Happy Spooky Halloweekend!

This week has been a deceptively chill and realistically ass-whooping week! The quick rundown is that I stepped up the job application process with a few due this week. For some reason, cover letter writing always seems like such a huge barrier but I pushed through to write a few. In the same space as job apps, I've continued having informational interviews with people at companies I'm interested in! I feel like I've got the hang of having a productive conversation — the key for me here is to prepare with questions! I also share with the person that I'll be taking notes, so that makes those gaps in conversation a bit more natural. Finally, I color-code the notes I'm taking mid-conversation to ensure I ask everything I want. Here is a snapshot of what my notes look like:

One question I have is: is it strange to ask about pay? I've been told that it's taboo to talk about pay, so I never ask outright; however, I try to wriggle that into the conversation by asking questions like "how's the work-life balance and do you feel able to live your life comfortably?"  Let me know your thoughts!

Rose Bud Thorn 🌹🌷🌵

It's been a minute, but for this week's short newsletter, I'm bringing back RBT.

🌹 I had Ethiopian food for the first time this week with new friends!

🌷 We all know I'm not really interested in construction, but lately, I've fantasized about working on climate infrastructure. I feel it would be super awesome to build offshore wind farms around the world. In a way, I'd have a direct hand in creating a more resilient future. I think my sudden desire for this comes from the Wind episode of Engineering the Future. So maybe I should act on it? What are your thoughts?

🌵 I've been sleeping less the last few weeks — both going to bed later and waking up earlier. I'm not a fan of this because it makes me a bit sluggish during the day. The action plan for this involves saying yes to mini-naps when I need them!

Book Talk📚

I finished Thinking in Systems, and it was such a fantastic learning and application experience! I genuinely feel like I'm thinking differently about the world around me. You can read my full Goodreads review here.

I'm slowly marching through Cixin Liu's Death's End (Three Body #3), and I love it. The stakes have been raised, and the story feels as terrifying as the first. I also started Edward Glaeser's Triumph of the City. It was recommended by my Urban Systems professor (same as Thinking in Systems).

This Week's Video 📹

This is a short reflection this week! First, I did not get to work on my videos; however, I ran into a friend who watches my channel, and he randomly encouraged me not to stop posting videos. Sometimes it's the little things that matter, so I'm looking forward to the next break I have so I can dig back in. Finally, I feel like the busier I get with school, the less content I consume intentionally. I find that my free time should be rewarded with checking social media, and I don't like this. The action plan for this will be to read an article before starting work — specifically in my gap between classes this week!

Thanks for reading and reflecting this week! If you aren't subscribed to get this in your inbox weekly, you can here!

Best,
Awoe ✌🏾