Hi everyone! My name is Aronas Zilys, and I’ve just completed my first week at the Data School as part of DS49. I’m incredibly excited to be here, and after an action-packed week, I thought I’d write a blog to share my experience with anyone thinking about applying or those just starting their own journey. If you're about to start, congratulations! And if you’re considering applying, I wholeheartedly recommend it—it’s a fantastic opportunity to learn and grow in the world of data.
Now, here's a quick rundown of what my first week has been like.
Monday: Onboarding and Settling In
My first day was all about getting to know the team, the curriculum, and setting up for the weeks ahead. I met my fellow DS49 cohort members, and the wider team. The energy was immediately welcoming and supportive, and it felt great to be surrounded by so many like-minded people who are all eager to learn. We spent the day familiarising ourselves with the programme, setting up the necessary software, and going through the company’s policies and procedures. By the end of the day, I was excited to jump straight into the work and start building a solid foundation.
Tuesday: Diving into Data Consultancy
Tuesday was all about understanding the fundamentals of data consultancy. I learned how essential it is to research a client thoroughly, from their company values and mission to their competition and data governance policies. It became clear that understanding a client's needs and business context is crucial to providing meaningful solutions. The other key lesson was the importance of documentation. Recording every step, question, and decision ensures that the project stays organised and on track, which is vital when working on client-facing tasks.
Wednesday: Data Cleaning Techniques
By Wednesday, I was getting deeper into data cleaning, particularly within Tableau Prep. We learned essential techniques for ensuring that the data we work with is accurate and structured properly for analysis. I was introduced to fundamental methods in preparing data for meaningful insights.
Thursday: Data Structures and More Tableau Prep
Thursday was focused on understanding data structures and how they apply to data preparation. We discussed key concepts such as datasets, data warehouses and data lakes, and how different data structures impact analysis. We also delved into more advanced Tableau Prep techniques, like pivoting data, using calculation, using joins and unions to combine separate datasets, applying aggregation, and reshaping datasets for greater clarity. These tools and methods are critical when working with large datasets or when preparing data for complex analysis and visualisation. It felt great to get hands-on with Tableau Prep and see how these techniques come together to create a clean, structured dataset ready for deeper exploration.
Friday: Presentation Day & Learning from DS48
The week ended with a presentation where I had the chance to showcase the skills I’ve developed so far. I walked through the data cleaning process and explained how I organised and documented the data. It was a fantastic opportunity to practise presenting my work and get valuable feedback from my coaches.
On top of that, we were given the chance to watch the presentations from DS48, the cohort before us. It was incredible to see how much they’ve learned and how far they’ve come in such a short time. Their work was at such a high level, and it was inspiring to watch. It made me even more excited about the progress I’ll make over the next few monhs. I can’t wait to get to that level myself!
It was also a great moment to connect further with my DS49 cohort. Everyone has been so supportive, and I feel truly fortunate to be part of such a collaborative and motivated group. The camaraderie within DS49 is already so strong, and it’s clear that we’ll be learning from each other as much as from the curriculum.
Reflections on the Week
My first week at the Data School has been a whirlwind of learning, growth, and excitement. I’ve gained foundational knowledge in both data consultancy and data preparation techniques, and I’ve started to feel confident working with tools like Tableau Prep. But more than that, I’ve been blown away by the support and encouragement from everyone around me. My coaches, the rest of DS49, and previous DS cohorts have been incredibly supportive, always willing to share their insights and help me learn. I’m excited to see where this journey takes me and can’t wait to continue building on what I’ve learned this week.