What is the best way to start learning data science?

I want to start learning data science, but I don’t know where to begin. I’m a beginner and was looking for advice. This seemed like the right place to ask.

If you don’t have any statistics background, I recommend the book ‘Practical Statistics for Data Scientists’ by Bruce, Bruce, and Gedeck. It covers the most useful elementary concepts from statistics with Python and R implementations. It’s practical but includes just enough theory to help you understand why you’re doing what you’re doing. It’s a great resource to get started.

@Marlon
That sounds really useful. I’ll get it as soon as I can. Thank you.

Donovan said:
@Marlon
That sounds really useful. I’ll get it as soon as I can. Thank you.

No problem. By the way, you can find a free PDF on Library Genesis. It’s a good source for textbooks, and I’ve had no issues with downloads from there.

Welcome to the journey. I suggest starting here: https://www.reddit.com/r/learndatascience/

Just give up. ChatGPT knows more than you do. /s

There are many courses available. I started with three on statistics, machine learning, and business intelligence fundamentals, plus two covering R and Python.

It depends on your goals. Are you aiming for a role heavy on machine learning and research, more engineering-focused, experimentation-focused, or more into reporting?

Vero said:
It depends on your goals. Are you aiming for a role heavy on machine learning and research, more engineering-focused, experimentation-focused, or more into reporting?

I aim to work in the field of business, but I don’t have a specific goal.

@Donovan
In that case, I would start with:

  • Excel
  • SQL
  • Basic statistics
  • A BI tool like Tableau or Power BI

Also, try to learn more about the field so you can refine your goals. Data science is a broad field with different roles and skill sets under its umbrella.