Last week on 9 July 2025 I graduated from my master’s degree in Data Science.
I was also honored to be featured on my university page (click to see my swag) – because I was one of the first student ever to graduate from my course!
This moment made me pause and reflect: I’ve spent almost 20 years in school. That’s… a lot.
As of now, this is what I have in my Pokédex:
- 5 years elementary school
- 3 years middle school
- 5 years high school
- 3 years bachelor (Computer Science at the University of Florence, Italy)
- 2 years master (Data Science at the University of Florence, Italy)
Quite a long journey, and I still can’t center a div. :)
While I can joke about it, the truth is these years taught me a lot, beyond code.
This post isn’t a biography, it’s about the things I wish I knew earlier, and what I hope others might learn from my path.
(Note: none of this post is touched by an LLM; if it sucks, it’s because I suck.)
Hardest part about getting opportunities is knowing they exist
During my bachelor’s, I thought the only thing I could do was study hard and get good grades.
And to be fair, I wasn’t entirely wrong. Everyone around me was doing the same.
When I chose my master’s, since I didn’t want to move out (more on that later), I decided I’d make this time remarkable.
I was happy with what I knew about CS (no more grinding to know every little detail) and for this reason I started looking out for experiences.
I ended up doing more than I could have wished for – during my 2 years I joined Firenze Race Team (local Formula SAE team) in the autonomous division, I did an internship at Amazon Books and I also started this website.
These experiences fulfilled me with a sense of “I want more, MOREEEE”.
Also, “why isn’t everyone around me doing the same?” Why isn’t everyone applying for jobs, internships, Erasmus, traineeships, YC and so on? It’s all free and if you start doing it right away the chances of getting in are HUGE.
I would argue that most people don’t know these opportunities exist.
Especially when you are from a – not so well-known – university like I was, nobody is talking about this stuff, so there is no way of knowing it exists unless someone speaks about it.
I got to know about Firenze Race Team because my brother was in it as a mechanical engineer, and internship opportunities just because a video popped up in my YouTube feed hahaha.
I would also have LOVED to try and develop an idea into “something” (startup?), also do an Erasmus to explore other countries, and a traineeship to see if I was able to do research. I also discovered endless possibilities, like going to the US for free, mentorship programs to help you, and a lot, lot more stuff you can do (without having to open your wallet!).
Unfortunately, I discovered these opportunities too late. Two years are not enough and I had to choose wisely what to do.
But, if you’re a student reading this: go look for things outside of class. Ask around. Try things. So many doors are open, you just need to know they exist.
Taking the right decisions
If I can see a pattern in decisions I took, I would say I always preferred the “chicken over the egg”: I prioritized long-term reward over short-term boost (what scientists would call “delayed gratification”).
This wasn’t always easy: for example, all my friends from the small town where I live (shout-out to Levane) chose to start working right after high school, starting to earn money - basically starting their life. That egg was so tempting to me too, but I decided to get into university because I was seeing it as a long-term reward.
The same logic applied when I had to decide whether to study in another city (after my bachelor’s). I really wanted that experience, I was craving independence. But I also knew that moving out meant I’d probably have to work to support myself. And if I worked, I’d have less time and energy for studying. I wasn’t aiming to just scrape by or pass exams, I wanted to make the most of my studies. So, I stayed in Levane, close to home, knowing that sacrificing that independence now might give me more freedom and options later. It wasn’t an easy call, but again, I chose the chicken.
I’m not claiming to be an expert, but when I talk about ‘right’ decisions, I mean choices made after carefully considering all available data, not just instant gratification. My challenge is knowing when to stop delaying gratification. Sometimes, it feels like I’m focusing too much on the future when I should be enjoying the present. But I decided that, at least study-wise, I don’t want another chicken (no PhD).
I got lucky
While most of this post is mainly about the last five years, I know that my entire 20-year journey was supported by luck.
For example, I randomly picked CS in middle school, and it turned out to be what I love doing.
I was also lucky enough to have a supportive family that provided me with everything I needed.
There’s no ignoring how much privilege and randomness shape a journey like this.
I leave this chapter with a bittersweet feeling: grateful for the memories, but a little sad they’re now behind me.
Thanks for reading. If you’re still in the middle of your journey, remember, it’s not just about the grades. It’s about what you do between the exams.
Luigi