Hello world!

This podcast was really valuable. Here are some of the key messages I jotted down after I finished watching it:

Personal Development:

1. The amount of money one can earn is not dependent on how much time he puts in but how much value he can bring to the marketplace.
2. How do you bring more value to the marketplace? By building more skills. Make a list of skills you want to develop and work on it!
3. Work harder on developing yourself rather than on the job.

After realising that my list is impossible, I worked on narrowing it down to three main skills: App Programming, Data Science and 2D Animation. I felt these goals were achievable, so I promptly started working at it. My professor, Dr.Nephtali Marina Gonzalez, had strongly recommended an app called Lynda.com which has some great courses. I browsed some of their material and decided to pick the App Programming specialization as a start. I enjoyed it initially, but after a few weeks, it got really confusing and I dropped it!

Cut to summer vacation after year 1 – I decided to make my second attempt at programming but this time, I took up Python, which was a simpler programming language. My friend told me Lynda.com wasn’t that great for serious learning and he suggested Codecademy, which had free programming lessons plus projects with real data. The online lessons were interactive, educational and I loved learning so much. After 1 month of consistent practice of programming, I got so hooked that I was practically doing it more than I was doing my university coursework! From learning Python basics, I moved into Codecademy’s Data Science and Machine Learning courses and did some great work. The process of taking real-world data that was a dis-organised mess, and using algorithms/code to analyse it fascinated me so much.

By the end of second year, I decided that AI and technology was the space I wanted to be in. In preparation for my next steps in higher education, I browsed through UCL’s postgraduate course catalog and was overjoyed to see that they had an MSc in Machine Learning at UCL. But there was a problem – the course requirements were an undergrad degree in mathematics/computer science and experience in fields like statistics, linear algebra and calculus. Some of my close friends advised me to not apply as it would be impossible for me to get selected – not only because I’m not a maths student but also because its one of the most rigorous and competitive courses at UCL.

I was worried whether my dream of getting into this field would be possible, given that I didn’t have the required background. But then I decided to just work my hardest, give it a shot and hope for the best. While my friends were beginning serious internships and job applications during this time, I decided to ditch all of that and just sit at my computer, taking courses in linear algebra and statistics. Alongside my normal coursework, I managed to complete two specialization courses on Coursera related to machine learning and a few math courses offered on MIT’s OpenCourseWare. Furthermore, the benefit of being on the Applied Medical Sciences course was that I had the opportunity to take interdisciplinary modules relating to computing, maths and biology, and also pursue a research project related to the same, which only further developed my skills.

I sent in my application for the MSc Machine Learning program last year in March and I was ecstatic when I received the acceptance email. It’s now been almost 4 months since I joined my new degree and it has been really rigorous, but I’m enjoying it. Seeing the potential that AI can have for the medical field, I’m super passionate about combining my knowledge in both fields by helping solve medical problems using technology solutions and making healthcare better for patients! My journey has just begun and I have a long way to go, but hopefully it is going to be fun and rewarding!

If you’re a machine learning expert or someone looking to transition into AI as well, I would love to connect and talk more about it!