Things you are afraid of…

Listening to the lyrics in my earphones, I can finally settle down and reflect peacefully on the past week. No matter how packed my schedule gets, I always need a moment of solitude each week to process the things that have happened and reflect on life in general.

The City Orientation: A Mental Challenge

What a week it’s been! Yesterday, my friends and I set off for a city orientation starting at 9 a.m. It was a challenge for both the mind and the body. We spent a significant amount of time solving intricate puzzles, and some tasks required us to physically visit locations to find the answers. As far as I can remember, ever since I came to Shanghai for my undergraduate studies, I’ve participated in at least one city orientation with my friends every autumn. These are truly precious memories I cherish every time I think back on them.

Finding Growth in the Deep Dive

Now, back to real life. To be honest, life is often quite bitter. There are definitely moments when I feel like giving up, struggling to endure, both physically and emotionally. Every time I drop into a deep dive (or feel overwhelmed/hit rock bottom), I manage to save myself from the darkness. It might come through pain and struggle, but it always leads to growth.

Conquering Procrastination

I’ve always been a procrastinator when it comes to getting started on tasks like reading papers or running experiments. However, over the past two days, I finally made up my mind to completely overhaul my personal website. This includes updating the research section, CV, and miscellaneous pages—a task I’ve been meaning to do but kept putting off.

Academic Hurdles Ahead

This coming Thursday, I will be giving my first academic presentation in my PhD-level Machine Learning course on a paper from ICML 2025. I’ve been preparing the Beamer slides since last week.

Wish me luck! :)