This week’s story will be pretty short; I will be talking about what my life has been like after graduating from college this spring!
Transitioning from college to post-grad life in the middle of a pandemic hasn’t always been super easy; I miss the days where I could easily walk over to a friend’s house and talk about life. However, I have found ways to keep myself entertained in quarantine! Hopefully, the pandemic ends soon so I can spend more time outdoors and meet new people.
Work
I am currently working as a software engineer at Amazon Lab126. Lab126 focuses on producing consumer devices, such as Alexa and Kindle. My work involves both algorithm design and systems engineering to create a high-performance system. Due to a strict non-disclosure agreement, I cannot go into any further details about my work, unfortunately.
I am very grateful for my opportunity to work at Amazon; last year, I applied to hundreds of companies and interviewed at tens. Amazon was one of the last companies I interviewed with; I never expected that I would make it this far!
Piano
Outside of work, I have been playing the piano! I have been playing piano for more than 10 years, but I didn’t have many chances to play while I was at college. I have been picking up some short pieces by Bach and hopefully will post some recordings to YouTube in the future.You can listen to one of my old recordings here.
Dance
I miss the days when I would meet up with my friends for AFX practice. In case if you didn’t know, AFX is a urban dance group founded at UC Berkeley that consists of 3 levels: training (beginning), project (intermediate-advanced), and competition (advanced). During a regular semester, each team would perform at the end-of-semester showcase.
Due to the pandemic, AFX is completely online; each week, there are 2–3 workshops hosted by seasoned industry professionals and Berkeley Dance Community veterans. The workshop at the beginning of the week focuses on fundamentals (wacking, housing, popping, etc.), and the last two workshops focus on teaching pieces.
Anyone can join virtual AFX! The cost is only $10 for 10 weeks of workshops, compared to the hundreds of dollars you would pay at a studio. The link to apply is here.
Reading
Since I was always super busy with studying, clubs, and interviewing in college, I barely had time to read for fun. The best part of quarantine is that I have plenty of time to read; I have an entire reading list of books here. I am currently reading The Hate U Give by Angie Thomas, which details Starr Carter’s fight for justice after her friend Khalil was unjustly murdered by police. Given the current epidemic of police brutality against the Black community, I find this book incredibly relevant.
Cooking
I have been experimenting in the kitchen during my free time as well! One of my favorite recipes is this roasted cauliflower pasta recipe. I am also looking forward to baking; last summer, I baked matcha white chocolate chip cookies with my fellow interns in Seattle!
Medium
Most importantly, I have been sharing my life and thoughts on Medium! I am so grateful for all of your support; your suggestions only help make this publication better. Please leave any ideas for future stories and thoughts in the comments below.