BSIS Program Review Part 2

Throughout my time at the University of South Florida, I have been looking for a class that would teach me something that I can relate to and use in a project. While my concentration has been in data science and analytics, I have been unsure if that is the path I want to continue down. I currently work as a full stack programmer and enjoy that line of work very much. However, my last few classes teaching data science and analytics has had me excited in trying to pursue that path or at the very minimum incorporate what I have learned into future projects.

My current data science class of Predictive Analytics has covered basic model building and using that to make predictions based on the data given. Using techniques such as linear progression and decision trees, I must find my own data set and try to make predictions with that data set. A lot of the techniques used for this assignment are used by analyst to determine stock prices, as well as used to predict indicators within economics to manage inflation. From the knowledge I got from this assignment I can study patterns within trends and try to make predictions in my work and personal life.

In my database concepts class, I had to build a database used to hold appoints for a doctor’s office. The database was comprised of different tables that contained doctors’ information, patient data, the appointment schedule times and services performed during the appointment. This was a pretty difficult task especially having experience with working with databases. However, the project was interesting and helped me understand the basis of how the data should be structred and organized. I had to use table joins to be able to put all the info together. This directly translated to my job as a full stack developer as I work with and build out databases all the time. The class and that projected helped me do a better job at this to where I spent less time going back and making changes to the databases.

While I came into my college journey with a good bit of work experience, I tried to not overlook the opportunity to learn and fine tune my skills. I had no experience building data models and making predictions but will turn that into personal and work solutions in the future. Going over the basics of database implantations in a class environment I was able to fill the gaps that I missed teaching myself how databases function. It has been invigorating to engage in coursework that closely mirrors real-world scenarios, bridging the gap between academic theory and practical application, thereby enriching my educational experience with valuable hands-on learning.