The Hubble Space Telescope and integral-field spectrographs on the ground have offered us an unprecedented view of the internal physics within high-redshift galaxies.  Exploiting the powerful synergy between high-resolution imaging from CANDELS and spectroscopy from 3D-HST and SINS, I will present new insights on resolved stellar populations, bulge growth and quenching since z ~ 2.5.  I will emphasize the importance of using both stellar and gaseous tracers to reconstruct the characteristic life cycle of galaxies, and will outline how the ongoing KMOS^3D and PHIBSS2 surveys together with new facilities will contribute to a comprehensive picture of galaxy growth.