Week 1

My first week on campus went great. There was a little hiccup at the airport with the airline accidentally sending one of my pieces of luggage to California but that was taken care of; they were nice and even gave me a 100-dollar gift card. On my first day on campus, my lab mates for the summer showed me around the lab and where I’ll be working. The campus is nice, and since this is my first time this far west from home, I was caught off guard by all the mountains and how much less humid it is out here compared to Maryland. I had my first team meeting with my mentor and the rest of the lab and we introduced each other. They seem nice

Week 2

The second week here was also amazing after all the craziness from the first week I got to explore the city a little bit. The people here are nice. I tried some new food spots like In and Out, Jack in the Box, and Dave's Hot Chicken since these restaurants aren't available where I'm from. I also got to visit a couple of gyms and even got a gym membership for my stay here. Overall this week was great.

Week 3

This week, I made more progress on my project. I’ve been refining the literature matrix with Dr. Patil's feedback and started drafting the SoK outline. It’s been interesting diving deeper into how games can teach security and privacy—it made me think a lot about what really grabs a player’s attention. Outside of the lab, I hung out with some of the other interns and explored more of the downtown area. We found a cool arcade, and I spent way too much time playing old-school games. I also got a chance to try out hiking, which is something totally new to me. The views were amazing, and it’s crazy how different the air feels compared to Maryland!

Week 4

This week was all about tightening up my SoK outline. I had a lot of back-and-forth with my mentor about how to categorize certain games and what methodologies were the most effective. It’s exciting but challenging work. In my free time, I decided to check out the campus gym, and I’ve been hitting it regularly now. I’ve also been brushing up on my JavaScript skills since I’ve been thinking about building a personal project soon. One night, a group of us decided to binge-watch some movies, and it was nice to kick back after a hectic week.

Week 5

This week, I focused more on the research questions for the SoK paper. I collaborated with a PhD student in the lab to narrow down the questions, which was a great learning experience. I also managed to integrate some of my own criteria for selecting papers. I’ve been making sure to balance my time between work and fun, though. I joined a pickup basketball game on campus, which was a blast, even though I haven’t played in ages. I’ve also been experimenting with meal prepping—figured it would save me some time and money.

Week 6

This was a productive week. I wrapped up my literature matrix and started polishing the findings section for the SoK paper. My mentor suggested we submit part of the outline to a conference, which made me feel really accomplished. Outside of work, I’ve been diving deeper into coding side projects—I’m tinkering with a small game idea in Unity. A few friends and I also found a local coffee shop that’s perfect for working on projects. I’ve been going there almost every morning—it’s becoming my new favorite spot.

Week 7

This week, I presented my progress to the lab, which went smoothly. It felt good to share the work I’ve been putting into the literature review and get some helpful feedback from the team. I’ve also started thinking about how to incorporate some new AI concepts into the project. I spent the weekend coding a bit, but I also took some time off to explore the nearby state parks. I’m starting to really enjoy being outdoors—something I never thought I’d say! In the evenings, I’ve been playing around with some UI designs in Figma, which has been really fun.

Week 8

The pace of work picked up this week. I had to finalize some sections of the SoK paper and prepare it for internal review. It feels great to see everything coming together. In my downtime, I decided to teach myself some React.js to prepare for a side project I’ve been brainstorming. I also joined some friends for a board game night, which was a lot more fun than I expected. Between coding, gym sessions, and exploring the city, I’ve been staying busy, but I’m trying to make sure I get enough sleep—still working on that part.

Week 9

This week was all about refining the final draft of the SoK paper. My mentor asked me to co-author the paper, which was a huge honor. I’ve also been attending some research seminars on campus, which have been really inspiring and given me new ideas for future projects. I tried a few new restaurants with my lab mates—Salt Lake has some amazing food spots. I also spent some time catching up on my favorite shows and squeezed in a bit of gaming during the weekend.

Week 10

The final week of my project went by so fast. I presented my work during the end-of-summer showcase, which was both nerve-wracking and exciting. It’s amazing to look back and see how much I’ve learned. My mentor even suggested continuing some parts of the research remotely. Outside of the lab, I’ve been making the most of my last few days here—sightseeing, trying new food, and spending time with friends. It’s bittersweet wrapping things up, but I’m excited to head back to Maryland with all these new experiences under my belt.