So, picture this: a bunch of my buddies and little rookies come up to me, all wide-eyed, and they're like, "Hey, dude! What's the deal with academic life? Should we go for it?" And man, oh man, let me tell you, I struggle like a squirrel trying to choose between acorns. It's like mission impossible!

But here's the deal, folks. Academic life is like a wacky roller coaster, just like working in the industry. The only difference is, you have a smidge more flexibility when it comes to managing your time (but prepare to be paid in peanuts, my friend).

Now, let me break it down for you in a way that won't break your brain. There are multiple sides to this adventure we call academic life. It's like juggling flaming chainsaws while riding a unicycle. It's a madhouse, but hey, it's also a ton of fun!

Welcome to the realm of "Yurika" moments in academia! It's a life where thinking takes the spotlight over doing. Like a novelist, you'll constantly (when hike, brush teeth, hike, cooking, watch NBA, play with my kid in the playgroud, etc.) prepare for those insightful bursts. If that's not your cup of tea, pursuing an academic career might be a tough nut to crack.

In my world of daily workload, I'm not as wild and crazy as some others out there. I prefer a balanced 9-5, five-day-a-week schedule. You could say I divide my time roughly into 30% student mode, 30% engineer mode, 30% sales mode, and the remaining 10% dedicated to sipping coffee and handling administrative tasks. It's all about finding that sweet equilibrium!

When I step into student mode, it's a world of intellectual exploration. I attend intriguing seminars once a week, dive into the abstracts of 5-10 research papers daily (just as read news) through my feed, and even squeeze in short technical YouTube videos during lunchtime. To level up my knowledge, I make room for online or offline workshops, dedicating my Friday afternoons to learn and grow. It's a never-ending quest for wisdom!

Ah, engineer mode, where the magic happens! It's pretty straightforward—this is when I roll up my sleeves and get down to work. In the industry, it usually occupies the majority of your time, but in academia, it's a modest 30%. See, the beauty of academia is that you don't always need a final polished product; a proof-of-concept or a prototype often suffices. As you climb the seniority ladder and have a team under your wing, this workload becomes even lighter. However, I firmly believe that even as a seasoned professional, it's important to stay hands-on and get a little dirty. Engineering is an ever-evolving craft, after all!

Welcome to sales mode, the unexpected surprise of academia! It's not just about publishing manuscripts and presenting at conferences; it's about making your name known in the academic community (so that you can secure your funding). This means attending conferences, participating in numerous meetings (even if they're not directly related to your research interests), socializing with colleagues, actively engaging in group email threads, collaborating on network research, serving as a reviewer, organizer/coordinator, and lending a helping hand to fellow researchers. (Working on this github poster is also part of it). These tasks can easily consume a significant chunk of your time when you add them all up. Building your academic presence is like running a marathon of networking and support!