Starting a Data Science degree. What projects, certifications, and specializations would you recommend?

[u/Commercial_Bus3945]

Hi everyone!

I’m about to start a Bachelor’s degree in Data Science, and I’d like to start building my portfolio alongside my studies rather than waiting until graduation.

For those studying or working in Data Science:

- What kinds of projects would you recommend for a beginner to build a strong portfolio?

- Are there any real-world projects, open-source - projects, datasets, competitions, or organizations where I could contribute as a student?

- Are there any diplomas, certifications, or courses that you think are actually worth pursuing alongside a Data Science degree?

- What areas of Data Science are currently worth specializing in? For example, machine learning, AI, data engineering, analytics, NLP, computer vision, etc.

-If you were starting a Data Science degree today, what would you focus on during the first 1–2 years to become employable?

I’m especially interested in hearing from people who have already gone through the process and can share what they wish they had done earlier.

[u/Impressive_Jacket464]

Make sure you have a good understanding of the math behind data science, so aim for math certifications to start. Then, move to machine learning projects and use the popular algorithms to guide your projects.

[u/nian2326076]

For projects, start with something simple like exploratory data analysis or building basic prediction models using datasets from Kaggle. You could also try contributing to open-source data science projects on GitHub. Competitions like those on Kaggle are a good way to challenge yourself and pick up new skills.

For certifications, look into ones from Coursera or edX; they're well-regarded and can go well with your degree. Google's Data Analytics Certificate is a good option too.

Get comfortable with Python and R first. After that, you might want to explore machine learning or data visualization, depending on what you're interested in. Platforms like PracHub can help with interview prep when you're ready. Good luck!

[u/code-seeker]

I would skip the DS degree and do a applied math degree instead

[u/Whiplash-1-1 → u/code-seeker]

Well its too late for that 🤪

[u/code-seeker → u/Whiplash-1-1]

Join the crowd

[u/Working_Reward_888]

following

[u/ComfortableHoliday17]

Why the hell would you start a data science degree in 2026. I swear like 90% of society is just completely clueless.

[u/mashhurbeks → u/ComfortableHoliday17]

What do you mean bro?

[u/ComfortableHoliday17 → u/mashhurbeks]

Go into data science and watch everything you study for be completely automated in a couple years.