Stay a Student.
At the start of 2024, I had the privilege of connecting with Rashmi Varma, an adjunct professor at the University of Texas and the CEO of both Innovate5G and Quantawatt. Her resume is a testament to her extraordinary career — spanning startups, MNCs, and whatnot, and if I were to list all her accomplishments, this blog might turn into a book.
On a sunny spring afternoon, we met for what was supposed to be a quick 30-minute chat. That half-hour turned into a two-hour conversation about everything under the sun. By the end of it, Rashmi offered me a TAship for her Quantum Computing course in the summer of 2024.
“Surprised” isn’t the right word. I was shocked. I had no formal background in Quantum Computing — I’d skimmed a few blogs to keep up with advancements in the field.
But, I said yes immediately without thinking that I’d be TA on a subject I barely understood in just a month.
My plan was simple: Read, research, and experiment with Quantum Computing in the next two weeks. Then, use the meetings with Rashmi as somewhat private lessons.
It worked.
By the time the course started, I had pulled together teaching materials that I was genuinely proud of. Rashmi’s feedback was glowing; honestly, I was impressed with myself, too (humble brag, XD).
Looking back, I realize why the materials resonated:
- Unlike better or more experienced people, I could remember what it was like not knowing what I knew.
- Unlike more experienced TAs, I brought to my work the excitement of someone who just discovered this fascinating world that I wanted to share.
One of my biggest takeaways from the experience was this — Write for someone who doesn’t know what you know or care as much as you care.
Early drafts of my materials assumed too much knowledge and interest from the reader. Rashmi gave me some valuable advice — our job as educators is to present ideas in a way that’s useful, interesting, and relevant. The curse of knowledge makes it hard to be good at this, and the curse of experience makes it hard to be good at this for so long.
The antidote — always stay a student. Try to remember what it was like not to know what you know. And to bring the excitement of someone who just had a revelation they want to share.
That advice stuck with me and became a guiding principle — not just for teaching but for how I approach learning in general.
