I’d like to prompt a discussion on the relevant tools and techniques learners should focus on in order to best prepare themselves for this exciting discipline of computer science.
I’m interested in pursuing a career in computer science. I find this topic deeply fascinating and would like to pursue it seriously. Currently, I’m going through the Deep Learning specialization in Coursera and am in the second course. I would like to firstly thank Andrew Ng for teaching these concepts in such an approachable, thorough manner that build on itself. You have put together an excellent course. I am most excited and compelled to come back to it, of the six courses I’m currently enrolled in on Coursera.
Anyways, this thread is open for students and mentors alike to voice their opinions. The topics of discussion are these:
Is a course like this a good baseline with which to approach a career in this field? Assuming it (alone) isn’t, what would mentors recommend to learners - ex. my feeling is that creating projects on your own is a great accompaniment to courses like this, and the one I have in mind is a mushroom identification app that can run locally on a phone.
What are primary areas of interest or problems that need to be addressed as far as you can tell in the next decade for the fields of ML/AI?
It’s great to hear that you’re enjoying the Deep Learning specialization.
Regards your question, i would recommend to read this article, it’s pointing out that you have getting a strong foundation before you specialize, and gaining the ‘soft skills’ needed for computer science careers are some of the ways to prepare for computer science careers.
Creating projects on your own is an excellent way to supplement your coursework and gain practical experience as well.
As for primary areas of interest or problems that need to be addressed in the next decade for the fields of ML/AI, Gaurav Tewari predicts that AI and machine learning will transform the scientific method, and AI will become a pillar of foreign policy and John Terra highlights the advances in AI and machine learning in the past decade, including natural language processing, computer vision, and deep learning. It also predicts that AI will continue to transform industries such as healthcare, finance, and transportation in the coming years.
Very helpful. I appreciate your response and look forward to exploring the resources and insights you’ve shared. For reinforcement, I may well respond more thoroughly after I’ve digested and have a more thorough impression on all of that information.
In regard to mastering the foundational concepts, I couldn’t agree more. You have to crawl before you can run. The concept is universal to all disciplines of life, and a reminder of that is always grounding, particularly as a beginner.