[GleTto][Udemy] 【Korean Subtitles】 Apache Kafka Series – Review of “Apache Kafka for Beginners” v3

This review was written after taking a course sponsored by Gltto x Udemy.

Introduction 🙋‍♀️

I’ve always been interested in this technology, especially after hearing that many companies are now adopting Apache Kafka to effectively process large-scale data. For that reason, even though my current company doesn’t use Kafka yet, I wanted to study this field in advance to stay ahead of the curve. So, thanks to the great opportunity provided by Geul-to and Udemy, I decided to take the “Apache Kafka Series – Apache Kafka Course for Beginners v3.”

Course Review 📚

What I Liked

A Curriculum That Teaches Step-by-Step from the Basics

This course systematically covers everything from the basics to advanced topics in Apache Kafka, providing a comprehensive understanding of distributed data streaming technology. I was able to gain in-depth knowledge, ranging from learning Kafka’s core concepts—such as topics, partitions, and consumers—to mastering the use of advanced APIs.

Hands-On Course

The course focuses on learning Kafka not only through theoretical knowledge but also through various hands-on exercises. The hands-on coding exercises using the Java API provided in the course were extremely helpful in directly improving my ability to apply Kafka in real-world work environments. Additionally, working on projects using actual data sources and sinks provided a very practical experience—especially for a complete beginner like me—which greatly enhanced my understanding. (Ironically, however, there were also some drawbacks...)

Drawbacks

Lack of Updated Materials

While this course was beneficial in many ways, the fact that the provided materials were not up to date emerged as a clear drawback. As is the case with most technologies, IT technologies evolve very rapidly, and tools like Apache Kafka, in particular, are constantly being updated. However, the course materials were based on the 2022 version and did not reflect recent changes or improvements. One of the hands-on practice sites couldn’t even be accessed...😭

Personal Reflection 📝

Through this course, I gained not only a basic understanding of Apache Kafka but also practical knowledge of how data streaming solutions are actually implemented. Although I encountered some difficulties while taking the course, I think it was a valuable experience that allowed me to learn the theory in a systematic and detailed manner. It made me want to explore what kind of study I can pursue to develop hard skills that I can effectively apply in my actual work.
(+) Also, the lecture subtitles weren’t bad. The presenter seemed to have put some effort into speaking clearly, so I think it would be fine even for people who aren’t used to English!

In Closing 🤗

As I felt during this course as well, I wish the course content—especially the hands-on materials—were updated more frequently. (I think it should be updated at least once every two years.) This is because a significant portion of the learning comes from hands-on practice, and such updates are necessary to connect the material to current industry trends.
I found the course quite satisfying, as it was sufficient for understanding the basics of Kafka. I think it’s important to review the concepts to internalize them further and to plan and carry out additional in-depth study (such as side projects).