After trying to blog more than an year ago, here I return with new content. I made two posts in the last year, and just like one would feel reading their old code, I felt extremely unsatisfied with the quality of my posts. So here is a fresh start. I would like to initiate my blogging this time by reflecting on possibly why it becomes so hard for students to blog regularly. Imagine yourself to be an undergraduate student for a minute:
Most of your day as a student (at least, a University of Waterloo: Software Engineernig student) is spent listening to your professors or instructors. The remaining time is spent reading books or news, and doing homework. With a life focused so much on simply learning, we students have built a habit of "experiencing and understanding" more than "teaching" anyone else in return. Any new material thrown at you is expected to be broken down, studied, and stored in your memory in O(log n) time. Are you getting my point? Good. Take notes now. I will be quizzing you on this next week.
But seriously, think about what this habit turns you into. A mute machine that can store data and perform tasks as per command? I hope not! You may see many interesting things, listen to many interesting things, read many interesting things, but you don't get trained enough to speak your mind and apply those problem solving skills in communication. Finding ways to communicate with others is still a problem on it's own. Ignoring it would be impossible: communication is the foundation of our civilization, after all.
So whether you are a student, intern, full-time employee or employer, blog about something! Get your thoughts out and say hello to the world! Although UoW Software Engineering Undergrads have to write 4 work term reports to practice your writing and communication skills, that is hardly enough. Fellow classmate David Hu makes a good point about why blogging should be encouraged by the university.
So if you are reading this, and you care about communication in the tiniest bit, comment below with a link to your blog! I will read it even if noone else does :)
