Help/advice - Should I stay or should I go?

Hi!

I need advice.

I am a physical education / sports science professional (although I do not yet have a job) and I am learning to program to apply for a master’s degree.

My idea is to use GPS data to (1) create a display of the player’s movements (very basic) and (2 - the main objective) to use GPS data to analyze collective behaviors using machine learning (based on distance between players, movement speed, etc.). I believe that I will achieve this with Python.

I’m almost done with the “JavaScript Algorithms and Data Structures” certification (because I’m a newbie), but I’m having some problems with some challenges (from the “intermediate algorithm script” course - I did 14 out of 21)

I don’t know if I will spend some more time completing this certification or if I already go to Python.

I’m in a hurry because I’m facing some pressure to find a job, so I can’t wait long (about 8 months) to learn this. If I manage to get into the master’s degree, I can get a scholarship that will pay me more or less what I would receive working.

And I study for 3-4 hours every morning, and 2-3 hours in the afternoon (Monday to Friday). Is it enough time to learn this?

Thanks!

What kind of master’s degree? If its a Computer Science master’s degree, programming is more of a secondary nature of the curriculum, with main focus on the underlying theory of computing. Or do you want to apply some programming to a Physical Education?

Where does the GPS data come from? From their phone? If such is the case, you will probably need to use multiple sensors to get an idea of what the person is doing, as GPS isn’t as accurate if your moving around in a small area. You could leverage something like a smart phone’s gyroscope, accelerometer and GPS together to get an accurate picture of what’s going on. Regardless you’d have to know what the raw data even means to gain any use out of it.

You will need to build an app for mobile devices using Java, Swift, or some other language that translates into a language supported by mobile devices. AFAIK building an app with Python is possible, but the experience isn’t that good.

Don’t you have to pay for the Master’s degree? If your getting a job to help pay for you degree, then I’m not sure if learning + building + applying in the span of 8 months is a sensible approach. Even if you did get some kind of programming job, the fact your going back to school means its a part time gig at best, which won’t make much sense from a business standpoint as they will go through a lot of effort to hire you, only for you to be available half/part of the time.

Are you getting a Master’s degree to get a better job down the line? Why not get a job that helps build toward that career. Or if you want to get a programming job, and are getting a CS Masters, I suggest focusing on what you’ll be learning for your degree (jumping directly into Master’s CS is a lot) rather than focusing on getting a job. If you need funds to help pay for the masters, then maybe get a non developer job just to help pay the bills while going to school.

Time spent doesn’t automatically translate success. You could spend 8 hours watching youtube videos, and learn less than someone spending 1 hour trying to build something from scratch.

How you spend your time is more important than how much time you spend.

However, in the time frame of 8 months to get a job, your looking a tough grind, made worse by the pandemic.

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Hi! Thanks for your reply!

I want to apply programming to Physical Education.

It’s a GPS data that a football team already use during matches. And the professor who will be my master’s advisor (I don’t know if this is the correct term in English) works in this team, so he has I that data. And he knows the coordinates of the field, so he already has the data converted to meters, which will make it easier. GPS is not the best tool (I’m not a big fan), but I think it’s ok for that purpose.

Thanks. I didn’t know that. I would like to do it, but it is an additional thing. Maybe I’ll leave it out (to decrease the workload).

No, in fact I can get paid to do a Master’s degree. I’m from Brazil and we have Federal Universities, which are free, and you can get a scholarship (it’s not for everybody, you can’t be working, for example). It’s not much (US$ 261), but I would not receive much more in a job right now. For example: a friend of mine has a OK job and receive US$382.

I want to be a football/soccer coach and I want to leave the country. I would like to go to Germany, but I have to save money. And I need to pay some bills, so it’s complicated.

Yes. I spend all the time doing the challenges here. I think I need something else, but I don’t know what (maybe a book or additional challenges elsewhere).

Thanks!

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