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How I successfully did a mid career switch at 38 years old

1) Mental clarity on what you want out of the job is really important. It helps you list out what you really want out of the job, we are not talking about being picky about a job but what are the lines that you are willing to compromise. The possibility to get that perfect job is only possible if you even know what the perfect job is. I did my own reflection and realise that I really just want to change to another job that is less operational based. I want slightly more flexibility and thus the possibility to take care of my family needs over my job. There are definitely alot of options to get there but many times it usually mean a freelance or part time job which may or may not mean a continual income or at a timing that can accomodate your family needs.  2) Once you understand where you are, then you need to firm reasonable expectations for the new job, in terms of money and job scope.  So I really come to accept how there is a cost to everything and I was willing to accept a paycut
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I completed my CS50x in 3 months and sharing of my brainstormed ideas for final project

It is official!! I submitted my final project and completed the CS50x: Introduction to Computer Science. I completed the week 9 assignment last Friday. The assignment involves building a web browser on Flask that allowed users to register, log in, view profiles, quote stock prices through an API on an exchange site and lastly make transactions of buying or selling of the stocks. This project really took a while as I was not familiar with HTML and CSS. I am lucky that this project makes use of python and SQL, which I am more comfortable with, instead of javascript.  I started on some projects ideas this Monday. Idea 1 - a table form to get students' input for their multiple choice question answers.  I teach tuition and do not want to mark their MCQ, scrolling through their pages. I had tried google form but find it tedious to key in the answers for 40MCQ in order for the students to know the correct answers after they had submitted their results. However google form is useful that i
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Into week 8 of Harvard CS50x course

A month had gone by since my last update. I am proud to say that I am still working on my CS50x courses though it has been pretty slow this month as I have more engagements this month in June. A quick check that I submitted my first project on 23 April and currently two months later I had completed all the lessons up to week 7. I had thought I could have gone faster but the C programming is really demanding. I got my streak after week 5 as week 6 is on python and week 7 is on SQL. I had more prior practice through the Udemy courses and thus I was able to power through the task faster.  So if you had been progressing slowly, fear not! The time will come when you can progress faster is the encouragement I want to tell you however in week 8, it is on web development languages such as javascript, HTML and CSS. I realise how hard it is to really work with another language. I had done at least half a year of python prior to this thus I was able to complete the task quicker. In week 8, I look
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I started Harvard CS50 on edX

I watched a few YT videos where software engineers shared how they would have learned to code if they had started again. They recommended the course by Harvard University called CS50x. I decided to pick it up since it is free online.  I am so blown away by the way the lecturer taught the content. It is the way, he challenges you to understand the fundamentals and make you apply the concepts. Coupled with his use of items to illustrate how the computer works, it makes the imagination so much easier. Of course the lab work and problem sets given stretches you further and really enforces the understanding.  As I had done some coding course on python through Udemy, I had always find some lapse in my  understanding about why certain syntax is used in a certain way. For example, formatting with print with f for formatting the string. I always find it odd but I take it as a legacy issue that the language inherit certain syntax patterns that had been determined ages ago. However after I was ex
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Command line Quick Bite 01

It is the black screen you see at the start and is sure looks scary with just a blank canvas. The RISE programme taught us this when we were learning about git push and pull. For many of us, it does not really work and we just seem to be copying what the instructor told us to. Needless to say, I did not go on to learn about it further. I mean GUI (graphical user interface) is good enough right? Well, coders will tell you how it is slow and you can actually do everything with the CLI. However after I started doing CS50x, I felt more comfortable with it since you need to make directories, make code files, compile and run code files from the terminal in VScode. So here is a compilation of the commands that I find useful to know. 1) cd - change path: to navigate to another directory (aka folder) eg1. cd Documents This will bring you from the main directory into your "Documents" folder. Congrats you have moved into the "Documents" folder. eg2. cd ..  This will move you
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Still lost, another reflection on vision forming

I started a meditating routine every day, I will wake up at 6.10am and do 20 mins on the 6 phases of meditation by Vishen. After the meditation practice, I will be wide awake and ready for the day, prepping my daughter for her school. A week in, I am calmer, and not too easily triggered by my daughter's request and whine. I suppose the gratitude phase helped a lot as I review the day before how I had not flared up, and how she is better able to understand my perspective. As Vishen said, you paved the way for more desirable outcomes as you give thanks to them. Being more aware definitely helped, it helped us focus on what we like to see 80% of the time and not dwell on the 20% when things are not what we wanted. And that is all that mattered right? Spending energy on the 20% is just wasting our energy but celebrating the 80% good time is worthwhile.  So meditation had been working well for me, I cannot say it was a great perfect practice every day since I may drift off from the ques
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Book review: 30 Lessons for Living by Karl Pillemer

I had been listening to this audiobook on 30 Lessons for Living.  The book recorded and summarized the advice from the old and wise about marriage, family, career and health.  Who are these people giving the advice? Very old Americans (above 65 years old) who had lived through very difficult times such as wars and recessions. The author noted how many of them did not feel they were qualified to give advice and felt their advice would be considered outdated. However, I agreed with the author that these people who had survived long enough will be able to weigh in on what truly matters in life.  There are many pointers that I love and agreed with and here is my pick of 3 top pieces of advice.   No 1: To exercise regularly and take care of your health when you are young.  Many people argued that I do not want to live a long life anyway so there is no need to take care of my body. The "wise" advice dismissed this as being silly as it is not that easy to die and before that happens
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