- What were your successes this year? I finally worked up the courage to leave the PhD program that had been making me miserable for the past two years (of the

- What were your successes this year? I finally worked up the courage to leave the PhD program that had been making me miserable for the past two years (of the three I'd been pursuing the degree), and look for something better. I joined a supercomputing-services company which is doing some really exciting work, and has a very startup-ish feel. And I've built a fun, happy life with my awesome girlfriend, who supported all of the above. - What did you learn? There is no reason to keep doing something that makes you feel horrible, and if the end result holds no appeal any more. There are a lot of exciting things to do out there, especially if you're willing to leave your comfort zone. - What do you hope to achieve next year? Build some awesome things at work, and learn more about high-performance computing. Get back into fencing. And enjoy life.