Exploration Beyond Our Comfort Zone

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Hello reader! When was the last time you tried something for the first time? I'm sure most of us think a lot before we answer this question since we're used to the comfortable cocoon we wrap ourselves around with. I'm no exception to this and I feel it is tough to get out of the comfort zone and do something new. It can be something as simple as taking a cold shower, or something relatively drastic like moving to a new country and living a totally different life! Now that I have done the latter, I just wanted to share this experience so that it could bring some value.


    So I've moved to Melbourne, got my admission to study at a University, and have been living my best life ever since I got here. I'm one of those people who seldom try anything new and is pretty happy with whatever I have or do with my life. But with the opportunity to study at a foreign University, I was blessed with a chance to learn new things very different from the way it was taught in my homeland. I was prepared for this, and I absolutely love the new way of life and learning here! It may not be the same with every new thing we all try, but I would like to mention that it is always worth a try because if you don't, you'll never know! And that, for me, is more intimidating than the new (scary) things I want to try. Think about it for a moment...

    I found my interest in Data Science and have been pursuing a Master's in Business Analytics. I have learned so many new things within just 5 months of my arrival and have been enjoying it thoroughly! From pulling off all-nighters to complete my assignments to all-night Netflix parties during the vacation period, I've enjoyed every bit of it. For the first time since I've been learning something, I can confidently say "I'm enjoying my studies". Now that, to most of us is something new because the two words generally don't go together! The main reason for my mentioning of all this is to point to the fact that new beginnings, major changes, and new ways of life which are intimidating at the start, is not always true and sometimes turn out way better than you could've imagined! How do you know this? By trying it and finding it out yourself! As simple as it can get. It is easier said than done, but from what I know, after it is done, it is as easy as it's said... Don't be scared to try new things!

    I have learnt to program in R, perform data wrangling to tidy the data, explore the data to find insights, finally visualize the data into some cool infographics, and report them in a meaningful way. This was something totally new for me since I haven't had solid work experience before. The one thing I loved most about my coursework is how it was all simulated into a real-world work experience with my assignments being led by a fictional team lead who gave me deadlines as well! Now that's a new way of learning and something I absolutely loved. I can confidently say that my first-semester experience has made me a rookie analyst if not an expert. One of my favorite projects of the semester was the Cricket Data Analytics we made to select a fantasy cricket team of all-time! I made friends from other countries and cultures in the process and it helped me feel truly multicultural in a University. With Sports being very close to my heart from childhood, this was definitely a fruitful "debut" to my journey as an Analyst in a team. The fact that I made my own code using the concepts of 'regular expression' to tidy our dataset made me feel ecstatic. I was also responsible for the visualizations of Individual Player Stats that justified why exactly we chose them for the "all-time best eleven" cricket team. This, with many other assignment tasks, has made me feel confident that I'm headed in the right direction to becoming an Analyst in the near future. And it feels fulfilling to be living the journey!

    All in all, I would like to say that it is never a bad choice to try something new just because it is a little intimidating at the start. Cold showers are cold only in the beginning. Trust me when I say that because I know! Get outta that cocoon, out of your comfort zone, and you'll realize it was the best decision ever! It may take some time to find your interests but don't take a lot of time to make up your mind to find it in the first place. Real comfort is in the accomplishments out of the comfort zone!

Let me know your thoughts about the same! Share this post to spread positivity today! G'day!


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  1. ShaQ4 August 2020 at 23:12

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