Data science as a field is becoming more relevant with each passing day, as we discover more and more things to use it for. From sports (some might have seen Moneyball, a movie showing how data science revolutionized baseball) to politics, where the likes of Cambridge Analytica can potentially influence the political landscape of an entire country. The Data Science Fundamentals Program (DSF) at the university is a 24 ECTS additional certificate aimed at students who want to learn more about data science and machine learning as part of their studies. It consists of both mandatory and elective classes on the topic. The participants get a glimpse of this exciting field as they learn the fundamentals of what it takes to be a data scientist and put machine learning to use themselves.
The core of the program is the data science bootcamp in the fall semester, during which the participants eventually get together in groups to work on their very own machine learning projects. The topics ranging from predicting forest fires to education. prisma has talked to one of those groups from the fall of 2020, Aurelia, Clémentine, Hanna, and Livia, about their experience with the program and more specifically, the bootcamp.
The decision to apply
None of them had any notable coding experience beforehand, and yet, they still decided to take a chance and send out an application. «I really wanted this kind of new experience, going out of my comfort zone», remembered Aurelia, a business administration student now in her 4th semester. And she wasn’t the only one. They all saw the DSF as an interesting challenge. «I know nothing about it, but it doesn’t matter, I will learn» is the way Clémentine described her attitude when applying, «It was really about curiosity».
Livia is even the first law student to ever participate in the program, a fact she herself considers «kind of tragic». She’d heard about data science and its influence for the first time in conversations about the 2016 US-election and was fascinated by it. «I said to myself that this is the chance to get even more knowledge about it.»
Bootcamp – As hard as they say?
Even considering their motivation, all of it wasn’t easy. The bootcamp, a mandatory class during the fall semester, is the heart of the entire program. It is the most intensive time of it all. «I heard many tough stories», Aurelia remembered. It is said that, when going into the bootcamp, one should not expect to understand everything while there. For two weeks, the students spend all day learning about programming, math, and everything else needed to kick-start their journey into data science.
When I asked how they felt during the bootcamp, «Lost», was the answer I immediately got. «The first week I was really intimidated when he started talking about the program and all these technical terms.», Hanna, who didn’t know anyone in the class beforehand and didn’t have people to exchange opinions with, explained. She wasn’t the only member of the group who felt intimidated though. Most of them felt like they had to catch up, that the others knew much more than they did. «For me, there were many question marks, but I didn’t always ask about them. They always felt kind of dumb while the others had these amazing questions.», Aurelia recounts.
Assignments and learning curves
The bootcamp is divided into two halves, a more programming heavy first half and another with a stronger focus on the math side of things. Those two blocks are divided by, as it is known amongst DSF students, «the first assignment». The programming knowledge acquired during the first week is put to the test in a series of exercises to be done over the weekend. Legend says that this assignment can be finished in 15 hours, but it is nevertheless a very stressful time. «The fear of not getting to the end, not finishing it, it was tough.» Clémentine described, «It was probably the three toughest days of the semester.»
But eventually, they all managed fine. As time went on, they got to know their classmates and through that, they also started to grow more comfortable with the material and their own knowledge as well. «I felt like not one person in this class knew 100% what they’re doing. They’re just curious, they just try and then they succeed. That’s when it clicked, and I was not afraid anymore.», Aurelia said. The other girls had similar experiences, and over time, they started feeling more confident with data science.
Predicting great articles
After the fall break was over, it was time to get to work on the key part of the course, the final project. The group chose to use data from mashable, an online entertainment platform, to code an algorithm that would predict the popularity of an article. That way, it would be possible to adjust things like headlines before the release, to achieve a higher predicted ad revenue.
Some people may wake up in a cold sweat at night thinking about group projects like the integrative project that haunts every assessie during their first year. Unreliable group members, missed deadlines, the list goes on. The four DSF participants fortunately didn’t have that experience. «In this group of girls, I felt very leveled, we were all on the same page and could ask any kind of question», Livia said.
They found a way of teamwork that worked for them. «What I loved about our process is that we had these check-in points and small boot days where we would code together. The energy was great, it was a really productive place», Aurelia told me. «We didn’t just do something we already knew, we also found ways to improve. It was a really amazing experience», Hanna said.
The machine learning project culminated in a presentation in front of the class. As it turns out, this was the point when they finally felt like they got it. «It clicked, it was done and it all made sense», is the way Livia remembers feeling after she had finished presenting. «It was really the presentation that made me confident and where I knew I got it».
Entering digital Narnia
Over the course of the semester, they worked their way from having next to no experience in coding to being one of the most successful groups in the course. Nowadays, the group seems to feel much more comfortable in the field of data science. «It opened up this whole new world and now I don’t want to leave», one of them said. While entering this new world, their perception of the old one also changed: «It’s very interesting, now I start to hear more about data science. I don’t know if it’s just because I’m more conscious about it but it’s very nice to feel like I know what they’re talking about now, whereas I had no clue before. It’s just a good feeling», Livia added.
They were all happy to be part of the DSF and are really glad they decided to participate. «I recommend the class to everyone, even to those who are as afraid as I was. You can learn a lot about data science, but you can also learn a lot about yourself, how you react to challenges, and make new friends», Aurelia summarized the experience. As I thanked them for their time, Hanna had some final parting words for me and the readers: «To anyone who’s thinking about applying and is willing to put in the work: Do it!, it’s a great opportunity and you won’t regret it.»