Reflections on my Summer Internship
Graduate school so far has been challenging but also rewarding. My first year pushed me to sharpen my technical skills in data analytics and data science while also learning to think critically about how data is used in different contexts. Balancing coursework, projects, and group assignments has not always been easy, but it has given me a stronger foundation and a clearer sense of direction for my career.
This past summer, I had the chance to test what I learned in the classroom during an internship. Most of my daily work focused on the technical side of analytics, but the biggest takeaway was how much the experience mirrored the trends I saw in class. I not only applied tools and techniques, but also leared to ask the right questions and consider the bigger picture behind the data.
A key lesson from the internship was that working with data is rarely straightforward. Real-world datasets are often messy, incomplete, or inconsistent, and a large portion of the work involves cleaning and preparing them before any real analysis can be done. This was emphasized in class, so thankfully it was not a surprise to me! While this part of the job was time consuming, it reinforced just how important careful preparation is for producing insights that are meaningful and reliable.
The experience also gave me valuable exposure to the professional environment around data science and analytics. I was able to contribute to projects that had a real impact on our customers and the company, practice the skills I developed in class, and see how many different teams collaborate to make data-driven decisions. Additionally, having the opportunity to network and learn from experienced professionals increased the scope of what I was able to take away from this experience.
Looking back, the internship was an important step in my professional development. It gave me confidence in my abilities, showed me the realities of working with data in a business setting, and connected my academic work with real-world applications. Combined with the lessons I’ve learned in graduate school so far, the experience has made me feel more prepared for my last year of graduate school at Tufts. I'm excited for what's to come when I graduate!