2023: The end of my degree and the feeling of being lost

In 2023, I was finishing my undergraduate degree as a scholarship student at Embarque Digital. Even though I was already working, I felt lost — I didn’t really know what my next step would be after graduating.

That’s when the idea of pursuing a graduate program at CIN-UFPE came up. But to be honest, it felt completely out of my league.

I hadn’t studied at CIN, I had no connections with professors, and I didn’t have a strong academic background. In my mind, getting into the master’s program required all of that, so it felt impossible.

Even so, I decided to try.

The first attempt and the frustration

I enrolled as a listener (non-degree student) in a course.

The problem was that it was 100% remote. That meant no networking, and on top of that, I started running into topics I had never seen before: linear algebra, calculus, and several mathematical concepts applied to Machine Learning.

That completely blocked me.

And that’s when I gave up for the first time.

After that, I didn’t completely abandon the idea. I kept checking the lists of accepted students and always thought: “that could have been me.” But at the same time, I wasn’t doing anything concrete to change my situation.

It became a frustrating cycle.

2025: The decision to finally change

In 2025, I realized I couldn’t keep going like that.

When applications opened for a lato sensu graduate program, I decided to enroll. It was expensive — very expensive for me — but I was determined.

I started in April 2025. Classes took place on Saturdays, every two weeks, lasting the entire day. At first, it was a great experience: I met amazing people, built connections with folks in software development and data science, and managed to keep up with the classes, even though they were challenging.

But over time, I started questioning the investment.

Choices

I realized that the money could be better invested elsewhere.

So I decided to drop out.

It was a risky decision, but with a clear purpose: to bet on what I had already built and fully focus on getting into the master’s program.

From that point on, I started taking things seriously.

I enrolled in another standalone course, this time in Software Engineering — an area I was already more comfortable with. The classes were excellent, especially with Professor Dr. Paulo Borba, and that gave me a lot of hope.

But then came the reality check.

Working with a highly sought-after professor, on a very competitive topic (Software Engineering + AI), wouldn’t be easy — and probably wouldn’t happen that semester.

Even though I attended most classes, I ended up not submitting the final assignments, mainly because I felt demotivated.

Turning point

During that time, I went on a trip with my fiancée (who was my girlfriend at the time).

Before traveling, I had reviewed all the available research topics for the master’s program. That’s when I found one that really caught my attention: imbalanced data, proposed by Professor Juscimara, who had also been my professor during my specialization.

I decided to take a chance.

I wrote a research proposal and applied, even without meeting all the requirements listed in the call.

The deadline was November 27 — and it happened during my trip. I had almost given up on submitting it, but on the last day, I changed my mind and fixed everything using my phone.

There was just one thing left: paying the application fee.

My bank in Brazil simply wasn’t working. I started messaging everyone I knew asking for help. I was in France, it was already 11 PM, and there was a +4 hour time difference.

Eventually, someone managed to pay it.

And my application was submitted.

The result and a new beginning

Even then, I thought I had no chance. I was missing important requirements.

But three months later, I got the surprise: I had been accepted.

Today, I’m back at CIN — but now as a master’s student.

Why I’m writing this

Even after all of this, I still feel, many times, incapable.

And that’s exactly why I started this blog.

I want to show that you don’t need to come from the “best university,” you don’t need to know everything from the start, and you don’t need a perfect path.

Even so, it’s still possible to get there.

What you’ll find here

I’ll be documenting my journey in:

  • Machine Learning
  • Mathematics (from basics to advanced)
  • Software development
  • Personal development

See you soon, and thank you for reading!