Plan of Study Worksheet

Name: Qin Guo (Quinn)

My Discipline and Graduate Program

Recently, data analysis becomes very popular. Many companies try to analyze data to solve problem of real

world. I found data is very interesting. Through analyzing data, analysts can find potential opportunity. Data

analysis was used widely in each area, which include medical, financial and business. It affects our lives in a

profound way. I want to became a data analyst, because I thought it will be very interesting and challenging.

And I also believe this major is easy for me to find job. Five years ago, my husband studied in George

Washington University. At that time, we lived in Fairfax county and sometimes I went George Mason

University to attend English program. Autumn is the most beautiful season in this county and at that time the

county was deeply attracting me. So, after five years, when we come back this place, I want to study in George

Mason.
 SMART Academic Goals

SMART Goal #1:

My first goal is successful pass the pathway. For me, I’m a little lack of data analysis background. Path way

program provide a good opportunity for me. I will utilize the period time to improve my English skill and

professional skill. I need to get B grade for each course by minimum standards. Of course, I made my target is

getting B plus or A. This goal encourages me be seriously on each class and homework. But I still think it is

not enough. For my major class, I also need to learn more knowledge. Data analysis is a discipline which

needs learning many tools, so I register some workshop to study tools. I also need to improve my English skill,

especially on writing skill. I have already read many articles about my discipline, I hope it is useful. I think

writing center is helpful for me. When the next semester finish, if I successful gets the regular semester will

mean if I achieve my goal. When the next semester finish, if I successful gets the regular semester will mean if

I achieve my goal.

SMART Goal #2:

My second goal is to study machine learning. For my understanding, data analysis is different from the

traditional statistic. Statistic disciplines need students understanding each formula. They have to know how the

formula comes and how used them. But in data analysis discipline, I need know some algorithms and use them,

rather than familiar with each formula. Machine learning is very popular. It is very useful and basic for other

tools. So, I decide learn it during winter break. I already found some lesson on the website. I believe after

learned it, I will feel more easily in the future class.

SMART Goal #3:

My third goal is getting an intern after two gradate semester. We all know data analysis is an applied discipline.

Only in the practice, we can really comprehend this skill and it will very helpful for my future career.
Therefore, intern opportunity is very important to us. I already try to use the Mason hire website. And I also try

to send my resume for some on-campus job. Even though I didn’t get any answer, I will keep try to find

opportunity got my goal. First, I need to improve my communicate skill in the on-campus job. Second, I

should familiar with relevant job, although it hard to find.

Why are these SMART goals important to your academic success in graduate school
because:

For me, my ultimate goal is getting a data analysis job. In order to achieve this goal, first, I need successful

finish path way course, second, I need to improve my skill; last, I want to accumulate my experience. My three

SMART goals need to finish step by step, and the goals are not very far away from me. After two or three

years, I will be successful.

 (3) Annotated Disciplinary Resources List

Resource #1:
When I begin the major class. I awareness that I need to add some knowledge about big data. I read the first

book about big data is <Big Data: a revolution that will transform how we live, work, and think> which is

written by Viktor Mayer-Schönberger. Using this book, I had an overall framework about big data. In this

book, it described that there are three feathers: “the first one is the number of data is large, equate as all; the

second on is people needn’t to pursue the precise; the third one is people should not to find the causal

relationship between data and real world.” (Maryer-Schönberger,2013) There are also some vivid examples to

tell us how the big data change our life and the world. After this book, I have a superficial understanding.

Resource #2:
Then my professor recommended the other book <Doing Data Science: Straight Talk from the Frontline> was

written by Rachel Schutt and Cathy O’Neil. This book help to familiar more deeply in data science. For one

interesting thing, any theory will be suspect and criticized. The three feathers, was introduced in the <big data>,

was criticized in this book. The authors of <Doing Data Science> clarified their points: big is not equal “all”

and “precise” is still important for people. In this book, there are many useful tools and practice case. Each

section of this book was provided by different industry data scientists. Therefore, it is linked closed with

practice.

Resource #3:
I also read <The Blake Swan: the impact of the highly improbable> written by Nassim Nicholas Taleb.

Different with two books of above which is more theoretical, this book has strongly literariness. <The Black

Swan> metaphor some events like “a black swan”. First of all, the events are no prediction and happened

suddenly. Secondly, it can generate extreme impact. And the third, after the event happen, people can find

sufficient reason to explant it. (Taleb, 2007) It is just like analyzing on data, at the first time we don’t know
what kind result we want get. After a long term exploring, one day we can solve a problem in unpredicted likes

a “black swan” event.

Resource #4:
The forth book also war recommend by my professor that named <money ball>. It is famous because of it be

filmed a movie. This book is a fiction which described a baseball team under a disadvantage condition, they

through analyzing data, won the race at finally. It is a good example about data analysis is applicate in real life.

Resource #5:
The fifth book I recommend is introduced a SQL tool. < Learning SQL: Master SQL Fundamentals> was

written by Alan Beaulieu. SQL maybe a fundamental tool we need grasp. It can be used widely on data. This

book expression from simple, we can easily catch the main idea about this tool. For beginner, this tool can help

us built confidence on being a data analytics.

Resource #6:
Work shop is very useful resource. By attending work shop, I can learn some relevant knowledge about data

science. There are many courses about how to organize data and how to use analytical tools. For example, I am

very interested in R and Python, but I don’t know how to start. After I attended work shop which name is “R

intro” and “Python Basics”, I found these tools is not very difficult as my imagination. These courses help me

to build confidence to study data tools. So I highly recommend student to attend it.

Resource #7:
The last resource I recommend is George Mason library digital scholarship center. This center can provide help

for finding data recourse. Last time, I had a question on my homework and I didn’t know where can I get data.

Then I register the office hour. They gave me some useful information. As a professional center, it is very

helpful for our discipline.

 (4) Course Plan

FALL 2017 Coutse Title Credit Hours

AIT-580 Analytics: Big Data to Information 3 (Core Courses)

PROV-501 Introduction to Graduate Study 1 2

EAP-506 Graduate Communication in Disciplines 1 4

EAP-505 2

Notes: Minimum overall GPA:3.00

B or better in all Data Analytics courses
B- or better in all PROV/EAP courses

SPRING Coutse Title Credit Hours

2018

OR-531 Analytics and Decision Analysis 3 (Core Courses)

CS-504 Principlws of Data Management and Mining 3 (Core Courses)

EAP-507 Graduate Communication in Disciplines 2 4

EAP-510 Linguistics Capstone 0

INYO-502 Introduction to Graduate Stusy 2 2

Notes: Minimum overall GPA:3.00

B or better in all Data Analytics courses
B- or better in all PROV/EAP courses
FALL 2018 Coutse Title Credit Hours

AIT-582 Application of Metadata in Complex Big Data 3

Problems

STAT-515 Applied Staristics and Visualization for Analytics 3 (Core Courses)

OR-604 Practical Optimization 3

Notes: Minimum overall GPA:3.00

B or better in all Data Analytics courses

SPRING Coutse Title Credit Hours

2019

GBUS-720 Marketing Analytics 3

DAEN-698 Data Analytics Research Project 3

CS-310 Data Structures 3

Notes: Minimum overall GPA:3.00

B or better in all Data Analytics courses

FALL 2019 Coutse Title Credit Hours

DAEN-690 Data Analytics Project 3

intern

Notes: Minimum overall GPA:3.00

B or better in all Data Analytics courses
 (5) Academic Reflection

Reflection:
There are many data workshops were hold by libraty in the GMU, at the beginning of this semester I

registered several workshops, they are all very useful to help me to understand how to use these tools on

analysis data. To be a data analytics. I need to get some tools. There are many classes to help me to get that

target. I learned R, API and Python. All these tools have complex function to use on data.

Last time, I attend a workshop which taught us how to generate a pivot table in excel. For my experience, I

always use excel to make table, I only know how a little knowledge about the excel function. When I studied

in undergraduate, statistic class let me know how to generate a figure on using analysis. Until I learned pivot

table, I awareness the powerful function of excel. The instructor let us use a dada of titanic. By using this data

to show us how to extract the information of caulome or row. Through setting the way of extraction, we can

get a new table which include information that we wanted. There are also many functions to help us to

calculate the data. I only need to drag and pull the tag to change their format. I also can by choosing the

function that like sum, average, total and other function to calculate. There was classification faction to be used

still very easy. I also learned many figures’ name and how to use it. Excel still has lots of function that I need

to learn.

Before that I learned SQL tool by myself. That is my first time to contact pivot table. At that time, I do not

understand it very well. I only notice there are many clear tables be generated. I thought it is a very complex

proses. But when I rolled this class, the interactor made each knowledge is so simple that I can understand

easily. She also gave us handout which was written the core of it. Whenever we didn’t know how to build the

table in result could not fallow up, she would stop and teach us patiently.