From Skills Gap to Class Champion: Tymothy Lim Jie’s MSc AI Journey

After graduating with a degree in Industrial Engineering from the National University of Singapore (NUS), Tymothy Lim Jie took on various IT-based roles. " While these jobs were technical, I still found myself lacking in different IT skills," he shares. That gap led him to the Master of Science in Artificial Intelligence programme at NTU’s College of Computing and Data Science.

"I was looking for a course to help sharpen me technically. The MSc AI course seemed great for that." Through structured assignments and projects, Tymothy built up a stronger foundation in technical skills. “I am thankful for the technical training provided… and the help given by Professors and fellow classmates to sharpen my technical skills.”

The path was not always easy, but challenges became opportunities. "Growth often happens when we learn from challenges," he reflects. Learning to use platforms like GitHub was one such hurdle. “I was never really experienced with using GitHub… After asking around and doing some research, I eventually picked it up.”

More than once, what seemed like a tough technical issue turned out to be simple; with help. “Sometimes I would face a technical issue and just ask around. Then it would turn out to be a simple issue to fix. That is benefit of having great classmates that help one another.”

Beyond technical mastery, Tymothy found himself learning how to learn. “For quizzes, I would spend a long time just reading through the PowerPoint slides/notes. For difficult technical subjects, I would either re-watch the recorded lecture or check for more details on ChatGPT.” He adds, “I find it wonderful that we can use AI tools to help our own learning of AI. It also encourages me to learn my AI skills well, so that I can contribute to the development of AI in whatever role I am employed in.”

Supportive classmates and passionate professors made a lasting impact. “The Professors were inspiring in providing great technical expertise, even going so far as to share cutting-edge topics with us… I really enjoyed the Advanced Computer Vision course where we learnt cutting-edge techniques.” During group projects, his classmates’ generosity stood out. “I really got to see what great skills there are in the world.”

Tymothy especially enjoyed working closely with peers. “I made some great friends just doing the different projects, talking about personal life, as well as sharpening my technical skills by learning from them. I am deeply thankful for the opportunities to know such great people over the course of my study.”

While he embraced tools like ChatGPT, Tymothy was also mindful of academic integrity. “As using these tools needs declaration (for ethical reasons), I also made sure to declare as needed, my use of such AI tools in my assignments.”

Looking ahead, Tymothy is open to possibilities. “I thus hope to utiliSe AI to help automate tasks at wherever I work at.” To do that well, he plans to keep upskilling. “AI oftentimes needs to work in conjunction with other existing IT systems. Thus, I might seek to upskill in other IT skills, be it through NTU PACE or other means.”

He is especially appreciative of the Alumni credits available for NTU graduates to pursue further PACE courses. “There are many possible applications. I am excited to keep learning and apply what is learnt to the workplace.”

As he puts it: “It excites me to see what is possible, when we learn our AI skills well, as [we] work together to produce something good.”

From identifying gaps to becoming Postgraduate Class Champion, Tymothy’s story is one of steady growth; built on curiosity, collaboration, and the quiet confidence of someone who learns with purpose.