College

I never read my columns once they are published because I’m always afraid of discovering an unintended meaning in my words that I didn’t notice when I first wrote it. What if I come across as selfish, or cocky when writing my columns? What if they aren’t relatable at all?

There may have been a time when I felt suffocated, even threatened, by the talented individuals around me, but that was so long ago I can’t remember. Here’s my story of how I let go of competitiveness and with it, ‘finesse’ my way through life.

It feels great to embrace my inner child and to know that at any age, I will always find joy in games and puzzles.

We landed in Oakland Airport, and my first mission was already clear: get In-N-Out. After the disappointing chips, however, I was less clear. Where do I go from here?

I initially arrived at UC Berkeley sure of myself with goals and knowing what I wanted to do in the future. Now as I navigate my final year here, I am unsure of what I want. In some ways, you could say my experiences have broken me — and there is some truth to that. However, at some point, I realized I needed to let go of my fear of failing.

What started off as a semester of motivation and eagerness to learn has progressed into a weary routine of studying for midterms and debating on whether to go to lecture. We at The Daily Clog completely understand. That’s why we’ve created for you the ultimate guide to dealing with procrastination.

Why are certain things considered hobbies, but not others? How come watching movies is a hobby, but watching TV is not? Why is playing video games a hobby, but not watching YouTube? Cooking is a hobby, but eating good food is not?

I dream of being exactly where I am. Waking up to gray skies wrapped in light pink sheets. / I’ve replaced the cool coastal wind for pulsing still air, / Quiet boys in gray hoodies for young men in suits.

I did get into UC Berkeley in the end, but college decisions were a huge reality check for me. And it also brought into conflict two aspects of my personality: the confidence in my academic ability, and my lack thereof in pretty much anything else.

Not only was my college journey stunted by the arrival of a pandemic, but I felt that I was stuck in my middle school body. My height, paired with a natural baby face and now the braces, made me feel like I was never going to get this dream college glow-up that everyone else had.