Thursday January 18th

SQL Blues and Data Things

I’ve been working through my Data Nanodegree. I really enjoyed the A/B Testing and Logistic Regression stuff, which is near the end.
However, I’ve been since going over some of the middle-coursework, and realized I need to spend a bit more time learning SQL for Data Science, so I’m doing that today. I want it to be better at it so it’s second-nature. Then I’ll attack the final part of my Nanodegree, which has a bunch of intermediate SQL. It’s still hazy in my mind if I have two versions to join on, if there is an advantage to using one over the other (ie is it commutative?). This sounds silly, but even though the query says “success”, I’m sitting there, just thinking, “it says I got it right, but is it the best choice?”. So I need to spend more time on that for myself.
I’ve been told that I have a strength of pattern-matching, but the linear style of SQL is not as second-nature for me to grasp (the simple SQL is easy for me, but the more complicated logic takes a bit more time for me to grasp), particularly as a lot of SQL is not as visual as say, Jupyter’s/ Python’s format/ interface.

I was accepted to two bootcamps, and turned one down (they’re sort of my back-up but I didn’t want to do the purely JS one : worse case I find a job, work for a year or so, and then apply for my Master’s ), am studying for GREs and am interviewing and waiting to hear back on some applications for summer internships. I also have heard from some other recruiters, so I’ve applied for some of that stuff, too. But honestly, I really just want to do my Master’s, the more I think about it. I think I’d be happy as a computer scientist/ data scientist.
I picked up (for this semester at school) Concepts of Programming Languages and Discrete Structures. For summer, I’d also like to do training that focuses on Programming Languages, and in Fall, I definitely would like to attend ICFP.
On my own, after Discrete Structures, I’d like to just focus on Python and Haskell, particularly spending more time on just learning Haskell. I think it would also be a worthwhile investment because I do not have a laptop readily available (outside of work) that can run Visual Studio. It may be trivial to a lot of people, but it means a lot to me right now.

I was listening to SPJ’s podcast and the excitement of Programmes as Proofs. By the way, today is his 60th Birthday!! :D He’s a lovely person, and was quite kind when I told him a bit of my path, my intention to do my Master’s, and the community in LA, and wished me Good Luck on my journey.
A friend of mine was talking to me yesterday about the sort of disappointment that there isn’t more attention paid in the industry to correctness, and I don’t think if I start working right away I’d be exposed to a lot of that. I have such joy for programming right now, I don’t want it taken away by the sloppiness and horror and a stream of bad experiences.
If I am able to get into a program, I’d be allowed to focus on correctness, which I think would serve me in a good way. I honestly don’t care for someone lauding over me that they “have more experience” because they’ve just written a bunch of buggy code, as much as I do people who can teach me to write better, cleaner, more succinct and correct code. That’s sort of the Holy Grail for me.

That’s part of the appeal for me of data science. It’s pattern analysis and chaining together of functions. I’m still learning, though.

Oh, I am going to Newport beach for the Women’s Sailing Convention. I am sailing down with a group from MDR on Thursday, and doing workshops in Diesel engines, electrical repair spinnaker rigging and general maintenance. I am super duper excited! :D
I’m also going to Sparklecon, which is a wonderful hacker event I attend every year in Fullerton!
I want to attend ICFP (in September) and BayHac (which is now in May).

Written on January 18, 2018