I graduate from college in December 2017. And I keep getting asked what I’m going to do next. Do I go work? Do I tour the world? Do I go help with world hunger? The honest answer is, I don’t know.
However, I want to take some time to explore the things that I love and explore what I care about. It’s not money I want to make right now, but more about finding my place in the world.
Am I just meant to be a coder? Or was that just a skill to enable me to do more?
There are a couple domains outside of tech that I have always cared about and I hope that I can explore them one day as a jump after college. I’ll still be a maker at heart, but I know that I’ll only be happy as long as I’m making things for things that I care about.
Environment
A problem that I’ve cared about since my childhood is the Environment.
Climate Change has always bothered me since I learned about in 4th grade. However, more than the melting polar ice caps or the global temperatures - I care most about our air and our water.
When I read an article on deforestation in 9th grade. I did a lot of research on fixing up drought ridden places. I created a little science fair project, called Operation Condensation: an invention that was meant to mimic an Atmospheric Water Generator using a a copper pipe and Dry Ice.
I read an article about the Bellandur Lake in Bangalore India, and all of a sudden I want to go out and help them. It’s disgusting to see what people are doing to a water source. Toxic White foam grows on the lake posing a hazard. How do people live like that? People shouldn’t live like that.
Maybe I’ll do a study on the Environment after college. I’ve always wanted to do that. Visit the Amazon maybe. Everyone should have a right to clean water and air and it would be rewarding to go fight for that with this young energy.
Agriculture
I do want to get my own farm and one day be able to grow my own food. I would like to be in a nice village, maybe some where in India. I do think agriculture has a future. In fact, it’s disturbing to know that World Hunger is not caused by a lack of food - it’s caused by a lack of proper distrubution.
I want to understand the problems of farmers and hopefully educate them. I would like to introduce technology, and see what we can do for them. Perhaps set-up internet connections and see how IoT could empower them?
I wish we could find a more sustainable model for farming.
Education
Education is an important aspect, however, I do not have faith in our existing education system.
We have to encourage students for divergent thinking and provide the freedom of thought.
I am considering a program like Teach for America to give back. However, the year long commitment pushes me back a bit. Therefore, I might opt to smaller length teaching roles. However, I do want to give it a shot.
Fears
I really wish I could be happy with a 9-5 template career. I wish I can just pursue these things on the side, but they feel so pressing for me to go after.
Why spend 8 hours a day, 40 hours a week, and 2000 hours a year on something that I don’t care about deeply?
I don’t like things the way they are. I don’t like to live on a planet where my air and water is compromised. It’s not fair that the world starves even when we have enough food. Farmers shouldn’t have to commit suicide. The education system is broken and it needs some serious work. It bothers me more that I’m not helping to go solve those things.
I can code. I can communicate. I can teach. But most importantly, I care.
In fact, what drives us to grow isn’t our skillset, it’s what we want to do. It’s about the problems we care about. The problems we want to solve. My real passion - solving problems that I care about.