sharing and for helping your peer group!
You are welcome.
Fully agree with the commentary. Go into with the expectation that monthly will put you with children and all responses are by your peers. Mark's info is great and worth the money if it's disposable income, just don't expect help from a teacher or peer. If we are adults, it is our job to do this.
That being said, monthly itself is joke. I definitely don't think they should make any money for the services they offer (i.e. except maybe a 5 dollar per customer charge for running a server). I asked some basic questions to their support team and some annoyances with their system......what a mistake that was. They have no clue about their own programming so took extra time to walk them through their problem. I found their support to be rude, which is frustrating because I am a singer/song writer who would have taken the other classes.
Finally, remember, someone helped us along the way, so if you're in a peer group be sure to help the young ones regardless of whether noone comments on our stuff : ) Yes, we adults like the recognition too. Perhaps we need to create forums such as this gentleman to do exactly that (wink).
Thanks for sharing.
Thanks for the review! Solid and honest.
You're welcome.
Cool binary clock in the background! As for the course I think a month is too short to teach ME or EE to the level where you could make projects similar to his.
Thanks. The clock was a gift from my wife. I agree, the course was just to expose you to the concepts and ideas. Not enough time to really teach you a lot.
Thanks for your review, you covered all the info I was looking for in a concise and easy to understand way!
Much Appreciated!!!
Appreciate the feedback.
Thank you for the feedback. This was useful for decision.
Glad it was helpful!
Thanks for your review. I was going to sign up for it until you mentioned the peer groups. I like working solo so I realize this course isn't for me. However I have subscribed to two of your channels so you have some more bragging rights!
Thanks 😊
The peer groups are not very interactive. You work solo, then post to the group, but interaction is VERY LOW. Most people leave very few comments. And most of the feedback isn't very useful. It is more "This is cool! Look forward to seeing the end result."
I thought based on the advertising , or just assumed based on the cost, that there would be "lab techs" giving feedback and helping individuals out and that the supervisors would be overseen by Mark.
I think that would be a good thing.
I love my babies and wanted to enroll both of them one age 6 and one age 10. Both homeschooling and just can't afford to pay high cost for popularity 😔. Wish it was more affordable for the low income kids so they can thrive and experience it
I enjoyed your video. I will be taking the class in 6 days. I am hoping I can learn some engineering principles I can share with members of my STEM club. I am starting a non profit club to encourage families with kids in elementary school to have an interest is STEM. I you would like to see some of my videos it's prodigy STEM on the search bar. I don't know any programing I took pascal, basic and fortran in the 80s. My son is a program engineer, but not much help. So thanks for the heads up.
Thanks. Good luck with the class. I hope you enjoy. Here is a subreddit someone created for the last class r/DoCreativeEngineering/ and there is discord called "Mark Rober Monthly Peers" that you might want to check out. I look forward to see some of your videos.
that was the review i needed. thank you.
Glad to be helpful.
Thank you so much for the review! Just wondering, Mark's class not being a class for beginners, what prerequisites would you recommend before one could get into it? And what sort of equipment or what kind of maker space access do you think one should have in order to be able to build the projects covered? Thanks!
I think the biggest issue is such hands on modules wont be effective if its conducted virtually. U need to be face-to-face with Mark Rober himself
That would make the class much better, but also more expensive.
Strict but fair. I suppose the aspect that really works is igniting the spark and boosting motivation. For people who are already deep in the trenches that might not be what they are looking for. Having taken Ramit Sethi's "Zero To Launch" Course, I think that the advertising is unfortunate. Selling should be more of an elimination process with better targeting. There would be a lot less "I am a poor kid that can't afford taking the course" complaints on Twitter ... fewer people who realize too late that the costs spiral out of control or that what they have in mind is too hard to pull off. My summary is comparable. I also enjoyed commenting and helping people most, but I also got something out of the motivational aspects. I now have ambitions and plans that I wouldn't have dared to dream of months ago.
At the same time it feels disappointing to give actionable feedback and receiving nothing back... In terms of content, it's definitely a beginner's class, in terms of the projects, it's poorly planned for any level as many people can't receive the materials they order in time to finish the projects. I honestly can't recommend the class further, as there are many better options to learn the material and interact with others. I'm disappointed that I was a guinea pig for a start-up that has little idea what they're doing...
@Andreas Thiel: Good points. I meant to say something in my review about the boost in motivation to do a project. It did motivate me to complete the project I did in a couple of days instead taking weeks like I normally would. And selected targeting would make it better. There was at least one 6 year old in my peer group. Not exactly sure that kid got anything from the class as I never saw them post anything.
@@davinderc Valid points as well. I agree that I wouldn't call this a class for advanced users, but hard to call it a beginner class either as it doesn't really give enough detail in technical videos for a total beginner to get started. But when Mark talks about the over all engineering process he does try to make it very simple to follow it. I saw someone else comment about how the videos were too long. I agreed with that as well, instead of sitting through 3 hours of videos in one day, they should have been 20-30 minutes over a couple days. Even a 5 minute check in video by Mark each day would have made the class more enjoyable.
Thanks for this video. I was seriously thinking of taking Mark's course, but... $250 for some canned videos and interactions with other students, some of whom don't even show up? No thanks. I love Mark Rober's videos, but this course sounds like it should go for a lot less money.
You are welcome. I enjoyed the class, but there are better ways to spend $250 like buy a 3D printer.
Dear "Mr. MakerAtPlay",
Thanks for your review. I have signed up for Mark's first course and now feel like I know a little more about what to and not to expect from it. I hope you can help answer some questions I have about the course.
1. My last programming experience was Fortran 4, a college course taken in 1970! (I assume punch cards are no longer needed) I have a brand new in-the-box Arduino and have watched several videos as to what it is and how to use it but I still, obviously, am a complete novice. Can you recommend a decent book or website that can explain coding? I have looked online and gotten some good hints but the coding explanations are still puzzling.
This youtube channel has a lot of great videos on Ardunio ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
May I know What are a beginner class you recommend?
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good plus is on $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
Yeah you are absolutely right I took the class and it’s not worth the money but mark is good
Also, I highly recommend not to do voice-overs unless you are using B-role in your videos. And tripods are great but try using different shots to make it more interesting. If you need an example just look up any car commercial those are always a good start.
Thanks for the feedback. I am always working to improve my videos.
My disappointment as a Maker is that I am trying to encourage people to become a maker and one of the biggest influencers is charging such a high price. Don't get me wrong Mark is awesome and should get payed for his work as everyone should. People wanting to start making and can't afford tools let alone 250$ for a class is a bit much imho.
It is a lot to ask someone new to the hobby to pay. There are many free resources for people to learn about making.
Hey I took the class about a half year ago and got too busy to finish, but I've been google searching for the sites she shared for finding parts and its been driving me nuts
I can't seem to remember the name of the one that I think had a palm tree logo so if you know ore remember ide appreciate it immensely!
Here are the two he talks about in the videos www.mcmaster.com and www.pololu.com
@@MakerAtPlay thank you! For some reason its really difficult to find with minimal information on Google
At 6:15 you said it’s not a beginner class that you would start with. Where would you start?
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I am currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good, plus is only $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
Great video, and do you know any coding classes, or programming classes I could take?
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I am currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good, plus is only $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
Could you help me out with a electric go kart build I just don’t know what size controller I need to fit my motor and what kind of batteries are going to be needed for approximately 30 mins of use. I would appreciate any feedback or direction on where I can learn this information
ty I really missed out in my youth taking these types of programs... I need a beginner I have ZERO clue but HUGE desire to learn. Can you reccomeed a course online that will teach me. I once fried a hard drive because I plugged the wrong power source.. I'm now on a mission to get a clue!
I have not taken a lot of online class, but I currently taking this one www.udemy.com/course/esp32-for-arduino-makers/ and it seems good plus is on $12 right now. And this RUclips channel is great for Arduino beginners ruclips.net/user/mcwhorpj
What did you learn that you've incorporated yourself?
I did learn some new features of fusion 360 from watching the videos.
I just signed up for it last night. Wish I would have seen this first. While this can benefit those newer to engineering, I think this is just another cash grab. Sad. I wasn't sure that I would really learn anything from this class, but now I'm sure I won't, or at least not anything that I could learn for free. Unfortunate.
Thanks for sharing.
I agree the class was fun but a bit disappointing for me when I didn't get commented by Mark Robber. I did however like the arduino part because I am a novice so it was very informative to me.
Hope you keep build stuff with your new Arduino skills.
My daughter wants to be a Mechanical Engineer. She is getting ready to go to college and I want her to take a beginner class this Spring/Summer just to get a small sample of what Mechanical engineering and engineering in general is all about. Do you recommend any beginner courses?
That's awesome. My son just finished his first year at college and is studying to be a Mechanical Engineer. Unfortunately I don't know any classes to suggest.
Hopefully you won't annoy your family with my added subscription, but at least to let them know. I know aspects of coding but how much Arduino code do I need to know?
Are the peer groups international? I'm in Cyprus for example which is GMT+2 hours. Will check your video for the cd too
Thanks for the sub. You come up with your own projects so it is up to you on how much Arduino coding you want to do. The peer groups are international. There is no live chat, so you don't have to worry too much about time zone.
@@MakerAtPlay hopefully when I have a decent income I can do one.
With a 10 minute video I learn some coding basics that are powerful enough to make about anything. The video is in Spanish but I can tell you with this basics is enough.
Learn about 3 types of variables
Int, float and Boolean
Loops
While loop and for loop
If statement
Basic math with variables
Functions and returns
And you can do about anything with just that and use the lenguaje documentation for Arduino just type Arduino docs in Google
Thank you you deserve more subs
Thanks for the kind words.
Thanks for the great insight, I just signed up my kids for this class and am now thinking about a refund as we are all beginners and my kids really thought they would interact with Mark. One question - It says 5-10 hours a week and we are planning an hour a day, is that enough or is it really more time needed?
There will be a few days where you need to watch a couple hours of videos. And it depends on exactly how much time you want to spend on each of your three project builds. To stay on the class schedule, I don't think you can expect to spend a max of an hour on some days. But there are other days you don't have to spend any time. One key deadline you want to meet to get the most out of the class and your peer group (and increase you chance of getting feedback from Mark) is to submit your project for Peer review at the end of the three sections. When you submit it, the Monthly software will pair you with 3 others in your peer group and require them to provide you feedback, as you will also be required to provide feedback on three projects. And it is this step that also adds you project to the gallery and that is where Mark appeared to comment on the projects.
Here is a link to project gallery monthly.com/mark-rober-engineering/student-gallery
LOL love the intro
Thanks
His video on using what? CADstopper? Google doesn't know any such software.
Not sure I understand the question. The CAD software that Mark uses in the video is Autodesk Fusion 360.
Is this a beginner's class? How do they expect us to build something without knowledge of electronics?
You definitely have to do some google searching and learning on your own in addition to the info you receive in the class.
Shoulda said the price
Thank you for the feedback.
You can annoy your family with subscriber count update ....refresh...yeah that's me ... anyway, Thank-you for the really deep review. I'll stick with NASA's free website.
Thanks for the sub and comment.
@@MakerAtPlay welcome! You're a great guy :)
Hey, one question. Does he send the materials needed for the 3 projects? Or do we have to buy it.
You have to buy your own materials. You choose your own project so it is up to you what materials you will need.
@@MakerAtPlay That like 250 + hundreds of dollar for the material. Yeah it is definitely not worth it. Also don’t get why he really need 250 in the first place unless it just use to like limit the amount of people so he can comment.
I'm right in the middle of the current class, and trying to get up to speed with Arduino and basically failing. This class would be a lot more fun if I knew my way around Arduinos. OTOH, I can get the Arduino to do simple things, and seeing Mark's process is quite informative. It's a little annoying how easy he makes it all look, though. I can see why so many people drop out.
It does help if you are a little bit mechanical engineer, electrical engineer and programmer. 😊
Which arduino kit would you recommend for this class?
This is the kit that I have used. ELEGOO Arduino UNO Project Super Starter Kit amzn.to/3oODKdk But you can search for others that might more or less sensors for different prices.
thanks a lot!
i think u should be happy for the people who did get commented on
👍
Do you need to pay to enter?
Yes
@@MakerAtPlay oh god
Do you recommend this class to improve in cad modeling ?
Mark has one video on using Fusion 360, but this class is not about cad modeling. If you want to learn cad, I would start with Lars Christensen RUclips channel ruclips.net/user/cadcamstuff
If you knew the story of the Monthly founder, you would never give them any money - this is the exact gimmicky stuff he was known before starting Monthly
I am interested in learning more. Do you have a reference to the story? And are referring to Valentin Perez or Max Deutsch or both? Not sure I would call Monthly gimmicky, given that Maker Rober is well known and many seem to enjoy and get value out of his class. Casey Neistat just announced that he has a Monthly class starting in January and I am really thinking about taking it as I would love to learn more about how it makes his videos. ruclips.net/video/UVA8pPxOPk4/видео.html
@@MakerAtPlay Max, The 'serial learner'. He is a running joke of the chess world after thinking he could learn chess in a month (while developing an algorithm that would solve chess). So ridiculous that is hard to explain. Look it up. That is where the origin of the name Monthly and why he has a reputation for being a gimmick. I love Casey, but that just looks like another cash grab so he can maintain his semi-retired life style.
He had the goal of playing against the Magnus Carlsen app, but the WSJ called him on his bluff - ruclips.net/video/MFNv-FJFGTg/видео.html. He his good at making money, not trying to take that away from him.
...& How come your lips & sound don't match up?
Ha ha. You noticed. Because I wrote a script for this video and didn't have a teleprompter yet so I could read it and keep eye contact with the camera. And I was too lazy to memorize it. So I just stared at the camera and pretended to be saying the script and then dubbed over the audio of me reading the script off camera. Little did I know that the video I put the least effort into would become my most viewed video. Had I known, I would have put more effort into the video quality. 🤷
@@MakerAtPlay HaHa more power To ya! I'm glad it's so popular! 😄
Hey
I just annoyed his family :b
They appreciate it. 🤣