Hi there! My name is Fari and I’m from Iran. Before joining the Data Science Bootcamp, I spent 14 years working for the supply chain of the world’s largest tobacco company. It’s crazy to think that before that, I knew next to nothing about coding. A whole lot has changed since then!

As usual, it’s busy here. Actually, ‘busy’ is the wrong word–it’s intense! I’ve got nine to eleven hours of work from Monday to Friday, and an additional three hours on Saturdays. And that’s just the time spent in the classroom. I also have to prepare for exams for an extra couple of hours at home.  Luckily, though, there are a few holidays.

That said, the hard work pays off. We’re not even two months into the program and I’m already using R and Python to build models. But when I reflect on the last seven weeks, I must admit I have mixed feelings. On one hand, it’s astounding how much I’ve learned in such a short period of time. On the other hand, it’s daunting to be surrounded by such talented, intelligent people. My classmates are quickly grasping complex new topics every day, applying them in their coding and swiftly moving on to the next topic! It’s exciting, fast-paced and sometimes hard to keep up, but it’s good to see every challenge as an opportunity.

The Bootcamp is an unparalleled, albeit demanding experience. It requires commitment, self-discipline and a lot of hard work. Above all, it tests your resilience because the learning curve is steep. The more you learn, the more you realize how much there still is to discover. At times, grasping all of this new technological information can feel overwhelming.

But there’s a reason behind the program’s intensity. The ingenious structure of the Bootcamp simulates the real-world experiences of a 21st century data scientist. The pace of technological advancement in this field is relentless and this program covers everything you need to tackle it head first. By the time you finish, you’ll be a seasoned data scientist, ready to embark on the challenging yet magical world of data science. For me, that’s what makes this one-of-a-kind experience worthwhile.