Data Science for Beginners What is data science, you might be wondering? Well for one, it is one of the fastest-growing careers on the planet and this definition could provide clues as to why. The definition of data includes information about everything around us that is collected and analysed for the purposes of decision making.[…]
25 June 2021∙6 minutes reading time
What is Applied Statistics? If you tell someone that you are keen on studying studying applied statistics at university, they are bound to give to somewhat of a shocked expression. The subject, Applied Statistics, seems to describe the word, "jargon" entirely for those who have never been part of the field. If this subject discipline[…]
11 February 2021∙7 minutes reading time
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Data science permeates every facet of our daily lives. The information gained from either learning more about data analysis or deciding to take up a career in it, can improve your grasp on what’s new in areas such as current affairs, medicine and technology.
At the base of data science, however, is statistics. Analytical and critical thinking are skills that are required of us throughout our lives, and while statistics might be something that initially sounds complicated, it’s actually quite simple. Statistics is the recording of information today to make decisions tomorrow – and this act is something we repeat on a daily basis.
Learning more about the way statistics has evolved as a discipline and how it is used today can greatly improve your life. While this may sound dubious, it will be an easier fact to accept once you’ve interpreted some facts for yourself.
Statistics is a profession that affects our daily lives. It has many applications, from providing investors with digestible financial data to helping scientists get new medication on the market. Statistics can also help you improve yourself on an individual level, providing the foundation for many health, fitness and financial apps.
Today, statistics is used to collect passenger information in train services to help improve daily commutes, in universities to identify weak points in the academic systems, and in grocery shops to ensure your favourite brand of cereal is always in stock. The list goes on, but these main examples serve to highlight our dependency on the collection, storage and analysis of data.
Now that we’ve covered why taking data science lessons and statistics classes is important to all of us, we have no excuse to go ahead and do so!
Getting started can be overwhelming – the number of search results when typing in data science in the search bar can be enough to intimidate even the most seasoned data scientist. However, the first part is understanding that data analysis and statistics are, while linked, separate disciplines.
Understanding the difference between what data scientists and statisticians do is a good way to start preparing you for your journey into data analysis.
Data science comes from both statistics and computer science. Essentially, a data scientist is like a statistician that is also deeply interested in and a master of computer programming and engineering.
Depending on what your title is as a data scientist, the degree to which you need to be a skilled statistician or not will vary. A general rule is that the more involved a data scientist is with the production of statistical software, the more they have to know about both statistics and computer science. Someone in charge of an IT department will, on the other hand, need to know less about statistics.
Statistics is the mother of all subjects that are making headlines today: data mining, machine learning, Artificial Intelligence, data engineering, and, of course, data science.
If you want to pursue a bachelor’s or master’s degree in data science and simply want some extra help, webinars are an excellent online resource. Webinars cover everything from exploratory analysis, R, analysing data, statistical methods, programming and data science strategies.
If you would like to attend a webinar, the first things to evaluate are what type of help you need, how much you are prepared to pay, and what qualifications you expect your instructor to have. If you simply need some online resources that provide raw data, explanations of data analysis tools like SPSS, R and Hadoop – why not check out data science blogs and websites first?
Studying data science can be complex, but it can also be fun. Certain universities offer internship opportunities through partnerships with established businesses or even opportunities to study abroad!
One of our data analysis tutors in Cape Town, Durban, Johannesburg, Pretoria, and Port Elizabeth could set you on the right track.