Data Science and Analytics MSc- 2022
Making a career change decision during the pandemic was not easy. When I was comparing courses at different universities, the course description on Westminster's web page was very clear and the teaching content was exactly what the job market needed.
Why did you choose the University of Westminster?
Making a career change decision during the pandemic was not easy. When I was comparing courses at different universities, the course description on Westminster's web page was very clear and the teaching content was exactly what the job market needed.
How has your experience been studying in London?
Coming from Hong Kong, another international city, I was accustomed to and at the same time amazed at what London can offer, even during the pandemic. The diversity here is second to none and with the help of Westminster I was happy to be part of Colorintech, an NGO that promotes inclusion in the tech industry. With safety measures in place, I was also able to participate in offline coursework-related field investigations with fellow classmates and make friends.
What have you particularly enjoyed about your course?
The course has enabled me to get up to speed with the latest trend in the data science space. Languages such as Python and R, visualization tools such as Tableau that were taught during the course are heavily used in the industry. Another aspect I appreciate greatly is the opportunity to work with the NHS for my graduation project. Seeing that what I’ve learnt can bring real-world impact is more than something to put on your CV.
How have you found academic support as part of your studies?
If you are like me and English is not your native language, then please do not hesitate to seek help from academic staff. They are really warm-hearted and able to provide a range of services to students in need, covering systematic academic writing seminars and timely replies to individual questions. I also find office hours highly valuable whenever I need further explanations from lecturers.
Tell us about your experience of using the University Careers and Employability Service
I participated in the Career Mentoring scheme and was paired with an experienced mentor in the tech industry who was able to pinpoint my weaknesses in my resume. This experience helped to make me aware of the current landscape of the job market in London.
Tell us about any activities that you have undertaken outside of your course
During the course, I discovered Kaggle.com, a competition platform where I can play with the machine learning algorithms taught in class and discuss with all the brilliant minds to get insights on how to make better predictions on data from the real world.
What would your advice be to someone considering studying at Westminster?
Do your research, take initiative and commit to it. I’d advise you to think about which career path you’ll take before studying at Westminster and find out what you need in order to achieve your goal. Reach out to lecturers and other academic staff for help if needed and take small but steady steps.
What's the best aspect of being a University of Westminster student?
The expanding alumni network is great. Many graduates have succeeded in making career changes after studying at Westminster, and they are very kind to share their stories with new students who can benefit from this long-term relationship.
What was the most surprising or unexpected aspect of your Westminster experience?
Surviving a year-long online learning experience is something unique to my cohort. With full support from the university, we were able to adapt, improvise and thrive in the post-pandemic era.