Life before Bath
My name is Connor and before coming to Bath I studied Computer Science at the University of Leicester. I am now undertaking a Master's in Machine Learning and Autonomous Systems, although I only have a couple of months left (currently pulling my hair out with my dissertation).
Myself in the labs with a robot
What did I want to study at Master's level?
A tricky question for any undergraduate wishing to study for a Master’s is what do I actually want to study? For lots of my friends this was a very complex question and one that requires a lot of thinking about. The only real piece of advice I can give is to do something you’re passionate about, for me it wasn’t too difficult as during my undergraduate degree I had the opportunity to study in Japan, where I was first introduced to Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning in the form of image recognition. This is a branch of Computer Science in which variation Machine Learning methods are applied such that a computer program can identify individuals and objects from a picture or even video, something as human beings we take for granted. I saw this as one step closer to bridging the gap between computers and humans.
Me outside Waseda University, Tokyo
What was I looking for in a university?
I know for a lot of people the rank of the university is a key factor when applying, and whilst going to a high-ranking university may help you secure that job interview, I myself decided to take a different approach. Since I knew I wanted to study Machine Learning, my search was based on the universities that are renowned for excellence in Computer Science. It was just a coincidence that Bath is both outstanding for computer science and highly ranked, so a win-win I guess.
Why did I choose Bath?
Whilst Machine Learning and Autonomous Systems is still a fairly new course, as of 2019, Data Science at Bath, a similar field of study was very well acclaimed. The University of Bath boasts world-class lectures in the field of Machine Learning and Data Science, making it an obvious choice for me. Now obviously the university is very important, but what about the location? Some of the universities I considered were technically very good but the city was a little run down shall we say. It’s important to remember that you’re going to spend the next year or so of your life there and not just on campus.
Lucky for me, Bath is considered to be one of the most beautiful cities in England. Even if you decide that the University of Bath is not for you, I would definitely recommend visiting this outstanding historic city.
A view from one of Bath's many rivers
So now you know a little about my background and me that lead to my choosing to study at Bath. In my next post I will give an insight into my experiences of being at the university and city.
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