{"id":17962,"date":"2025-09-17T10:42:05","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T14:42:05","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/?p=17962"},"modified":"2025-11-11T15:20:51","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T20:20:51","slug":"cds-ds109-builds-community","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.bu.edu\/cds-faculty\/2025\/09\/17\/cds-ds109-builds-community\/","title":{"rendered":"CDS\u2019s DS109: Building Community and Confidence for Students"},"content":{"rendered":"

What does it take to help first-year students feel confident, connected, and ready to succeed in college\u2014and in data science? At Boston University\u2019s Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences (CDS), the answer is DS109: Data Science First-Year Seminar<\/em><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

\u201cDS109 was designed to extend orientation throughout the first semester\u2014students need more than a week to adapt,\u201d said Molly-Kate MacLeod<\/a>, Director of Student Experience. \u201cThis course gives them a built-in support system and tools they\u2019ll use well beyond their first year.\u201d<\/p>\n

Created as an evolution of BU\u2019s FY101 seminar and developed by the CDS Advising team, Colleen Kenney<\/a>, Laykn Bright<\/a>, and Elizabeth Carter<\/a>, with support from Micah Sieber<\/a>, CDS Assistant Provost of Graduate and Academic Programs, DS109 has quickly become a cornerstone of the CDS student experience. Now entering its second year, the course blends academics, advising, life skills, and community-building into a holistic first-year foundation.<\/p>\n

\u201cDS109 has been an amazing opportunity to make new friends and learn more about the opportunities presented to data science students,\u201d said Mia Morgan (CDS\u201829). \u201cSigning up for the course is one of the best decisions I have made so far!\u201d<\/p>\n

\"DS109That early sense of belonging is intentional. The one-credit course is tailored to the needs of data science students. Blending faculty presentations, an introduction to BU Spark!, peer mentorship, and personal finance training with guidance on thriving in a fast-moving field, DS109 extends far beyond the classroom.<\/p>\n

One of DS 109\u2019s signature lessons, “The Data Science of Personal Finance,<\/em>” <\/strong><\/span>is a student favorite. Led by Sieber, the sessions cover budgeting, taxes, investing, Roth IRAs, and strategies to avoid common financial pitfalls after graduation.<\/p>\n

\u201cStudents light up when they realize how much agency they have over their financial future,\u201d Sieber said. \u201cIt\u2019s about building confidence\u2014financially, academically, and personally.\u201d<\/p>\n

Amanda Eng (CDS’28), who served as a DS109 summer mentor last spring and summer, says the experience was equally valuable for her. \u201cI found it very rewarding to help incoming students and make their transition to college easier,\u201d said Eng. “I’ve really enjoyed the community I have found at CDS, and making connections with new students as a mentor was a great way for me to help extend that community to incoming freshmen.”<\/p>\n

MacLeod emphasizes that DS109 is part of a broader effort to integrate academic, co-curricular, and career development opportunities across the student journey. \u201cOur goal is to create a seamless student experience\u2014from day one through graduation\u2014where students feel supported, seen, and prepared to lead in data science,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n

\u201cOur goal is to create a seamless student experience\u2014from day one through graduation\u2014where students feel supported, seen, and prepared to lead in data science.\u201d<\/em><\/h4>\n

\u2014Molly-Kate Macleod<\/strong>, Director of Student Experience, Faculty of Computing & Data Sciences<\/p>\n

Each student in DS109 also fulfills their mandatory advising requirement through the course, creating space for more holistic conversations about goals, curriculum planning, and support systems.<\/p>\n

\u201cThe advising team developed DS 109 to create stronger connections with each incoming cohort and ensure students feel supported from their very first days at Boston University,\u201d said Kenney. \u201cWhile focused on academic success, the course also encourages engagement in the BU and CDS communities and provides space to explore mindfulness, stress relief, and students\u2019 own values and identities.\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentors and mentees had their first chance to connect at the DS109 welcome reception, followed by the lively CDS Game Night\u2014an early opportunity to build community and ease the transition into college life.<\/p>\n

\u201cDS109 gives students an academic foundation and a sense of belonging, while the mentorship program extends that support well beyond the classroom,\u201d said MacLeod.\u201c Together, they create a powerful framework for students to feel connected, confident, and ready to thrive at CDS.\u201d<\/p>\n

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