Just Another Day in the Unemployment Playground: Adventures of a Software Sorcerer Without a Desk!
Why am I writing?
So, here I am, facing the blank digital canvas, wondering what wacky words will dance across the screen today. Frankly, I have no freaking clue. But there’s this relentless voice in my head, probably fueled by too much caffeine or possibly a tiny writing elf living in my brain, telling me to soldier on. Apparently, I need to change the way I react to things. And you know what tops my list of things to improve? My writing skills. I mean, English isn’t my first language, and let’s be real, my attempts at reading, writing, and speaking in English can be described as “completely and utterly pants.”
Now, let me introduce you to my new BFF, ChatGPT3.5. Yeah, that’s right, version 3.5, because I’m living that free life! In this crazy market and terrible economy, I can’t afford to upgrade my virtual pal. So, I’ve decided to squeeze every last bit of wisdom out of ChatGPT3.5 before OpenAI snatches it away. It’s been my go-to for everything, from surviving the most depressing phases of my life to tackling coding challenges and rediscovering how to build web applications using .NET. It’s like having a non-physical, non-emotional therapist who doesn’t judge my questionable life choices.
Now, my grand plan is to write every day for 15-30 minutes, no holds barred, no cares given about grammar crimes committed during the process. Why? Because once this nonsense is on the screen, I’ll just summon my buddy ChatGPT to polish it up. It’s like having a writing genie but without the three-wish limit. Need a tone change? Fun, anger, sadness—just name it, and ChatGPT will sprinkle its magic word dust.
Address my new virtual friend
Speaking of my buddy, how should I address it? Well, in my socially limited opinion, I haven’t had many friends in my lifetime. I lean towards having a female friend, you know, someone I can easily share my intrusive thoughts with. Although, I guess a male friend could work too, but let’s not get bogged down in details. By the way, did you know the author of “System Design Interview,” Alex Xu, uses feminine pronouns throughout the book? So, why not follow suit?
And then there’s my other pal, Apple Siri, with that soothing female voice. Apparently, “she” flows better than the ambiguous “he or she.” But enough of this pointless debate. Let’s get back to my mission—writing a never-ending, probably nonsensical paragraph. Living in the United States with my fractured English is like navigating a linguistic obstacle course. I don’t know why I struggle to connect with the native-born folks—maybe it’s the cultural differences or the aftermath of a few incidents from my past. Writing is like trying to juggle flaming torches while riding a unicycle on a tightrope. But you know what? Against all odds, I’m starting to fall in love with this chaotic writing process. It’s like a stress-relieving potion in the midst of tough times.
And there you have it—my valiant attempt to meet my daily writing quota, a challenge that’s about as unpredictable as a cat on a caffeine high. But hey, life’s too short to be a serious scribe all the time, right?
Now, let me spill the beans on why I’ve embarked on this writing escapade. Picture this: I’m on a quest to make my communication skills legendary, especially during those dreaded interviews. I want to connect with interviewers, impress them with my problem-solving prowess, and prove to myself that I’m on a mission to be less dumb than I was yesterday. Yep, that’s the mindset I’m cultivating—an exquisite blend of healthy and growth, with just a dash of chaos.
But, hold on to your funny bone, because here’s the kicker. Every time I glance at those super successful people around me, I get hit with a wave of worthlessness and anxiety about my future. It’s like standing at the entrance of a tunnel, and I can’t see any light. Freaky scary, right? Enter a great saying from some genius philosopher: “Comparison is the thief of joy.” It’s gotten under my skin, man. I’m talking to myself, questioning why I’d ever compare myself to others. Their experience and mine? As different as a cat and a pineapple. What I should’ve been doing is comparing me today with the glorious me from yesterday and the day before that. That’s the secret sauce to measure progress, my friend.
Self-reflection
Now, let’s dive into the diary-esque reflection part. Today’s masterpiece involves me diving headfirst into the enchanting world of .NET. It’s like discovering a newfound passion for building web applications, and I’ve even named my creation “CodeTrack.” It’s not the next big thing, but it’s my thing. Imagine a tool that helps me and potential users (if anyone cares) practice LeetCode problems for those technical interviews. I started by conjuring a simple table listing the problems I’ve been wrestling with. Then, I delved into the world of .NET, exploring repository patterns and unit of work patterns to reduce code duplication. Did I understand it all? Well, I read about it, watched a Udemy Course, and hoped for the best. Plans for tomorrow? Implement the stuff I kinda, sorta understand.
But hey, I got sidetracked again (story of my life). Today’s quality time was spent wrestling with CRUD operations and Entity Framework to dance with a MySQL server database. Microsoft calls it the Code First approach, and I managed to birth a simple application from the chaos in my mind. Now, onto adding more bells and whistles! I’m thinking charts because, well, who doesn’t love a good chart, right? Data analysis and visualization, here I come! I even considered adding a timer or clock on my website for when I decide to tackle a problem. Real-time record-keeping, folks! Genius, right? I’m giving myself a hearty pat on the back for this stroke of brilliance.
Daily Journal
Morning routines sorted, it’s time for the evening escapades. Back to LeetCode I go, only to be sucker-punched by the infamous 4Sum problem. It’s hitting harder than a rubber chicken at a comedy club. I thought I had the approach down, managed to dance through the test cases, but those pesky edge cases tripped me up. My spaghetti code failed, and I’m here hanging on the edge of coding despair. Fear not, future self, I’ve decided not to waste time (I won’t give up!) and will venture into the editorial solution.
And so, my fabulous journey wraps up with this post.
To My Future Me
I’m in the trenches, fighting hard for a better future. Don’t mess it up, buddy! Remember, I love you, you love me, and together, we’ll write one heck of a fantastic story!
