I've made a list of things I'd like to learn soon. These are personally important to me, but based on your circumstances and specializations, it may (or may not) be important for you as well.
1> Learning to learn
From my interactions with some of my friends, I've come to realize that I'm pretty bad at learning, or at being focussed and determined enough to put work into it. I'm not sure how I can correct it, but I've decided to learn at least one skill (like playing guitars, skateboarding, etc.) that requires persistence.
2> Calculus. statistics and some neuroscience
I'm a PhD student and my work primarily focuses on machine learning applications. However I've come to realize that there are too many AI Engineers and very less AI researchers and computational neuroscientists. I feel it's sad that a lot of people are following the hype-train for deep learning, while there is a third-generation neural network (spiking neural networks) that needs more research. Although this has been around for about a decade, the field is still lacking in terms of research. To even contribute a little bit into the field, I would need more knowledge in calculus, statistics and neuroscience (at the very least, about how neurons work). Even if I end up being unable to do research in the field, I still think calculus and stats are very important, so its a win-win anyway.
3> Psychology.
I've had my own battles with anxiety and depression, and one of the things that has helped keep me at bay even when I had suicidal thoughts was my knowledge about mental health. I could tell myself "this is not right, fight it or get help", because of what I've learned about psychology. I believe that learning psychology can help me better understand myself, my thoughts and my yearnings, as well as that it would give me the ability to understand others who are going though similar (or more difficult) circumstances. On the side, learning "persuasive psychology" can probably help with understanding the effects of different marketing tactics, while also maybe help me deal with difficult people. Other things like cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness are also things I need to learn, but that would require some help from a therapist.
2) Machine learning and computational neuroscience are two different fields. You really don't need to understand neuroscience to contribute meaningfully to machine learning.
You'd be much better served by studying mathematics like real/complex/functional analysis, abstract algebra, probability, etc.
3) If you've struggled with suicidal thoughts, anxiety, and depression, don't bother waiting to see a therapist. Finding a therapist should be the first thing on your list.
I love calculus and stats. It's such a pity that I don't get to use them at work, but it's good to have the ability to use them. And keep trying hard beating anxiety and depression! No one can help you with this sort of battle except you. If you haven't read The Alchemist, I highly recommend this book.
1> Learning to learn From my interactions with some of my friends, I've come to realize that I'm pretty bad at learning, or at being focussed and determined enough to put work into it. I'm not sure how I can correct it, but I've decided to learn at least one skill (like playing guitars, skateboarding, etc.) that requires persistence.
2> Calculus. statistics and some neuroscience I'm a PhD student and my work primarily focuses on machine learning applications. However I've come to realize that there are too many AI Engineers and very less AI researchers and computational neuroscientists. I feel it's sad that a lot of people are following the hype-train for deep learning, while there is a third-generation neural network (spiking neural networks) that needs more research. Although this has been around for about a decade, the field is still lacking in terms of research. To even contribute a little bit into the field, I would need more knowledge in calculus, statistics and neuroscience (at the very least, about how neurons work). Even if I end up being unable to do research in the field, I still think calculus and stats are very important, so its a win-win anyway.
3> Psychology. I've had my own battles with anxiety and depression, and one of the things that has helped keep me at bay even when I had suicidal thoughts was my knowledge about mental health. I could tell myself "this is not right, fight it or get help", because of what I've learned about psychology. I believe that learning psychology can help me better understand myself, my thoughts and my yearnings, as well as that it would give me the ability to understand others who are going though similar (or more difficult) circumstances. On the side, learning "persuasive psychology" can probably help with understanding the effects of different marketing tactics, while also maybe help me deal with difficult people. Other things like cognitive behavior therapy and mindfulness are also things I need to learn, but that would require some help from a therapist.