Getting started with Data Science!

The field of Data Science is consistently growing and Data-driven approaches are becoming more and more common. With this ongoing trend, there are many who would like to get started in the domain, for professional reasons or out of personal interest. And there are numerous institutes and online courses which offer training in Data Science. It can be quite confusing for a beginner to find where to start. I was in the same position a few months back and after quite a lot of research and courses, I was able to get hold of the subject. This blog is all about different options for getting started with Data Science. I have kept this least technical.

The Basics

It is important to know what you are going to learn before you start learning. There are quite a number of blogs, article and youtube videos that explains what Data Science is about and about different fields in DataScience.

One of the options is the IBM DataScience Course, where the first modules on explaining the domain. It comes with a 7-day free trial, and you can easily cover the introduction in this time frame.

https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/ibm-data-science

If you are willing to invest a bit, then the Data Science Bootcamp is an amazing option. The price of the course varies between 300-600 INR. But it is worth investing. The first couple of videos not only gives a clear understanding of the domain but also explains how the different jobs in the domain are like.

https://www.udemy.com/course/the-data-science-course-complete-data-science-bootcamp/

Getting Started

Once you know the basics, you are ready to go into the next stage of learning the technical stuff.

There are numerous courses which offer this. To get started there can be different possibilities. For example; Some might be interested in knowing what the domain is all about and might not want to invest time into doing deep into the technical part of it. There might also be enthusiasts who want to dig deep into the concepts. Based on what I came across, in the past few months here are a few options that helped me

1. The IBM Data Science course is a beginner level course, which covers the basics with quick videos, and projects. It covers the basics as stated above, Python essentials, SQL and working with Databases, Data visualization using Matplotlib, Machine Learning algorithms in Supervised and Unsupervised, Recommender system. It also covers Maps, Foursquare API by which you can replicate some of the functionalities of Google Maps which I found to be quite interesting. And they an interesting Capstone project. It also gives you access to IBM Watson and gives you a good picture of working with it.

I found the course to be well structured. It doesn't go deep into the technicalities, but it is good enough for someone who wants to get started. I also felt that the contents are closer to real projects and it is a good one to get started with.

They also have advanced courses on Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Artificial Intelligence, etc if you are interested in learning further.

https://www.coursera.org/professional-certificates/ibm-data-science

Cost: 2800 INR per month. You can finish it at your own pace and it takes around 2-6 months to complete.

Duration: Learn at your own pace

2. The Data Science Bootcamp is another interesting course. I loved the way they present the content. They have managed to do it well with animations and super short videos.

However, the entire course contains over 28.5 hours of videos, and it would take a couple of months to finish the same if you are doing it part-time. If you are doing it full time you should be able to finish it in a month or two. I would recommend taking all the assignments ( Even if they might look simple and boring )as they give you an excellent insight into the topic. I felt that the course goes deeper into the subject than the IBM Data Science course. It focusses equally on the theory and well as practical subjects.

It covers Probability, Statistics, Python, Supervised and Unsupervised Techniques,Deep Learning, Neural Networks and some fun activities with the MNIST dataset.

They were also offering a free Tableau course, upon completion of 50% of the course. It is a short and informative one to get started with Tableau.

Cost : 400-600 INR

Duration: Learn at your own pace

3. The Khan Academy is an interesting website that explains the concepts of Statistics and Probability pretty well. If you want to deep dive into the basics, this would be a good option.

Cost: Free

Duration: Learn at your own pace

4. Long Term Programs like the PG / Masters /Specialization courses offered by different institutes are useful if you want to really know the subject well. These courses go deep into each of the subtopics. I have signed up for the Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Post Graduation which is offered by the University of Texas and offered by Great Learning. Similar courses are also offered by different IITs in India. These courses keep you engaged and helps you never lose touch with the subject. However, it needs around 2-3 hours of study time at least every day. These would be a good choice if you would like to really get into the subject and work with hands-on or real-life projects.

Cost : 1,50,000 to 3,00,000 INR

Duration: 1-2 Years

These suggestions are based on what I have come across so far. Il keeps this blog updated as I find something new or interesting. And if you get stuck or need some help, you can always reach out to me.

Good Luck! And Happy Learning :)