I didn't want to write an article to record the past year, but now I'm tired of writing my thesis, and I don't have any ideas for the moment, so I'll write something else to change my mindset.
About Work#
I started working this year, but it was just an internship, but it was significant. So, during the winter vacation, I made some preparations, and then I received an offer letter from QQ Music as soon as the spring recruitment started. Although everything went according to plan, it went very smoothly.
I still remember that day was March 8th. Tencent opened the recruitment portal in the evening, and as soon as I submitted my resume, Brother Chuang added me on WeChat that night and asked me if I liked Alibaba or Tencent. I really like both of these companies, and my goal in finding a job is to work for AT, and I won't settle for anything less. After hesitating for a moment, I answered that I prefer Tencent. This answer is true. Before I decided to take the postgraduate entrance exam in my junior year, I really wanted to join Tencent after graduation. The next day, on the weekend, Brother Chuang interviewed me. The interview lasted a long time, but it went very smoothly. After that, we scheduled an on-site interview in Shenzhen for the following week. I have to thank Dr. Xu, who worked with me on a project, for arranging an Alibaba interviewer to simulate an interview and provide me with great help during the winter vacation.
The summer at QQ Music was similar to what I expected, but there were also some differences. I enjoyed the time at work, writing code with dedication, and having meals together. Although I was alone in Shenzhen, I felt like I had a family. On the other hand, I didn't like weekends. Weekends were all about sleeping, watching dramas, and movies, and I felt quite lonely and bored. There was also one thing that was different from what I imagined, and that was that the work was much simpler than I expected. So, when it came time for the autumn recruitment, I had many opportunities and some minor dilemmas, but in the end, I chose to stay. No matter where I am, it's the same. Just do the work well with dedication. The people here appreciate me, so I need to prove that it's worth it with my actions.
Later, when I was walking by the Pearl River with my classmates, we talked about work. He felt that his work was monotonous, so what should he do? I said that all work is the same, the key is how to make yourself like it. He asked again, what if he thinks his work is meaningless? I replied that not all efforts yield results, and the meaning of work lies in the process. Ideals are accumulated step by step.
Later, two investors asked me why I didn't do product management and chose to do technology instead. They believed that product management is more meaningful. I said I like programming, I like technology. They asked me why I like programming. There's no reason, I just like it.
About Learning#
In June of this year, my senior fellow doctoral student graduated. On the night of the graduation party, he got drunk, and when I took him home, he held onto me and kept saying how good our mentor was, teaching us to cherish and be grateful.
I understand all of this. I had a problem when I switched majors, and the teacher personally dealt with it. During the proposal defense, he was the only one who came as a mentor. When I went on stage to defend, he even took notes of the questions for me and listed the key points for writing. Other students were very envious.
Many of my classmates went on to pursue postgraduate studies, and I have never heard any of them say that their mentors didn't let them help with their work. Many of them spoke ill of their teachers, saying they couldn't go home during holidays, that their teachers exploited them, that they were required to publish papers without guidance, otherwise they would be the first author.
But in my case, none of this has ever happened. He doesn't need students to help him and stubbornly believes that he should complete his own tasks. On the contrary, when there are good topics and projects, he shares the opportunities. Not to mention being the first author, he doesn't even allow his name to be included in the papers he guides. He said that independent authorship will have more value when looking for a job in the future.
So, when I heard about what Xiaoyu said, I was very angry. His mentor made him carry heavy packages and wash dishes and make tea in the office on weekends. I asked him if he really wanted to do these things from the bottom of his heart. If it was about respecting the teacher from the bottom of his heart, I didn't think there was a problem with making tea and such. But he said that these were things he should do, that he was like a hired worker, and the teacher paid him. I asked how much he was paid per month, and he said not much, just a few hundred. I asked if he could refuse to do it without pay, and he said that these things were normal, there was nothing wrong with them, and his classmates, even his classmates at Tongji University, were all like this. I couldn't understand, is it normal for everyone around me to be like this? Is it right?
I am very fortunate that the teachers I have encountered on my learning journey have always, always shown me by example what is right and what is wrong. The scale of justice in my heart has never changed.
I am also very fortunate that I chose philosophy. Recently, while writing my thesis, I realized that two years is really short, but even now, while writing my thesis, I can still feel the happiness that philosophy brings me - the feeling of enlightenment and clarity after understanding profound philosophical thoughts. During last year's winter vacation, when I wrote a letter to my mentor, I told him that I liked philosophy and also loved programming, but I wouldn't pursue a Ph.D. Although I won't be studying philosophy on campus in the future, I will still think deeply when I encounter things in life. Philosophy is not some grand theory, it is right here in life.
About Twin Diary#
I only did one project this year, Twin Diary. Although it won two national first prizes, the highest awards ever received, it was calm and expected because I had already considered them as sure things. Over the past five years, I have been participating in competitions and growing along the way, from the school level to the city level, provincial level, and national level. Although I don't have any exceptional talent, I can gradually accumulate experience, and this process is still very enjoyable.
Many people have asked me why I didn't use Twin Diary for entrepreneurship. There are a few reasons: first, I believe that my current abilities are not enough, and I haven't reached the level of an entrepreneur; second, my initial intention in developing the product was to learn, not for profit and traffic. So even though Twin Diary currently doesn't have many users, I am still persistently working on it.
A product from a big company pointed out some issues with Twin Diary's low retention rate. The main problems were that the product's user base was too narrow, and we didn't do any promotion. I said it's okay, let it grow slowly. From a profit perspective, of course, the more traffic, the better. But we are not aiming for profit, we genuinely hope that it can help with emotional issues. Even if the audience is small, if there are users who use it and it can genuinely solve their problems, I think that's good enough.
I don't have any grand ambitions. Watching it grow is like watching my own child. If its existence can help those in need, then it's enough. That's my original intention in developing products.
About the Future#
The year started off on a bad note. In January, I broke up with my girlfriend, ending a friendship of more than ten years. After that, I focused on preparing for internships and then worked on Twin Diary for competitions. After that, I had my summer internship and now I'm busy writing my thesis at the end of the year.
There's nothing much to say about relationships, it's just a matter of fate. So, I don't have much expectation about whether I will meet the right partner this year. Before that, I'll focus on becoming a better person. Love is probably about meeting someone who makes your heart flutter, and that person also feels the same way about you. Although I haven't met you yet, I'm doing fine right now. I hope you are doing well too. I hope that when we meet, we will both be at our best. Meeting the best version of you in the best time of our lives might be the most beautiful thing in this lifetime.
At the end of the year, I met two investors, and their demeanor left a deep impression on me. Knowledge, cultivation, and broad horizons are important. They can touch people's hearts beyond the boundaries of the soul, and I haven't done well enough in this regard. So in the new year, I will remember to read more, think more, summarize more, and grow more.
That's all the rambling for now. As for other goals, I won't set them now. I'll think about how to write my thesis after dinner.
That's it.
Wishing you a great 2019.
