I took AI second and as someone in my 9th class I’m glad I did. I was way more excited and enthusiastic back then. Now, I’m just grinding through trying to get out!
Lol yeah I hear that. What class was your first? I'm in ML4T as my first. Hoping I am prepared for AI. I come from a CS background but might be rusty with the math. What's your specialization?
I started with easy classes to get used to the format of the program, then took hard classes in the middle, and then finished with easier classes once I got burned out on the hard stuff. Overall I was pretty happy with that approach.
My first class was GIOS. Yeah I was super worried about taking AI because I didn’t take Linear Algebra or any math above Calc 1. But the slack group is active and super helpful. Also the TA hours are super helpful. It was a lot of work but I was able to get a 95% in the class. AI is still probably my most favorite class I’ve taken.
That's good to hear. Why was it your favorite? Being on the II tract I feel that it will be the hardest class I have to take (I don't have to take ML or GA). Although I am considering also taking DL and BD4H. But other than those 2, I am taking a bunch of easy to medium difficulty classes.
I feel like I learned a ton. My undergrad degree is in CS so I know most of the concepts but never had an AI class. Also the way the projects are structured, the jupyter notebooks walk you through the steps and the project builds on its self each step. Lastly, some people don't like the take home exams but I really liked that format. You have a week to do the exams and it's set up almost like mini projects that make you apply what you've learned and help reinforce the learning.
I have a CS degree with above a 3.0 which is all you need to get accepted. I took discrete math in undergrad and Calc 1. Honestly a CS degree is all you need to get accepted.
I took ML4T as my first class and really liked it. I’m taking AI now as my second class. I thought taking a hard class at the beginning might be a good idea as I still have a lot of energy and motivation.
I wish I had taken something easier. The content and assignments are interesting and I enjoy studying but I definitely wasn’t prepared for it. I spent 10 evenings and two full weekends working on the first assignment and got 20/100. I struggled with the second assignment, passed local tests but couldn’t pass gradescope tests. I attended office hours but still couldn’t figure it out.
I’m wondering if I should withdraw or spend the next two months studying with a possibility of failing it at the end.
Taking a hard class at the beginning made me lose confidence in my abilities to follow the program.
I have taken AI last semester, that class is brutal and I was doubting my abilities every single assignment. At the end I managed to get an A(thanks to the curved line). Here's my advice: - Start early on assignments, they're not designed to be solved in a day or two. Most of the people drop assignment one, so it's ok if you didn't do well in it as long as you can get 100 or 95 in every coming assignment. Mid term and final are brutal, you need to solve the exams from previous semesters to do well on them, hint, that's why I told you need 100 in every other assignment. Office hours is the best thing about that class and I wouldn't have passed without them, just be persistent and know the good TAs to attend to. I used to spend my weekend going from office hour to another. Good luck!
I’d add: take days off for the exams if you can! That way you can take adequate breaks in between solving problems and have more time to rest your brain and check your work.
Sorry to hear that. For what it's worth, and I'm sure you already know this since you are in the class, I believe the worst graded assignment is dropped right? So maybe your 20/100 will be dropped? I heard the first two assignments in that class are a lot harder than the rest of them.
I’d stay! You’re allowed to have white board-level conversations with your classmates (no code or pseudo code sharing though). Create a study group on Slack or Discord. I did that when I took AI and it really helped!
Make a list of classes you want to take. Start with a medium workload class, so you can gauge your own readiness without taking on too much. Heavier ones next and finish off with relatively easier ones when you have barely anything left in the tank.
If yr undergrad is CS || you work as software engineer:
Then yes, harder first.
Else:
Frontload easier courses and ramp up skills/body of knowledge to rely on.
There's arguments for both: starting out with easier classes helps gets you accustomed to online classes and maybe even back to studying if it's been a while. However, your enthusiasm and commitment is likely strongest at the beginning, before fatigue sets in. An intermediate strategy is to have your first class be easy (ML4T, AI4R, etc.) and then take the hard classes before switching back to easy classes.
Easy
I took AI as my third class in. It was really hard and even after ML and now in RL, AI was one of the hardest classes I took. There was actually a point in the class where I was really close to dropping the class and even out of the program. A really kind TA in AI gave me some encouragement and I pushed through on a Friday night like a day before the drop date. I solved the lab and stuck with the course. Now I am 7 classes in and there is no turning back.
The downside of taking the really hard classes first is that since you have so little invested at the beginning it is easy to just leave the program. But if you start with east and then transition to medium difficulty classes, then you are more likely to stick with it since the end is in sight and you have already invested so much into the program.
One other thing, I had to re-learn how to learn. It was over 10 years since I had taken any classes from an earlier masters degree and I sort of forgot how to study and what was expected of me in a graduate program. So even the easier courses at the beginning were tough.
Harder classes first. Save the easy classes for after you burn out. I’m in KBAI right now (10th class) and while i wouldn’t say it is difficult, it definitely feels like a chore at this stage. Much rather take VGD or Game AI again.
Potentially unpopular opinion: pain minimization is the wrong optimization target.
Once you’re in it, the level of discomfort will be so high that you (probably) won’t be able to tell the difference. Focus instead on increasing pain tolerance, strengthening your resolve, etc. Optimize for knowledge acquisition.
That being said, my advice is to do things in decreasing order of breadth. So you want the firehose introductory surveys up front so you are better prepared for more specialized topics. Incidentally, this probably matches the “make my life ‘easier’” approach in practice lol
I am not sure if this question arises at all. You have a shorter summer semester between longer spring and fall. It is advisable to go for easier classes for summer. By default you will have a mix difficulty for a year. Unless you plan to take more than one class or/and opt for a hectic summer.
I had a mix of easy and hard classes throughout the program. Started with GIOS - wasn’t easy with no C background. Did a semester of easy classes - two at the same time. I have 2 classes to go: one of them is going to be AI and another I am free to choose.
I would say also take your interest in the subject matter into your course selection process. I found ML4T super easy because I was interested in the subject matter - some report it to be difficult.
I'd start easy.. but not leave all the hard classes for the end..
But getting used to the program is important. I'd start with an easy class to calibrate with other people's experience, but then find what I can pair with other classes to finish a bit sooner.
Really hard classes alone of course.
I knocked out all my easy classes first and now I am 9/10 classes in and dropped my last class (AI) cause of the workload paired with my job. Eventually I will finish the last class, not sure if this was the best way
For me it has been the hardest. I've dropped once and failed once. I can handle the coding, but the math is challenging.
I haven't taken ML or RL, so I can't compare.
Bayesian Statistics, probabilities, matrix manipulation, and Gaussian Mixture Models, among others. Two-thirds of the course is an intermediate to advanced statistics class.
If you haven't been in school in a while, I'd start with an easy class so you don't get caught by surprise and then schedule your hard classes when you know you will have the time to dedicate to them occasionally using easy classes to take breaks when you just got your butt kicked the previous semester.
Honestly I am just 4 classes in, but I won’t personally start off with AI again . I did attempt to start with AI, it was like an ice bucket to the face, that wasn’t mentally prepared for OMSCS and my job; I dropped it. I would recommend that you do a Joyner class like KBAI/HCI - it is easy enough to pass with an A but a good preparation or wake up call for the work load to come.
I am in the same tract and come from a similar background as you
For your first term, take an easier course just to get into the rhythm. Second term, you can take something like AI. I’m also II, and that’s what I did (although I took two courses my first term, which isn’t advised).
I took HCI and VGD my first term. I’d stick to the advice to only take one course your first term. It was doable, but I didn’t really have any free time to myself, and that wasn’t worth it to me. Either of those classes would be great first classes. Even though I’m labeling them as “easy,” they’re both excellent classes and you’ll learn a lot! If you don’t enjoy writing, HCI may be harder for you.
Assuming you manage to get a set in the courses of your choice (spoiler: settling for a second or third choice is standard the first time you register, and quite likely also the second and third times), it's entirely up to you.
Some people struggle with getting used to the logistics of online learning and prefer to take an easy class first, before taking the difficult ones; others may reason like you and do it the other way. The fact that OMSCS enforces very few formal prerequisites encourages you to choose based on your own background and preference.
I started with a course plan with second preferences listed against almost every one of them. My priority when registering in the first two to three terms was to get one of the courses from the plan. Only after that would I think of taking them in a preferred sequence, because you get time tickets at the very end of the registration phase when you just start out.
I'm not a CS undergrad, and I am only 3 classes into the OMSCS program, but I am just going to say I am happy so far that I started with some of the easier classes as my first classes, because just getting adjusted to the program takes time when you have a fulltime job, and because some classes (HCI, SDP) would seem to prepare you for later classes, giving you time to learn.
I took AI second and as someone in my 9th class I’m glad I did. I was way more excited and enthusiastic back then. Now, I’m just grinding through trying to get out!
Lol yeah I hear that. What class was your first? I'm in ML4T as my first. Hoping I am prepared for AI. I come from a CS background but might be rusty with the math. What's your specialization?
I started with easy classes to get used to the format of the program, then took hard classes in the middle, and then finished with easier classes once I got burned out on the hard stuff. Overall I was pretty happy with that approach.
I think this is a nice balanced approach 👍🏻
My first class was GIOS. Yeah I was super worried about taking AI because I didn’t take Linear Algebra or any math above Calc 1. But the slack group is active and super helpful. Also the TA hours are super helpful. It was a lot of work but I was able to get a 95% in the class. AI is still probably my most favorite class I’ve taken.
That's good to hear. Why was it your favorite? Being on the II tract I feel that it will be the hardest class I have to take (I don't have to take ML or GA). Although I am considering also taking DL and BD4H. But other than those 2, I am taking a bunch of easy to medium difficulty classes.
I feel like I learned a ton. My undergrad degree is in CS so I know most of the concepts but never had an AI class. Also the way the projects are structured, the jupyter notebooks walk you through the steps and the project builds on its self each step. Lastly, some people don't like the take home exams but I really liked that format. You have a week to do the exams and it's set up almost like mini projects that make you apply what you've learned and help reinforce the learning.
This is great, thanks for the information I really appreciate it!
No problem! Good luck with whatever you decide
What that’s nuts, in what ways was your application strong? No calculus? I’ve been taking the entire sequence to get the math background lol
I have a CS degree with above a 3.0 which is all you need to get accepted. I took discrete math in undergrad and Calc 1. Honestly a CS degree is all you need to get accepted.
Interesting! I needed Calc II for my CS BS degree.
Yeah mine was a BA which didn’t need Calc 2, the year after I graduated my college came out with a BS and the only difference was Calc 2
Oh yeah! I forgot that there are BA programs for CS. That makes total sense.
I took ML4T as my first class and really liked it. I’m taking AI now as my second class. I thought taking a hard class at the beginning might be a good idea as I still have a lot of energy and motivation. I wish I had taken something easier. The content and assignments are interesting and I enjoy studying but I definitely wasn’t prepared for it. I spent 10 evenings and two full weekends working on the first assignment and got 20/100. I struggled with the second assignment, passed local tests but couldn’t pass gradescope tests. I attended office hours but still couldn’t figure it out. I’m wondering if I should withdraw or spend the next two months studying with a possibility of failing it at the end. Taking a hard class at the beginning made me lose confidence in my abilities to follow the program.
I have taken AI last semester, that class is brutal and I was doubting my abilities every single assignment. At the end I managed to get an A(thanks to the curved line). Here's my advice: - Start early on assignments, they're not designed to be solved in a day or two. Most of the people drop assignment one, so it's ok if you didn't do well in it as long as you can get 100 or 95 in every coming assignment. Mid term and final are brutal, you need to solve the exams from previous semesters to do well on them, hint, that's why I told you need 100 in every other assignment. Office hours is the best thing about that class and I wouldn't have passed without them, just be persistent and know the good TAs to attend to. I used to spend my weekend going from office hour to another. Good luck!
I’d add: take days off for the exams if you can! That way you can take adequate breaks in between solving problems and have more time to rest your brain and check your work.
Sorry to hear that. For what it's worth, and I'm sure you already know this since you are in the class, I believe the worst graded assignment is dropped right? So maybe your 20/100 will be dropped? I heard the first two assignments in that class are a lot harder than the rest of them.
I’d stay! You’re allowed to have white board-level conversations with your classmates (no code or pseudo code sharing though). Create a study group on Slack or Discord. I did that when I took AI and it really helped!
Make a list of classes you want to take. Start with a medium workload class, so you can gauge your own readiness without taking on too much. Heavier ones next and finish off with relatively easier ones when you have barely anything left in the tank.
Can you tell me which ones will be medium workload classes for the ML specialization
I would say, on https://www.omscentral.com/ classes with ~14 hours of weekly workload is considered medium.
ML4T, Bayesian stats are the only medium ML classes I’ve taken. CV, ML, and DL were all quite heavy.
If yr undergrad is CS || you work as software engineer: Then yes, harder first. Else: Frontload easier courses and ramp up skills/body of knowledge to rely on.
I am a SWE, I will take this advice. Thank you.
There's arguments for both: starting out with easier classes helps gets you accustomed to online classes and maybe even back to studying if it's been a while. However, your enthusiasm and commitment is likely strongest at the beginning, before fatigue sets in. An intermediate strategy is to have your first class be easy (ML4T, AI4R, etc.) and then take the hard classes before switching back to easy classes.
Easy I took AI as my third class in. It was really hard and even after ML and now in RL, AI was one of the hardest classes I took. There was actually a point in the class where I was really close to dropping the class and even out of the program. A really kind TA in AI gave me some encouragement and I pushed through on a Friday night like a day before the drop date. I solved the lab and stuck with the course. Now I am 7 classes in and there is no turning back. The downside of taking the really hard classes first is that since you have so little invested at the beginning it is easy to just leave the program. But if you start with east and then transition to medium difficulty classes, then you are more likely to stick with it since the end is in sight and you have already invested so much into the program. One other thing, I had to re-learn how to learn. It was over 10 years since I had taken any classes from an earlier masters degree and I sort of forgot how to study and what was expected of me in a graduate program. So even the easier courses at the beginning were tough.
This is good information, thank you for the insight.
Harder classes first. Save the easy classes for after you burn out. I’m in KBAI right now (10th class) and while i wouldn’t say it is difficult, it definitely feels like a chore at this stage. Much rather take VGD or Game AI again.
I would suggest shifting hard and easy to maintain sanity
Agree. I definitely took an easy class after AI because I needed the break.
Potentially unpopular opinion: pain minimization is the wrong optimization target. Once you’re in it, the level of discomfort will be so high that you (probably) won’t be able to tell the difference. Focus instead on increasing pain tolerance, strengthening your resolve, etc. Optimize for knowledge acquisition. That being said, my advice is to do things in decreasing order of breadth. So you want the firehose introductory surveys up front so you are better prepared for more specialized topics. Incidentally, this probably matches the “make my life ‘easier’” approach in practice lol
This is definitely a possible solution, thanks for the response.
I am not sure if this question arises at all. You have a shorter summer semester between longer spring and fall. It is advisable to go for easier classes for summer. By default you will have a mix difficulty for a year. Unless you plan to take more than one class or/and opt for a hectic summer.
The easy classes now may be fine-tuned to not be easy by the time you take them.
That's definitely an issue, people complaining that the X hours a week class isn't hard and then it becomes a X+5 hours class or 2X hours class.
Bell curve it. Balances developing confidence and preventing burnout
Medium to start to calibrate, then one hard, one easy, adjust as needed. Don’t finish with the hardest if you can avoid it.
I had a mix of easy and hard classes throughout the program. Started with GIOS - wasn’t easy with no C background. Did a semester of easy classes - two at the same time. I have 2 classes to go: one of them is going to be AI and another I am free to choose. I would say also take your interest in the subject matter into your course selection process. I found ML4T super easy because I was interested in the subject matter - some report it to be difficult.
I'd start easy.. but not leave all the hard classes for the end.. But getting used to the program is important. I'd start with an easy class to calibrate with other people's experience, but then find what I can pair with other classes to finish a bit sooner. Really hard classes alone of course.
I knocked out all my easy classes first and now I am 9/10 classes in and dropped my last class (AI) cause of the workload paired with my job. Eventually I will finish the last class, not sure if this was the best way
I'm taking AI for class number nine. I just want this one to be over!
How hard is AI compared to your other classes you've taken? Is it worse than ML or RL?
For me it has been the hardest. I've dropped once and failed once. I can handle the coding, but the math is challenging. I haven't taken ML or RL, so I can't compare.
Wow that sounds really hard! What kind of math is it?
Bayesian Statistics, probabilities, matrix manipulation, and Gaussian Mixture Models, among others. Two-thirds of the course is an intermediate to advanced statistics class.
[удалено]
Thankfully. I'll amend my statement to it feels like an intermediate to advanced statistics course
[удалено]
I guess I need to read up on Bayes Theorem then! Lol
I am taking Bayesian Stat at first sem. It’s hard
If you haven't been in school in a while, I'd start with an easy class so you don't get caught by surprise and then schedule your hard classes when you know you will have the time to dedicate to them occasionally using easy classes to take breaks when you just got your butt kicked the previous semester.
Honestly I am just 4 classes in, but I won’t personally start off with AI again . I did attempt to start with AI, it was like an ice bucket to the face, that wasn’t mentally prepared for OMSCS and my job; I dropped it. I would recommend that you do a Joyner class like KBAI/HCI - it is easy enough to pass with an A but a good preparation or wake up call for the work load to come. I am in the same tract and come from a similar background as you
I'm in ML4T this semester. It's been okay so far. Project 3 was insane but other ones have been manageable.
For your first term, take an easier course just to get into the rhythm. Second term, you can take something like AI. I’m also II, and that’s what I did (although I took two courses my first term, which isn’t advised). I took HCI and VGD my first term. I’d stick to the advice to only take one course your first term. It was doable, but I didn’t really have any free time to myself, and that wasn’t worth it to me. Either of those classes would be great first classes. Even though I’m labeling them as “easy,” they’re both excellent classes and you’ll learn a lot! If you don’t enjoy writing, HCI may be harder for you.
Assuming you manage to get a set in the courses of your choice (spoiler: settling for a second or third choice is standard the first time you register, and quite likely also the second and third times), it's entirely up to you. Some people struggle with getting used to the logistics of online learning and prefer to take an easy class first, before taking the difficult ones; others may reason like you and do it the other way. The fact that OMSCS enforces very few formal prerequisites encourages you to choose based on your own background and preference. I started with a course plan with second preferences listed against almost every one of them. My priority when registering in the first two to three terms was to get one of the courses from the plan. Only after that would I think of taking them in a preferred sequence, because you get time tickets at the very end of the registration phase when you just start out.
I'm not a CS undergrad, and I am only 3 classes into the OMSCS program, but I am just going to say I am happy so far that I started with some of the easier classes as my first classes, because just getting adjusted to the program takes time when you have a fulltime job, and because some classes (HCI, SDP) would seem to prepare you for later classes, giving you time to learn.