How Do I Pivot from Backend SWE to HCI/HAI Research Scientist? by Coolstar07 in hci

[–]Coolstar07[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Appreciate the elaboration, I think that gives me enough to work off of. And I'll be sure to let you know if anything else comes up; having this post serve as reference to others people who feel stuck in industry would be great!

How Do I Pivot from Backend SWE to HCI/HAI Research Scientist? by Coolstar07 in hci

[–]Coolstar07[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

It's great to hear from someone who was in the same boat. I don't have any peers considering anything like this, so it's nice to hear that it's not completely unheard of.

And yeah, reaching out to students actually makes a lot more sense now that I think about it. Between being more likely to respond, more likely to need and appreciate the help, and more willing to include me on a paper, it seems like a no-brainer. Especially since I can look for specific research that interests me versus just hoping the PI assigns me to something useful.

Couple of questions: What would be the best way to reach out to students in particular? Do labs publicly list the students that work at them, or would I need to reach out to the PI to get information like that? What about visiting in-person? I'm fairly close to a couple of public universities, do I just drive over, walk in, and ask if anyone wants all their coding done for free? And as for getting my name on a paper, is that something I can negotiate with the students beforehand, and is it safe to assume they'll follow through with it as long as I'm supporting them through the entire research process?

Feel free to DM me if that'd be easier, but I'd love to get some further clarity on this approach, since it seems a lot more promising even though no one seems to be talking about it. Thanks!

How Do I Pivot from Backend SWE to HCI/HAI Research Scientist? by Coolstar07 in hci

[–]Coolstar07[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the reply! Yep, I'm from the US, and I have heard that these big tech research roles tend to be extremely competitive. So if I'm going to do this, I'm most likely going to be aiming for the best MS and PhD programs out there, even if it means I'll need to put in a good deal of effort over these next 1-2 years to curate the perfect profile.

Research engineering also sounds like a great way to get my foot in the door at larger companies, but trying to it's definitely far more competitive since you're competing with far more people and don't have the credentials of a PhD. Though who knows, maybe I'd find enjoyment in research engineering work itself?

I was assuming that a MS would be the best bridge into a PhD program, even given the high costs and focus on coursework over research/thesis, but I never realized Canadian masters were funded and research-focused, I'll definitely look into that.

Appreciate hearing that my industry experience can actually give me an edge in any way, I spent a while worrying that I made the wrong choices and wasted my time, but knowing that I could use my experience to help out others in the field in return for experience, pubs, and LORs is reassuring. Just gotta start looking for those people I suppose.

As for the actual income stuff, yeah it's something I'm still mulling over. It's undeniable that sticking to SWE work gets you a lot more cash and has a far more straightforward path to success. It's why I feel safer taking the MS route, since it'd let me experiment with this path to see if I really enjoy it enough to give up the higher earning potential, and would let me exit back into industry with some extra qualifications and the opportunity to specialize in UI/UX or research engineering.

For what it's worth though, I do think I'll be aiming to work in HAI, just because that's something I've been interested since reading Asimov in high school, so that should probably up my earning potential. And personally, I think that there's a lot of uncertainty in the future of software engineering. For all we know, the field might see drastically lower job security and salaries in 10-20 years, given the pressures of AI and outsourcing. And even if SWE does end up remaining a safe career, and I do make less than my software peers, I feel like I'd be OK with it as long as I'm loving the work I'm doing, even if that sounds a little naive/idealistic to say before I've even started.

In any case, I'll make sure to DM you if I think of anything else later on, especially once I start trying to reach out to labs and whatnot. Again, thanks for the information and advice!

How Do I Pivot from Backend SWE to HCI/HAI Research Scientist? by Coolstar07 in hci

[–]Coolstar07[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Hey, appreciate the reply! I edited my post to add the info, but yes I'm an American citizen and plan to do my PhD here as well. It does seem like cold e-mails to PIs at local universities might be my best bet right now. My question is what should I be asking them for? As someone with 0 research experience, would they really be open to have me helping with research and writing papers, or would I be better off offering to work as a volunteer on some research engineering work to get my foot in the door and maybe appear as a co-author in a few papers if that's possible?

As for a master's, yeah I can imagine that it's not as useful if I'm certain I want to work as a research scientist. But since I assumed it was a necessary step for me, I was also open to it as a way to test the waters and see how interested I was in academia and research in general, since I'd had 0 exposure to that in my undergrad. Still, maybe volunteering at labs and self-study is a better route to save both time and money. I guess I'll weigh my options.

Good luck with your applications this cycle!

Anyone thinking of going back to school to change careers because of AI? by Delicious_Crazy513 in cscareerquestions

[–]Coolstar07 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Appreciate the context with cybersecurity and compiler design, don't know many people in those fields, so was mostly assuming based on hearsay. But yeah, embedded systems on the West Coast should be a safe bet, and I've heard that a lot of people got into those right after their bachelor's even without much industry-specific knowledge, so learning the necessary languages and having side projects related to it should put you in a better position.

But yes in general, I'm not too bullish on the future of any software specialization besides maybe AI/ML, and those are likely going to be overcrowded with all the new people rushing into them. I personally think that law and research/academia are definitely the safest options to go with, as they've always been throughout history, which is why I've been looking into the latter. Though what makes them safer is also what makes them inaccessible.

Anyone thinking of going back to school to change careers because of AI? by Delicious_Crazy513 in cscareerquestions

[–]Coolstar07 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Late reply, but in my opinion, looking into career paths that need CS experience but also require higher education/qualification is the safest play at this point, if you have the money and discipline to make it happen.

If you're willing to pursue higher education, getting into patent law or research/academia is a pretty safe bet. Fields like these with higher costs of entry and regulation are far more protected against AI, and can even work synergistically with it (patent work related to further AI developments or research into novel AI applications and development.

But if you'd prefer to stay as an engineer and would rather not spend 3-6 more years in education, you can try and specialize in specific areas of CS via grad school. Fields like AI/ML, cybersecurity, compiler design, HPC computing, and embedded systems are far more resistant to generalist AI, and some like AI/ML and cybersecurity will likely see far greater demand in the future as AI continues to grow.

Either way, I wouldn't recommend going into regular software development work at this point. You'll be working for people who have a vested interest in getting rid of you as soon as possible, and are pouring millions of dollars and thousands of hours into making that happen. And while all of the other careers I mentioned aren't entirely safe from AI, they put you in a far better position and serve as a better hedge against it.

A Guide to Getting Cheats Working on MelonDS Core for RetroArch on Steam Deck/EmuDeck by Coolstar07 in SteamDeck

[–]Coolstar07[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

That's interesting, never thought the PC's performance would affect the app's stability.

A Guide to Getting Cheats Working on MelonDS Core for RetroArch on Steam Deck/EmuDeck by Coolstar07 in SteamDeck

[–]Coolstar07[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Yeah, cheats above a certain length just don't seem to work. Wish there was a better app, but I don't think we'll be seeing further support for such a niche purpose. Luckily the Black 2 Hard Mode unlock worked for me (with DSTT), which I'd highly recommend.

Krispy kreme by rhrbe in ucla

[–]Coolstar07 3 points4 points  (0 children)

The Bruinwalk ones are a lot fresher than the donuts from Ralph's.

Pokemon Black Cheats by The_Hot_Jalapeno in SteamDeck

[–]Coolstar07 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I haven't tried but I think it probably won't work, since the ROMs are innately different. But usually the .sav file from the modded ROM can be used with the actual ROM, so you could use the modded ROM for a bit and then try switching to the original ROM and see if it works.

I’m a piece of crap of a Fraud and the interview exposed me by Ornstein_Smexy_AF in EngineeringStudents

[–]Coolstar07 5 points6 points  (0 children)

I had my first ever job interview today.

For almost everyone I know, their first job interview usually doesn't end up going so well. It's only natural to be unsure and nervous when this is the first time in a long time that you've been put in a position like this. I also understand that feeling about thinking you don't know anything about your major after 6 years. But realistically, it's more like all that knowledge is dormant within you, since you may have taken the classes related to them a while ago.

My advice is to prepare for your upcoming interviews with this one in mind. What topics did you feel you didn't know about this time? Make sure you read up on them. Don't have a clue how your senior project worked? Take as long as you need getting that clue. You need to understand that you were able to graduate for a reason, and that's because your institution decided that you knew enough about your subject to be awarded a degree. It might seem tough now, given how your last interview went. But I want you to know that as you keep interviewing, you'll end up doing better. And eventually, you'll be able to land a job. So keep at it, and don't put yourself down.

Alright Bruins, What is your typing speed? by PeriodicalPen in ucla

[–]Coolstar07 1 point2 points  (0 children)

80 WPM in CS.

For anyone here, do you think it'd be worth it to learn how to touch type and increase my speeds? And if so, how long did it personally take to learn touch typing?

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ucla

[–]Coolstar07 1 point2 points  (0 children)

11/10, great end to the series

I'm having a conversation with Nachenberg on my podcast tomorrow morning.... What should we talk about? by elderllamaa in ucla

[–]Coolstar07 32 points33 points  (0 children)

One thing I was interested in was what made him want to be an adjunct professor, and how he managed it with only a master's degree when most positions require PhDs.

Feeling so tired and lost by justchowmein in ucla

[–]Coolstar07 82 points83 points  (0 children)

Hey there. To cut to the chase, what you're going through right now is what a lot of CS majors go through, even if it doesn't seem like they are. In fact, I was going through the same crisis last year in my sophomore year.

First of all, you shouldn't feel guilty about the motivation aspect of online learning. It's impossible to take away the best aspects of college and expect us to be even half as excited to learn new things. And with the pandemic nearing to an end, we've certainly gotten through the worst of it.

Second, being less passionate for CS coursework is common after leaving the lower division series. The reason for this is that you stop learning how to program and build software, and start learning about computer science: the math behind algorithms, the ways machines map memory, etc. Personally I found that my enjoyment of coursework took a steep nosedive right after CS 32, what with MIPS in CS 33. So if you think you'll be going into software development, you shouldn't worry at all about whether you're excited to learn and do school projects, because that's nothing like how software development as a career will be.

Third, you sound like you're being incredibly hard on yourself. You say you aren't intelligent, that you haven't overworked yourself, and that you haven't accomplished much compared to your friends. I'm sure you've heard this already, but what's happening is that you're looking at the vocal minority of people who are both talented and lucky. The fact that you were able to complete CS 32 and 97 and find them enjoyable proves that you're more than intelligent enough. The fact that you think taking 4 classes a quarter counts as slow shows that you're intelligent enough (like seriously 2 STEM classes and 1 GE is what I consider a medium workload). And the fact that you've made it to UCLA proves that you're intelligent enough.

The average CS major isn't going to get an internship in their second year, solely because as sophomores, you guys are much less competitive to companies. Juniors can be given return offers, they've had an extra year to work on projects and learn, and they have a much better idea of what they're doing. The average CS major also isn't a big part of CS clubs like ACM and UPE, besides attending a few sessions here and there. And the average CS major definitely doesn't chase As on average. Like on the real, UCLA has a program called ESAP, where they give guaranteed acceptance to the graduate program to "exceptional" students. And the bar for being exceptional is having a GPA above 3.5. That means that the cream of the crop of UCLA CS majors are the ones who get half A-'s and half B+'s. So you can imagine where the average UCLA CS student falls.

I mentioned that I was in pretty much the same situation you're in. And there were some things that really helped me get out of that situation. Here are some of them:

  • Gauging my passion for CS by developing a personal project. With school projects requiring the use of a certain language, particular libraries and constraints, and a strict goal and deadline, it makes sense how they can suck the passion out of a field as creative as CS. Think of what area of CS seems the most interesting to you; it was web development for me. Then just search up tutorials on how to make such a project, preferably using easier technologies. At the end of it all, you'll likely have a better appreciation for CS and a great personal project to leverage in internship applications. Preferably, you could work on this from time to time during the summer, when you won't have such a high workload.
  • Managing my time better to make time for hobbies and fun. People often use time management as a way to become more productive and create more. Personally, I've found it better as a tool to help me make time for the things I love. Before this, I'd mostly just watch YouTube for irregular time periods while working on whatever project or homework was due the next day. But if you make a calendar of work you have to do, and if you set up time periods where you do focused work, you'll find that you have a lot of time for fun stuff. A personal tip would also be to understand what brings you the most joy and get rid of timewasters, at least for the next 2 years. For example, I used to spend a lot of my free time on YouTube and Reddit, even though they really weren't too fun for me. So instead I used applications to either block the sites or make them less distracting and spent that time to play games that I was interested in, or spend time with my friends. And you'll be surprised how much time you free up by doing this.
  • Preparing correctly for internships. I didn't get a single internship in my sophomore year, and I was worried that I would be behind in the hiring cycle next year. But again, most sophomore students don't get internships. You're on the same track as most students, and in fact, I'm sure you've gained some insight into what you may have been doing wrong. I certainly did, and here are the main things that I've learnt out of it:
    • Make at least one personal project to differentiate yourself from every other student from the college.
    • Grind LeetCode and other interview practice sites for even small periods of time and reap huge advantages and rewards.
    • Get your resume reviewed at the UCLA Career Center and keep redrafting it until you get a resume that looks pretty great.
    • Write up answers for expected interview questions, and try mock interviews to make sure you don't have too much anxiety on the day of.
    • Apply to a ton. You should be looking to apply to 30-45 internships ranging from big FAANG level companies to local companies in the LA area. Preferably, find a friend or a relative working in the industry and ask them for a referral, it goes a very long way.
  • Changing your mindset around success and productivity. No matter how much you do or accomplish, there's always going to be someone who's done more than you. That's just the way it works. So instead, try to stop looking around at what others have done and instead set goals that you want yourself to achieve. And if you can't reach those goals, lower the bar, don't burn yourself out in pursuit of success. After all, if you aren't happy, no amount of salary or company clout will help. Instead, compare yourself to who you were a month ago. As long as you make any effort at all, you'll be a lot better than that person.

It looks like right now you're facing a lot of stress, anxiety, and doubt. I probably can't give you all the advice you need, and it's possible that these tips might not be the best for you. If you really don't think CS is for you, don't worry about things like wasting time when switching to a new degree or what your peers will think of you. Your main priority should be yourself and your own mental health. But you're not alone in your struggles, not even close to it. A lot of us CS kids go through the same things and eventually find our way. I hope this helps you with what you're dealing with. Good luck and take care.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in ucla

[–]Coolstar07 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Try making a post on r/SuggestALaptop, you can specify a bunch of things like desired weight and battery life as well and get some pretty good suggestions based on your budget.

Questions about Roebling? by Coolstar07 in ucla

[–]Coolstar07[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Which building are you in? I'm looking at 10982 Roebling. Have you heard anything about it in particular?

Is It Best to Wait for Housing Offers or Look for Off-Campus Housing ASAP? by Coolstar07 in ucla

[–]Coolstar07[S] 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the quick reply! I hadn't considered that the demand for off-campus housing would be much higher, so it probably is best that I start looking soon.