Getting Started
In order to get you started on your data science ‘journey’ you will need to follow the guidance provided on the pages we’ve linked to below from the CASA Computing Environment web site.
Requirements
Before trying to do anything else please complete the basic health check, which also includes our recommendations if you are considering buying a new computer when you start your studies. Once you know that your machine and operating system are up-to-date, you should install the basic utilities that will enable you to complete installation of the programming environment. We also provide information about Code Camp which is a self-paced introduction to the fundamentals of programming in Python.
Setup
Once you’ve ticked off the Requirements, you can start installing the tools that you will use to write and run both code and documentation. You will need to:
- Did you set up the Base Utilities linked to in Section 1.1 (Requirements) above?
- Install and configure Git and GitHub in order to manage, share, and version code.
- Install a Markdown editor and familiarise yourself with Markdown’s syntax in order to write documentation, comments, and the Group Submission.
- Install the programming environment, including Docker and, potentially, VSCode.
In an emergency, as a backup some part of the term will work with the ‘no install’ option or Anaconda Python, but this will make your life significantly harder if it is your first choice as we are unable to provide support for these.
Soft Skills
Over the years, based on student experience and feedback we have collected a range of advice that is not purely technical in nature. This section covers managing distractions, an introduction to how to read (in the academic sense of reading journal articles and books for meaning and relevance) as well as how to think (in the sense of why the modules are the way they are and the importance of reflection), and how to ask for help (because that’s what we’re to do, but first you need to help yourself!).