I wouldn't call myself an expert in Python programming.

However, I have spent 6 years immersing myself in the topic and it's numerous extensions.

And I have probably spent over 1,000 hours practicing Python programming in my own life.

Here's how I first got interested in Python programming:

From an early age I developed a mindset that coasting through school is sufficient and instead I should focus on having fun.

This mindset landed me in a job I hated with no discipline to figure out how to improve the situation.

Lost and directionless, I combed through Spotify's careers page (my favorite product to get me through the monotony of work at the time). They had dozens of positions listed for data science that sparked my curiosity.

I set out to learn the qualifications for these roles, with Python being the foundation and #1 skill required for success.

So my goal for the rest of 2022 is:

To become a top 1% expert in pandas and PySpark (two of the most important libraries associated with Python).

Most people interested in data science gravitate towards building machine learning models - the field's sex appeal (if it's possible for such a nerdy topic to have any).

I understand that, and model-building is an important part of the field. However, I believe strong programming skills are what enable models to have real-world impact.