BS (Data Science)
The monotonicity of college life, the hours of vacancy and a mind rushing with ideas is a cocktail for thirst; The thirst for more information, for knowledge and depth that Prahladh C sought in the comfortable afternoons after attending PMS college in Bangalore while pursuing AI and ML. Having missed the chance to attend high end NITs and IITs by a miniscule margin in JEE Advanced, that thirst only exacerbated as time passed.
The quenching came in the flavor of a forwarded WhatsApp message which led to him stumbling onto the IITM BS Degree in Data Science and Applications. He saw it as a complimentary course to his offline one, yet found greater depth and new aspects he had not touched upon yet. What struck out to him most was the focus on hands-on application; instead of just theory and algorithms, he could actually apply them and transform datasets in his required vision in projects and programming assignments.
What were once just formulae now became building blocks of systems – tools to be used, not just mugged up theoretical jargon
Of course, to accommodate a new advent of knowledge, changes were in the making unbeknownst to him. From better time management to the hard sacrifices in friend meet-outs in lieu of exam preparations, it all steeled him for a world that rewards grit. Yet, it would leave him in pensiveness – was it worth doing this? All the sacrifice? The satisfaction of 142 completed credits was unmatched. It was worth it.
Being from one of the initial batches of the degree, there was satisfaction found too in how exam centers would crowd up with people giving the same exam as him, growing manifold each term. The practical experience, crossing difficult exams, finishing hard subjects, it all pointed towards doing something worthwhile, something to satiate that thirst.
“In evolution, what you really do is you not only progress but also morph into something different.”
Having begun satiating his own need for knowledge, he looked onwards to help others do the same. Taking on the role of being a mentor for Computational Thinking (CT) for two terms, he helped people who did not have a background in programming, such as those re-entering education or from diverse educational backgrounds get a hold on the logical paradigms of coding.
Taking steps even further, he now works as a Data Analyst under Tech Mahindra in Visilcone, a daughter company of the same and has shown interest in Masters or delving into PhD or to become a professor in a good college. With the broadened horizons and confidence in his own ability, he also wishes to join Defense, specifically in the Indian Air Force.
Coming from a genuine interest in Data Science and yet seeking something more liberating to become someone who can gain the ability to choose his own path, be it in the industry or defense or academia. The ideologies of grit, perseverance and a problem-solving mindset imbibed by the BS Degree led him to an apt conclusion; things are difficult, and sometimes, the effort put in may not feel proportional to the results, but with gritted teeth and a strong work ethic, it will work out in the end. The satisfaction of that completion and of doing something worthwhile will be adrenaline unlike something never felt before.
– written by Krishneal Dutta
