Member-only story

The Hidden Secrets I Learned in My Graduate Machine Learning Course (and Why They Matter)

Simone Mayers
5 min readNov 14, 2024

--

Generated by Author with DALL-E 3

Machine learning has become a cornerstone of modern technology, and the curiosity surrounding it is undeniable. But what’s really going on inside a graduate-level machine learning course? Beyond the algorithms and theory, there are hidden lessons that surprised me and fundamentally changed the way I view machine learning. Here’s a breakdown of the most eye-opening insights from my course — and why they matter if you’re diving into this field.

1. Secret #1: The True Power of Math and Statistics

If you think machine learning is just a matter of coding, think again. The first thing I learned was that statistics, probability, and linear algebra are more than just “recommended” prerequisites — they’re absolutely essential.

Without a solid foundation in math, building reliable machine learning models becomes nearly impossible. Statistics helped me understand data distributions and predictions, while linear algebra provided the tools to manipulate data and optimize algorithms.

Insider Tip: Brush up on your math basics before diving into machine learning. It’s the best investment you can make.

2. Secret #2: Data Cleaning Takes 80% of Your Time

--

--

Simone Mayers
Simone Mayers

No responses yet