Useful Information for Students

Please find a collection of useful information and links for Vassar students interested in DSS here!

DSS Mailing List

If you are interested in joining the DSS student community at Vassar and would like to get updates, event notifications, and information on data science related opportunities, please sign up for the DSS mailing list here.

DataFest

DataFest is a data analysis competition where teams of up to five students have a weekend to attack a large, complex, and surprise dataset.  Work together with your team members and consult with mentors to find and communicate insights into these data. The teams that impress the judges the most will win prizes. Everyone else will have a great experience, learn some new skills, and have fun! Please find more information here: https://pages.vassar.edu/datafest/

Datasets

Without data, there would be no data science. While it is useful (and often necessary!) to collect data ourselves and while we must always ask ourselves where the data we are using comes from, working with existing data sets is an important aspect of any data scientist’s work. In addition, a good way to get comfortable with the tools and techniques of data science is to try them yourself, on data that interests you! Challenge yourself to answer important questions, keeping in mind what you have learned in class or through practice.

Below, you can find a list of dataset sources to play around with and use for your own work and projects. Remember to always check with your instructor before using one of these data sets for a class project or assignment.