A Week in the Life: Online MSDS Student Hannah Koizumi

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I started the M.S. in data science part-time, online program in January 2023, and I am currently in my third semester. 

I also work full-time as a program and operations manager at a small political nonprofit whose goal is to make American democracy more responsive and representative. 

I am interested in using large voter data to tell a story about possible weaknesses of American democracy and conducting analysis to make it more equitable. 

Weekly Schedule

Every week looks different for me based on my work and school schedule. I’ve learned that balancing a full-time job and being a part-time graduate student means you have to be flexible and roll with the punches. 

Coming from a non-stem background, it was hard for me not to know how long an assignment would take to complete: a coding assignment could take 45 minutes ... or 5 hours. It was different from my humanities background where I was used to planning around readings and writing assignments, and that’s why I had to learn to re-prioritize throughout the week and allow myself ample time to work on assignments. 

Here's what a typical weekly schedule looks like for me: 

Community and Cohort Support

Despite being virtual and remote, I’ve been impressed by the connectedness of the online MSDS community. A majority of the cohort has been together since our first semester, and after a number of breakout rooms and group projects, we've grown close. 

The new friends I’ve made in my cohort are a huge help with weekly study groups, group assignments, and just general moral support. I’ve also really appreciated the free tutors provided by the program for when I’m really stuck or want a deeper understanding of a topic.