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CLW1964
Fluorite | Level 6

Today is my first day taking Module 1: Big Data Preparation, Statistics, and Visual Exploration and I am perplexed with the SAS virtual lab.

 

It says that I have 50 hours of lab time. Is this for the entire course? Is it for this module? Or maybe it is for the chapter I'm presently working on. 50 hours does not sound like a lot of time I would like to know how to best manage this time.

 

When does the clock start for the lab, when it becomes available or when you log in?

 

Since I have no idea when, or where in the training I will need to use Visual Analytics, how can I reserve a time with any certainty? But then again if I wait until I need to use Visual Analytics I would have to wait 45 min for a server to become available.

 

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

 
 
1 ACCEPTED SOLUTION

Accepted Solutions
TheresaStemler
SAS Moderator

Hi CLW1964,
 

We allocated the number of hours based on our experience running the SAS Academy for Data Science in Cary, in which the attendees spend a total of 12 weeks studying all 5 modules to prepare for all 5 exams.
 
  However, it is not our intention for you to start an image and leave it running all day. The way most students work is that they will follow a chapter or two, all the way through, and then, they will make a reservation in the Virtual Lab to work on the exercises for those two chapters. As an example, let's say you start working on a course at 8 am and by 8:45, you are most of the way through Chapter 1 and realize that you'll be ready to practice by 9:30. Since it takes approximately 30-45 minutes to start the Amazon image, then, at 8:45, you request a reservation and while you wait for the reservation to be ready, you finish listening to Chapter 1 and get through Chapter 2. So, by 9:30, when you get the notice that your reservation is ready, you click to switch to the Amazon image and start working. Let's say you take 1.5 hours to work on the exercises, but you made a 3 hour reservation. You should not let the reservation "burn down" while you continue listening to new chapters. Instead, you should cancel the reservation and save your image so that you get the unused 1.5 hours returned back to your allotted time.
 
  You should be able to finish the work in the first Big Data Professional module within 50 hours. We based on the number of hours for each module on the actual number of hours that the in-person students used. I can assure you that all the students finished the in-person SAS Academy and they had not used up all their hours. We are in the process of introducing method in the future for you to purchase additional hours should you need them. However, as I said, all of our SAS Academy attendees have been able to finish their work within the hours allotted to them. Remember that the 50 hours applied to Big Data Professional Module 1. When you start each of the other modules, you will get a new allotment of hours.

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6 REPLIES 6
TheresaStemler
SAS Moderator

Hi CLW1964,
 

We allocated the number of hours based on our experience running the SAS Academy for Data Science in Cary, in which the attendees spend a total of 12 weeks studying all 5 modules to prepare for all 5 exams.
 
  However, it is not our intention for you to start an image and leave it running all day. The way most students work is that they will follow a chapter or two, all the way through, and then, they will make a reservation in the Virtual Lab to work on the exercises for those two chapters. As an example, let's say you start working on a course at 8 am and by 8:45, you are most of the way through Chapter 1 and realize that you'll be ready to practice by 9:30. Since it takes approximately 30-45 minutes to start the Amazon image, then, at 8:45, you request a reservation and while you wait for the reservation to be ready, you finish listening to Chapter 1 and get through Chapter 2. So, by 9:30, when you get the notice that your reservation is ready, you click to switch to the Amazon image and start working. Let's say you take 1.5 hours to work on the exercises, but you made a 3 hour reservation. You should not let the reservation "burn down" while you continue listening to new chapters. Instead, you should cancel the reservation and save your image so that you get the unused 1.5 hours returned back to your allotted time.
 
  You should be able to finish the work in the first Big Data Professional module within 50 hours. We based on the number of hours for each module on the actual number of hours that the in-person students used. I can assure you that all the students finished the in-person SAS Academy and they had not used up all their hours. We are in the process of introducing method in the future for you to purchase additional hours should you need them. However, as I said, all of our SAS Academy attendees have been able to finish their work within the hours allotted to them. Remember that the 50 hours applied to Big Data Professional Module 1. When you start each of the other modules, you will get a new allotment of hours.

CLW1964
Fluorite | Level 6
Thanks Teresa!
Do you happen to know when your time starts? Is it when the server becomes available, or when you log in?
TheresaStemler
SAS Moderator
The clock doesn't start until you enter the Virtual Lab. The startup time for the servers do not count against you.


Cynthia_sas
SAS Super FREQ

Hi:
Although the startup time does not count against your reservation time, the Virtual Lab tech support team informed us recently that the clock starts 'ticking' as soon as your reservation is ready. So, if your reservation is ready at 9 am and you don't click into the Virtual Lab until 9:30, you've used 1/2 hour because the reservation was ready for you at 9.

 

Just be sure to use the Cancel and Save or Cancel and Discard options in order to return any unused time back to your allotment.

Hope this clarifies the way the time works for reservations.

cynthia

bandyt
Calcite | Level 5

Theresa,

I am doing the Data Science Academy course online.

I have already got my SAS certification in Business Statistical analysis and so I wondered if it is possible

to transfer any unused lab time from the first module in Big Data Professional into another DS Academy module like the Predictive modelling?

Thanks

Donald

Cynthia_sas
SAS Super FREQ
Hi:
There is not a way to "share" unused hours between modules. The modules use different data and different image setups. The number of allocated hours should be sufficient to do the work that you need to do in each module.
Cynthia