Let's be real — some people were born on the finish line. Me? I started where the track didn't even exist.
Let's talk academics. I've never been a resident on campus — not because I didn't want to, but because I could never afford it. Do you know what that means? It means missing in-person lectures, quizzes, and those surprise attendance checks that could tank your grade. It means rushing through traffic for a 30-minute paper you might not even get to write if you're late. And yet, somehow, I've managed to stay in the 95% category with a GPA above 3.8.
And it wasn't easy. There were moments I almost gave up entirely — like when the academic fee deadline was breathing down my neck and I had no idea how I was going to pay. You're performing at your best, getting top scores, and still thinking, "What's the point if I can't even stay enrolled?" I applied for scholarships, nailed the interviews, but guess what? Luck never smiled. That stings in ways I can't even explain.
But the grind didn't stop there. While juggling all that, I still fought for opportunities. And that's how I became one of only TWO Level 200 students in my department to join A2SV — a program that handpicks the best coders on campus. I was competing against Level 300 and 400 CS and Engineering students, and in 12 of their weekly contests, I participated in 10 and finished top 3 in 8 of them. And currently sitting at 2nd in ranking. Not luck. Not privilege. Just pure willpower and work ethic.
And this doesn't end with academics or coding. My life has always been about making the most out of the least. Personality-wise? I'm the guy who can stay indoors for weeks. People in the same house can go months without seeing me. But that isolation? It's not weakness. It's where I build myself. A year ago, my typing speed was barely 30 WPM. I had a friend hitting 90+. Today? I type faster than him. Why? Because every second I get, I invest in me- not just typing tho!.
Pressure, But Still Here
None of this is to brag. It's a survival story. I've had every reason to quit, but here I am. Because circumstances don't define me — mindset does. Like NF said, "There's millions of us just like you..." But here's the question: how many make it through?
So I ask again — could you survive being me?