Tiana Bettinson

Why did you choose the University of Westminster?

My friend, a former student, referred me when I decided to study in London.

Tell us about your course (what have you particularly enjoyed about the programme)? 

The Data Science course taught me skills in business analytics, data warehousing, web analytics, and machine learning. I thoroughly enjoyed the projects in each module as they were a great way to apply the skills we learned during our lectures.

I have also enjoyed getting to know people from all over the world. Westminster has such a diverse student and staff body, and I am grateful for all the experiences I have had learning from my classmates and academics.
 

How have you found the academic/ lecturer support as part of your studies? 

I enjoyed working with my tutors and academics! Since I was part of the January intake, my cohort was smaller, which made it easier to have one-on-one support. All my lecturers knew me by name, and I would feel comfortable going to any of them to ask for a letter of recommendation. I especially appreciated the support I received from my supervisor, Dr. Sheema Noorain, during my dissertation. She was available to help me throughout the semester and provided excellent and timely feedback on my work.

Where did you undertake your work placement? 

I worked with Aue Natural, an upcoming beauty company that specialises in natural, environmentally sustainable products

How did you find out about your placement?

During my second semester, our course leader sent out information about the opportunity to work with an industry partner for our dissertation.

What was the application process for your placement?

I submitted my CV and a cover letter to my course leader. In both, I highlighted my professional experience as a software engineer.

How has your course helped you with your work placement? 

I used many of the skills I developed in my course for visually displaying and communicating data in my work. The projects I completed in each module helped me develop excellent written communication skills, which were especially helpful when breaking down complex data and technical concepts to a non-technical audience.

Please provide examples of the type of work you've been undertaking/ undertook on your placement? 

I created a dynamic data dashboard comparing the environmental impacts of solid and liquid shampoos.

What have you learnt and what skills did you gain during your placement?

During my placement, I developed strong organisational, problem-solving, and communication skills. I was responsible for independently researching, analysing, and synthesising data, as well as building a dashboard from scratch for my industry partner. This required effective time management and daily planning to ensure steady progress. I also learned to take initiative when facing challenges, working proactively to find solutions. Regular communication with both my industry partner and academic supervisor was essential throughout the project. Overall, the experience taught me the importance of consistency, discipline, and careful planning when managing a large-scale project.

I also learned the importance of being honest and communicating my capabilities effectively, especially within time and resource constraints. While both my industry partner and I had ambitious ideas for the dashboard, I had to realistically assess what could be achieved within a limited timeframe. These conversations were sometimes challenging, but they ultimately led to better alignment and collaboration. Together, we were able to prioritise effectively, find practical solutions, and deliver a final product we were proud of.

How do you plan to use your placement experience in your professional future? 

This experience gave me a lot of confidence in my skills as a data analyst and software developer. Creating a full-stack online dashboard from scratch, with fully functional front- and backends, was challenging but rewarding. I developed skills in TypeScript, Python, and FastAPI.

What would be your advice to someone considering studying at Westminster?

My advice to someone considering studying at Westminster is to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can. There are so many resources the University offers students for free! It is a great place to learn and develop both in and outside of academics.