While brushing up on the algebra skills required for this Machine Learning course, I finished "Logic and Computational Thinking" from Microsoft on EdEx.
I really enjoyed this course and so chose to go a little deeper with the IBM Data Science Professional Certificate, on Coursera.
The certificate consists of 9 courses, (I'm currently on #8) and so far I've learnt a lot about programming in python, data science methodology, SQL, databases, regression analysis, model evaluation and machine learning algorithms. The 7th course was "Data Visualisation with Python" and among other things I was able to turn raw data on 2016 crime rates in San Francisco into the Chloropleth Map below; so satisfying!
You can see the code for the data analysis and map creation on my Github here.
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| Raw crime data |
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| Chloropleth map showing crime rates in San Francisco in 2016 |
Learning about data science and programming online has been the perfect mental stimulant for me while I negotiate the joyous yet tiring demands of being a new parent. The way the courses operate, I'm able to watch lectures and complete labs during naps, and complete longer assignments on the weekend. Having a tangible sense of progress and achievement in a new field has been really valuable to my sense of self, especially on the days when baby care seems all consuming.
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| Course certificate for Data Visualisation with Python |
Once I finish this certificate, I think I'll focus on machine learning and a deep dive into python programming, so watch this space. If you're also getting into data science I would love to hear about what you're learning, the platforms you're using and what your goals are.
