Mistake #1: Not knowing what I was signing up for — As an up-and-coming software engineer, it’s natural to be on the lookout for opportunities to prove oneself. We want to stand out and show that we can be relied upon as competent members of the team. When I was approached by a more senior member in my department, asking if…

And the world is better for it — I recently moved into a new apartment. It’s a lovely ground-floor studio with an enchanting little garden in the back. All in all, a marked step up from my previous experiences living in various student dorms, and a great way to usher in this post-graduate chapter of my life. Although…

The fine line between obedience and folly — While the US is busy vaccinating its way toward proving the world wrong, Germany and other European nations are limping far behind; it seems the tortoise has finally overtaken the hare. …

It’s easy for us to dismiss both candidates as equally inadequate. To downplay the power our voices hold to enact real change. Or believe that the outcome will have no real consequences either way. But to those who stand to lose the most, the consequences are very real. Issues such…

It’s time we stopped using these two little words — Watching California governor Gavin Newsom address reporters in light of the wildfires wreaking havoc across the Western United States, I couldn’t help but think how poor his choice of words was. The debate is over around climate change Those last two words may have been enough to make anyone watching…

Why our relationships aren’t special — and why that’s ok. — For me, there exists that one person who above all others can fulfill my deepest desires for intimacy, understand me like no one else, and bring enduring happiness into my life. A one true love, so to speak. At least that’s what many movies, stories, songs, and fairy tales would…

I cringe, therefore I am. — Ah, social media. A platform for unheard voices to be heard. A fine thing, truly. A shrine to immortalize our words and actions. Too bad I never thought of that as a 13-year-old posting about every single neurotransmission in his brain. A while back I activated Facebook Memories. If you’re…

A heartbeat. Followed by another. An anthem that, even in the sheltered confines of its mother’s womb, stakes a child’s claim to a part of this world. And although it doesn’t yet know what kind of world this will be, it can already catch glimpses of sound, light, taste, and…

I need to get something off my chest. It’s a serious matter that doesn’t get talked about nearly enough. It’s a certain phenomenon, a behavior really, that has crept its way into our midst and has managed to infect even the most upstanding of our citizens. We don’t all exhibit…

Working out just isn’t the same without you. — As COVID-19 sweeps its way across the globe, people from all walks of life are doing their utmost to stem the spread of the virus. …

A while back, I was semi-randomly assigned a partner for a university lab course. This meant that once a week for the next four months, we would have to spend a whole day holed up in a computer room solving tasks and answering questions together. Now, it’s worth noting that…

“You are owed nothing.” Those should be the first four words a child hears when they come into the world. My friends and I used to have deeply philosophical debates from time to time; we liked to think they were, in any case. In the midst of one such debate…

I often catch myself halfway through a lecture looking at the people sitting around me. This tends to happen when the lecturer has, for the last 45 minutes, been masterfully demonstrating how he’s perfected the art of reading off the slides. Now, aside from the fact that for some reason…