On this page, I have compiled a list of resources you can use to learn data science and/or further your career.
Technical learning:
Codecademy: I used Codecademy to learn Python. Codecademy offers (mostly) free courses in various programming languages. Codecademy is especially useful because it has an interactive interpreter that runs in your browser. This means that you can write real code to help you learn.
SQLCourse: I used this site to learn SQL before I started my first data science job. It provides a basic tutorial of SQL that runs in your browser, so you don’t have to figure out how to install a database on your laptop. It’s also totally free.
Datacamp: This site a bit like “Codecademy for Data Science.” It offers interactive, in browser training for data science. I have hardly even tried either one, so your mileage may vary.
Tidyverse: tidyverse is a collection of R packages that work together well. They provide a simple set of functions to read and process data. The creator of the Tidyverse, Hadley Wickham, wrote a book about it called R for Data Science: Import, Tidy, Transform, Visualize, and Model Data
Career:
I Will Teach You to Be Rich: Ramit Sethi started as a personal finance blogger and has since branched out far beyond that. His blog posts and videos on job hunting were really useful for me in my job search.
Mindset:
Do It Tomorrow and Other Secrets of Time Management by Mark Forster: This was a life-changing book for me. Mark Forster takes a contrarian view on time management, procrastination, and motivation. One of his most interesting arguments is that you should not do your tasks in order of priority. Instead, you should focus on completing “closed lists” of tasks very quickly. Ever since reading his book, I have been much more productive. He also has an awesome blog where he discusses his newest techniques.
lukeprog on the science of motivation: This is a post on LessWrong. In it, lukeprog discusses the state of the science on procrastination. tl;dr:
You can increase your own motivation at will by manipulating the four factors in the “procrasination equation.”
Beeminder: Beeminder is an app that tracks your progress on your goals and adds a monetary penalty if you don’t stay on track. You literally pay Beeminder if you don’t do what you planned to do. Psychologists call this a Commitment Contract. I have used Beeminder to eat my vegetables, write blog posts, and exercise, among other things.