Newsletter Edition: Fall 2024
Progressing from a student assistant to a full-time staff member in the University Library, get to know the friendly and tech-savvy Tim Bochen!
Tell us about yourself
Originally from Germany, I moved to California in 2012. Started going to CSUN in Fall of 2016 studying TV Production. I started as a student assistant in the Creative Maker Studio in January 2017, and later that year I worked as the library videographer. In Fall 2020, I graduated in the middle of COVID with no job prospects. A whole year went by and I had no job, until eventually I was asked by my old supervisor if I wanted to return the library and work as a full-time staff member in November 2021. I started my role as the Library Commons Coordinator in January 2022.
What is your current role in the Library?
I recently accepted the position of Systems Support Specialist. I help set up the technology you see in the Library. Is a printer not working? Is a computer malfunctioning? Are the phones down? I’m here to fix all those issues. I help keep the technology in the Library online 24/7.
What do you love most about your job in the Library?
I love helping students and staff with their issues. Everyone is very friendly, and it seems that everyone has the same goal in mind when it comes to help students achieving their academic dreams.
What do you do for fun?
My hobbies are traveling and photography, and usually they work together. I have been to parts of Europe and USA, but my next big trip is hopefully to Japan. Some other travel destinations are Argentina, Indonesia, Maldives, Singapore, South Africa, Australia, and many more! I want to travel to at least every continent (besides Antarctica)
Who is your favorite author?
My favorite authors are John Green and Carl Sagan. My favorite books by them are The Anthropocene Reviewed: Essays on a Human-Centered Planet and Pale Blue Dot: A Vision of the Human Future in Space, respectively. I have read The Fault in Our Stars and Looking for Alaska by John Green, and I really appreciated the non-fiction book that he wrote. It gives great little short stories of random things. I like knowing small facts like that. I’m also a big space buff, so anything from Carl Sagan is excellent - the Pale Blue Dot puts a lot things into perspective. The movie Contact is an adaptation from his book and it’s an excellent film!
What makes you stay at CSUN?
I been here so long, it feels like home. I started my undergrad here, got my first full-time job here, getting my Master’s here and started a career I love doing - here!
If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be?
I love to travel and I love the beach and mountains, so my go-to is Hawaii. I would lay by the beach and maybe catch some waves. But I also sometimes just want to chill at home by the pool and listen to some music. Depends how adventurous I am feeling.
What is something that most people don’t know about you (but are willing to share)?
A lot of people don’t know I am from Germany, since I don’t have an accent. But I first moved to the US in 2000 and then I moved back to Germany in 2005, eventually coming back in 2012. I speak German fluently, although it’s hard since I don’t speak it enough just barely at home with my parents.
What advice would you offer to CSUN students?
My advice for any CSUN student is to pursue a career that makes you happy, and one that you can see yourself doing for a long time. You can change careers throughout your life, but it gets harder the older you get. I wanted to make Hollywood movies and once I got a taste of it, I actually didn’t want to do that anymore - but I stuck with my plan and decided to focus on more documentary films. Then it came time to graduate and I had no interest in making films and videos at all. I felt like I was stuck. I didn’t want to go back to school, and I just did that for 4 years. But I took the first job that offered to me, and I got lucky and found out what I am really passionate about. It’s okay to graduate in one degree and then work in a totally different field. College is here for you to explore what you like. Take the GE classes seriously, and take a variety of them to see what you like. You’ll never know until you try.