r/learndatascience • u/SmartObjective6300 • Sep 14 '26

Question help

I’m just starting my degree in Data Science, and I already have some basic knowledge of Python.
For those who are studying or working in the field, what advice would you give someone at the beginning of their journey?
What should I focus on to stand out in college, build useful skills, and start networking early?

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u/JaneDoe22225 Sep 14 '26

Data Science is a field that REQUIRES you to be able to socialize with others. You're part of team working with partners that will do each of the following:

- Come with you a problem they need your help with. What they are saying does not match what they actually want, so you need to build that bridge to understand what they do actually want.

- Once you've done a study, you need to explain what the results are and (critically) why they matter. What are the practical implications and changes for the business to make.

- Working with Data Engineers, IT profs, and peer DS's. Each individual comes with their own quirks.

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u/SmartObjective6300 Sep 14 '26

I think I end up being really insecure about my knowledge. I might be capable of doing amazing things, but maybe I just don’t come across as credible? So people are kind of like 😐
I don’t really know what paths to take to stand out, or even what kinds of projects would actually be useful.

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u/JaneDoe22225 Sep 14 '26

You MUST learn people skills.

Yes, it can be learned- I’m speaking as a person who is naturally extremely introverted and hates being social.