Professional Development
Books:
Rich Dad Poor Dad:
6 Hours (3/5)
Date: April 2022
A gem of a book. Robert Kiyosaki delved into the choices he has made after living with his poor dad while his dad's friend, a rich real estate businessman, teaches him lessons that conflict with those his poor dad taught him. In the end of it, he notes down all the decisions he has taken and all the heartbreaking truths we must face if we want to distinguish the rich from the poor. It taught me the choices I should take as an entrepreneur, and I plan to apply the skills I learned in this book in my entrepreneurship courses at Grinnell College.
Start it Up:
5 Hours (3.5/5)
Date: August 2021
Start It Up is a book that teaches you to not fear starting your own business and provides what feels like a step by step tutorial on how to start your own business. It starts off saying that no one starts a business successful and provides close call scenarios where nowadays billionaires could have been left in the gutter. The book truly taught me what to expect within establishing my own business, and I am willing to make a flow chart on how I could run an efficient company/business using the methods and possibilities within the book.
How to Lead Smart People:
3 Hours (4/5)
Date: July 2021
This book is a unique piece. Unlike other books I have read, it can tackle an issue you are facing while leading a group or a project in an instant. How it does that is by not letting you read through the whole book and understanding the gist of it, but it tells you to practice every chapter in the book. Whether it be communication or execution. Since it is similar to that of a manual, I plan to furthermore use it during my internships and group works by turning to it whenever I face a conflict.
Mind Palace Puzzles:
7 Hours (3/5)
Date: August 2021
The Sherlock Holmes Museum book is one that truly tests your analysis and critical thinking. It presents to you scenarios ranging from difficulties where you have to come up with a conclusion or answer given the few and barely noticeable traces of evidence. One of the puzzles can sit buzzing around in your head for an entire day. If you want to exercise your memory and detective skills, this is the book to go for. The book showed me how to utilize every info that is given to me , and that helped developed my analysis skills within the work environment.
Richest Man in Babylon:
5 Hours (5/5)
Date: November 2022
"The Richest Man in Babylon" is an exceptional book that imparts valuable financial wisdom through engaging storytelling. Set in ancient Babylon, the author weaves a series of parables that teach the basic principles of wealth accumulation, money management, and personal finance. Each parable features relatable characters facing common financial challenges, making it easy to connect with the material.
The Psychology of Money:
7 Hours (5/5)
Date: February 2023
Psychology of Money enlightens readers about the ways in which our psychology impacts our financial lives. It delves into the importance of understanding our own money stories, recognizing the role of luck in success, and embracing the concept of what is enough. Through anecdotes and research-backed insights, the author shows the significance of long-term thinking, patience, and humility in achieving financial well-being. Every chapter being separated into different lessons, this is one good book to tackle.
Predictably Irrational :
8 Hours (4/5)
Date: November 2023
"Predictably Irrational" offers a fascinating exploration into the hidden forces that shape our decisions. Dan Ariely, through engaging experiments and insightful stories, unveils the predictable patterns of irrational behavior that influence our daily choices. The book emphasizes the importance of understanding these patterns to make better decisions in both personal and professional realms. Ariely discusses topics such as the impact of social norms on behavior, the allure of free items, and the effects of expectations on perception. Each chapter is an eye-opening lesson on how to recognize and navigate the quirks of human behavior, making it an essential read for anyone looking to understand the deeper mechanics behind their actions.
Letters from a Stoic by Seneca :
7 Hours (4.75/5)
Date: December 2023
"Letters from a Stoic" by Seneca is a profound collection of wisdom that delves into the principles of Stoic philosophy. Through his letters, Seneca addresses themes such as the pursuit of virtue, the importance of self-control, and the acceptance of fate. He offers practical advice on dealing with adversity, managing emotions, and maintaining inner peace. Each letter serves as a timeless lesson on how to live a meaningful and fulfilling life, emphasizing the value of introspection, rational thinking, and resilience. Seneca's insights provide readers with a guide to navigating life's challenges with grace and wisdom, making this a valuable read for anyone seeking personal growth and enlightenment.
Build by Tony Fadell :
10 Hours (4.75/5)
Date: January 2023
"Build" by Tony Fadell is a captivating guide on how to create, innovate, and succeed in the world of technology and beyond. Drawing from his extensive experience as a leader at Apple and Nest, Fadell shares invaluable insights on product design, team building, and entrepreneurship. The book is structured into practical lessons covering topics such as identifying real-world problems, fostering a creative culture, and persevering through failures. Fadell emphasizes the importance of curiosity, resilience, and continuous learning in achieving success. Each chapter is packed with anecdotes and actionable advice, making "Build" an essential read for aspiring innovators and seasoned professionals alike.
Others:
English to Chinese translator Racket Project:
8 hours
Date: May 2022
Me and two other Grinnell College students decided to make an English to Chinese translator without the use of machine learning. We were working on a programming language called DrRacket which does not utilize machine learning like some programming languages. The way we translated words is by parsing through more than 600 files of Chinese text and ranking the words in our dictionary file with a number names the precedence. After that, we had to implement punctuation to let the code translate the sentences properly, bit by bit. Most importantly, the translator showed how a seemingly impossible project can be efficiently split into consumable pieces where every group member can tackle a piece. It also showed the alternatives of using machine learning in some cases. I plan to use the method of solving this project (Bit by Bit Decomposition) in my future endeavors and obstacles.
Polar Ice Caps and Albedo Research Project:
10 hours
Date: May 2023
Me and my peer assigned ourselves the project of how the change in ice albedo over the polar ice caps has effected Earth's black body radiation (infrared). From the sources cited, we looked through the graphs and charts in each paper and had to connect and find relations from one paper to another. The professor and TA mentioned that the data might be redundant, however we managed to make connections in between every paper where the authors of each paper are different authors collecting data from different instruments (such as App-x). We found that over the span 1979-2011, the mean blackbody radiation has increased by 20.5K over the south pole (Albedo has changed from 0.39 to 0.33 over the ice caps).
Course Registration System Java project:
35 hours (ongoing GUI development)
Date: February 2024
I was assigned for my first homework in CS102 (Data Structures) the project of developing and recreating the student and admin course registration portal within Java. The initial requirement work was complete within in approximate span of a week. The implementation of serialization was crucial to update any changes within the student array in Admin.java and any changes to the course arrays made by the student or the admin user. Initially, I implemented a save and load methods to track any changes but then again, serialization was a requirement. For now, the requirements are complete, but a development is within way to provide a GUI for the users and hopefully an HTML integration to actually simulate a student portal. UML Diagram AND Flowchart are available within the zip file.