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