Self-Directed Master's Program

Motivation

I have reverence for those who pursue a Master’s Degree through a University. However, it just doesn’t seem like the optimal decision for my own learning path and career.

A Self-Directed Master’s Program is an endeavor that takes a departure from the idea of traditional college-backed education.

Nowadays, multiple firms, with Google and Tesla being poster boys, embrace brilliant engineers who lack a formal degree. This is not to be confused with a lack of education or excellence. As education and certification are entirely disparate.

Ultimately, even if one does approach an institution, they alone are responsible for their learning. Waves of the sea dissolve in the sea. I say, filter out all the busy, shallow and unnecessary tasks of commuting across campuses, preparing for tests that have syllabi completely irrelevant to the subject at hand, and writing admission letters to focus on the aspect of learning faster.

Of course, a self-directed Master’s Program has its pitfalls that will be addressed. Associated counteractions will also be explained.

Comparision

UNIVERSITY-BACKED MASTER’S DEGREE

  • BENEFITS
    • Networking
    • Access to PhD’s
    • Recognition
    • Research Opportunities
  • PITFALLS
    • Intent behind learning not pure
    • Not strictly industry oriented
    • Lack of flexibility
    • Time wasted to prepare & write entrance exams, and in admissions process.
    • Approval required to attend select courses even after admission, you may not be admitted.

SELF-DIRECTED MASTER’S PROGRAM

  • BENEFITS
    • Simulate real life
    • Intent to learn not to pass an exam or graduate.
    • Industry oriented curriculum
    • Flexible schedule
    • Pay a tenth of what you would have
    • Gain discipline and self-reliance
    • No commute to and fro college
  • PITFALLS
    • No support and networking
    • No research opportunities
    • Additional time required to create the curriculum
    • Confusion wrt soundness of curriculum
    • Lack of Industry-Wide recognition

Alleviation of Self-Directed Master’s Pitfalls

SUPPORT AND NETWORKING:

I will have bi-weekly meetings with established PhDs / ML Engineers to discuss my problems. I will be more active in creating connections on LinkedIn and Medium by reaching out and posting valuable content, given that I do not possess a given platform to network. I will attend conferences and virtual networking events.

NO RESEARCH OPPORTUNITIES:

Andrew Ng clearly stated to be able to contribute to research in ML or to be able to understand it, one must read at least 50-100 research papers, and implement code from them. Afterwards, s/he will be able to pull ideas to contribute to the betterment of research. I will regularly schedule a time to study and implement research papers.

SPEND ADDITIONAL TIME CREATING CURRICULUM:

This is the cost of freedom. Instead of wasting time preparing for entrance tests, and commuting, I choose to spend time carefully curating my course selection.

CONFUSION ON SOUNDNESS OF CURRICULUM:

When all you have is a hammer, everything looks like a nail. Such is the paradoxical problem of creating the syllabus for a course you have yet to learn. That’s why the internet exists. Moreover, I will enlist the services of PhDs across multiple domains of ML and multiple colleges to curate and refine my curriculum. These are fees I would gladly pay.

LACK OF RECOGNITION:

It is wise to display your journey to act as unequivocal evidence. This I will do. It is the cost of learning to learn, and not to pass an exam, and subsequently forget what I’ve read the day after.

Keeping Track of Progress

Press here to gain access to my public Trello Board.