Bootcamp Journey

This blog is simply to exhibit my journey of becoming a data scientist which is still in the in-process phase. Again this is solely my encounter you may relate to it or not but I hope to at least leave you with some encouragement in whatever stage you are of learning code.

BACKGROUND

I’ve always been interested in learning how to code but never got around to it because of time (if there’s a will there’s a way), or excuses I told myself. For instance it’s too hard, I have 0 knowledge of how computers work, I don’t have a computer science degree so I won’t be able to get a job, etc…

To give you a little bit f my background I’ve been working as a live events production manager for over 9 years now. Where a majority of my responsibilities are physically demanding. Due to the pandemic like most people in my industry I was out of work. So I decided to learn a new skill that would allow me to work from home if the shutdown duration was indefinite. Programming was the first skill I thought about. So I stopped making excuses and decided to learn how to code. However, I occasionally got thoughts of doubt especially for someone like me who extent of computer knowledge was e-mails and Microsoft office (Excel and PowerPoint).

STARTING

The first step you must do when starting is just that start! It may be the hardest step to take but it’s the only that matters. It took me a couple of months to build the courage to begin. I decided to try and learn Java on my own the first time around. Got some classes on Udemy started off pretty strong but then it got difficult and I made excuses for myself again. So I started traveling and working. I forgot about learning how to code for a bit. Then the pandemic hit! I was out of contracts and work because my whole industry involved people interacting with people. So once again the idea of programming popped in my head. I started to give myself a deeper dive into what actually thee programming industry had to offer me. However, during my search, I became overwhelmed with the number of decisions I needed to make. For instance what language I wanted to learn, what I was interested in doing with that language and what boot camp I wanted to go to. Luckily due to my searches, Instagram suggested an app that could help me find a boot camp. Once I downloaded the app, making a decision was easier because the app connected me to a coach that I could zoom with to ask any questions. I felt at ease that I had a support system that was helping me through the process.

I was intrigued by how accurate Instagram’s algorithm had made the suggestion. It got me thinking about what I might want to learn. So I chose to learn data science which involved learning python and statistics. I could then apply what I learned from data science for machine learning. I applied to Flatiron went through their entrance process (two interviews) and got accepted. They gave me some pre-work to prep me for the first day of class. I had no idea what I was doing. My first day of class arrived and I was extremely nervous and did not know what to expect. The material was very difficult for me and always felt as if I was falling behind the rest of the class. I didn’t feel confident in knowing the material and so I failed my first exam. I was given a chance to redeem myself by doing a project but I had no idea where to start and how to even use the data I was given. So I repeated the first phase of the course. The second time around I felt less nervous and a little more confident in the material because I had seen it once before. I passed my exam and project. And currently I'm still in the process of completing the course.

LESSONS LEARNED

Several lessons that I learned were:
- Step 1 one is to get started
- Programming is a huge umbrella so take deep dive into what you might want to accomplish
-Build a support team(friends, YouTubers, forums, people like you)
-Most of all have fun learning!