Diary of My Academic Life

Sunday morning, 30 September 2018, 11.00 am.

Sunday is a working day here in Johor, but only for the government sectors. It is still a weekend for the private sectors, which makes commuting on Sunday morning always a breeze. This semester, I teach Genetic Engineering, with a 1-hour lecture every Sunday morning. After every lecture, I always have this realisation that I have never liked teaching. I believe that I am not a good public speaker, I have no patience when dealing with students, and basically, it is not a profession for me. This is why I really admire teachers, particularly the school teachers, for having the passion and patience needed as an educator. I find more peace in the lab than in the lecture room, I prefer to be with my microtubes and micropipettors than with students.

But, after every lecture, and after every semester, I feel a sense of satisfaction. A satisfaction of being able to share what I know with the students and answer questions, and being able to absorb the youthful energy coming out of them. I found that being an educator is not that bad after all, and I can get used to this. I still do not like marking exam papers though, and I still do not like the academic paperwork associated with it. Nevertheless, this is all part of being a 21st century academic. It is not a profession with big monetary reward, but gives an infinite amount of life satisfaction. I prefer that.