On reaching the finish line with my master’s degree and knowing it is just the beginning.
I have completed all my classes for my Master’s Degree in Data Analytics. It took me one year to finish instead of two. I did not expect to finish it at such pace, and I’m thankful it happened that way.
All I have left is to pass my last two assignments that are going to be graded soon. One is an ARIMA model for a time series analysis. In this project I got to create revenue forecasts and it was great experience to create the model.
The second project consisted in creating a Neural Network using a Long Short-Term Memory (or LSTM for short ) model. This is a type of Recurring Neural Network (RNN).
I hope to create a second model that I can share with you soon. I found the topic very interesting.
One goal that I have for this website is to start incorporating my GitHub projects in here. The first project is going to be a Random Forest Regression Model I made using Mobile Food Delivery data.
A second project I will share is going to be a K-Means Clustering Unsupervised Machine Learning Algorithm. This particular project was fun to do and one of my favorites so far. The idea that there are hidden relationships within a dataset and find such clusters or groups was exciting to see.
In retrospect, it was a challenging program that required me to explore unfamiliar topics. I had to read several articles and videos to understand the topics at a high level.
I had to become familiar with Python and its different libraries. I used to use R programming and now it seems that I am more comfortable coding in Python than R.
It made me happy to know that I enjoy coding. Perhaps because to me it feels like a mix of creative writing and problem solving. I am excited on learning development at a later stage.
I also got to work again with Tableau, my first business intelligence tool. It is intuitive and fast, but Power BI still has its place in my heart.
Finishing my Master’s Degree was a dream of mine of many years. Doing it made me realize that there is so much to learn and explore.
This Master’s taught me a baseline, and is up to me to explore what is next. My next goal is to find my niche in the world of data.
So far I am enjoying a lot from Machine Learning and Neural Networks. I am excited to see what is in the horizon.
Until next time,
Ernesto
Ernesto Gonzales, MSDA 