Adolph OdhiamboI wake up every day dreaming of crunching numbers, decoding patterns, and deriving insights that shape the future—right after hitting the snooze button five times and contemplating my life choices. Welcome to the exhilarating, unpredictable, and occasionally maddening world of data science! Here, I will guide you through the labyrinthine journey of building a career in one of today's most sought-after fields, where data scientists are the new rock stars (minus the groupies, of course).
A Fork in the Road: Choosing My Path
After graduating from university, I found myself standing at a crossroads, much like a protagonist in a choose-your-own-adventure book. Should I pursue a master's degree, further entrenching myself in the world of academia, or should I leap into the world of practical skills and possibly insane work hours? The two contenders: data science or software engineering.
Software engineering seemed like the easier choice. After all, I'd been blogging about JavaScript and Node.js for ages, and I could code "Hello World" in my sleep. Never in a thousand lifetimes did I imagine I'd be diving into data science—a field filled with statistical wizardry, machine learning magic, and the occasional existential crisis when your model doesn't work.
Yet, here I am, after a rather depressing job hunt that involved more rejections than I'd like to admit, I found myself with a data science internship. It was a leap of faith, a challenge that I decided to tackle head-on, and now it's become my daily routine. Just picture it: me, sitting in an interview, knowing zilch about data science beyond the introductory courses from college. The only thing I had was the faint memory of my machine learning unit from computer science, which felt about as relevant as a philosophy degree at a tech convention.
The Unexpected Interview Success
I prepared for my interview at one of Kenya's leading financial institutions with the fervor of a detective on a juicy case. And thank the digital gods for GLASSDOOR, which was my saving grace. It felt like having the answers to a test before actually taking it—apart from those pesky technical data science questions. Still, I navigated the interview with the grace of a stumbling giraffe, and somehow, it worked!
Upon landing the internship, I quickly discovered something that would haunt me: impostor syndrome. Surrounded by geniuses, masters of the art, and big names in the Kenyan data industry, I felt like a toddler in a room full of seasoned marathon runners. All I wanted was to become like them—or better—so I had to devise a learning path that would transform me from a data dud to a data dynamo.
Crafting My Learning Path
Creating my learning path was akin to planning a cross-country road trip with only a half-charged GPS and a bag of snacks. I researched online for the best ways to learn data science, acknowledging that my Python programming background would be a helpful, albeit humble, beginning.
I divided my learning path into four critical areas:
- Mathematics
- Programming
- Libraries
- Data Science
Here are the resources I've used on this enlightening (and sometimes frustrating) journey.
1. Mathematics: The Language of Data Science
Learning the theoretical background for data science or machine learning can be a daunting experience, as it involves multiple fields of mathematics and a long list of online resources. But fear not! I have broken down these topics into bite-sized pieces that are as digestible as a slice of pizza (or so I tell myself).
Linear Algebra
For linear algebra, Khan Academy came in handy. It's like having a personal math tutor who doesn't judge your lack of algebraic prowess. It will really build your mathematical confidence because you can start from the level you understand, whether it's high school algebra or the more advanced stuff you only pretend to understand.
Calculus
Let's face it, calculus is a bit like cilantro—some people love it, and some people can't stand it. But if you're in data science, you need to acquire a taste for it. Luckily, Khan Academy offers a course that makes it as palatable as possible:
Probability and Statistics
Statistics are to data science what salt is to cooking; you can't do without them. And no, making things up and calling it "intuitive" doesn't count.
2. Programming: The Backbone of Data Science
For programming, I turned to Colt Steele, whose teaching style is as engaging as a Netflix series you binge-watch on a lazy Sunday. His course helped me grasp Python concepts with ease and confidence.
3. Libraries: Tools of the Trade
Once you've wrapped your head around the mathematics and programming, it's time to roll up your sleeves and get down to business with data science libraries. These are the Swiss Army knives of data science, and they're indispensable for anyone serious about the field.
I found a fantastic course by Zero to Mastery that offers a hands-on approach to learning these essential tools:
4. Data Science: The Grand Finale
This is where it all comes together. After sweating through math problems, debugging Python code, and making friends with libraries, you're ready to take on data science projects like a boss.
So, there you have it! My carefully curated data science learning path, shared with the world for the common good. Whether you're a fellow beginner or a seasoned pro looking for some new resources, I hope this helps you expand your machine learning knowledge and overcome the fear of discovering what's happening behind the scenes of your sklearn, Keras, and pandas import statements.
Your contributions and feedback are more than welcome! Feel free to review one of the listed resources or add new, remarkable ones in the comments. Let's learn, laugh, and conquer the data science world together—one import statement at a time!
