A Week in the Life: Online MSDS Student Nicholas Cagliuso

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I began the part-time Online M.S. in Data Science program in January of 2023, and am currently in my second-to-last semester of the program. 

I also work part-time as an Online Admissions Ambassador for the program, am in the process of securing a graduate research assistant role at the University, and am also on the full-time job hunt as I go through a career pivot. 

My goal is to use my data science skills from this program, combined with my previous academic experience in business administration and economics, to secure a management/operations role in the automotive industry. 

Weekly Schedule 

The structure of the courses within the Online MSDS program allows for a flexible day-to-day schedule which I can plan around my other life commitments and responsibilities. That said, I try to maintain as consistent a weekly schedule as possible to ensure that I stay on top of my school, work, and job-search commitments, while also leaving some time for myself! 

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I try to make the most of my unstructured time by investing it in personal enrichment – practicing mindfulness, reading, and diving deep into my hobbies and interests. 

Overall Program Experience 

I have found this online MSDS program to be an incredibly rewarding and valuable experience, not only for the data science skills I am learning but for the community fostered despite its online nature. Thanks to the cohort system, I have become very familiar with nearly every student in all my classes and have made some true friends along the way. 

What’s more, the school has clearly emphasized welcoming online students into the larger UVA community through virtual study sessions, equal access to school resources, and the opportunity to participate in activities and clubs/societies that also feature residential students. For example, I am a member of the Sports Science and Analytics Collective, which also features residential undergraduate students. 

In addition, all my professors have truly loved sharing their professional data science experiences with us students. In many instances, office hours are just as much a community and career development space as they are a space to improve understanding of course material. Even during live class sessions, many professors are eager to show the application of course content to the real-world scenarios they work on for a living. 

Overall, the Online MSDS program has provided me with so much more than just the data science skills promised by the curriculum. 

Personal Time

When I am not working or studying, I try to take advantage of my free time and focus on personal enrichment. I dedicate time each day to practicing Spanish as I try to gain fluency in the language, and I also devote time to a daily guided mindfulness exercise or meditation (thanks to premium access to Insight Timer through UVA!). 

More generally, I enjoy reading, watching all different kinds of sports, and playing video games with my friends. I also occasionally travel from my home in Maryland to spend weekends with my friends in Washington, D.C. Lastly, I love to travel and explore new cities; most recently, I visited New Orleans, Denver, Chicago, Miami, and Los Angeles.

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