Well, it seems this has officially become a yearly ritual—welcome to the 2024 wrap-up! This year, much like the last, has been amazing. Once again, I somehow ended up with more than I deserve. As always, I worked on improving myself, tackling personal hurdles, and keeping a handful of opportunities wide open for the taking. So, let’s dive in and look back at the year in good old chronological order…
Foundations 🔗
The year started with an unusual event—I returned to campus a week before the semester began. This early return was for a project I was working on with Prof. Yuval Yarom from Ruhr University Bochum. The opportunity came through my BTP supervisor, Prof. Debdeep Mukhopadhyay, who facilitated the collaboration.
The project involved three professors and me, focusing on microarchitectural security. We held weekly meetings to discuss findings, set methodologies, and define small, achievable goals. I was nervous throughout, unsure if I could meet expectations. Yet, by the semester’s end, I managed to achieve those micro-goals. This progress made my prospective advisor happy, and we began discussing the formal steps for my PhD application.
Meanwhile, other PhD results came out. I accepted NUS, which came with an invitation to a campus visit week. The process was straightforward due to convenient visa arrangements and affordable flights. I decided to attend, bringing my mom along since the costs were reimbursed. She had just recovered from a long bed rest, and I thought she deserved a break.
The trip turned out to be fantastic. The two-day campus event included talks by professors looking to take in students. Besides the two professors I had initially applied to, I met another professor whose work intrigued me. Before the meeting, I only had a brief idea about his research interests. Looking back, I’m glad I attended his talk because I eventually decided to work with him. His research direction, while different from my prior experience, seemed novel and exciting.
After returning from the visit, I formally accepted NUS and turned down other offers. A significant reason was my hesitation to move to the US. My previous experience in Canada had left me feeling culturally isolated, and I worried about being so far from my parents, who are getting older. For mental peace and proximity to home, I narrowed my options to Singapore or Germany. At one point, I even considered staying at IIT Kharagpur. While that wouldn’t have been a bad career choice, I’m glad I opted for a change of environment.
Despite all this, Ruhr University Bochum remained a higher priority due to its location, my potential advisor, and its alignment with my previous research.
Apart from the work, this semester was my last on campus. There wasn’t much I did that was actually exciting, other than spending evenings just chatting with my friends. I think they made themselves available too, considering it was my final semester. However, like all things, it did pass. By the end, it was emotional. As soon as I said goodbye to the last of my close hall friends, I cried. I think he did too. Anyway, the bromance had to end, and I returned home with a heavy heart.
KGP shaped the person I am today. Even though my performance in college was quite average, I wouldn’t change a single thing from the past. This might be the second time I’m saying this on this blog, but it’s worth repeating: all those mistakes, wrong decisions, and the learning that followed have brought me here, and I’m grateful for that—more than I deserve. KGP helped me thrive in an ecosystem that’s a microcosm of the real world: unfair and diverse. I didn’t fully utilize its potential, especially by not socializing more, but the people I met were truly amazing and inspiring in their own ways. Even those who worked in moral grey areas were passionate about something. This became clearer to me only after leaving KGP. The best part was the sheer diversity—you could find people across the entire spectrum of human traits. There was always a peer group that shared your thinking. I’ve come to understand the truth of the saying, “If you want to judge a man, look at his friends.” I realized this just a couple of days ago. More on that later.
Transitions 🔗
After the semester, I continued working on the project, hoping to achieve publishable results. However, as Prof. Yarom had warned, the project felt like an arctic exploration—progress was painfully slow. On the personal front, my weight loss journey was going well, but my grandparents’ health was declining. During this time, I learned that direct PhD admission at Ruhr University Bochum wasn’t possible due to GPA requirements, a common hurdle in European universities. I was advised to pursue a master’s first and then reapply.
This led me to commit fully to NUS. Still, I aimed to finish the project and work towards a publication. Unfortunately, the realization about Ruhr affected my motivation. I struggled to focus and felt increasingly guilty about the lack of progress. I tried taking breaks and switching strategies, but nothing worked. At one point, I returned to another project I had paused during my BTP’s first phase, but even that didn’t help. By the final month, I fell sick and shifted my focus to preparing for NUS.
Although the summer felt like a low point, it allowed me to spend significant time with my family—a luxury I may not have for a while. Looking back, I see the hidden lesson in this phase. As Steve Jobs said, “You can only connect the dots looking backward.”
New Horizons 🔗
With this, I moved into the last tertile of 2024, marking the start of my journey at NUS. From the moment I arrived, I was immediately thrust into action with teaching duties and a project that was already lined up. Once again, opportunities seemed to come to me more generously than I deserved. However, as always, capitalizing on those opportunities was entirely up to me. I once again took a deep dive into the previous half of the year and revised the lessons, I informed and took blessings from my previous professors who mentored me as well as were source of inspiration for me.
To manage my workload effectively, I opted for a light coursework load (just one module) and took on a lab rotation with Prof. Prateek Saxena. Initially, I wasn’t sure if this was the right approach, as lab rotations are meant to help decide on an advisor. However, having chats with the Prof, I felt a strong alignment with his working style and values. His passion for his research and his dynamic approach to transitioning between directions resonated with me. His mentorship style—close-knit and aggressive in intent, matched what I had always hoped for, even if it isn’t the “ideal” one for everyone. By the end of summers, I found myself wanting to shift my research direction from offensive security (finding bugs in architectures) to something more structured and concrete. This desire was reinforced by the project I was working on, which, though under review and therefore confidential, gave me a clearer sense of what I wanted.
The project itself was a fantastic learning experience, thanks largely to a brilliant senior colleague who is one of the best engineers I’ve met. Together, we wrapped up the project in four months, framing a clean idea and completing everything within the deadline. It was the first time I could recognize a paper-worthy idea as soon as I heard it. Reflecting on this project, I realized it wasn’t just the outcome but the learning journey that mattered most.
In the first half of the semester, I maintained discipline—not just in my health journey but also in my work habits. I read research papers, tracked my time diligently, journaled regularly, and periodically reflected on my progress. However, as the deadline loomed closer, my routines unraveled. I fell back into a repetitive cycle of work, workouts, and sleep. While this rhythm helped me meet deadlines, it lacked the depth of learning and creativity required for meaningful research.
By the end of the semester, I wrapped up the work and transitioned into a phase of lighter duties—some semester-end chores, casual reading, and simply recovering from exhaustion. While nothing I did felt extraordinary, the sheer mechanical effort required made it feel significant. I realized during this time that having something to worry about is oddly comforting for me—it keeps my mind from dwelling on less productive thoughts.
As the semester ended, I found myself looking forward to a long (though not ideal) three-week break. Circumstances like convocation and travel plans made this break possible, and I hoped it would help me recharge. I spent a week traveling solo to visit relatives. Everyone I met was so happy to see me, and these interactions gave me space for introspection.
I realized a few things about myself during this period. For one, I’m not exceptional at any particular skill. I don’t have a list of great achievements to boast about. And honestly, I’m not sure if being average is sustainable for the cutthroat world of academia, which demands confidence and competitiveness.
But I also noticed something unique about myself: I have a knack for adopting habits or skills and not even realizing I’ve acquired them. This isn’t unusual in itself, but what sets me apart is my constant openness to learning new skills or aqquiring new habbits. I often begin the challenge with a sacrifice—giving up something material to establish control over myself. For instance, to lose weight, I gave up ice cream and cold drinks.
This year, I also resolved to reduce digital distractions to focus on thinking. By the time of writing this blog, I’ve quit digital media and certain social apps entirely. Writing this here feels like setting it in stone—hopefully, it will keep me accountable if the urge to return ever arises.
And with that, 2024 comes to a close. I hope we crossed paths this year because it has truly been more than I deserve. Reflecting on it, I feel grateful for having made progress on most of my resolutions, even if partially. Though I parted ways with some of the great people, I also met many later this year. Furthermore, most of my lessons this year came in hindsight—connecting dots while looking back. Naturally, this inspired me to restart blogging and share those reflections as they unfolded. As I look ahead to 2025, I’m setting new goals—not necessarily for completion but to make any progress at all. After all, every step forward, however small, is a win, and every stumble is a lesson.
Onwards and upwards, folks. Wishing you a happy and healthy New Year!
Signing off, Aditya Ranjan Jha