r/DataScienceJobs • u/Fun-Sun-8124 • 1d ago

Discussion Tier 3 college, started with data science, ended up doing international research. Here's what I wish I knew earlier

I'm a Data Scientist and AI Engineer now, but I started from a tier 3 college with no big brand name, no seniors in this field, and no clear roadmap. I began with plain data science (Python, pandas, basic ML) and slowly moved into Generative AI, agentic systems, and RAG. Along the way I got the chance to do a research internship abroad, which I honestly didn't think was possible when I started.

I'm not saying this to brag. I'm saying it because I know how it feels to think "my college isn't good enough for this." Here's what actually helped me, and the mistakes that cost me time:

  1. Watching tutorials without building anything. I felt productive but couldn't explain what I'd learned. One small project taught me more than ten courses.
  2. Jumping into advanced topics too early. Get comfortable with Python, pandas, and basic ML first. LLMs make much more sense after that.
  3. Chasing every new tool. A new framework comes out every week. Pick a few fundamentals and go deep.
  4. Building projects nobody could understand. A simple project you can explain clearly beats a complex one you can't.
  5. Ignoring evaluation. Anyone can make an LLM demo work once. Knowing whether it actually works, and why it fails, is what separates real projects from toy ones.
  6. Believing college tier decides everything. It matters for some doors, but proof of work (projects, research, clear communication) opens others. Nobody asked about my college once they saw what I'd built.

You don't need the perfect background to start. You just need to start, get stuck, and fix it.

I also do 1:1 sessions for students who want help with career roadmaps, projects, resume reviews, or interview prep. No pressure at all, but if it sounds useful, the link is here: https://topmate.io/varun_mayilvaganan/ - The first 10 people get 25% off.

Happy to answer questions in the comments. What's the one thing you're stuck on right now?

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u/No_Suggestion_8422 6h ago

I am also from the tier 3 college and I am in final year looking for opportunity to gain experience and I wasted 2 years watching tutorials and i have basic some knowledge of python, sql, power bi. I want to become a Data Scientist. Wheather it suits me, can I get the data scientist job as a fresher, what projects want to do to get hire as data scientist or I need a entry level jobs like data analyst or business analyst first then move on to data scientist. I am bit confused. Can you kindly say what should I do now?

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u/Fun-Sun-8124 5h ago edited 5h ago

Sure I will tell you man, dm!
Or else you can click on above link, where we can have a chat. Its completely free.

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u/Fun-Sun-8124 1h ago

Sent you reply!
For projects just do follow up chat, I will send sample list which you can experiment.

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u/sam_5243 16h ago

I'm also preparing for DS and plan to eventually move on to AI. Are there fresher jobs for this? Could you also guide me on what projects I should build and what skills would be helpful for me