Hello World: My first 21 days of code
Day 1 to 21
So, after my previous article on beginning data science as a newbie, I began my #100daysofcode journey. The first 21 days were, like anything in life, full of ups & downs. I started with so much energy, getting up as early as 4:30am to learn but that seemed to fade after about two weeks. Yet I promised to share my journey, so here goes. One thing I’ve discovered very early on is the difference between:
i) learning about data science — just understanding the field, core concepts, different languages & platform etc (I did that sporadically for a few months before I started #100daysofcode).
ii) learning tools & methods through courses (where I am now, learning Python through Data Camp on the Data Analyst track).
iii) Actually practicing data analysis (I’ve read & believe doing a project teaches you more than anything).
A decision
Although I play around with data on a weekly basis, I haven’t really used any programming languages for this. I feel I’m not at that level. Yet. That said, I understand the importance of actually practicing and won’t spend my 100 days just learning and piling up certificates; I have to PRACTICE. After all — practice makes perfect. In fact, one of the rules on the challenge is that I can’t just fill my 100 days with tutorials — then it will be 100 days of learning to code, instead of 100 days actually coding (if that makes sense).
So I’ve decided to split my 100 days into two : about 50% learning to code & 50% actually doing the coding — I have to find a project to start and complete before my 100 days is up. This means I will aim to complete the 13 Python courses on Data Analyst track on Data Camp in the next 28 days or so, then find a project to do for the remainder of my #100daysofcode.
My 1st 21 days
I completed two courses on Data Camp in my first 21 days. As I mentioned, the Data Analyst track has 13 courses and I’ve completed two of them. The first was Introduction to Python for Data Science. Although 4 hours are recommended for the course, I probably spent 6 to 8 hours on this. Yep, I was slow. But hey, I was learning. Another discovery I made during my 1st 21 days was this — better to be slow & learn, than to rush and complete all courses without really grasping what is happening. We covered Python basics, lists, Functions & Packages & Basics of the Numpy package in the first course.
I quickly moved onto the 2nd course Intermediate Python for Data Science to learn basis of Matplot Lib, Dictionaries & Pandas, Logic, Control Flow & Filtering, Loops & also went through a case study on Hacker Statistics. To be honest, I struggled with motivation in the 3rd week but somehow managed to make it through. One thing that really helped me here was attempting the same courses on my mobile phone — this really complemented my desktop studies well. It made life so much easier and I understood many basic concepts I had totally missed on the desktop version. Unfortunately, not all Data Camp courses are available on mobile — this would have been perfect learning environment for me. But guess what, it leaves me with another problem to solve — which is what Data Science is about.
More tools
Beyond the course, I added more podcasts to my Playlist: Data Science at home, The Super Data Science Podcast and Data Framed. In addition, I downloaded mobile apps to supplement my learning — SoloLearn, Py and Data Camp, where I complete daily exercises related to the basics of code. I also increased & synced my onlievMy next step this coming week is to learn Python Data Science Toolbox and Importing Data in Python. My 100 days was disrupted by a 2-week work trip I had to take into East Africa. With limited Internet connectivity, continuing the 100 days challenge was challenging, if not impossible, so I will just continue from where I left off before the trip .
The future
There are lots of projects I’s like to work on in the future, ranging from the ridiculous to the sublime. I’d like to find data and tech solutions to African football analytics, my breakfast routine algorithm and cattle herding algorithms. I’m also keen to join Meetups and learn from others before the end of my 100 days. Stay tuned!!