Life Update

The last time I uploaded anything was in November last year. And that’s exactly when I started working on my final task for my bachelor’s degree. So many things happened, and I gained a bunch of new experiences. 

Thesis

I was pretty busy working on my final project as a requirement to get my bachelor's degree. I built a "simple" weather dashboard that implements a deep learning model for precipitation forecasting. Honestly, it was a long journey! I even changed my project topic twice.

The first one was about hotel review analysis—basically, I wanted to figure out what makes a hotel get a 5-star rating. But yeah... I got stuck, lol. The dataset I had was tiny, nowhere near enough for proper analysis. So, I had to move on.

The second one was about stock price forecasting using deep learning. My plan was to compare different deep learning models to see which one worked best. But turns out, there are already tons of research and implementations out there. I couldn't just recreate something that already exists. I needed something more unique and specific.

Then finally, I got an idea from my last topic: Instead of comparing multiple models, why not just pick one and make something practical? So I chose a deep learning model to forecast time series data and visualize it within a dashboard. I decided to use weather data from my city, making my project more case-specific. And from there, I just went all in.

It wasn’t exactly hard, but it wasn’t easy either. I enjoyed working on it, but man, I got frustrated so many times because I had no one to ask when I was stuck. Still, in the end, I pulled through and got it done. Ez pz :p

Work From Cafe (lol)

One of the new things I’ve experienced lately, working from cafes. Never imagined myself actually enjoying being socially active, but here we are. I’ve been going out almost every day in the first two months of 2025. Almost every single day. Damn.

I usually go to fore or some other cafe my friends recommend. And if you ask me why I like it? Well, it's just fun.

Being in a lively environment gives me a fresh vibe that I never experienced before. Working, talking, and even playing in a busy space is surprisingly exciting. Plus, meeting lots of people has boosted my confidence a lot. It even helps me organize my thoughts faster when speaking.

What a phase to go through!

"Volunteering"

Just like the last point, I have no idea what got into me. I ended up joining the committee for a big event. And guess what? I signed up for the public relations division. Damn. (I seriously need to figure out what happened to me :3).

For someone who used to prefer working behind the scenes, suddenly being in a position that required a lot of interaction, communication, and networking was a huge shift. At first, I felt like an imposter—like, what am I even doing here? But turns out, I actually enjoyed it. There’s something fulfilling about handling external relations, talking to people, and being involved in the bigger picture of an event.

It wasn’t always smooth, though. Managing communication, dealing with unexpected situations, and making sure everything ran well was stressful at times. But I learned so much from working with an amazing team. Seeing the event come to life and knowing that I contributed to it? That feeling was priceless.

I guess this experience pushed me out of my comfort zone in ways I didn’t expect. And maybe, just maybe, I should do this kind of thing more often.

2 Passed Within 4 Years

My college years were filled with so many experiences — including loss.

In my 2nd year, my brother passed away. It was sudden, and honestly, I didn’t know how to process it at the time. I kept myself busy, trying to distract my mind, but the grief always found a way back. And just this month, my grandmother passed too.

I know that death is inevitable, but accepting it when it actually happens? That’s a different story. It just hits differently. No matter how much you try to prepare yourself, the weight of losing someone never really gets lighter. The memories, the conversations left unfinished, the things you wish you had said — it all stays in mind.

But I also realized something, grief doesn’t mean forgetting. It’s about learning to live with the absence, carrying their presence in a different way. Maybe through the lessons they left behind, the love they shared, or even the smallest habits that remind me of them.

Losing them changed me. And while it still hurts, I know they’d want me to keep moving forward. So that’s what I’ll do.

— 

Looking back, these past few months have been a rollercoaster. From grinding through my thesis, stepping out of my comfort zone with new experiences, and facing personal losses — life has thrown a lot at me. But somehow, I made it through. 

I won’t say everything was easy. There were days when I felt stuck, lost, or just tired. But I also discovered new sides of myself, met amazing people, and learned lessons that I wouldn’t trade for anything.

If there’s one thing I’ve realized, it’s that growth doesn’t always feel like progress. Sometimes, it feels like chaos. Like uncertainty. Like taking two steps forward and one step back. But in the end, every experience, good or bad, shapes who we are.

For now, I’ll just keep going. Keep learning, keep exploring, and keep embracing whatever comes next. No rush, no pressure — just me, moving forward at my own pace.

And if you’re reading this, whatever phase you’re in right now, you got this too. 😊✨