Autodidactic Education

Why I have a bachelors degree equivalent & masters degree equivalent.

The Unconventional Path: How Autodidactic Education Rivals Formal Degrees

In a world where traditional academic paths are often seen as the only route to professional success, the journey of my self-taught education stands out as a testament to resilience, dedication, and the relentless pursuit of knowledge.

When evaluating the equivalency of my autodidactic education to formal bachelor’s and master’s degrees, it’s essential to consider the depth, breadth, and practical application of the knowledge and skills I’ve acquired over the past 15 years. This comparison is not just about the hours spent learning but the tangible outcomes and the mastery of technologies that are at the forefront of the tech industry today.

Practical Experience & Application:

Starting with my freelance work as a Web Engineer, I engineered data reporting systems and custom applications using a stack that included HTML5, JavaScript, PHP Web Servers, and MySQL Databases. This role demanded not only a deep understanding of web development principles but also the ability to apply these skills in creating solutions that visualized key performance indicators (KPIs) for enhanced client insights. Over 3 years and 4 months, I dedicated over 6,000 hours to engineering tasks and continuous learning in backend web development, demonstrating a proficiency that rivals the practical experience gained through a formal degree.

As the Founder and Virtual Reality Engineer at Sci Interactive, I built a 3D vocabulary learning virtual world application using Unity3D, C#, and Blender3D. This project required me to develop 3D quizzes, flashcards, physics algorithms, and custom Natural Language Processing (NLP) algorithms to improve user experience. The implementation of real-time feedback on vocabulary usage within user-generated sentences via custom NLP algorithms involved advanced skills in C#, LINQ, and Regex. Here, I dedicated over 4,000 hours to software development, 3D animation, and AI research, tackling complex engineering problems with a resilience and self-motivated approach that many formal education programs strive to instill in their students.

Timeline of Learning and Skill Acquisition:

From 2009 to the present, I’ve engaged in roughly 30,000 hours of self-taught learning. This continuous learning journey has covered a wide range of technologies, from web development basics to advanced AI/ML technologies like PySpark, Airflow, Deep Reinforcement Learning, PyTorch, and scikit-learn. My recent focus on LLMs, Hugging Face, Microsoft Azure, and The OpenAI API for AI/ML underlines my commitment to staying at the forefront of technological advancements.

Autodidactic Education vs. Formal Degrees:

The argument for my autodidactic education being equivalent to, if not surpassing, bachelor’s and master’s degrees lies not just in the quantity of hours dedicated but in the quality and applicability of the skills acquired. Formal education often provides a broad overview, with specialization in later stages, but it can lack the flexibility to rapidly adapt to new technologies or dive deeply into specific areas of interest as an autodidactic approach can.

Moreover, the practical application of my skills through freelance projects and the founding of a virtual reality venture demonstrates not only theoretical knowledge but also the ability to execute complex projects from conception to delivery. This real-world experience, coupled with a deep, self-motivated exploration of cutting-edge technologies, presents a compelling case for the value of autodidactic learning.

Conclusion

The depth of my knowledge in AI/ML and software engineering, the breadth of technologies I’ve mastered, and the significant practical experience I’ve accumulated through real-world projects strongly argue for the equivalency of my autodidactic education to formal academic degrees. This education has not only equipped me with the skills necessary to excel in the tech industry but also instilled in me a lifelong love for learning and innovation.

~ Julius Hernandez-Alvarado

GitHub.com/ideaguy3d