I boldly started the MITx MicroMasters program, and now it's finally over. After pouring so much effort into the final capstone exam...

I received my certificate!!
Proudly sharing it here!

I've always been fascinated by automation and systems that run on their own — even before data science and AI became the hot topics they are today. After finishing my business degree at KNOU (Korea National Open University)... (to be honest, I didn't study that hard...), I wanted to chase this vague dream of MIT.

Ever since I was a kid, for some reason — no particular reason, really — I just really wanted to experience MIT.

But reality hits different. Between work, tuition, and, well, life... I'm way too busy (and broke) for a traditional campus experience. Hahahaha. So I went with Plan B: MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses). I decided to take on the MicroMasters program offered through edX — a graduate-level credential that can count toward an actual Master's degree at MIT or other universities.

Before I started, I had so many doubts:

"Am I just throwing money away?", "Can I actually do this?", "My English isn't even that good..."

But then one thought hit me:

If you do nothing, nothing happens.

So I closed my eyes and just... started.

Statistics and Data Science MicroMasters® January 2024 – December 2025

I could've finished faster, but I missed the registration window for one semester (work was absolutely brutal), so I ended up spending an extra year just reviewing. Oops.

Honestly, it felt surprisingly similar to regular school. There's a schedule, and you either jump in on time or catch the next round. I liked having the flexibility to move at my own pace.

What I Learned:

• Basic structure and elements of probabilistic models

• Random variables, distributions, means, and variances

• Probabilistic calculations

• Inference methods

• Laws of large numbers and their applications

• Random processes

I got to code probability calculations, explore LLMs, probability distributions, and all sorts of mathematical adventures.

Did I mention I'm not great at math? I struggled. A lot. But if you look at my notes, you'd see someone who studied hard. Like, really hard.

And finally, in December 2025 — I did it!! Completed all the courses, finished the final project, and officially earned the credential!

I believe this will be incredibly valuable as the LLM era unfolds. And once again, I'm reminded: if you do nothing, nothing changes.

I plan to keep learning — passionately, continuously — until the day I die.