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PyData Boston February 2026 Recap

A high-contrast grayscale image captures a tech workshop. A presenter in a hoodie points animatedly at a large screen displaying lines of code. Several attendees, visible from behind, sit at tables with laptops, engrossed. The modern, bright room exudes a focused, educational atmosphere.

My Takeaways from the PyData Meetup in Boston

A few nights ago, I attended the PyData Meetup in Boston and left with some valuable insights:

1. Rethinking the “You’re an Expert in…” Prompt

One of my key takeaways was the shift away from using the “you’re an expert in…” prompt. While it used to be useful, the evolution of LLMs has made it unnecessary in many situations. I’ve stopped using it in most of my interactions, and it was great to hear something similar from experts.

2. Exploring Cursor’s Features

The meetup included a comprehensive introduction to Cursor’s less obvious features, such as rules, skills, and commands. I’m excited to dive deeper into them.

3. Breaking Down AI-Assisted Coding Goals

Many developers struggle with AI-assisted coding because they are expecting it to take on a lot of scope. The consensus was that trying to accomplish too much at once yields poor results. Instead, breaking down goals into smaller, manageable steps and planning them out beforehand leads to better results.

My biggest takeaway from the meetup was that AI-assisted coding has come a long way. If you’re a developer who tried it six months or a year ago and was disappointed by the results, I recommend giving it another shot.

It was a great night and I enjoyed reconnecting with others in the community. And also to be updated on the latest advancements in AI-assisted coding.

Massachusetts Approves 3 Year Degrees

In an attempt to make college more affordable, Massachusetts is approving 3-year degrees. The full story is covered in Inside Higher Ed. Massachusetts already provides free tuition for community colleges. This begs the question: is there a path to earning a full degree, but only paying 1 year’s worth of tuition?

A Competency Tracker, Not a Transcript

“Part of what obscures the value of a degree for students and employers is that the primary record a student gets of their time in college is a transcript. Transcripts are just lists of courses (whose names don’t provide much information about their content) and grades (that provide a blunt assessment of how students performed). Indeed, few people ever look at a graduate’s transcript, because the entries on it don’t say much about what that person can do.

The alternative is to build a record of student performance around the institution’s framework for durable skills that accumulates the evidence from the many assignments students have done that teach and assess these skills. This tracker provides students with a current snapshot of what they do (and do not) do well. The record itself links back to past assignments.”

Excerpt From “Higher education needs to change in order to survive the AI economy”

Fast Company https://apple.news/AIMk4endpQaez1ld8cmQ2ww This material may be protected by copyright.