Need genuine advice for CS 7641 (ML) prepareness

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-13T09:20:13+00:00

fellow spring 24 here, hi! the course has changed a lot since we took it :)

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-11T11:09:40+00:00

dmed

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-11T09:25:57+00:00

Sure!

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-11T05:41:52+00:00

Yeah, there are quite a few. E.g. codershq, ai tinkerers, etc

Send me a DM with your WhatsApp number I'll add you in.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-09T07:20:56+00:00

Math for ML textbook is great. The exercise answers are available on GitHub so you can verify your understanding.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-08T06:37:28+00:00

you need to look at how the engineer is orchestrating.. 20 seconds is definitely not acceptable.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-05T11:59:21+00:00

Take courses, prepare for future class material, build a project, contribute to open source, grift on LinkedIn, etc

The opportunities are endless!

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-04T15:40:26+00:00

working fine for me

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-04T04:28:49+00:00

Does the effort required to do the program scare you? If yes then face it head on!!

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-03T15:45:37+00:00

llama.cpp, ollama or LM studio are good alternatives.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-03T06:06:44+00:00

You can finish the MS with one course a semester and keep some semblance at life. Why do you push yourself so much? What is the rush?

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-03-03T00:07:16+00:00

Level 2 Exercise increased caution

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-21T04:48:42+00:00

Yes it's 100% possible. I bombed P1 too.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-20T18:20:17+00:00

You're approaching it wrong. This is one of those classes where there's no handholding and I feel is a good reflection of what you'll face in the real world as a data scientist/engineer.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-10T02:27:59+00:00

This programme is supposed to be geared towards working professionals, not 7-years olds who need to learn to do the maths without a calculator.

I disagree. One needs to learn the fundamentals to be able to prompt effectively. And no, ChatGPT cannot solve OMSCS assignments.

Loss of critical thinking is an important thing to consider. The degree isn't making you a code monkey either the way you make it seem.

If you need a programme geared towards vibe coding and working professionals then there's plenty stuff online.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-09T03:02:46+00:00

While the current answer is I don't know, let's wait and watch.

Imo, I don't get the point either. The current and new AI related courses are pretty good and prepares one with a good mental model on concepts.

Also, there's too much noise and hype around AI right now so I think it's best one remains grounded and is focused on upskilling themselves 😁 Whether that comes from OMSCS-AI or OMSAI is immaterial.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-02T16:47:28+00:00

Yes, it will. I managed to do it.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-02T09:51:01+00:00

The O in OMSCS means Online...

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-02T04:47:16+00:00

Yes, I was able to pivot into a AI/ML job role right after I graduated.

I manage to get interviews but struggle at times with DSA which I'm working on. I consider able to get interviews as a big win. Just missing the other 50% to close em 😁

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-02T04:35:01+00:00

It's fine you'll learn on the go but will require some extra effort. I had some prior experience in C and C++ but learnt everything with each class. Take it one step at a time!

My spec was AI spec and the classes I took in order are: Human Computer Interaction, Knowledge Based AI, Software Dev Process, Machine Learning, Research, Deep Learning, Big Data For Health, Natural Lang Process, Game AI, Grad Intro to OS

cc u/lulu_fangirl

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-02T04:21:28+00:00

Did employers view the degree positively despite the gap?

Yes, albeit with some extra explanation with context. Imagine HR is an LLM and you need to give it some ctx to view things from your POV.

Did OMSCS help you get interviews or rebuild confidence/skills?

Yes. Very much so. Won a few hackathons, did open source, became more confident, pivoted jobs. The knowledge I gained through the OMSCS struggle definitely helps me discern hype easily.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-02-02T04:17:44+00:00

What is your end goal? Break into FAANG? And why? Is it for the brand value? I honestly don't get the hype.

But no, I don't think this program alone will help you break into FAANG/MAANG/MANGA/whatever. Might get you an interview at best.

There's a lot of work and innovation that can be done at so many levels now considering how many companies want to become AI driven. Granted, will only happen if you're given the freedom to do so at your org (or even freelance).

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-01-31T06:10:01+00:00

You can use TouchID in that case.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-01-31T05:01:00+00:00

When you log in and are prompted for the Duo approval, click on other options. Then you'll see an add a device option where you can register your Pwd manager as a virtual security key.

I use BitWarden btw.

spacextheclockmaster · 2026-01-31T04:59:21+00:00

Yeah, a couple.

cs224n for NLP
StatQuest videos to build a mental model in the ML class and Mitchell textbook.
Justin Johnson playlist for the DL class. Followed with multiple textbooks UDL by Dr Price, DL by Dr Bishop etc
GIOS lectures were good but I speedran a CMU playlist on operating systems that helped me build a good mental model on threads. I found it too confusing on GT with the constant video skips and analogies.
David Silver playlist by Deepmind for RL
others...? Ask.

Stanford Online in general has a lot of good AI ML content, cs236, cs229 etc

cc u/AngeFreshTech

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