I’ve been pushing myself to move as fast as possible in my career—applying for internships, conducting research, and taking on various opportunities. I’m living in a time when the CS degree is becoming more oversaturated than ever, and with AI advancing rapidly, the future feels more unpredictable than ever. As a result, the urgency to prepare early and move quickly has never been greater.
However, in my rush to do everything at once, I’ve found myself in a state of conflict. I often feel that I’m not learning deeply enough or building a strong foundation in the fundamentals—something that is crucial in AI. In this field, true expertise is what separates a good engineer or scientist from an extraordinary one. AI is flattening the world more than ever before: a single well-crafted prompt can bridge the gap between years of experience. The very nature of intelligence distribution is shifting—from a bell curve to something more evenly spread—where the defining difference will be between those who simply use AI and those who truly improve upon existing knowledge.
With my Canva internship ending, I’m entering a new stage in my career where I (to some extent) have the freedom to set my own pace. This raises an important question: should I continue moving quickly, chasing opportunities at the risk of not truly understanding anything? Or should I slow down, focus on structured learning, and build a solid foundation for the future?
Right now, I’m leaning toward the second option. There are things I truly want to achieve that require a deep understanding and countless late nights of focused work. But this leads to another paradox—since starting university, I’ve been progressing at an incredible pace, achieving things that my high school self would have never imagined. I fear that if I slow down, I might lose momentum, fall behind, or miss out on opportunities, especially since my current knowledge sometimes feels like a house of cards.
I’ve always believed in balance—yin and yang. Since I’ve been moving so fast over the past 1.5 years, maybe it’s a sign that it’s time to slow down, focus on truly understanding what I’m learning, and care less about chasing flashy achievements. Hopefully, over the next year, I can shift my focus toward structured learning—not just for my career but for life as well. I want to take the time to understand myself better, figure out what I truly want, and build a sustainable schedule that supports both growth and balance.