image: pinterest.com

Maybe I'm getting old or becoming getting dull, too many things are taking me too long to learn. I have spent a large chunk of this year trying to acquire web programming skill. It's been pretty darn hard. I can't see an end to my learning. None of my university courses come close to this in difficulty.

I constantly find myself asking the question, "How am I going to learn this very hard skill?"

Recently, I came upon an answer. Not a very inspiring answer, yet a valid answer. It is the same answer that was given the man who asked, "How does one get to Carnegie Hall?"

Practice, practice, practice.

When it comes to very hard skills, you will need to rely more on your muscle memory than your conscious memory. You will need to immerse yourself into what your are learning such that you will pick up a large part of the skill before even acquiring the fundamental knowledge behind it. Like a seven year old learning to swim, ride a bicycle and drive a toy car. It requires some degree of unreasonable obsession and hard practice. You should get Bruce Li's quote framed on your bedroom wall: "The successful warrior is an average man, with a laser-like focus."

image: pinterest.com

You might have to make too much sacrifice in the beginning because you will be giving an unhealthy attention to the skill you are learning to the detriment of your health and relationships. 

Luckily, whatever is hard for you is hard for many other people and your putting in more effort to learn it than most of the many other people will set you profitably aside. You will even learn it on a more valuable level than those who took to it naturally. 

Everyday, I know that I am going to do great things with the web programming skill. I have been filling my ideas note. Once I get to learn it well enough, you would think there are 10 of me by the speed at which I will churn out web apps. 

For now, I just have to keep practicing. Whether my conscious memory grabs it or not. I have to immerse myself in it until it becomes instinct.

Every time you apply filter to a dataset in Excel and then copy out the filtered data, you could have saved yourself time and some mouse-strokes by using advanced filter. And despite the name, advanced filter, it is surprisingly easy to use.

As an example, I have the fictitious sales record for Dhormino's Pizza for June 5, 2016. They sell 16 Pizza types: Meatzaa, Extravaganza , BBQ Chicken, Hot Veggie, BBQ Philly Steak, Chicken Feast, Chicken Suya, Chicken Legend, Beef Suya, Margarita, Italiano, Pepperoni Suya, Veggie Supreme, Hot Pepperoni Feast, Chicken Bali and Pepperoni Feast.

They got a new country manager this March, and one of his strategies is to have four brand managers owning 4 different baskets of the pizza types, like the FMCG companies do. Two of those managers are Michael and Mary. They are to ensure that the brands (pizza types) they own are performing well. They are given the latitude and resources to promote them using whatever promotional mix they want. 

As the company's main business data analyst, you pull out daily sales records and extract the ones for each brand manager. With advanced filter, it will be a piece of cake. You might even hook it to a recorded macro and at a click of button all is done.

Continuing with the example, let's see how to extract for Michael and Mary.

Step 1 is to write out the pizza types Michael and Mary manage, separately. And to help advanced filter know where to look for those pizza names, give them a header that matches that in the sales table. See the screenshot above for what I mean.

Step 2 is to go to Michael's sheet (another Excel sheet where you want to put Michael's). Launch advanced filter from there. It is under Data menu, about the middle of the menu tools.

Set it to "Copy to another location"

Provide the sales data range as the "list range", and Michael's pizza types with the header as the "Criteria range".

Finally, for the "Copy to", go to Michael's sheet and select where the result should be displayed. In this example, I select cell A1.

And voila! We get the results.

Very easy and cool.

And there is more to advanced filter. How about if we have a more detailed sales transaction data that captures sales value for each sales transaction, and we would like to extract sales transactions that generated more that 15,000 naira. That too is very easy with advanced filter.

Just follow me. Below is the snapshot of the detailed sales transaction data.

We have specified that we want greater than 15,000 naira transactions only.

The steps are just like previous ones. Launch the advanced filter and provide both the "List range" and "Criteria range"

Specify where the results should be displayed.

And voila, again! It's done!

Now you should be an expert, like me, at using advanced filter. 

This Friday and Saturday we will be holding our next Business Data Analysis and In-depth Excel Training in Abuja. If you know anyone based in Abuja who might benefit, please do forward this details to them.

The training is aimed at making the participants extremely good at Microsoft Excel, dashboard making and business data analysis; teaching them with live business scenarios. It's intended for Sales Managers, Financial Analysts, Business Analysts, Data Analysts, MIS Analysts, HR Executives and power Excel users.

There are just 10 slots open for this month. You will get lunch, a branded DVD with over 23 training videos and practice files, training notepad with pen and a training certificate from us (a registered Microsoft Partner). The training will be facilitated by a Microsoft recognized Excel Expert and the only Microsoft Excel MVP in Africa (there are just about 125 in the world). We have had participants of our trainings from Citi Bank, Dalberg, SaveTheChildren, Mobil, Total, Vodacom, Nestle, Nigerian Breweries, Delta Afrik, LATC Marine, Broll, Habanera (JTI), SABMiller, IBM, Airtel and DDB.

Reach Michael on 0700ANALYTICS, 08089382423, 08063125227 and mike@urbizedge.com or Hannah on 08021180874 and hannah@urbizedge.com to register. 

Date: 24 & 25 June, 2016.

Venue: Rosebud Hotel, 33 Port Harcourt crescent, off Ahmadu Bello way, Garki 11, Abuja

The training outline is:

1) Data Manipulation in Excel

a. How Excel handles different data types

b. Data consistency, starting with the end in view

c. Building Datasheets that can easily scale

d. Sorting

i. Multi-level sorting

ii. Sorting across rows (left to right sorting, not the usual up to down sorting)

iii. Sorting and Conditional Formatting to identify trends

e. Filtering

f. Data cleaning

i. Removing duplicates

ii. Text-to-column

iii. Grouping

iv. Data Validation

v. Conditional Formatting

g. Data formatting

i. Using Tables (and when to convert to tables)

ii. Formatting for printing

iii. Formatting for email

iv. Data Review and formatting for 3rd party use

h. Named Ranges

2) Charts

a. Chart types

i. Line chart and when to use it

ii. Column chart and when to use it

iii. Bar chart and when to use it

iv. Pie chart and when to use it

b. Combining charts; when and how.

c. Dynamic Charts, using filter.

d. Best practices when making charts

e. Sparklines

f. Power Map and Power View (Excel 2013)

3) Pivot Table, Pivot Chart and PowerPivot

a. Pivot Table

i. Default Pivot Table

ii. Tabular Pivot Table

iii. Pivot Table Filtering

iv. Making a very dynamic regular table from Pivot Table

v. Calculations and Formula use with Pivot Table

vi. Advanced Pivot Table tricks

b. Pivot Chart

i. Pivot Chart and its limitations

ii. Dynamic Pivot Charts

c. PowerPivot (for Excel 2010 and 2013)

4) Business Data Analysis

a. Linking sheets

b. Duplicating sheets (better than copy and paste)

c. Inserting sheets, labeling and coloring the professional way

d. Freezing Panes and splitting windows

e. Conditional formatting

i. To identify patterns

ii. Using formulae

iii. To make extremely intelligent reports

f. Lookup functions

i. Vlookup

ii. Hlookup

iii. Looking up the last data or pattern in a particular row or column

iv. Overcoming the limitations of Vlookup and Hlookup using index and match functions

g. Power Functions

i. IF, IFERROR, AND, OR, ISBLANK, and others in the same family

ii. TEXT manipulative functions to make a completely automated Dashboard

iii. COUNTIFS, SUMIFS, AVERAGEIFS and others, to make dynamic summary tables

iv. MATCH and INDEX to do the impossible

h. Other Functions

i. Math Functions

ii. Text Functions

iii. Logical

iv. Others

i. Formula Auditing

j. Goal Seek, Scenario Manager and Solver

k. Excel Web Query

l. Most useful Excel keyboard shortcuts

5) Executive Dashboards and Reporting

a. Best Practices

b. Executive Dashboards

i. Executive Dasboards

ii. Dynamic Reports

iii. Determining the KPIs and tracking them

iv. Strategic Insights & Analysis

c. Data Visualization

d. Having the audience/recipient in mind

e. E-mails and Excel reports

6) Excel to PowerPoint and Word

a. Linking PowerPoint/Word Charts to Excel

b. Embedding Excel sheets in PowerPoint/Word

c. Making a Powerful PowerPoint Presentation

7) Excel VBA

a. Recording Excel macros

Reach Michael on 0700ANALYTICS, 08089382423, 08063125227 and mike@urbizedge.com or Hannah on 08021180874 and hannah@urbizedge.com to register. 

image: smart.com.au

I avoid reading my own blog sometimes. Why? I think I share too much (personal) information. I also avoid going to Facebook. Why? Some of my Facebook friends share way too much information.

TMI is the new social infection. People sharing information that causal friends and strangers shouldn't know. And it is prevalent on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and personal blogs.

image: wersm.com

There are those who try to fix all their problems by sharing it on Facebook. They'll share the details of every significant thing that happened in their lives on Facebook. What happened at work; who is getting on their nerves, what happened on the way to work, etc.

image: recruitingblogs.com

So how much information is too much?

That's the very question I will also like to get an answer to. On some days, I feel like I am guilty of TMI and on some other days I feel innocent. If you know the answer, please, kindly share. Thanks!

image: deseretnews.com

I am now very good at writing; well on my way to mastering creative writing. All because I write daily. I am now very excellent at brushing my teeth with my left hand, because I have been doing that everyday for the past 5 years. I know Microsoft Excel better than I know the back of my hand, because I work in and for all types of projects almost everyday. I am more of a philosopher than engineer, though I studied engineering and worked my paid jobs in telecoms companies, and it is because I have been an active fan of philosophy reading Aristotle at age 10.

I have made little progress with my French learning despite the sacrifice and large desire to master the language. I am yet to walk my talk about web app development. I still struggle with a lot of things I want to be a master at.

Know the difference between what we master and what we want to master?
It is practice.

You master what you practice. Not what you think about nor what you talk about nor what you have a large interest in. If you want to be a master at something, you just have to consistently keep practicing it. Fancy talk or thoughts can take the place of actual work.

I am now trying to follow my own advice. Now creating more practice time for the things I want to master.

See a need, fill the need. What better way to notice a need than when you chronically have it. And that is what "scratching your own itch" business philosophy is about. Feel the bite of a need, then build a business around it.

Many of the biggest businesses in the world started that way. Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak wanted a personal computer and not a time shared access to an expensive public computer. That need made them create Apple Computers (now Apple Inc.). AirBnB started same way, the founders were trying to fix a personal problem they had and ended up creating a new business that disrupted an entire industry. 

The best business ideas come from needs you have experienced first hand. You become your own business' first customer and evaluator. You can easily know when you've built a good solution/product since you are your own business client. 

My refocusing of my business to web based product/solution is a result of my scratching my own itch. There are many web-based solutions I would like to see -- stock analysis apps, fraud reporting app, celebrity (both persons and businesses) rating apps, simple for-Nigerians only apps, etc. And rather than find someone else to build them, I plan to build them myself. I also have bought a lot of IoT devices/components; planning to use them to build Nigerian centric smart products. Home automation devices, single function cheap devices, children tracking devices to help parents when to go to crowded malls and other public places. I have lots of ideas borne out of needs I have a first hand experience with, and I intend to build solutions for them.

If I were interested in microfinance banking services, I would structure a product that is an exact replica of "ajo". You can pick how many "owo" you want (cycle of payment). So there can be 3, 6 and 12 cycles. It is going to be exactly like the one the market women do and come with interest. It will sell like pure water: familiar and plain.

Yesterday, we acquired the 0700ANALYTICS smart number. So you can reach us on that smart number for business.

Our services:

1. Excel Training
Our Corporate/Professional Excel training is unlike other trainers’. We don’t do fixed outlines and force you (or your team) to learn things they won’t need. We work with you (or your team) to develop an outline that will immediately improve productivity and focus exclusively on your business needs. Register for our next Excel Training. Limited slots.

2. Custom Applications
In business, speed and accuracy makes all the difference. And that’s what we get you by automating as many processes as possible for you. We eliminate human errors, and get you a powerful tool that is just a mouse click away. You never have to wait for what you need to make great business decisions and plan ahead. We provide you tools that put your business strategy skills on steroids. View our detailed brochure

3. Data Analysis Outsourcing
If your business depends on things done right always and on time. And as many as 10 ad-hoc reports are required in a day; professionally made reports that are easy to read and act upon. We are who you need. Reliable and professional business data analysis experts. Always on 24/7. View our detailed brochure

Clients and Projects Portfolio:

Having data is not enough but being able to bring it to life and let it guide you in making strategic business plans is what matters. And that is what we enable you to do. 

We provide experience and business context rich Microsoft Excel training. We help automate some of your data driven business analysis, enabling you to focus more on improving your business operations rather than struggling with data/reports. And if you would rather have an expert build your reporting templates and empower your staff to look beyond the statistics to the business story behind the numbers, we are who you need. 

We help your company make the most of its operations data. We give your business the very edge it needs. We are UrBizEdge. We have the only official Microsoft Excel Most Valuable Professional in Nigeria and we have been recognized as one of the top 2% in the industry in Nigeria by The Top Executives (http://thetopexecutives.com) business publication for 2015. 

We have consulted for companies and multinationals in all the major industries in Nigeria. With us you get the best and most focused experts working on what is most important to you -- your business success. 

As a direct contractor/vendor, we have done projects and/or Excel training for Vodacom Nigeria, Helios Towers Nigeria Limited, GEISE, Inlaks Computers, Laplace Technologies, Japan Tobacco International (Habanera Limited), Coretronic Global Services Limited, Oak Interlink Limited, Nigeria Leadership Initiative (NLI), Supermart.ng and Kentucky YMCA, USA 

And as an indirect contractor (sub-contractor) we have done projects for MTN Nigeria, Total E&P, Nigerian Breweries, Guinness Nigeria, Globacom, Nigerian Railway and International Energy Services Limited (IESL). 

In our monthly Excel and business data analysis training sessions, we have had participants from SABMiller, Nestle, Airtel, Ministry of Finance, MTN, Diamond Bank, Shell Nigeria, Nigerian Breweries, Lafarge, IBM, Avensat, Nahco Aviance, University of Benin, DDB Lagos and SaveTheChildren. 

We are a leading Microsoft Excel and Business Data Analysis firm in Nigeria. 

You can register for our next special training session at Next Excel Training Class. 

1. Sales and Inventory Manager Software development for Coretronic Global Services Limited

Coretronic Global Services Limited is the sole distributor of Celkon mobile phones in Nigeria. The Excel based sales and inventory manager automates a lot of their business processes.
Dashboards and Business Process Automation MS Excel programs for Vodacom Nigeria

2. Vodacom Nigeria is a leading B2B telecommunications and IT services provider in Nigeria. We have done several business process automation programs for them, helping them focus more on creating value for their customers.

3.Custom Excel Training for Japan Tobacco International (JTI) Nigeria

Japan Tobacco International is the second largest in its industry in Nigeria, a major competitor to British American Tobacco. We were chosen over Philip's Consulting and other vendors to provide a custom Excel training.

4. In-depth Excel and Business Data Analysis Training for Vodacom, Nigeria

We were the vendor of choice to provide key staff with this in-depth training.

5. Data Science Consultant, Neo-2 Limited -- MTN Market Research project

We provided data analytics consulting for Neo-2 Limited on an MTN market research project. It involved sentiment analysis, big data, dashboards and analytics.

6. Balanced Scorecard Dashboard for Inlaks Computers

Balanced Scorecard is a strategic planning and management tool to align the company’s day-to-day activities with the long-term vision and goal of the company. It touches on every aspect of the company from the financial performance, organizational culture, internal business processes, customer service, to employee fit and growth. We are one of the very few companies in Nigeria with the expertise.

7. Financial Modelling for Laplace Technologies

The backbone of every company is their financial standing. Every company exists to grow shareholder (owners) value. A financial model is the globally accepted way of presenting a company and its value. We don't just build a financial model that meets IFRS specifications, we build one you will be willing to use and not struggle to use. We make it as easy to use and error-proof as possible for management staff that don't want a 20 page manual/documentation of how it works.

8. Custom Excel Training for GfK Nigeria

GfK is a leading market research company globally. We were chosen as vendor of choice to provide their Retail Department team from across the country an in-house Excel training.

Businesses are like people. Equal potentials yet widely different outcomes. The same conditions that influence how individuals turn out in the end also affect businesses. The level of success a business achieves is a delicate mix of its internal conditioning and external environment.

image: mojatu.com

Factors like:

1. Ambition,
2. Positively challenging environment,
3. Education/Knowledge
4. Relationships, and
5. Character.

The businesses that succeed on a high level are those ones with great ambition, a very positively challenging industry, deep knowledge and talents, excellent business relationships and good corporate character. Think of the rise of Guaranty Trust Bank; no one would have considered it possible that it will surpass the likes of First Bank and Zenith Bank. They greatly benefited from being ambitious and having a challenging industry that pushes you to succeed or get swallowed up.

Just as the most successful people are not the brightest nor the most connected nor the ones with the best character, but the ones with a healthy combination of those factors especially ambition. Same with businesses.

The businesses that stagnate often start stagnating from within -- they carve a safety spot for themselves and hibernate. And maybe they are not in a business environment that is very challenging where you either eat others or you get eaten.

As a business man, you need to seek out a good combination of all the factors. Starting first with a super-sized ambition. Get all the internal conditioning right and from start. Then get yourself into an Industry that will challenge you to greater heights. Either by picking a very challenging industry with huge growth potential or by going global (competing with the best in the world). Don't ever ice in.

The reason some businesses grow and others stagnate lies in the combinatory acquisition of those factors.

We are, by nature, growth hackers. We adapt to changes impressively well. Nothing is permanently difficult for us.

image: edequity.org

Think about when you resumed a new job and everything was very difficult. Lots to learn, very high expectations, little time for other things and having to fit in. But then, in a few months you had nicely mastered it all. In fact, the job was becoming boring.  And what had changed? You. You had mastered the difficult situation.

When you look at the people getting the most from life, it is not that they know more than others or have lots of special skills. They only went after what others, either by choice or position in life, are not going after. They take up more difficult goals than the rest of us.

People generally get what they go after, even when it's almost impossible. God has put a part of himself in each of us. We can do the impossible. The question is are we afraid to try? Afraid of failing. Afraid of uncertainties. Fearful of new experiences. Have an unfriendly view of the unfamiliar. Don't want to do the difficult.

The things we are most proud of are the things we achieved against great odds. The mission impossibles we completed successfully. The personal stories we like to tell are the ones about our unlikely triumphs. Our David and Goliath experiences. The leaps of success we have encountered in life are often triggered by a leap of faith.

Go, more, after the difficult. Get more great experiences, triumphs and bagged mission impossibles.

The Federal Government's N-Power project which is aimed at training 500,000 unemployed Nigerians between the ages of 18 and 35 is a very good one. I am sure that it will create more value than whatever the cost of setting it is. There will be unemployed Nigerians whose lives will change for good because of the program.

The programme is organized around three main themes:

1. Technology: N-Power Creative (animation, graphics and digital media production), N-Power Tech Hardware and N-Power Tech Software
2. Agriculture, Health and Teaching: N-Power Agro, N-Power Health, N-Power Teach and N-Power Community Education.
3. Technicians and Construction Workers: N-Power Build 

The entire programme is a 3 months long one. I have also checked through the programme website, it doesn't mention paying them during the program. Not a big deal. Would have been great though if they were paid a stipend to cover their feeding and transport, at least, during the program. Again, it is not a major issue and would not detract from the success of the program. 

My only worry about the program is that it seems it is for geniuses. At least, if they expect the participants to learn the skills covered enough to work productively or become self-employed as they advertised.

See below the curriculum for the N-Power Tech Software:

Introduction to Computer Science

What computer science is.

What a computer scientist does.

Basic computer science vocabulary.

The core concepts in computer science.

What programming is.

Identify basic elements in computer programming

Introduction to Programming

The Python programming language.

Variables, data types and control structures in Python.

Functions and modules in Python.

What data structures are.

Object Oriented Programming

Object Oriented Programming Concepts, Classes and Objects.

Implementing Object Oriented Programming Concepts in Python.

Design Patterns.

Data Structures and Algorithm

The different data structure classifications.

Data structures in Python.

The principles of algorithms.

The importance of algorithms.

Algorithm analysis.

Algorithms and how they are implemented in Python.

Recursion/Sorting and Searching

What recursion is about.

When to use recursive functions.

Difference between recursion and iteration.

How recursive functions in Python are written.

The importance of sorting and searching in computer science.

Different sorting and searching algorithms.

Implement sorting and searching techniques in Python.

Software Engineering

What software engineering is about.

What a computer software engineer does.

 The two main branches of software engineering

 The software development life-cycle.

The different software development paradigms.

The Internet

What the internet is.

How the internet works.

Basic internet tools or concepts.

Networking.

The World Wide Web.

Web Programming

Basics of HTTP.

Use HTML and CSS to create web pages.

Use JavaScript to create interactive webpages.

Basics of MVC.

Introduction to Flask Web Programming

Understand how to build RESTful web services using Python and Flask.

Designing a RESTful API

Leverage understanding of databases to be able to work with SQLite

RESTful Authentication with flask

Flask Deployment

Business of Software Consulting

Software Consulting as it relates to different industries.

Difference between a company and a start­up.

How to get Capital.

Market penetration strategies.

Why should you keep your books.

Company registration process.

Final Project

1. Basic Architectural design.

2. Basic CRUD.

3. App Deployment

The one for Animation:

MODULE TOPIC ACTIVITY/EXPECTATION

Introduction to the history of animation

Introduction to the history of animation Building your own thaumatrope

Introduction to animation techniques Understanding animation techniques:

2D animation, 3D animation, Stop‐Motion animation

Introduction to animation workflow Understanding the animation work flow from concept design to post production

Understanding timing and spacing Understand and applying the use of timing and spacing to create believable animation

Study and analysis of animation shorts applying these principles i.e.:Road Runner & Coyote

Understanding form and depth Using different art forms to explain the use of form.

Using illustration to explain depth

Understanding anatomy Create believable forms using references from a variety of art books.

Understanding perspective Create believable backgrounds using references from different art books

Understanding practical light and color Create believable backgrounds using references from different art books with color

Storytelling Explaining the basis for story telling in animation. Using different animated pieces to explain story telling. Using paper man to explain the importance of story

2D ANIMATION

Introduction to Toon Boom Toonboom story board pro

Toonboom harmony

Toonboom harmony Understanding the software interface, panels, tools

Acting in animation, storyboarding, animatic/timing

Lip sync

Plausible impossible, Squash and stretch

Walk cycle

X‐Sheet application

3D Animation

Introduction to autodesk (maya) interface (a). panels (b). tools

Modelling (a). primitive modelling (b). Sub object modelling  [c]. deformers

Materials (a). shaders (b). textures

Animation (a)Transforms (b)dynamics

lighting and rendering (a.) lights (b). render settings

Digital Animation

animation, Breakdown and lipsync

Layout and posing,

Scene setup/Using multi‐ plane layering

Composition/effects

Asset Management

Library Module

Rendering +Post Production

Post production 

MODULE TOPIC ACTIVITY/EXPECTATION 

VIDEO EDITING – introduction to adobe premier

Interface

panels

tools

Workspace Customizing workspace and Setting preferences

Sequences

Creating sequences

Types of sequences

Markers

Viewing the source footage

Finding in and out points

Setting markers

Importing footage to sequences

Cuts Making edits to the sequence for refinement

Transitions Types of transitions and function

Effects

Transforms

Keying and other video enhancements

Titles

Types of titles

Applications of titles

Video formats

Output sizes and functions

Rendering for targeted medium

After Effects: Introduction to adobe after effects /visual effects

Interface

panels

tools

Workspace Customizing workspace and Setting preferences

Compositions

Composition settings

Pre compositions

Basic animation

Transforms (scale, rotate, position)

Key frames

F-curves

Effects

Sound Editing

understanding sound editing and mixing

softwares

cue-base

fruity loops

understanding equalizers and its functions

mastering the range of frequencies shared btw diff sounds

introduction to foley and sFx

creating sounds for foley and sFx

understanding the blend btw foley/sFx/ and music

training the ears to becoming adept in picking sounds in different frequencies

Post production 

MODULE TOPIC ACTIVITY/EXPECTATION 

VIDEO EDITING – introduction to adobe premier

Interface

panels

tools

Workspace Customizing workspace and Setting preferences

Sequences

Creating sequences

Types of sequences

Markers

Viewing the source footage

Finding in and out points

Setting markers

Importing footage to sequences

Cuts Making edits to the sequence for refinement

Transitions Types of transitions and function

Effects

Transforms

Keying and other video enhancements

Titles

Types of titles

Applications of titles

Video formats

Output sizes and functions

Rendering for targeted medium

After Effects: Introduction to adobe after effects /visual effects

Interface

panels

tools

Workspace Customizing workspace and Setting preferences

Compositions

Composition settings

Pre compositions

Basic animation

Transforms (scale, rotate, position)

Key frames

F-curves

Effects

Sound Editing

understanding sound editing and mixing

softwares

cue-base

fruity loops

understanding equalizers and its functions

mastering the range of frequencies shared btw diff sounds

introduction to foley and sFx

creating sounds for foley and sFx

understanding the blend btw foley/sFx/ and music

training the ears to becoming adept in picking sounds in different frequencies

I am pretty sure they are expect Einsteins in the training programme. I don't think any average person will be able to learn these in 3 months to a level of job readiness or entrepreneurship.