by Mark Patterson
Introduction I recently decided to enroll in a 5-month data science program. After many years in the tech industry, I took a break and was looking for my next adventure. I have always had an interest in infographics and data visualization, but this is just part of a larger process – data science – that includes obtaining, cleaning, analyzing, and modeling the data that ultimately become visualizations. Here are five reasons I decided to pursue the study of data science.
Overcome my fears of math and statistics
I have always had a rocky relationship with math. Once I got past geometry in high school, and into the realms of algebra and calculus, my mind locked up and the fear set in. The way these subjects were taught just seemed too abstract and irrelevant to my day to day existence. But I am willing to change. Rather than turning and running at the mention of math or statistics it’s time to tackle them head on. I am hopeful that through more specific and applied examples, using real life data sets and problems, I can gain a better understanding of math and statistical concepts and learn to apply them to real problems.
Learn how to learn
As much as I enjoy learning new things, I sometimes lack the dedication and follow-through to learn on my own. So, one of the things that appealed to me about a bootcamp is that it is structured, time-bound, and involves real projects with real deliverables. Learning data science in a boot camp setting will allow for deeper understanding but in an applied way. I am looking forward to coding in Python daily and hope to pick up lifelong learning skills that I can apply to other things. And it just so happens that data science is a field where you are constantly learning on the job, discovering new methods, tools, and algorithms to answer questions and improve your craft.
Become more data literate
We are constantly bombarded with facts and figures, charts, and polls. Sometimes these data objects spark some insight, but often they are unclear or at worst we may draw the wrong conclusion from them. By learning and practicing data science I will be arming myself with the ability to think critically about information and to understand the path that data has taken to make it into that beautiful infographic. I aspire to take part in the full process of finding data sources, being able to grab it, clean it and shape it for analysis. I am eager to explore and analyze data, finding and answers to questions and bringing them to life via compelling stories and visuals. Training in data science will allow me to be both a better producer and informed consumer of information.
Be a more complete design researcher
I have spent many years working in the tech industry as a design-researcher, conducting research and activities to understand customer needs and evaluate the products and services created to help meet those needs. My research activities often involved a small number of customers in a deep, focused way – typically through direct observation of what they were doing, and how they attempted to use the designs our teams created. This provides the opportunity to ask WHY and to be able to get to the story behind the data. But now it is time to understand the flipside of the coin, to be more comfortable with and better able to utilize quantitative data. To be able to track down data sources and run my own analyses to tell a more holistic story of users and how they are using products, services, and programs. It’s time to go beyond the causal glance at dashboards and metrics decks, now it’s time to really understand the data that drives them.
Helping others
Hopefully, at the end of my five months of intensive data science study and practice, I will be in a place where I can apply my newfound skills and passion to help others answer their questions. Questions that will help them better understand their customers, their products or services, their selves as an organization, or the environment in which they work. Perhaps I will help an educational institution better understand their students or programs leading to more equitable and inclusive solutions. Maybe I will be engaged in conducting data analysis focused on the health and well being of people in the USA or worldwide. And there are thousands of non-profits that need help gaining insights from data to help them better fulfil their missions. I will challenge myself to find a role that not only I am passionate about, but one that will provide better services to others.
Conclusion
I am just beginning my data science journey, and really the boot camp is just the first step. It will be intense, difficult, challenging, with many long days. There will be many low points along the way. But when I hit one of those low points, I will keep these five reasons in mind. I will forge on to improve my relationship with math, to savor the joy of learning something new, and ultimately make myself a more complete “researcher”, so that I am better equipped to help others.
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