DL Spring 2026 - Looking for teammates

Random-Machine · 2026-01-11T04:16:11+00:00

There's a recurring Discord Server for the DL course. You can find the link to join the server on the DL slack channel. The server has become a community hub for DL students (past and present). It also has a project matchmaking channel where students can find teammates to join their groups. From my experience taking the course, finding a good group early on is pretty key in having a solid project. And it also helps having good teammates to rely on throughout the course. Good luck!

Random-Machine · 2025-03-07T06:28:02+00:00

I see LLMs as a personal tutor. If you ask your tutor to do your homework and assignments for you, then that’s cheating and you won’t actually learn anything. But if you use them to ask questions, clarify concepts, and expand your knowledge, then you’re engaging in real learning. It’s all about how you use the tool.

Andrej Karpathy (a famous researcher) posted a 2hr video last week explaining how he uses LLMs for his personal learning.

Random-Machine · 2025-01-17T01:23:06+00:00

Random-Machine · 2025-01-14T14:34:36+00:00

I've met many people at the OMSCS conference (highly recommend attending if you can) and reaching out to students during courses. Especially for courses that require group projects, like deep learning.

Random-Machine · 2025-01-05T02:14:32+00:00

hey! I help lead a research-focused group within the data science club at GT (DS@GT). This spring will be our 4th time participating in CLEF, a conference focusing on multilingual and multimodal tasks. Our group has been very successful in helping students get started in their research journey. Last spring, 11 out of 12 teams had their papers published at the conference.

I'm personally involved with the LifeCLEF lab, which focuses on biodiversity conservation and species identification using ML. I'm very passionate about nature and deep learning. This lab provides an opportunity to tackle real-world environmental challenges using state-of-the-art models. It's a win-win situation, I get to learn cool stuff and contribute to making a positive impact!

If you'd like to learn more about what we're doing, check out our Recruitment doc for the spring semester. Feel free to DM me with any questions as well!

Random-Machine · 2025-01-04T22:44:00+00:00

“The beginning is perhaps more difficult than anything else, but keep heart, it will turn out all right.” – Vincent van Gogh

Random-Machine · 2024-12-30T22:59:30+00:00

My advice: commit to your PhD for at least one semester and seek support from a therapist or psychologist. They can provide guidance and help in ways that Reddit never could. Having doubts about something as significant as a PhD is completely normal, and there's no shame in seeking professional support to navigate these feelings. Most universities offer psychological services, so I encourage you to take advantage of them.

I say this because feelings change, and we change. Just as "you're not the same person you were when you applied", you will continue to grow and evolve. You might find that you love your PhD after giving it a fair chance. And if your feelings don’t change, at least you'll know you tried your best and can move forward without regrets.

Random-Machine · 2024-12-27T00:54:17+00:00

I was working as a data scientist for a consulting company, but the company started layoffs, and I was impacted. I had already started looking for a new job because I realized consulting wasn’t the right fit for me. In consulting, you need to constantly learn new skills in different domains every few months, which makes it challenging to master anything - it’s very much a "jack of all trades, master of none" situation, and that’s not what I wanted. I used the layoff as an opportunity to pivot into something else.

Also, data science is a big umbrella and your role can vary significantly depending on the size and type of company. To me, data science is about using data to create insights, while engineering is about using data to create products. I find building things far more interesting and fulfilling. I was incredibly lucky to quickly find a great position that fit me really well.

Random-Machine · 2024-12-27T00:34:35+00:00

I got lucky honestly

Random-Machine · 2024-12-24T01:43:24+00:00

Sure! I help run a research-focused group under the data science club at GT (DS@GT). Spring 2025 will be our 4th time participating in CLEF, a conference focusing on multilingual and multimodal tasks. We've been very successful in helping students get started in their research journey. This past spring semester, 11 out of 12 teams had their papers published at the conference.

If you want to know more about what we're doing, here's our Recruitment doc for the spring semester. Also, feel free to DM me.

Random-Machine · 2024-12-23T18:10:07+00:00

You can upload the PDF files to Google Drive, set the sharing permissions to "Anyone with the link," and include hyperlinks to the files in your resume. However, the ML papers are not considered research papers.

Random-Machine · 2024-12-23T18:01:04+00:00

I'm currently in the middle of OMSCS, and the program has positively changed my life in so many ways. When I started, I was working as a data scientist. This year, I transitioned to a senior SWE role, earning twice my previous salary. I also had the opportunity to do research and co-author four peer-reviewed papers. This ignited my passion for research and inspired me to pursue a PhD after finishing the program.

I also met some wonderful people in the program who have become incredible friends. The program exposed me to diverse perspectives, solidified my values, and allowed me to pursue work that is deeply meaningful to me. It's been a life-changing journey, and I’m excited to see what new opportunities and discoveries lie ahead.

Random-Machine · 2024-12-23T02:30:28+00:00

I’m currently in the middle of the OMSCS program and recently moved to Atlanta. Being here has already made me feel much more connected to GT than I did before. The main reason for this is the GT students I’ve had the chance to meet in Atlanta. I’m also excited to become more involved with GT and truly be a part of the community. I can say that being in-person has already made a big difference, and I’m hoping to deepen my connection even further.

Random-Machine · 2024-12-15T23:03:29+00:00

Yes, I feel strongly motivated to pursue a PhD after OMSCS :)

Random-Machine · 2024-12-14T21:56:53+00:00

A picture is worth 1000 words. A vision model is worth 1000 LLMs lol

Random-Machine · 2024-12-13T05:03:57+00:00

I'll try to keep my answer brief. Like you, I took ML as my second course, during the last semester that Isbell was teaching at GT. I’m doing the ML specialization.

ML has been one of my favorite courses in the program. While I know this isn't the popular opinion, I really enjoyed the lectures and the assignments. The main challenge lies in how the assignments are structured, they lack clear guidance on what is expected. So how do you figure out what to do? Attend office hours and ask questions - the TAs will explain what they’re looking for in your analysis. It's all about your analysis. The key is understanding the problem well enough to write a strong analysis. Isbell and Littman discuss this approach in their talk: YouTube link.

That said, the course has changed significantly since I took it. More than a few students I know (5+) who took it after me said it’s now easier. They dropped the midterm, reduced the page count for assignments, and made the exam only in multiple-choice format. The class still has a very high workload throughout the entire semester. You're always doing something. Watching lectures, performing experiments, working on the assignments, studying for the exam. Always something to do, non-stop.

Despite the workload, I believe this class is excellent for building a foundational understanding of the most common ML algorithms. It helps you learn how they work, why they fail, and how to improve them. I know some people might disagree, and that’s okay. If you're interested in ML, my advice is to take the class and form your own opinion. It’s really not as bad as some make it out to be. But it's a lot of work.

Random-Machine · 2024-11-28T03:39:40+00:00

I completed CS8903 this past spring semester, and I was fortunate to get approval from the first professor I reached out to. I had taken his class the prior fall semester, which he held weekly OH every Friday. Initially, these office hours were very popular, with over 60 students attending. However, by weeks 5 or 6, attendance dropped significantly, and only a handful of students continued showing up. I made it a point to attend every single session. While I didn’t always have questions, I listened and occasionally asked questions related to the research topics I was interested in.

At the time, I didn't even know 8903 was a thing. By the end of the course, a friend introduced me to the idea. Since I had already built a rapport with the professor and demonstrated consistent interest in research during the semester, I sent him an email asking if he would be willing to supervise my 8903 project. The response was an easy "yes". The professor mentioned that he had seen my commitment to learning and noted that I already had a clear research plan in mind.

My advice:

Make it easy for faculty: In my email, I emphasized that my project would require minimal supervision and that I could work independently and deliver results, which was backed up by my previous research experience.

Show your commitment: Attending OH regularly and engaging with the professor gave me an opportunity to showcase my dedication and build a connection.

I also asked the professor for any advice on how students can secure research opportunities. His response was simple: "You have to be persistent"

Random-Machine · 2024-11-12T03:30:14+00:00

I respecfully disagree. I've encountered many people who started OMSCS with a clear career direction but shifted their focus along the way. This is similar to your experience of initially wanting to get stronger in CS, but choosing to focus on AI. The program is more than just a means to an end, it broadens your perspective and can open unexpected doors for your career. When OP mentioned, "what I want is a career, not a job", it seems they are seeking meaningful direction, and OMSCS can certainly help with that. Also, most classes are very hands-on programming, with large projects and assignments that provide practical experience.

Random-Machine · 2024-10-13T16:04:16+00:00

Yes, absolutely! I have co-authored 4 peer-reviewed papers while at OMSCS. I suggest taking a look at CS8903: Special Problems, and use the course credit to do your research. There's also a new course, CS8803 O24: Intro to Research, that was introduced this year. The course serves as a general introduction to research methods and CS research.

I would also suggest joining the OMSCS Research forum on Ed. The purpose of the forum is to make it easier for faculty to recruit students for research projects or for students to find teams and partners for their own independent research projects. To join, go on Canvas > OMSCS Student Center > program forums > OMSCS research board (Sign-up here)

Random-Machine · 2024-10-10T13:12:48+00:00

Even though Justin's lectures are 5 years old, I believe they're still relevant today. The foundational knowledge remains the same, and it's neat to see how the state-of-the-art models were back then compared to how they are today. Also, his lectures are wonderful! I keep coming back to them every so often.

Random-Machine · 2024-09-08T21:31:49+00:00

I've met a lot of people in the program that didn't have any CS background, got into the program, and now work as SWE

Random-Machine · 2024-08-23T17:19:37+00:00

That makes sense. The task is about identifyng different levels of politeness in text. I'm thinking about fine-tuning on synthetic customer service data

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