[Blog Excerpt] How To Learn Data Science If You’re Broke

How To Learn Data Science If You’re Broke - by Harrison Jansma

My goal was to start a career I was passionate about, despite my lack of funds.

A Curriculum Guideline

Python Programming
Statistics & Linear Algebra : Focus especially hard on descriptive statistics.
Numpy, Pandas, & Matplotlib
Machine Learning : (Scikit-learn doc)
Production Systems
However, database manipulation is a required skill set.
Another (often) required skill is version control. (GitHub)

Advice for executing your curriculum.

1. Concepts will come at you faster than you can learn them.

When you start researching a topic you need to hold your goal in mind. If you don’t, you risk getting caught up in whatever catchy link draws your eye.

The solution, get a good storage system to save interesting web-resources.

2. Don’t stress. Its a marathon, not a sprint.

Having a self-driven education can often feel like trying to read a never-ending library of knowledge.

Throughout your educational journey, you will explore your interests and discover more about what drives you. The more you learn about yourself, the more enjoyment you will get out of learning.

3. Learn -> Apply -> Repeat

Don’t settle for just learning a concept and then moving to the next thing. The process of learning doesn’t stop until you can apply a concept to the real world.

Not every concept needs to have a dedicated project in your portfolio. But it is important to stay grounded and remember that you are learning so you can make an impact in the world.

4. Build a portfolio, it shows others they can trust you.

When it comes down to it, skepticism is one of the biggest adversities you will face when learning data science.

Fill your portfolio with projects that you are proud of.

A simpler method to publish your portfolio is to create a GitHub repository that includes a great ReadMe (summary page) as well as relevant project files.

5. Data Science + _______ = A Passionate Career

The applications of data science are endless, that’s why it is important to find what applications excite you.

When you are learning, keep your eyes open for projects or ideas that excite you.

Once you have spent time learning, try to connect the dots. Find similarities between projects that fascinate you. Then spend some time researching industries that work on those types of projects.

Once you find an industry that you are passionate about, make it your goal to acquire the skills and technical expertise needed in that business.