BS (Data Science)
There exists a proclivity for students who enter college to lose sight of what makes their life colourful and fade into machinic personalities capable of just doing what their job asks of them. Devi Shreya saw that future and wished to refuse it, for losing all that would amount to losing herself. It was here that through a friend’s recommendation did she stumble upon the IIT Madras BS Degree in Data Science and Applications. And in a time where college admissions had closed and the cost of another year was bearing a burden, the degree’s fee waiver allowed her to continue her education uninterrupted. With that, she enrolled.
What allured her wasn’t just the standard of pedagogy, it was the flexibility involved, which could allow her to continue following her passions.
However, not all was glamorous to begin with. Going from an easygoing student to someone competing with IIT standards was a gradual, arduous process. This initial struggle, combined with her growing interest in the domains moulded her into a new person, someone capable of handling pressure. When she went from foundation to diploma, the subjects did not get any easier, but her time-management skills, and effort did. That small change allowed her to finally drop back into her life and follow her passions with an understanding of academic importance.
That led her to Akord, the Music Society where she could express the most important part of her life. Soon joining the core council, she went from a new performer to one of the decision makers, managing teams and scheduling events as they came. She explored other societies as well, such as Sahityika, the Literary Society and with a building network of connections, found herself a lot more enmeshed than she had previously expected.
Paradox was where the reality of the Degree was set in stone. This was a legitimate pathway of life, and meeting the diverse demographic of people and her friends made it all the more worthwhile. The routine of waking up, going to Himalaya Lawn, then to the Student Activity Center and then somewhere else with her friends was beautiful to her. The experience of hosting and managing live events on a grand stage was exhilarating and something she urges others to experience at least once. This would, she believes, solidify their impetus to complete this degree in totality.
She had become accustomed to the modus operandi of the Degree by the time she entered the BSc-level, and was inclined to take NPTEL courses, out of genuine interest. Courses like “Cloud Computing and Data Mining” and “Consumer Psychology” provided her with knowledge that helped her in future ventures tremendously – alleviating the one-dimensionality that comes with extreme specialization in one subject.
Currently, she is preparing for the GATE exam to get into Masters and, perhaps, pursue a PhD. Should her mind change, she is also on the lookout for placements. And with those ideas in mind, she advises, especially to her juniors, to not overthink and take opinions from those who haven’t done this degree.
There is no limit to how much one can learn here and the opportunity of its mode is something that most people do not get.
It presents a capacity to explore different sides of Data Science and make a diverse career.
~written by Krishneal Dutta
