Data Science Immersive and the Bandaid Conundrum

‘’Ouch!” my toddler son whined as I combed his jumbled tangles of thin but burgeoning hair. I painstakingly worked not to snag a curl, however, my efforts were in vain. His gentle whining created a question. Would he rather me “gently” struggle with this endeavor while causing modest pain for a longer duration? Or, would he rather me quickly comb through the entwinement causing greater pain that would disappear instantly? I’m sure parents would differ on how to approach this.

The above question is much like the Band-aid Conundrum (something I’m not quite sure exists but I think should). The Band-aid Conundrum references the moment where you can either slowly and gently pull off the band-aid while not causing too much pain or you can quickly deal with your pain while achieving your goal of band-aid removal at a hastened pace leaving pain an afterthought only a moment later.

As I wade through the challenges enveloping me in the early stages of a Data Science Immersive class at General Assembly I have few moments to think about anything other than Python, Pandas, data visualization, statistics and the like. But I still have time for my kids. My son (and of course my daughter) often inspire profound thoughts. It was this moment, however mundane it may seem, that made me realize why I chose such a path…

I think I’d rather have the bandaid pulled off fast.

That word, ‘fast,’ is a perfect word to describe the Data Science Immersive at General Assembly. In just two weeks my cohort will have completed two projects, three labs and a quiz. In this time we have covered expansive subjects that include but are not limited to Python, Pandas, exploratory data analysis, data visualization with Matplot Library and Seaborn. We have touched base on Numpy, probability statistics, presentation techniques and even ethics. By the end of it all we will be versed in machine learning algorithms, statistical modeling and even deployability using Amazon Web Services. This is an expedited pace that requires 8 hour live classes 5 days per week as well as an additional 20 plus hours to finish projects and other homework. Well, they tell you 20 hours but expect more like 30 plus hours most weeks. If you are a person with children, like myself, you should think this out long and hard and have your support network working hard behind you.

This class takes a painful learning process that normally would take a tremendous amount of time and makes it more painful so you can develop those skills at a faster pace. So, if you are considering a Data Science Immersive class consider which person you are. One who wants the bandaid pulled off fast, or slow and gently? With General Assembly you’ll get the bandaid pulled off quick but only after you’ve had proper time with a little Neosporin to quicken the healing process and leave no scars. Hopefully…