Using Commute đźš— Time for Learning: My Story

Chamod Shehanka Perera
2 min readNov 22, 2024

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Some days, I have to go to the office, which is 45 kilometers from where I live. With traffic, it can take up to two hours to get there. Sitting in traffic used to make me really angry — I felt like I was wasting valuable time. One day, I asked myself, “What can I do to make this time useful?” That’s when I decided to turn my commute into a productive learning experience.

1. How It Started: Job Hunting Prep

At the time, I was actively looking for a new job. I started listening to podcasts focused on interview preparation while commuting. I even included mock interview recordings to improve my approach, except for coding tasks, which weren’t practical to practice while driving.

2. Exploring Different Topics

Once I made this a habit, I expanded into other areas of interest. I created a YouTube playlist with podcast series and talks about:

  • Cloud Native technologies and Open Source
  • Life improvement strategies
  • Fitness tips
  • Conference talks from industry experts

This way, every minute I spent on the road became an opportunity to learn something valuable.

3. A Win-Win Outcome

This learning time was not only enjoyable but also extremely helpful. It gave me the knowledge and confidence I needed to ace my interviews, which eventually helped me land my new job. It felt like a win-win — I made the most of my commute while achieving my career goals.

Tips to Make It Work

  1. Plan Ahead: I have Youtube unlimited data package so I didn’t worry about the data, and I plan the playlist before hand.
  2. Choose Different Topics: I like to balance technology, fitness, and self-development to keep things interesting.
  3. Reflect After Learning: After each session, I spend a minute thinking about how I can use what I’ve learned.

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Chamod Shehanka Perera
Chamod Shehanka Perera

Written by Chamod Shehanka Perera

Software Engineer | GitHub Field Expert | Golang Sri Lanka Lead | GDG Organizer | KCD Sri Lanka Organizer| Beginner Surfer

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