The beginning
In 2019, I graduated with a Bachelor’s degree in IT, enthusiastic about the future. However, I was not sure what I wanted to do next. During my graduation project I learnt Flutter and Firebase, Flutter was still relatively new back then, but thanks to its fantastic documentation and supportive community, I was able to pick it up quickly and build a mobile app for my project.
After graduation, I started applying here and there, looking for any opportunity that would help me grow. Unfortunately, I was not able to find a job, so I started looking for something to do on my own that would help me grow and learn new things. Well… that was actually harder than I thought. For the next year and a half, I stayed unemployed, slowly losing hope and motivation.
Eventually, I did find a job, then another, but that’s a story for another post. Today, I’m working remotely as a lead software engineer and pursuing my PhD. This brings me to the reason I’m writing this: to share my personal experience managing a full-time job and graduate studies.
Work-life-study balance…
So, did I find that elusive balance? The short answer is no. If you’re searching for the magic formula, I’m afraid I don’t have it. I’m writing this simply to share my journey. There might be a nugget or two of advice hidden within, but proceed at your own risk.
When I first started my current job, going back to school wasn’t even on my radar. But after a year, I decided to apply to some universities in Riyadh, and surprisingly, I got accepted! This threw me for a loop. Should I do it? What would it cost me? Eventually, I decided to go for a Master’s in Data Science, all while keeping my full-time job. The program’s flexibility was a huge help, with classes starting late in the afternoon. My company was really supportive, and working from home saved me a lot of time, and honestly, my father’s confidence in me and his constant support were the biggest reasons I went for it.
Truth be told, I barely studied. It was usually only a few days before exams that I even remembered what courses I was taking. This worked for me because of the years I’d spent in the industry (only 3, btw), mastering languages like Python and Java – skills that were directly relevant to my coursework. My real-world experience made the academic side feel much easier, and made more sense. So, my honest advice: if you’re thinking about jumping straight from your bachelor’s into a master’s program, don’t. Get out there and work. Figure out what you enjoy, learn as many languages as you can, master the fundamentals, and work on real projects. Then, and only then, should you consider graduate studies with clear goals in mind.
I graduated a few months ago, and the only truly stressful period was during my thesis. It coincided with some major work deadlines, and let’s just say I’m not the best at time management. My procrastination habit put me under immense pressure from both sides. Procrastination… it’s my biggest enemy, yet it’s also something I’ve come to accept. My brain seems to function best under pressure, as unfortunate as that may be. If you’re curious about what kept me so busy, here’s a link to my research project – it was just published! 🎉
This video hits close to home – it’s hilarious but also painfully accurate. If any of the points mentioned resonate with you, you’ll definitely get a laugh (and maybe a bit of self-reflection) out of it.
Why PhD?
My interest in Machine Learning led me to pursue a master’s degree. It’s a new and exciting field with lots of research happening, and I wanted to be part of it, to contribute to science in some way, even if it’s just a little bit. The funny thing is, if you asked me to get a PhD in software engineering – something I already have experience in – I’d say no thanks. Practical work is a bit different from academia. But Data Science and AI are still close to research, especially with all the new developments in AI.
So here I am today, starting my PhD journey in just a few weeks! I know this post was a bit all over the place, but I hope you enjoyed reading it nonetheless.