I joined PhD without knowing anything other than that I would learn and do research on behavioral ecology from the best place in India, completely oblivious to what it takes to do a PhD and what I would do after. This journey has been nothing short of a roller-coaster, filled with life-changing learning and pivotal shifts - both in my professional and personal life.

In this talk, I will unravel the layers of my experiences, highlighting the most essential insights I gained through navigating the academic landscape during my PhD and post-doc, then shifting to the EdTech industry, and importantly, developing life philosophy while embracing the bitter-sweet aspect of continuous learning, aimed at gearing up for long-term goals. From learning English as an initial PhD challenge to strategically selecting my postdoctoral lab, and eventually transitioning into the EdTech industry, each phase imparted invaluable lessons on balancing learning, work, personal and social life, as well as mental and physical health. I will also discuss the knowledge I wished I had at various career junctures which would help me to avoid several setbacks. I will conclude by giving an overview of my current role at LabXchange, a free-to-use web-based educational platform, alongside my projections for the future of research on animal behavior and education in this new era of artificial intelligence.