MSDS Day in the Life: Bootcamp Edition
Curious about what the MSDS program is like on a typical day? Keep reading to learn more about what a student’s bootcamp experience is like!
In USF’s M.S. in Data Science (MSDS) program, bootcamp is what we call the first five weeks of the program. It consists of classes covering Python programming, statistics and probability, exploratory data analysis (EDA) and data visualization, and linear algebra. These courses are meant to get all the students in the cohort up to speed, on the same playing field, and fully prepared for the coursework to come in the following modules. Bootcamp can be intense — some may think of it as a sprint in the program — but good study habits will help any student be successful in the courses, and ultimately set them up for success throughout the rest of the MSDS program. Here’s what a typical day in bootcamp looked like for me, and what it could look like for you:
10 AM: Arrive at the Downtown Campus for my programming (Python) lecture. It’s early in my MSDS journey, so these lectures are a great opportunity to start meeting my peers in my cohort!
Lectures typically consist of slides presented by the professor, in-class coding labs, and discussion with peers.
12 PM: Lecture has ended, so I leave to grab lunch with new classmates at a place near campus before the next lecture starts. On many days, I’d also prepare my own lunch to bring with me!
1 PM: Return from lunch for my next class, statistics and probability. Today, my schedule consists of stats and programming, but tomorrow, I’ll have my EDA and data visualization class. Exact course schedules change year to year, but in general, you will alternate classes every other day. Statistics and probability can be challenging, so it’s important to stay diligent with taking notes during lectures and asking questions when they come up.
3 PM: My second lecture of the day has ended, but students are heading up to the 5th floor to work together on this week’s homework. Throughout the MSDS program, but especially during bootcamp, study groups and peer support is extremely important!
6 PM: My study group and I begin heading home; some of us live walking distance from campus, while others commute via bus, BART, or ferry. After eating dinner, I would either work on your assignments, review material, prepare for the next day, or have one last Zoom review session with my study group.
It’s important to remember that bootcamp, and the MSDS program as a whole, is an extremely personal and individualized experience. With students coming from so many different backgrounds and prior careers, it’s more beneficial to build connections with your cohort and support each other through this process than to compare your progress to others. These bonds, as well as the habits you build during bootcamp, set the foundation for the rest of your MSDS journey! And of course, MSDS faculty are always here to support us students to be as successful as possible. Before you know it, you’ll have survived bootcamp and will be starting the first module of the MSDS program!
