Python Resources

There are numerous resources online for folks interested in learning Python. The subreddit r/learnpython is one, and it collects, in its wiki, a long list of others. These resources include videos and lectures, tools, and links to online books and courses. They are aimed at a variety of levels, backgrounds, and learning styles.

Of particular interest are:

Two libraries we’ll use heavily in this class are pyMC3 and pandas. Teaching you to use pyMC effectively is a major goal of the course. Pandas will be the library that manages our tables of data, with its DataFrame class. Students coming from data8 will recognize a pandas.DataFrame as something quite close to the datascience.Table, but with more features and more rough edges.

Using pandas effectively is a large part of being a practicing data scientist in Python, and is increasingly used in research science as well. If you’d like to learn more about how to use pandas, check out this video tutorial by Brandon Rhodes. If you click the “Download Zip” button as directed, and upload the files to your datahub, you can follow along with the exercises.

Campus Resources

Many students struggle with mental health during their undergraduate education. The university has numerous resources for helping with this, and some important ones are listed below. Thanks to Samy Abdel-Ghaffar, who initially compiled this list of resources.

The UHS Counseling and Psychological Services staff provides confidential assistance to students managing problems that can emerge from illness such as financial, academic, legal, family concerns, etc. In the realm of sexual harassment, UHS coordinates education programs, crisis counseling, advocacy, and medical care for individuals who have been harassed or assaulted.

The Student Services Office provides all types of academic advising. You can drop-in at any time during the above hours to speak with a peer adviser, or you can use the website above to get more information and/or schedule an appointment with a staff member. Hours are from 9am-noon and 1pm-4.

As the primary academic support service for students at UC Berkeley, the Student Learning Center (SLC) assists students in transitioning to Cal, navigating the academic terrain, creating networks of resources, and achieving academic, personal, and professional goals. Through various services including tutoring, study groups, workshops, and courses, SLC supports students in Biological and Physical Sciences, Business Administration, Computer Science, Economics, Mathematics, Social Sciences, Statistics, Study Strategies, and Writing.

Student Life Advising Services (SLAS) is an academic counseling/advising service that assists all undergraduate students, with a primary focus on Education Opportunity Program students and students who participated in outreach programs. The SLAS office assists students in developing the skills required to succeed at Berkeley and beyond by taking a comprehensive approach to counseling/advising on academic, personal, and social matters.

The Ombudsperson for Students provides a confidential service for students involved in a University-related problem (either academic or administrative), acting as a neutral complaint resolver and not as an advocate for any of the parties involved in a dispute. The Ombudsperson can provide information on policies and procedures affecting students; facilitate students’ contact with services able to assist in resolving the problem; and assist students in complaints concerning improper application of University policies or procedures. All matters referred to this office are held in strict confidence. The only exceptions, at the sole discretion of the Ombudsperson, are cases where there appears to be imminent threat of serious harm.

The Disabled Students’ Program serves students with disabilities of all kinds, including mobility, visual, or hearing impairments; chronic illnesses such as AIDS, diabetes, and lupus; seizure disorders, head injuries, painful conditions such as back injuries and carpel tunnel syndrome; psychological disabilities such as bipolar disorder and severe anxiety or depression; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder; and learning disabilities. Services are individually designed and based on the specific needs of each student as identified by DSP’s Specialists. The Program’s official website includes information on DSP staff, UC’s disabilities policy, application procedures, campus access guides for most university buildings, and portals for students and faculty.