It's been a while since I wrote something on Medium, but 2024 was too incredible not to document. I learn and I cry so much so this post is just me looking back at everything and maybe sharing some takeaways to mark how much I have grown this year.
🎓 Academic Stuff
I've never meant a great academic life is you have to be a "straight A's" kind of student because let's be real, not every course clicks for me and I already expect to not get it again on this semester, but surprisingly I made it though, and I'm super grateful! This year wasn't a walk in the park because being Opportunist Mike means juggling a dozen of responsibilities all at once. But along the way, I learned a ton and somehow survived the madness.
6th Semester was wild:
- I took 21 credits, including 3 credits from a 4th-year course, Cryptography (IF4020).
- My favorite course? Probably Platform-based App Development (IF3210), even though Unity almost set my laptop on fire😭
- Most painful? Thanks to Computer Graphics (IF3260) which having me no sleep for 5 days and 300+ GitHub commits just to finish a SINGLE big project. Then there's Machine Learning (IF3270) which make me have to deal on back-to-back midtest schedule with Cryptography.
When 7th semester came around, I thought about taking external programs like Bangkit or MBKM, but then "I'm leaving campus soon" feeling hit me that hard. So instead, I stuck to campus life with 16 credits, which I don't regret at all. Courses like Distributed App Architecture (IF4031), Cyber Security (IF4033), and Blockchain (IF4035) taught me so much about security. Now, I'll have SSE (System Software Engineer) specialities badge on my final academic report!
All of those will not be possible if not without my amazing team members from every small and big projects which I couldn't even mention one by one. If one of you read this retro, Thank YOU!
🏆 Competitions
I started my competition arc in my 3rd year of college, and this year alone I joined 7 national and international competitions and won 7+ awards. I even kicked off the year (Jan) with a competition - lol. Every competition had its own special moments, and I'm happy to look back on all of them.
Two of the most memorable ones were HackFest and the Google Solution Challenge, which gave me and my team —Oliv, Austin, and Dillon— an incredible experience that shaped us in the best way possible. I still remember the struggles of four Informatics students building an IoT system integrated with ML and mobile tech when we were barely familiar with it at first. Late-night coding sessions, mentoring calls across international time zones, and the joy of creating something useful, plus the amazing attention we received from all around the globe. It was all unforgettable.
Now I can confidently say I'm a competition geek. When competition season comes around, I often put my academics in second place (don't judge me). And whenever I get an invitation to join a competition team, I barely have to think twice, no matter how busy I am. What I love about competitions isn't just the winning, it's the process I go through, the new things I learn, and the friendships I build along the way.
Thanks to all these experiences, I've even had the opportunity to receive multiple Ganesha Awards, and for that, I'm extremely grateful.
Bonus: I once made an X thread about my competition journey, and you can check it out here.
💻 Life as an (Academic) Assistant
I'm one of the assistants in the Computational Science and Engineering (IRK) laboratory, and part of my duty is to take on opportunities as a course assistant. After serving as the coordinator for Geometry and Linear Algebra (IF2123) last year, I decided to handle two courses in my 6th semester: Algorithm Strategies (IF2211) and Probability and Statistics (IF2220). On top of that, I was also responsible for preparing problem sets for Introduction to Computation (KU1102), which technically means I managed 3 courses in a single semester.
Becoming an assistant has been one of the best decisions I've ever made. I genuinely enjoy creating project specifications, whether small or big, and diving deep into the core topics before releasing them. I love seeing the excitement of IF'22 students during their project demos, showcasing what they've accomplished. I also enjoy answering their questions on the Q&A spreadsheet (and debating over countless topics). Sharing my knowledge and experiences through discussions and semester document recaps has been so fulfilling.
One of my favorite parts of being an assistant was crafting problem sets for the Introduction to Computation course. It gave me the chance to explore pure programming in-depth while maintaining a balanced difficulty to ensure the students could work through them effectively.
In my 7th semester, I was entrusted to be the Programming Material Lead for the Computational Thinking (WI1102) course, leading an amazing family, "Tuan dan Nona Kota Kompeng." This role required me to collaborate with an incredible core team — Grace, Jason, and Sean — alongside 150 practicum assistants and ~5,000 first-year students (TPB). I actually not expecting the time will go past super fast, but I'm incredibly grateful for the opportunity and would happily do it again, even after my 3 year experiences.
Additionally, I took on the role of assistant for Computer Interaction Lab (WI1116), a new course introduced as part of the updated curriculum. Managing two courses simultaneously was a challenge, but it added even more depth to my assistantship journey.
👨🏻💻 Internship
The March '24 version of me would never have believed that by June, I'd land an amazing internship program at a multinational company based in Vietnam, FPT Software. Having a great job in an incredible environment is a dream for many, and I still can't believe I got to live that dream!
Theoretically, I worked as a Software Developer Intern, focusing on backend development. In reality, though, I often found myself assigned in frontend tasks, testing, and even business processes. Thankfully, I didn't find it too hard since I had already been exposed to some of these during college (not sponsored by my uni). Plus, the weekly mentorship sessions were super helpful, ensuring I didn't feel lost while continuously learning new skills.
I feel like my technical skills grew so much during this time, but even more than that, I was lucky to have such a supportive mentor and an amazing group of fellow interns. We bonded over lunch breaks and created our own little hangout sessions. Having them in my life was something I never expected in my 2024 plans, but something that I definitely don't regret (except for missing the company vacation).
The internship lasted for about 4 months. By the end of the third month, we were required to create a final project to showcase everything we had learned. Together with Manuella, we worked on Voyago, a booking management app designed to streamline processes for clients and admins. Our project received recognition as the best final project, and on top of that, I was awarded Best Intern! I couldn't be more grateful for this experience.
🔥 Arkavidia
I still can't believe I started my 7th semester by taking on the opportunity to become the Project Officer of Arkavidia. For a bit of context, Arkavidia is a big national competition event organized by the Informatics Student Council (HMIF). Fun (but not so fun) fact: this event was on hiatus last year and I had a big dream to bring it back stronger this year.
Taking on this role wasn't an easy decision, but so far, I have no regrets. In fact, I even created a full Notion page dedicated to my thoughts, and you can check it out here:
HMIF, Motivasi, dan Mimpi | Notion
Another fun fact? I managed all the application requirements while having my offline internship, which made those days absolutely chaotic. But through it all, I discovered something inspiring that so many people truly have a deep passion for contributing to their community.
Fast forward to today, now I have a big family composed of 9 departments, 20 divisions, and 275 incredibly talented people who all share the same vision to make this event an absolute banger.
Go check out our instagram and Jangan lupa daftar Arkavidia!
This isn't the conclusion of the journey, there are still months ahead, but I'm so grateful we've made it this far.
🎯 Thesis a.k.a Tugas Akhir (TA)
Like many other final-year students across the nation, I've started working on my thesis this year. Thankfully, I already have a pretty clear vision of what I want to accomplish, so I'm just embracing the journey.
I chose Pak Rinaldi as my supervisor, and it's hands down one of the best decisions I've ever made. My topic core is in Cryptography combined with Security and some sort of Blockchain + Distributed Systems and AI/ML. Sounds like I'm currently cooking for a complex system, but I'm genuinely enjoying the process of exploring and learning about each aspect. My goal is to make this project one of my masterpieces.
I'm especially grateful for Pak Rinaldi's guidance. He's the kind of supervisor who gives me a clear direction while encouraging me to explore independently. He also keeps me accountable with weekly updates, which has been a great motivator.
As of now, I've just finished the last chapter of my proposal, and it's ready for review. If all goes well, I'll be presenting my seminar (sempro) in mid-January. Wish me luck!
🤝 Friendships and Socials
Even with a packed schedule, I always find time to hang out with friends, whether it's grabbing some food together, going for a walk, or just chatting about random stuff. It's those small moments that recharge me and remind me why friendships are so valuable.
This year, I'm especially soaking it all in because it's my last year on campus. I want to make the most of the time I have with these amazing people, creating memories that'll stick with me long after we've gone our separate ways.
Funny thing is, I'm an introvert by nature, but I genuinely love deep conversations and just getting lost in discussions about anything and everything. It's like my way of connecting on a different level.
Looking back, some of my best moments this year came from simply being with friends — whether we were celebrating wins, pulling all-nighters, or just enjoying the little joys of student life. Those connections have made this year even more special.
✨ Other things
Those are the major highlights, but here are a few other things I've done this year:
- Coordinated the Computational Science and Engineering (IRK) lab assistants for 2024/2025, leading 22 talented assistants through countless quizzes, homework, and both small and large projects for IF'23 and (soon) IF'24.
- Became a guest speaker 4 times, big thanks to GSDC, SPARTA HMIF, and OSKM for having me!
- Participated in 2 offline hackathons, achieved amazing results (and experienced nearly 0 hours of sleep) during both events.
- Visited the Google Indonesia Office 3 times this year, big thanks to Mas Danang. Now I'm dreaming of working at this incredible company someday.
- Hit my another two digits of financial milestones and celebrated my third year of financial independence — no longer asking for a single rupiah from my parents and starting to give back to them <3
- Attended my first orchestral concert! thanks to Arleen for inviting me and doing an incredible job there.
- Having a company visit to Ticket.com big thanks to GarudaHacks for making it possible.
And lastly, if you're an ITB student from 2022, 2023, or 2024, you've just read the retrospective of Tuan Leo (yes, this is a confession, lol).
📝 Notes to Reader
By the way, I really enjoyed making this retrospective, it never fails to make me smile. Reflecting on your journey is such a meaningful way to take note of everything you've been through. It also makes you appreciate all the things you've done, big or small. Honestly, I'm incredibly grateful for everything that happened to me this year and for God's guidance in all the decisions I made along the way.
Eventhough this is the first time I'm publishing my retrospective, I encourage you to try it out too! It doesn't have to be something you share, you can keep it as a personal note. But if you do decide to publish it, please send it my way. I'd love to hear about your journey, even the smallest moments!
🤔 What's next for 2025
A retrospective isn't complete without resolutions. Next year, my top priority is finishing my thesis, and I'll give it my very best. From January to March, i'm expecting some chaos with Arkavidia, but I'm determined to tackle it head-on. One of my goals is to start researching remote work or opportunities to work abroad, but of course, finishing my thesis comes first, hahaha.
I've discovered how much I enjoy sharing knowledge, so I hope to take on more speaking opportunities and participate in another big competition before graduating. On the social side, I want to spend a lot more time with my friends and her before life takes us on different paths and we get fewer chances to meet.
That's a wrap, see you stronger in 2025!