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I'm currently enrolled in a Stanford ML class on Coursera. I'm not very far into it so I don't have a lot to say about the class in particular but I know WHY I

I'm currently enrolled in a Stanford ML class on Coursera. I'm not very far into it so I don't have a lot to say about the class in particular but I know WHY I signed up for it. I graduated from uni with a Computer Engineering degree in 2005- ML wasn't really a thing being offered at that point. I loved algebra and calculus but hated statistics. All I hear about these days is machine learning, so I wanted to see what the fuss was all about, as I've really never been exposed to it. I also wanted a university style exposure to it as I wanted to ease into some of the statistical concepts necessary as I wasn't good at them way back when and I haven't practiced them in 10 years. Finally, after some initial exposure, I may find that ML or some of its concepts will be another tool in my problem solving tool bag. I feel like a lot of people have my same motivation. We are hearing all the hype, we weren't really exposed in our formative years, and we're curious. Also, my particular course was free. So what's the harm?

GrantS 11y ago
Good points. Just to clarify in case folks take your experience in 2005 as the rule, while certainly not as widespread as today, ML was definitely being offered at various universities in the late 90s and early 2000s: for example, the textbook "Machine Learning" by Tom Mitchell [1] was published in 1997 and was used in the undergrad ML class at Georgia Tech when I took it in 2001-2002. [1] http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mitchell/ftp/mlbook.html http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mitchell/ftp/mlboo...
- manyxcxi 11y ago
  That was why I said wasn't really a thing being offered. There were certainly some classes that dabbled in the general area, but nothing that I can remember that came out and said "this is Machine Learning". At least in my Computer Engineering curriculum it was very much about the electrical engineering and software development fundamentals.
deepGem 11y ago
I graduated in 1999, and that too in India. So imagine my situation :). I finished the Coursera ML class recently (though I had done some ML prior to that) and I really enjoyed the class. You should definitely aim to finish it. The assignments towards the end feel relatively simpler compared to the initial ones.

GrantS 11y ago

Good points. Just to clarify in case folks take your experience in 2005 as the rule, while certainly not as widespread as today, ML was definitely being offered at various universities in the late 90s and early 2000s: for example, the textbook "Machine Learning" by Tom Mitchell [1] was published in 1997 and was used in the undergrad ML class at Georgia Tech when I took it in 2001-2002. [1] http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mitchell/ftp/mlbook.html http://www.cs.cmu.edu/afs/cs.cmu.edu/user/mitchell/ftp/mlboo...

manyxcxi 11y ago
That was why I said wasn't really a thing being offered. There were certainly some classes that dabbled in the general area, but nothing that I can remember that came out and said "this is Machine Learning". At least in my Computer Engineering curriculum it was very much about the electrical engineering and software development fundamentals.

deepGem 11y ago

I graduated in 1999, and that too in India. So imagine my situation :). I finished the Coursera ML class recently (though I had done some ML prior to that) and I really enjoyed the class. You should definitely aim to finish it. The assignments towards the end feel relatively simpler compared to the initial ones.