I started the data analysis minor just to check a box. I felt it would make sense, and that I could get some of the STEM stuff I love, but I had no real passion for “Data Analysis.” It felt like a videogame: I had completed 20% of the classes, so I might as well complete it. But that’s all it was – a checked box, a completed game.
However, as I’ve gone through the program, I found myself surprised by the linear relationship between time in class and the enjoyment I received through coding. This really began in Vectors, when I started enjoying solving harder problems. Recently, the Statistical Consulting class has provided complex and challenging problems that excite me to solve. I realize I love the feeling of being stuck, and frustrated, because it makes the moment when you solve the problem much more satisfying. Combined with the intro class, which focuses heavily on quantitative research, I’ve found myself loving coding and data.
This culminated in the first mini-project I ever did outside of class – not for a resume, portfolio, or a grade. I used the tools from class for something totally unrelated. After downloading the HTML files of my Instagram followers and following, I built simple code to return who I follow that doesn’t follow me back. While this is, of course, a silly and egotistical use of my time, it is significant that I used the skills that I once pushed aside, and, even more importantly, that I enjoyed the process.
