Written by President, NUS BACT AY18/19
BACT is a place to pick up tools such as Python, R and VBA.
Or is it?
Analytics is not just about the tools, or even the methods, but it’s about exploration, interpretation and communication of patterns in data. It is about asking the question of “how we can do things better” and finding a systematic way of answering this question and bringing this idea across effectively to stakeholders.
We envision that BACT can be a place for people to learn and share knowledge with each other with the support of alumni and professors, and initiate practical and exciting projects.
Pick the Problem, then learn the Tools
Under Ganesh Muthupalani, our Director of Data Analytics in AY1718, BACT piloted the Wolf Pack initiative to shift away rote learning during club sessions to independent learning between members. Combining the Wolf Pack initiative with the knowledge passed on by our seniors in the External Project Team, NUS BACT is ready to recruit new members for Academic Year 18/19 under this new club structure.
Collaborative Learning Environment
I personally learnt Python myself, and was exposed to machine learning through online courses. I felt that I was an independent learner, but every lone motivated learner will face similar roadblocks: Is there a better way to do this? Am I learning the right things? What else is there for me to learn? How can I use this? I am thankful for the seniors in BACT who shared about their experience and expanded my horizons of what entailed “Analytics”. With peers, alumni and professors of DAO department, we hope that learning can still be independent, but with far more sharing and collaboration between members rather than an zero-sum game where one individual is “better” than another.
What BACT will do?
New members
In our biweekly training, we will start off with ideation of projects with the guidance of senior members. Each session will be split equally between training conducted by senior members, and team discussion to build towards a final deliverable of the group’s interest that will be presented to our professors in DAO department.
Joining BACT
We believe that every member in BACT should be able to learn independently, and the proxy for us to gauge this is through the completion of our tutorial series in either Python or R by the end of week 2. We also request for a copy of your resume to better build a team of members who are in various specialization to create enough variety in ideas.
For more details, head over to Join Us page.
NUS BACT 