A month Before Graduation

I still remember the day I applied to college. I told myself, "I'm not here for grades, and I'm not here because I'm scared of not finding a job someday. I'm here to fall in love with ideas and knowledge. I'm here just to enjoy learning." When I finally started as a freshman, everything felt surprisingly easy—I think my Science High School background gave me a head start. I felt confident with the tools we needed to use, and I held my work to a high standard from the very beginning.

Looking back at the years that followed, I realize I never lost that spark. I paid attention in class, filled my mind with new ideas, and never hesitated to ask questions. And something beautiful happened: the more I did this, the more alive our classes became. It made me genuinely happy to watch my classmates open up too—to see them start speaking up and joining in, maybe because they saw me do it first. I still hold onto that image: a room full of people who feel safe enough to speak, to ask anything, without fear of being judged or sounding silly. Because learning was never about having the right words. Sometimes the "dumb" questions are exactly the ones that teach us the most.

Next month, I'll be graduating. And I know that the same reason I chased my education is the same reason I'll chase my career—I'm still hungry to learn, still curious, still wanting more. Everything I gained just for the sake of learning it, no one can take that away from me now (unless I somehow forget it all, haha). And when I think about everything college gave me, it wasn't really the programming lessons that mattered most. It was the life lessons.