Wessel worked in industry after finishing the course in 2017. He is now completing a PhD before taking up a senior research position with Microsoft.
What was your background before starting the MPhil?
Before the MPhil, I did a BSc in Electrical Engineering at the Delft University of Technology. Although I did not have any prior exposure to machine learning, the BSc did include a fair share of signal processing courses. I have also programmed since I was a kid, which came in handy.
What did you get out of the course?
The course gave me a solid and thorough understanding of the fundamentals of machine learning. The field is very diverse and still quickly growing, so being presented with a bird's eye view was very helpful. Although it was a year of hard work — as the first cohort, we were the guinea pigs — it was a very rewarding experience. But it wasn't all work! I met some great friends, some of whom I still hang out with. The Colleges also offer an engaging social experience. In my opinion, this is one of the highlights of studying in Cambridge.
What were the highlights?
Our cohort was lucky enough to enjoy the honour of experiencing one of David MacKay's last classes on information theory. Generally, our lecturers were truly excellent. I also enjoyed the Advanced Machine Learning course. On the social side, I fondly look back on punting down to Grantchester on a beautiful sunny day or having a whiskey on a tree branch during sunset.
What have you gone on to do after the course and what are your longer-term plans?
After finishing the MPhil, I took up a researcher position at Invenia Labs and worked there for a year and a half. Working for a short while immediately after finishing was helpful, because it allowed me to really consolidate what I had learned. After a year and a half, I went on to do a PhD at the Computational and Biological Learning Lab. The PhD is now almost finished. In October, I will be starting as a Senior Researcher at Microsoft Research Amsterdam.
What advice would you give to people applying for the course?
I would say that your background does not really matter, as long as you have had some exposure to math and programming. The MPhil is a great opportunity to get to grips with many of the areas of ML, so you can really find out where your interests lie. The course also prepares you well either for a PhD or to go on into industry. Last, but certainly not least, Cambridge is just a lovely place to be.
What advice would you give to people taking the course?
Although the course is fantastic and it might be tempting to just learn more and work harder, don't work too hard! Enjoy Cambridge, enjoy what the Colleges have to offer, and check out the societies. Also, if you’re not sure of whether you want to do a PhD or not, it’s perfectly fine to first go into industry for a short while and do a PhD afterwards. For me, this was the right choice.
18th August 2022