Understand These 10 Data Science School Truths Before Day 1 Or Risk Falling Behind

Data science concepts to study before you start studying.

Photo by Deleece Cook on Unsplash

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No school will teach you everything.

But when it comes to the nature of data science programs and the large scope of complex topics that need to be covered, it is easy to fall behind, especially if you don’t come from a statistics, computer science or business intelligence background.

With student interest in and industry demand for data science (or data-oriented roles) higher than ever, as of 2022, there were nearly 1000 degree programs for undergraduate and graduate candidates.

Many of these schools advertise their programs as being for anyone with an undergraduate degree, regardless of concentration.

Lacking a math and computer science background, my first semesters were a struggle and I wish I had invested more time prior to my start date in at least familiarizing myself with some core data science technologies and concepts.

In my experience, entering a program without at least a baseline of knowledge in the…