My journey to data science — GDSC impact
“Alright, you need to have a strong foundation in software engineering topics such as algorithms, data structures, and so on. In addition, you need to be fluent in mathematics, statistics, and probability. Only after that, you will be able to start learning about machine learning and data science.” Do not you have a computer science background? Are you fascinated by the applications of artificial intelligence (AI)? Have the idea of learning about data science crossed your mind before and did not know where to start? If your answer is yes, then, we share the same interest!
I studied communications and electronics engineering through my bachelor's degree but I did not find the interest I was searching for. So, I decided I will discover new fields till I find a track that I am attracted to. During this journey, I transitioned from 11 different tracks related to my major, other engineering majors, business development, and even digital marketing until I started learning about machine learning and data science in 2019. I call it the ‘when the magic happened ‘ moment. Being an absolute beginner, it was really blurry where to start and how. So, I started asking many people, probably the wrong ones, about how to start and got some frustrating answers such as the one I quoted!
I wanted to quit — I actually did not even start — but I decided to give it another try as I was really into the field. The secret sauce was the consistency! I studied more than 100 online courses on different platforms, attended many sessions and workshops, and participated in different competitions until I figured out the difference between the different tracks under the umbrella of AI and data full-stack, yes, there are many! After that, I started focusing on the tracks I wanted to pursue, fulfilling their prerequisites and bridging the gap between my skills and the required qualifications.
I managed to get what I wanted the hard way. I wished there was a community where students with similar objectives and mindsets can help each other and collaborate together to reach their goals. A few months later, I got an invitation to speak about one of the machine learning topics at the Google Developer Student Club (GDSC), Alexandria University, where I studied for my bachelor's. I accepted the invitation and that was one of the best experiences I had! I was impressed and influenced by the student-based community! They were professional, passionate about what they are doing, and keen on adding value to the tech community. I wanted to be part of such an entity but I was graduating that year.
Another few months later, I moved to Oulu, Finland to pursue a master’s degree in Computer Science with AI major. One of the very first things I did after moving to Oulu was searching for the tech communities and especially, the GDSCs chapters, but I did not find any. At that moment, I knew that it was time to found and lead a new DSC at Oulu. I waited impatiently for the call to open, applied, and got selected!
After that great news, I worked in 2 different directions. The first direction was to form a core team that has the same interest and shares the same vision. The other direction was to register the club as an official student association at the University of Oulu. With the help of my cool team, we managed to deliver and host different sessions and webinars tackling tech-related topics. We also managed to establish partnerships with different entities and tech startups in Finland. Moreover, we collaborated with another DSC in Finland to introduce and promote the Google Solution Challenge. Our vision is to enable students with all backgrounds, whether it is technical or non-technical, to understand, use and apply the trending technologies in their own domains.
Founding and leading a Google Developer Student Club has been a fruitful experience on many levels. I developed my leadership, organizational, communication, marketing, and public relations skills. In addition, I learn many tech-related things while participating in all our events. I do encourage every student to be part of a GDSC whether as a core member, lead, or founder. You will not regret it! To learn more about the GDSCs and the next application round, you can check this link.
To check our previous events and stay updated about the next ones, you can follow us on our social media pages:
LI: gdscoulu
IG: gdscunioulu
Twitter: GDSCUniOulu
Feel free to connect with me and have a virtual coffee!
