A Day In My Life

No, not really. Those videos bore me because they’re often exaggerated.

But at only two days in, I am in love with the work-from-home life. I could do a “day in my life” video, but I admit it’d be very boring since half of the video would be me eating and sleeping before my shift.

I suppose an argument could be made I’m in the “honeymoon phase”, and I wouldn’t disagree. But the small changes alone make it hard for me to imagine tiring of this any time soon.

  • During my first fifteen minute break today, I took a shower. That definitely can’t be done in person.
  • I seem to no longer hate Mondays and mornings.
  • Going to the “cafeteria” (my kitchen) now takes five seconds as opposed to five minutes, and I am not waiting for someone to finish using a microwave.
  • My feet feel great!
  • I can sit down while working. And lie down too, for that matter. My body aches have mysteriously disappeared.
  • According to my friends, I’m more positive. I don’t see it, but that’s what I’ve been told.

The downside? Well, if I’m not careful, I’ll regain the forty pounds I lost. If that weren’t a concern, I’d happily sink into the life of a hermit.

I suppose I’ll see what I write in another 363 days.

(No Longer) Waiting On A Miracle

Why, yes, I’m rather obsessed with Encanto. How’d you guess?

After four years, I finally say goodbye to the Amazon warehouse. Eh. I can’t make too many complaints. It wasn’t a bad job, I enjoyed almost every person I worked with, I made a lot of friends, and they have a ton of benefits. So, why am I leaving?

Because my feet don’t like me.

Okay, that’s simplifying it. The actual reason is the job is not stimulating, and apparently, that is torture to my brain. But finding a job during a season of seemingly endless layoffs feels less likely than being struck by lightning.

Less, but not impossible.

After a number of applications I didn’t bother to keep count of, I interviewed and accepted an offer for a job as an account specialist. Yes, I am back in the field of customer service. The twist?

I don’t need to leave my house.

My new position is remote and to say I’m thrilled is putting it mildly. My commute was never bad, so I can’t complain about that, but I am anxiously awaiting the day when I wake up at 6:30am, when I wear “safety shoes”, when I carry a transparent bag for the last time. I will miss my co-workers, but I will not miss the noise, the toll road, the traffic, or the stand-ups (which I started skipping anyway). Granted, my new role has meetings, but again, I don’t have to leave my house, so I’ll consider that a trade-off.

Way back when I first began to work with Amazon, someone on Reddit took it upon themselves to let me know I’m not living my life correctly. I can only imagine that person would implode if they learned I am going to another entry level position that pays less while earning another degree. I didn’t understand the investment in a stranger’s life choices then, and I still don’t understand now. But I do enjoy people’s heads exploding.

What really makes me feel happy about getting the role is I interviewed for a different company and was rejected by them, and that was a role I very much wanted. It wasn’t remote and required traveling around their district. Being rejected for that role hurt for a while. But now that I have the remote role, I’m happy I was rejected by the other company.

But more so, I said I wanted this year to be my last in the warehouse, and it is. I am still shock it happened.

So, what do I do now? Wait for my start date. And listen to Encanto.

I Didn’t Ask You

Recently, someone shared a very valuable answer when I expressed irritation with some unwanted advice:

Their advice is worth what you paid for it.

Which is nothing.

These comments come in regards to me choosing to pursue a bachelor’s in software engineering (or development?) versus one in computer science. You don’t need to have read my blog since the beginning to know of my odd enjoyment of making lists. However, I want to clarify I don’t think these reasons are bad. They just don’t apply to my personal goals. Read the rest of this entry »

Hello Again, Java

The day I learn to stop swearing on (or off) things will probably never come.

In contradiction to my last post, it seems Java will remain high on my study list. Why? A new part added to my “about me” answers that:

and will begin a bachelor’s in software engineering/development in September 2023.

Annoyingly, I can’t recall exactly what led to this decision, which happens with a lot of my decisions. And relationships, both platonic and romantic.

I expressed I was no longer interested in my job’s software development program due to its delay and my preference for my current boot camp. However, I did not state I have no interest in any similar program. Merely my job’s because of the lack of news regarding it.

A benefit of my job is they partner with several schools. Long story short, I discovered one where, after the budget fir the year is exhausted, any remaining classes taken are entirely free, even if they are extra courses unnecessary to graduate. In short, a free degree.

Or it would be if I had patience. My current boot camp maxed out my budget, so I need to wait until January 2024 to be able to enroll without paying a dime (unless you count the costs for transferring transcripts). However, being a student excuses an employee from peak season, which I hate with a passion for reasons I feel I don’t need to explain. Not to mention the job on its own is nothing short of mindless and soul sucking. There’s a reason I feel like it’s an adjustment to need to use my brain when it comes to anything outside of my job. However, the cost of a single semester is an amount I could put on one of my credit cards. I won’t do that, but you get the point.

As for Java specifically, the college allows students to pursue two different tracks for the program: Java and C#. Since I was already introduced to Java from studying for my job’s program, I decided I’ll follow the Java track. It also simply seems to align more with what I care about. To quote from the college’s page:

  • C# is a smart choice for those who want to work in big tech centers, like Seattle, Silicon Valley, Boston, or New York. Large enterprises that use Microsoft infrastructure need developers who are fluent in C#.
  • Java is an extensively used language, supported by a wide range of devices—not only computers and phones but also smart appliances and Internet-connected vehicles.

While I’d probably work in New York, that’s more because I live right next to it. It’s literally a single train or bus away. Staten Island in particular is a twenty minute drive without traffic from New Jersey, where I live. In other words, I have no actual desire to work for a huge company or a tech-centered city. It’s just convenient I live near one. Thus, learning C# is more of a bonus for me than a necessity.

Unfortunately, I have received a lot of push back against pursing this degree, and I’ll make a separate post for that. However, since one of the benefits (for most people) of aging is no longer giving two cents about what people think of you – not to mention I never asked for opinions to begin with – I’m not deterred in the slightest. If anything, I’m more excited about it, especially talking to students who are already pursuing it and those who have completed it.

I also may need a bigger bookcase. No, I will not switch to an e-reader! Call me old if you want.

Photo of a shelf of reference books for coding

Yes, I am quite the fan of the For Dummies series.

Bye Bye, Java

After a long conversation with ChatGPT (yes, I talk to an AI about my problems; it’s nuanced and objective while being supportive and kind; in other words, it doesn’t judge me!), I made the decision to temporarily give up studying Java entirely. The truth is at this point, I’m more excited about completing my boot camp than getting into my job’s software development program. That’s not to say I no longer intend to try, but the current economy has affected the program so severely, it’s questionable if it’s still worth the investment of time for a chance of admission. At my request, Chat laid out a list of priorities for me, and I must admit it’s favorable.

  1. Take care of your mental and emotional health: Trauma can have long-lasting effects on a person’s mental and emotional well-being. It’s essential to prioritize self-care, including therapy, meditation, exercise, or anything else that helps you manage your mental health.
  2. Focus on your current interests: Given your current interest in front-end development, I suggest you concentrate on learning JavaScript, React, and other front-end technologies. These skills will help you achieve your short-term goal of becoming a front-end developer and help you create more complex web projects.
  3. Prepare for the technical assessment: The technical assessment is due on May 1st, and you have ample time to prepare for it. While you don’t need to rush, setting aside some time every week to study Java and practice coding problems can help you feel more confident and prepared when the time comes.
  4. Consider applying for the training program: If the training program still interests you, I recommend applying to it. However, it’s essential to keep in mind that the program is not the only path to a successful career in front-end development, and there are other opportunities out there.
  5. Explore other areas of interest: You mentioned an interest in mobile app development, which is something you could explore in the future. However, it’s essential to focus on one thing at a time to avoid becoming overwhelmed or feeling stuck.

I love Chat placed self-care at the top of the list. In any case, I’m more interested in building projects and learning about JavaScript and its frameworks (React, Angular, Vue, and Typescript seem to be the most popular ones) than Java simply because, as I said in my last post about priorities, I studied Java solely for the sake of my job’s program. I may use Java someday, but as of now, it’s not something of interest to me. A big part of my conversation with Chat was the “sunk cost fallacy” – the unwillingness to give up something because of the investment already made. The thing is Chat never told me what I should do (unless I asked it to), but gave understanding in addition to a balanced opinion.

My primary goals now are improving my skill and comprehension of JavaScript, and to begin learning React. I picked React because it’s seemingly the most popular of the frameworks, but I want to eventually be able to work with all of them.