It is our choices, Harry, that show what we truly are, far more than our abilities (revised)

The presentation provides advice and encouragement to new students on managing their time at IIIT Hyderabad. It emphasizes making friends, trying new activities and clubs, controlling wants and FOMO, celebrating failures, and using social media to connect with others in a positive way. References are made to movies to illustrate points about perseverance, finding passion, and having a growth mindset during the transition to university life.

1. “It is our choices, Harry, that show what
we truly are, far more than our abilities.”
UG2K24 Orientation
July 29, 2024
IIIT Hyderabad
Ponnurangam Kumaraguru (“PK”)
#ProfGiri CS IIIT Hyderabad
Vice President, ACM India
TEDx Speaker

2. 2

3. 3

4. 4https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri:_The_Surgical_Strike

5. How’s the Josh?
5https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Uri:_The_Surgical_Strike

6. Audience
Program
Cities
Sleep hours?
Walking / Jogging in the morning?
Going to DLF?
6

7. Who am I?
Assistant Associate Professor of Computer Science
Ph.D. from School of Computer Science, Carnegie Mellon University (CMU)
Research interests
Responsible & Safe AI / AI Safety - Applied Machine Learning / NLP - Social Networks
Courses I teach
Data & Applications (1), 4+ & Responsible & Safe AI (1), 4+
https://precog.iiit.ac.in/
PhD contributed to creating Wombat, acquired in 2018 for USD 225 Million
Hustle a lot J
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12. How is this orientation until now?
Anybody celebrating [posting] on social?
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13. 13https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Gump

14. Life is like a box of
chocolates. You never
know what you're gonna
get ~ Forrest Gump
14
Make friends – Participate in clubs, if it is not there, create onehttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Forrest_Gump

15. 15https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Idiots

16. Kamyab Hone Ke Liye
Nahi Kabil Hone Ke Liye
Padho, Kamyabi …Piche
Ayegi….. ~ 3 idiots
16
“Study to excel, not to be successful, Pursue excellence
and success will come chasing you.”
Stay focused on learning – Ask for help, don’t hesitate –
Everybody needs helphttps://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/3_Idiots

17. "Tumhari manzil khud chal
kar tumhare paas
nahiayegi“
17
https://indianfilmhistory.com/admin_panel_new_dev/media/files_i/Sam_Bahadur_Movie_Details_Indian_Film_History4.jpg Finding interesting projects to work, Faculty to interact

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19. If you want something
different, you are going to
have to do something
different ~ Jennifer Lopez /
Jack Canfield
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What are the different things you want? How to do them differently?

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23. 23https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annaatthe

24. Kalaam vazhvil
ponnanathu Adhaai
gavanam vaithu
munneridu ~ Annaatthe,
Annaatthe song
24
Time management – Regrets – 1, 2 semester missing out –
CGPA ‘also’ matters – Others? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Annaatthe

25. 25https://youtu.be/ji5_MqicxSo

26. “The brick walls are there for a reason. They’re not
there to keep us out. The brick walls are there to
give us a chance to show how badly we want
something … The brick walls are there to stop the
people who don’t want it badly enough. They’re
there to stop the other people.”
“I mean, I don’t know how not to have fun. I’m dying
and I’m having fun. And I’m going to keep having fun
every day I have left. Because there’s no other way
to play it.”
~ Randy Pausch
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27. 27https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petta_(film)

28. Aasa Adakkida
Therinja Inga
Ellaam Kaaladiyil
Kedakkum ~ Petta,
Ullaallaa song
28Control your wants – FOMO
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petta_(film)

29. 29https://precog.iiit.ac.in/blog/2021/06/09/precog-from-fomo-to-a-learning-mindset/

30. 30https://precog.iiit.ac.in/blog/2021/06/09/precog-from-fomo-to-a-learning-mindset/

31. 31https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372222/

32. 32
Woh jeena bhi koi
jeena hai jis mein
kick na ho
Connect to Randy Pausch? https://www.imdb.com/title/tt2372222/

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How to find kick? Not same for any 2 of us

34. Know him?
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37. 37
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1449283/

38. 38
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt1449283/
“Rivers know this: There is no
hurry. We shall get there some
day.” ~ Winnie the Pooh
“If the string breaks, then we try
another piece of string.” ~ Owl

40. Transition to campus
40
https://www.pinterest.com/pin/862228291128906498/

41. Transition to campus
You should know what you want
Try out projects, clubs, friends …
Managing courses, food, clothes,
hobbies, friends, relationships is
hard
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https://www.pinterest.com/pin/862228291128906498/

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43. Explore a bit before deciding
Student #1 CAPTCHA - Privacy - Usable Security - Social Media & Policing
Student #2 Cyberbullying - Pedophile - Credibility in Twitter
43
“Want the perfect chair”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y3DlwnW-SmM

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45. 45
Aim high

46. Make small progress, consistently
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47. Allow IIITH life to transform you
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Learn new skills; I took formal courses playing
Tennis, Golf…
Ask questions (even if it is silly / simple) when
you attend classes / talks
Reading book club, try out Yoga….
https://www.amazon.in/Short-History-Nearly-Everything/dp/076790818X

48. Strength of weak ties
48
Mark Granovetter, 193 paper
Weak ties are more effective than
strong ties
Information diffusion
Opportunities
Many studies including Social
Networks
Activity / Thought experiment
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Interpersonal_ties

49. Its ok to loose, fail….
49
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/113293746856175786/

50. Its ok to loose, fail….
Have social support / Friends /
Colleagues
Celebrate failures, it's harder,
but possible
Celebrating paper rejects
You are not alone!
50
https://in.pinterest.com/pin/113293746856175786/

51. Its ok to loose, fail….
“Bad things happen, and you
can’t do anything about them.” ~
Timon
“Remember who you are” ~
Rafiki to Simba
51https://movies.disney.com/the-lion-king

52. Can’t think of movie reference L
Don’t categorize yourself early, ML, Dev, front end, etc.
Watch all the latest movies, series but addiction to Netflix and the likes
will take you nowhere, many students have realized this later
Little cautious of what you try, do not misuse the freedom, don’t let
your parents, well-wishers down
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53. Discussion
Perception of IIITH before you joined & now?
Some that stay the same, some that change
Book reading, playing tennis & Badminton, with me also J
Use social media for celebrating IIITH & your time here
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54. Acknowledgements
All students who gave inputs
All gyaans that I got from my well wishers
Twitter users
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55. 55
Search for: Ponnurangam Kumaraguru
https://www.linkedin.com/in/ponguru/
https://twitter.com/ponguru

56. pk.profgiri
Ponnurangam.kumaraguru
/in/ponguru
ponguru
[email protected]
Thank you
for joining!!!
Group & Individual pics J