I just finished a program where I taught two classes of high school seniors, two classes a day for four weeks, as part of my grad program.

This experience was a lot of fun and it was rewarding, but it was really surprising, and even if only in small ways prompted me to update my beliefs about the experience of being a professor. Here are the three biggest surprises I encountered.

1: The Absent-Minded Professor Thing is Real

I used to be confused and even a little bit offended when at my meetings with my advisor every week, he wouldn't be able to remember anything about my projects, our recent steps, or what we talked about last week.

Now I get it. Even after just one week of classes, my short-term and long-term memory were both entirely shot. I would tell students things like, "send [...]

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Outline:

(00:29) 1: The Absent-Minded Professor Thing is Real

(02:30) 2: Teaching Makes You Dehydrated

(03:40) 3: Teaching is a Grueling Job Even Under the Best Circumstances

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Narrated by TYPE III AUDIO.