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Finally, I Completed My Final Thesis
One year.
From writing the proposal to finally completing it in January 2026, this thesis journey has been one of the most transformative chapters of my life.
I still remember the day I came back to Surabaya after taking a year academic leave to join the Apple Developer Academy in BSD, Tangerang.
At that time, I had a very simple plan in mind:
Just take the easy path.
The safest option?
Turn my Apple Developer Academy final project into my undergraduate thesis.
It was already built.
Already validated.
Technically solid.
It felt efficient. Logical. Safe.
When Plans Don’t Go As Expected
But life rarely follows the safest script.
My thesis advisor introduced a topic I had never explored before:
Large Language Models for Software Engineering
I was honestly shocked.
I am a structured person.
I enjoy measurable projects.
I like clarity, roadmap, and predictable outcomes.
This was different.
This was research.
Experimental.
Uncertain.
No guarantee of success.
And that uncertainty scared me.
The Comfort Zone Dilemma
There is a common saying among students:
“A good thesis is a finished thesis.”
It doesn’t need to be groundbreaking.
It doesn’t need to be revolutionary.
It just needs to be done.
And that logic made sense.
But deep down, another thought kept appearing:
“What if I choose something challenging… and actually finish it?”
Wouldn’t that feel different?
Wouldn’t that version of success be more meaningful?
After several days of reflection, I made the decision:
I chose the hard path.
I chose LLM for Software Engineering.
2025: The Year of LLM
As I began diving into the topic, I realized something important.
2025 was a massive year for research in Large Language Models.
Every week, new papers emerged about:
- AI-assisted code generation
- Automated refactoring
- LLM-based debugging
- Code summarization
- AI pair programming
The field wasn’t just trending.
It was redefining how software engineering is practiced.
And suddenly, I realized:
I wasn’t just writing a thesis.
I was exploring the frontier of modern software development.
From Engineer to Researcher
The transition was not easy.
As an engineer, I was used to:
- Building features
- Shipping products
- Measuring performance
- Iterating quickly
But research required something different:
- Reading academic papers critically
- Designing controlled experiments
- Evaluating results statistically
- Accepting that outcomes might fail
There were moments of confusion.
Moments where I questioned:
“Did I make the wrong choice?”
Sometimes experiments didn’t behave as expected.
Sometimes the results weren’t statistically significant.
Sometimes I had to re-read the same paper multiple times to fully understand it.
But slowly, something shifted.
I began to think differently.
More systematic.
More critical.
More patient.
Strategic Considerations
Beyond personal growth, there were strategic reasons too.
I knew that:
- LLM research is highly relevant globally
- It opens opportunities for postgraduate study
- It increases academic publication potential
- It strengthens scholarship applications
- It aligns with the future of software engineering
This thesis was also designed with the intention of journal publication.
That alone added another layer of challenge.
But also motivation.
The Internal Growth
Looking back, the biggest transformation wasn’t technical.
It was mental.
I learned to:
- Sit with uncertainty
- Embrace complexity
- Separate ego from results
- Iterate through failure
- Think in systems, not just implementations
The project forced me to mature — not just as a developer, but as a thinker.
January 2026
And then, finally:
January 2026.
Done.
One year of:
- Discussions
- Paper readings
- Experiment redesigns
- Draft revisions
- Self-doubt
- Breakthrough moments
Completed.
But what truly finished that month wasn’t just a thesis document.
It was a version of myself that no longer avoids difficult paths.
If I Could Give One Advice
If you're currently choosing your thesis topic, or any big life decision:
Don’t only ask:
“What is the easiest way to finish this?”
Ask instead:
“What kind of person will I become after finishing this?”
Because a year will pass anyway.
You can spend it staying comfortable.
Or you can spend it becoming stronger.
Thank You
To my friends who supported me through this journey, thank you. Your encouragement during the tough moments and celebration during the breakthroughs made all the difference.
Yes, a good thesis is a finished thesis.
But a challenging thesis that you finish?
It changes you.
And that difference is something I will carry far beyond graduation.