The Best Learning Begins with Enjoying It

When Ganesh Rudra Prasadh began studying Computer Engineering at NTU, he thought the discipline would revolve around writing code. Instead, he discovered that computing was fundamentally about solving problems – and that often meant stepping beyond the familiar.

"People often say that being in Computer Engineering or Computer Science just means you code," he said. "I quickly learned this is probably the most incorrect thing everyone says. While it is ideal to be good at coding, there is a massive amount of problem solving and system understanding involved."

That mindset culminated in his Final Year Project, which brought him into the unfamiliar world of molecular biology. There, he explored how artificial intelligence could be used to predict molecular interactions using protein language models.

It was an ambitious project that required him to venture well beyond computing.

"Biology was a completely new domain for me, so I had to grasp the science while building the software," he said. "The experience taught me how to adapt technical AI tools to entirely unfamiliar fields."

During his second year, Ganesh fractured his leg midway through the semester and missed three weeks of classes and laboratory sessions. With support from his professors, who reconducted the labs he had missed, he was able to catch up. The unexpected period at home also helped him overcome his procrastination, resulting in what he describes as his best semester at NTU.

Throughout his time at NTU, one influence remained constant – his parents.

"They never chased me to score the top grade in everything," he said. "Instead, they always encouraged me to actually enjoy whatever I was studying."

That advice shaped the way he approached learning and continues to guide him today. It is also the advice he now shares with fellow students.

"Always do whatever you enjoy. You must either enjoy what you do or enjoy the end goal. If you enjoy what you do now, you should be happy however it ends. If you are looking forward to the end goal, you should enjoy every moment leading up to it."

As he graduates into one of the fastest-changing periods in computing, Ganesh is excited by the opportunities ahead, even as technology continues to evolve at an extraordinary pace.

"Every day is a learning experience, so it feels almost like university never ended," he said. "At the same time, it worries me that by the time I become good at something, it can quickly become an obsolete technology."

After graduation, he will join Fabrica Robotics as a Robotics Software Engineer, bringing together his experience in software engineering and artificial intelligence in a field that continues to evolve rapidly. Robotics may not have been his original destination, but for Ganesh, remaining curious has always mattered more than having all the answers.