IME: In My Experience

Is college still worth it? With college tuition continuously increasing and showing no signs of slowing down, many people have been asking, "Is college still worth it?" I've had this conversation with students in multiple classes, and although they are all college students, the answers were pretty close to split. As a college professor with young children, what do I think? Just like anything else, the answer is not a simple yes or no because we need to consider the nuances. Even with the soaring cost of college and the decline in college readiness, my simple answer is still yes. Listen and find out my reasonings. 

Now that I'm on the other side of the podium and have been teaching for over a year, I've been carefully observing my students. My students come from diverse backgrounds and are typically in their early to mid-twenties. I don't want to be the grumpy old man who says our generation was better and society is going down the drain; however, I believe observing and hopefully making objective observations is essential. Nothing is all negative, so I share my positive and negative observations based on my year and a half of experience teaching at two higher education institutions. 

Welcome back! This is the first episode of many more episodes to come in 2025!My desire to push them has declined since my boys have played "club" basketball for the past couple of seasons. With the weekend tournaments and competitions, I thought my competitive drive would kick in, and I would drive them harder to practice and improve. Instead, I've taken the opposite approach. The primary reason is that I genuinely love the game and want my boys to enjoy it; therefore, I don't want to turn into those parents I see at the game, sapping the passion out of the game for their kids.

Academically, I was a late bloomer; therefore, I was able to experience being a student recently. As a parent, I noticed that we often revert back to the way we were taught because that's the only way we know. One main reason is because many of us finished our educations long before having children. But knowledge, technology, and accessibility has changed drastically over the past decade, forget the past two to three decades. Which means we need to adjust the way we teach. Requirements are no longer the same, and more importantly, future demands will definitely be different. Therefore, we should remind ourselves, don't teach the way we were taught.

The concept is simple enough, but you'd be surprised how many people don't have hobbies. Many people have interests and activities that can keep them preoccupied for a couple hours a few times a week, but the ability to keep yourself busy for 12+ hours a day, seven days a week is difficult. For most people, their work defines them; therefore, if you remove the work then they don't know what to do with all the extra time. While you still have the opportunity, discover more hobbies that can capture your interest, stimulate your mind, and occupy your time.

Growing up our parents and community taught us and instilled their culture in us. However, as we get older, interact with other people, and start thinking for ourselves, we develop our own unique culture. We may retain certain aspects of our parents' culture we like and find beneficial, but we forge our own path. This is only natural; however, often we don't want to admit it. Therefore, don't be surprised when you start seeing things differently than your parents or values change.

A former sales manager told me that there are no dumb questions. In theory, that makes sense because if you don't know something then you should ask. But in reality with the resources available to us there are dumb questions. The saying there are no dumb questions allows people to not think, consider, or research the question or problem. For example, if you ask someone a question in which they've already answered but you weren't paying attention, then that is a dumb question. This does not mean you should not ask questions if you have doubts or you need clarification; however, it is important to listen, think, and consider before asking questions.

The statement nothing lasts forever sounds very cliche because it is, but that does not mean we don't need to remind ourselves. When things are going well at home and at work, enjoy it but don't forget that this high won't last forever. At the same time, if you're having a difficult time connecting with your children or can't close a deal, it won't last forever. This will teach us to enjoy and cherish the positive moments but keep us grounded, and to not let the negative moments pull us under.

We're cautious of what we say because we're worried what other people think of us. Do we sound stupid? Did we get our facts wrong? We don't ask questions because we don't want people to perceive us a certain way. Many of us would rather pretend we understand than ask someone to repeat or explain. Well, people don't really care. Most people are more concerned about their own self perception, just like you, to worry about what they think about your actions or questions.

We need to research, analyze, and plan, but sometimes we just need to take the first step. But what if the first step is wrong? You won't know it's wrong unless you take it. Also, even if your goal is climbing Everett, you'll still need that first step. Too often, we get paralysis by analysis, especially in our overly analytical society. Therefore, sometimes we need to take that first step to recognize and realize whether or not a second or third steps are necessary.

We've all heard the phrase practice makes perfect or the updated version, perfect practice makes perfect. Unfortunately, perfection is unrealistic and unachievable because we are humans. Therefore, instead of practicing for perfection, we should practice for mistakes. This means, practice to identify the potential mistakes you can make and learn how to adjust or correct them.

"If you want to master something, teach it." - Richard Feynman "To teach is to learn twice over." - Joseph Joubert If you want to test whether or not you know a subject, or if you want to reinforce what you've learned, then teach it. Teaching a subject or skills will test your knowledge and understanding. Your knowledge will need to be comprehensive and refined in order to explain it to others. Even as a student, you should fine opportunities to tutor classmates or younger students because it'll help you become a stronger learner.

There are enough stressors in our lives that we don't need to stress ourselves out. By taking ourselves less seriously, we care less about what others say or think. We feel less pressure to always be perfect and accept that we can make mistakes. Plus, my taking ourselves less seriously, we our more open to ideas, suggestions, and criticisms.

Continuing on the communications theme, in this episode I talk about the benefits of small talk. If you're like me, we dislike small talk because it feels unnatural and uncomfortable. But we fail to realize the many benefits of participating in small talk with acquaintances and strangers. Perhaps by understanding the benefits of small talk you'll find yourself engaging in more conversations at the next company event, waiting for the train, or at your children's school.

We all view the world with our own unique perspectives based on our background, upbringing, education, and experiences. Since no two people see things the same, that means we are all wear individualized rose colored glasses. We need to recognize and understand why our glasses are tinted in those specific colors and with those designs. More importantly, we also need remember that others are also wearing glasses that may be significantly different than ours.

The truth is, we all have accents. The difference is, if our accents is the commonly accepted one in the region or culture, then people don't consider it an accent. But go to another part of the country or world, and you are now speaking with an accent. Unfortunately, not all accents are created equal or treated equal. Even knowing you speak multiple languages, people will judge you based on your accent. In this episode, I discuss the truth about accents.

Go to any event, concert, or activity and the first thing you'll notice is the number of cellphone cameras out. Stop it! Taking pictures and recording the activity is great for memories, but by doing so, you'll miss the emotions created to make this moment into a memory because you're concentrated on the outcome of your shots. Instead, snap a couple of photos before and after, but put your phone down during the event and enjoy it. Be fully engaged and immersed, and your mind will naturally create the unforgettable memory.

Have you ever had an argument over something ridiculously stupid? Do you remember what you were arguing about? From my experiences and observations, many of our stupid arguments are over semantics. They're over our unique definition of words, phrases, emotions, or feelings. "I had a bad day." Means something different to everyone because our definition of bad varies. The reaction to one simple phrase can cause an argument.

When most people think communication they think about speaking and presenting; therefore, outgoing people are perceived to be better communicators. However, communication is multilayered and speaking is only one layer. As an introvert, I believe that introverts have a unique perspective of communications because our first reaction is not to speak up. Instead, introverts prefer to observe, listen, and contemplate before speaking. There are areas of communications introverts can improve on, but people should not underestimate their communication abilities.

Last episode I talked about having a bilingual mindset. In this episode, I share experiences and challenges we face trying to raise bilingual kids in America. The environment, teaching methods, and lack of exposure promotes our kids to predominantly speak English. Adding to challenging is the fact that English is quite a bit easier to learn and speak compared to Chinese, our kids will naturally choose the easier option. It'll be a tough trying to ensure our kids remain bilingual into adulthood.

Put your cell phones away. Turn the TV off. Now just sit at your desk for the next hour. Can you do it? What goes on in your head? What are you thinking about? What do you plan to do? Most of us, thanks to technology, no longer know how to deal with boredom. Unfortunately, being unable to handle boredom also means we lose the benefits. During those few times, you've had to sit and wait with no cell phones, remember the conversations you had with strangers or random ideas that popped into your head. Boredom is a great way to clear our heads, leading to creativity, self-reflection, solutions, and self-awareness. It also gives us time to relax and unwind from overly stimulated lives. Therefore, we should schedule boredom into our calendars and embrace the benefits.

As we get older, we get stuck in our ways. We like doing things a certain way or using a particular method. However, our environment, technology, and social norms are continuously changing; therefore, we need to adapt and embrace the changes. It doesn't mean you need to like them or even fully adopt them, but you need to recognize and understand them. Take the NBA for example. Before the Warriors won multiple championships, all the analysts and critics said that a three-point shooting team couldn't win it all. Now, look at the NBA and basketball leagues around the world. If you can't shoot threes, you don't get left behind.

In the last episode, I talked about growing up Asian American. A lot of us, especially in Southern California, grew up as the hyphenated American, which means we typically spoke at least another language at home. As we grew up in America, some of us retain our first language and others return it to their parents. Regardless how well you speak a second language, if you grew up in a bilingual household you'll notice that your personality, thought process, and actions change when you're speaking another language. Therefore, language is not just a form of communication but a mindset and personality.

Sometimes, we get stuck in our bubble, and our thoughts and ideas go in circles. At the same time, people around us share similar thoughts and ideas because we typically hang around people like us. Or, you've been in the same industry for years, and the only "new" ideas are recycled. That's when we need to listen to outsiders because they'll bring a unique and different perspective. It's similar to when we watch others play chess, the chess board seems to be so much clearer as opposed to when we're playing. As an outside or bystander, we are less likely to be clouded by our bias, investment, and emotions.

Having immigrant parents and living in a predominantly Asian city, the idea of being Asian American did resonate with me until I got older. Growing up Asian American was just growing up. But as an adult and a father, I started to notice and realize the difference in my up bringing, education, and culture compared to the majority. In this podcast, I talk about my discovery, observations, and share my opinions on the positive and negatives of growing up Asian American.

A good teacher is described as someone who can explain and demonstrate concepts in a variety of ways for different learners and learning styles. This means a good teacher must be adaptable, flexible, and a continuous learner, or a student. For a teacher to be successful, they need constantly learn and improve, not just on the subjects they teach but also on ways to explain, demonstrate, and communicate the knowledge to students.

You don't like sales. You aren't in sales. Sales people are shady and manipulative. Congratulations, you are a sales rep whether you like it or not. Whether personally, professionally, or religiously, we are all representing someone, some organization, or some belief. But I'm not selling anything. You're always selling your credibility, believability, and reliability.

We live in a society that has many distractions. As a result, we glorify the idea of multitasking. Evidence has shown that multitasking is not only ineffective but counterproductive because of the time required to refocus. So instead of falling into the trap, we should go back to being more singular focused on a task before moving on to the next.

The last part of the three-part series is on career and industry change.You now know you want to change careers or industries, and you've done the research. You've spent time adjusting and managing your mindset to the best of your abilities. What next? You will need to possess new skills you've gained through school or training, but more importantly, you will need to have transferable skills that will help make the transition smoother. In addition, you will need to identify and correlate those transferable skills on your resume and in your interviews.

Part 2 of the three parts is about career and industry change.Changing careers or industries is stressful due to uncertainty and the unknown. However, many of us struggle with change not because of external factors but because of internal expectations. Often, we know what to expect because we've researched the position or talked to others in the industry, but we aren't mentally prepared. We fail to recognize that the change will not only be for our roles and responsibilities but also our expectations. We've developed a habit and level of comfort with our existing positions that our expectations take time to catch up. Therefore, successfully transitioning into a new career or industry is not only about technical skills or knowledge but also requires us to recognize, understand, and manage our expectations. 

Growing up, my dad always told me we have two years, two eyes, and one mouth for a reason. We need to listen and observe twice as much as we talk. Unfortunately, as we get older, we feel the urge to speak more than we listen. The result is more mistakes and less opportunities to learn; therefore, it's time we listen twice as much as we speak.

We all want to show off a little and impress people when we speak. It's normal. But sometimes we try too hard and forget the main objective of communicating, for comprehension. Instead of trying to impress others with your vocabulary or acronyms, communicate for understanding. Getting your meaning across is more essential than trying to impress the listener.

We are creatures of habits, but we live in an evolving society. Therefore, to keep up with the Jones, as the saying goes, we need to make a point to try new things. It'll force us out of our comfort zone and gain new insight and perspectives into things we've never realized when caught in our daily routines.

The majority of us spend too much time on our phones, computers, or in front of the TV. Even if we haven't gotten lazy, we have gotten less active. The more technology advances the less active we become. But being active is proven to be beneficial to our physical, mental, and emotional help. Therefore, when we can, we should sit instead of lay down, stand instead of sit, walk instead of stand, run instead of walk, and exercise any opportunity we get.

The average American experiences 5-7 career changes in their lifetime, so making a transition is quite common. But regardless of how many times we change or why we change, it always feels stressful. Personally, I've already gone through close to 7 career and industry changes, and I'm not sure if I'm done changing. In this 3 part series, I will first touch on changing careers and industries based on my experiences. In the second part, I will discuss managing expectations, both internal and external. Lastly, I will talk about the importance of understanding your transferrable skills. Hopefully, you will gain some helpful knowledge and insight from these podcasts.

We've all been told the importance of communication skills and techniques, but we forget that in order to communicate with someone we first need to connect with them. The key to connecting with someone is through emotions. The emotions work both ways. As the speaker we need to understand the emotions of our audience. The audience also needs to understand our emotions. Establishing an emotional connection will result in stronger communication even if the technique is lacking.

Everyone morning, the first thing many of us do is grab a cup of coffee and gives us a kick. Technology does the same thing for our communications. But just like how we can have too much of a boost from caffeine, the same can happen with our communications and technology.

I've now recorded approximately 5-6 episodes and tips, some of which have not been uploaded. Being an avid podcast listener but new to recording, I wanted to reflect on my first few episodes and share some behind-the-scenes on my planning and process. Although I have much more to improve, I feel that doing this podcast has greatly benefited my communication skills, organization, and self-awareness. For anyone who has considered starting their podcast, I highly recommend it, if not for a large following or sharing your knowledge, then at least for personal growth and development. Listen and find out how doing a podcast can benefit you.

Our responsibilities and distractions have only increased with the advancement of technology. If you're like me, your mind races at 1000 miles per hour. You'll think of or remember to do something while you're out and about, but by the time you sit down the idea has slipped your mind. Something as simple as a pen and a pad or notepad on your phone would do wonders!

Welcome to another episode of the In My Experience Podcast!In this episode, Daniel shares his perspective on the benefits and downsides of being an untraditional student. Although it has gained popularity over the years, being an untraditional student is still not as common; however, that does not mean there are no benefits. Actually, there may be more benefits to being an untraditional learner than you expect. Even with all the positives, would it be something you'd want to plan for or want for your kids? Listen to find out!

We've all said it during a disagreement or had someone say it to us, "That's just common sense." The problem is, common sense is not common because similar to perspective, common sense is based on culture, education, background, and environment. Taking off my shoes when I enter the house or eating with chopsticks is common to me, but you may find those tendencies strange. So next time you want to tell someone something is common sense, remember that it's common sense to YOU and not to everyone.

Welcome to Episode 3 - China, Taiwan, and US Education ExperienceHaving grown up and been educated in the US, I've never personally experienced the educational culture in Asia. My mother, who grew up in Taiwan, exposed me to some Asian education culture and concepts, but they did not last. When I moved back to China to reunite with my family, I had the opportunity to witness and experience the Asian education culture as a parent and a teacher. In this podcast, I will share my experiences and observations as a parent watching my kids attend an international school in Guangdong, China, a private immersion school in Taiwan, and now an immersion public school in Southern California. Some differences are obvious and expected, but some of my observations may surprise you. 

Another IME Tip!We want to share our perspectives with others so they can see things our way. Or, we want to understand why someone sees things so differently than we do. But why is it so difficult to share the same perspective? Because perspectives are like fingerprints, unique to each individual.

IME Tips is a new feature that will compliment and preview future podcasts. Most people are busy and want a preview to what they can expect, this is where the tips come in play. The host, Daniel, will share tips based on his experiences and mistakes, and hopefully, you will find some tips useful. Even if you've heard the tip before, this may be the reminder or push you needed.The first tip is: Record and Document Your Experiences. You may not like to listen or watch yourself, but you'll appreciate it later on when you're trying to recall and share your experiences.

Welcome to the IME: In My Experience podcast. In episode 2, Daniel talks about being a college dropout and his guilt. Growing up in an Asian-American, there were specific social pressures and expectations for the parents and the children. Attending and finishing college was expected. But what if you lacked the drive and motivation to finish college and had to drop out? Not only do you disappoint yourself but your parents as well, and disappointing your parents can feel more guilty than letting yourself down. But being a college drop out does not mean it's the end of the road. You can still rediscover your passion for learning, studying, and improving. There is no one way or a right way to reach your goals.

Welcome to the first episode of the IME: In My Experience podcast. Before bringing on guests and discussing more relevant topics, Daniel wanted to share some of his more influential experiences that helped shape his perceptions and opinions.In the first episode, Daniel explains why he moved to China and shares his experience with the decision. He also shares the difficulties he faced adjusting to life in China, his struggles trying to adapt to a new environment, and his struggles dealing with an identity crisis. Growing up Chinese-American, he always considered himself Chinese and American; however, he got rejected for not being American enough but still not accepted as being Chinese. Moving to China was a life-changing experience, but as a Chinese-American, it was more of a self-identity struggle. Listen to find out more!

Welcome to IME: In My Experience podcast with your host Daniel. In this introductory episode, Daniel will share a little background about himself, his motivation for doing a podcast, and the topics he plans to cover. He will also introduce the topic of his first episode. Hope you enjoy. Subscribe to keep up to date on the newest, in this case, the first episode.