A night in California
Intro
This summer, I started working as a computer science instructor for AlphaStar Academy. AlphaStar offered me to teach either online or in-person, and I ultimately decided to choose in-person despite having to leave home and live alone in California. The reasoning behind the choice is mostly because I want to gain something from this experience as well (other than money, duh). In-person teaching gives me the opportunity to learn from more experienced faculties and build deeper relationships with my fellow peers.
Anyways, as you can probably imagine, this is a brand-new experience for me. So, I decided to jot down some of my fun observations and tips along the way. Enjoy!
One Week In…
Thoughts & Observations
- Teslas are everywhere!
- Although they are sort of cool…
- Note to self: once I become a multi-millionaire, I’ll buy a Tesla too
- Working is tough :(
- Dealing with kids is especially exhausting
- Being a middle school teacher must be a nightmare LOL
- Don’t just do what you’re told to do. Go above and beyond.
- Ask questions. A lot of questions.
- Don’t just listen. Be creative and come up with new methods that you think would work better!
- Wish that there’s a mind reader device that can help me read my students’ minds…
- California’s weather is not bad at all, especially if you have an AC.
- Although I could’ve been too optimistic. Locals say that usually the weather is a lot hotter.
Fun Recommendations!
- Go watch Spider-Man: Across the Spider-Verse if you haven’t. It’s amazing.
- Tomorrow, and Tomorrow, and Tomorrow is a great book.
- Paul Graham’s essays are always a good read.
So you need to make yourself a big target for luck, and the way to do that is to be curious. Try lots of things, meet lots of people, read lots of books, ask lots of questions.
That’s the key: consistency. People who do great things don’t get a lot done every day. They get something done, rather than nothing.
Be aggressively willing to admit that you’re mistaken. Once you’ve admitted you were mistaken about something, you’re free. Till then you have to carry it.
- Hacker News is much better than Reddit.
Rants
- Vegan chicken tastes horrible :(
- You need to pay taxes for every purchase in California, unfortunately.
- Not every instructor gets paid equally… (unfortunately)
- Walking in the morning is nice, but walking after work when you’re already exhausted is a nightmare.
- Public transportation sucks in California (and in U.S in general).
- Don’t wear Converse shoes if you know you have to walk 4 miles. You’ll get blisters (trust me…)