I must admit that, like anyone else, I've made my fair share of less-than-wise decisions and mistakes. While in real life, I might downplay this fact, the reality is that we all make missteps from time to time. Fortunately, some of these errors have surprisingly turned out in my favor, or I've managed to extract valuable lessons from them for the future. I've come to terms with the idea that regardless of the choices one makes in a situation, be it action or inaction, embracing a decision and moving forward without regret ultimately shapes it into the right choice for you. In this entry, I intend to explore a few of these experiences.

I'll start with probably the biggest misstep I have taken in my life, one that has massively shaped my adult life so far. This wrong choice was to go to the University of Bath and study maths. In fact, there were two mistakes I made here: one was going to Bath, and the second was choosing maths to study. These choices were mostly fueled by my own ignorance and laziness in not researching the course and city better. I simply saw that the university was highly ranked and I enjoyed math in high school, so I thought it made sense. I was also carrying the wrong ideology at the time; I wanted to attend a top university, study math, and then get a high-paying finance job to become a "finance bro." However, my time at Bath had other plans for me.

From the beginning, I did not enjoy the modules of the course. I still remember the feeling I had coming out of my first intro to algebra lecture, and I left thinking to myself, "What have I gotten myself into?" It's no surprise that after two and a half weeks, I left Bath, but that short stint in the city shaped me massively. Firstly, instead of being fueled by the idea of earning a lot of money, I began to ask myself what would provide me with meaning and fulfillment in a job. This led me to evaluate my core values and conclude that some form of work that helps the environment or others would be best for me. Given my skill set, studying a renewable-based engineering degree was the next logical step and i did so at the university of Bristol.

My time at Bath shaped what I valued and what I saw myself doing, and I learned to prioritise my values over materialism. It was also the first time I used the formula of "stop, listen, reevaluate, and pivot" in my life. This is a technique I developed since being in that situation to help me when I'm facing challenging moments in my life. This method works by first stopping and collecting your thoughts, gaining composure over the situation. Next, once I have my thoughts composed, I seek to listen to the opinions of people I value and who can offer different perspectives. Thirdly, I take some time to digest all the pieces of information I've received and then make an informed decision or "pivot" based on my conclusions. I've used this method many times since, and it has consistently helped me make well-educated decisions.

It's challenging to say whether I enjoyed my studies more in Bristol than in Bath, but since I was now united under a cause with a clear aim to use my degree, I was more determined this time round to get my degree done well. However, what I gained from my time in Bristol that was worth more than the degree itself was the people I met along the way. Some of these individuals I even consider my family outside of my own, people I turn to with good and bad news, who are dependable, and whom I would have never met if I hadn't taken that first wrong step. I'd say these people are the second most life-shaping aspect of my adult life. They often push me to be more, want more, and drive towards becoming a successful individual.

The year is 2020, and I've just returned to university since the COVID outbreak. The university has adopted an online approach to adhere to government guidelines. This means that there is no need to physically attend the university campus, and all work can be completed remotely from the comfort of your own home. For some students, especially those who prefer digital materials, this new setup was a dream come true and more in line with their preferences.

As the year progressed, I found myself falling behind in my examined modules. Instead, I focused solely on my coursework modules, which seemed more demanding at the time due to their sooner deadlines. Once I had submitted my last piece of coursework, I shifted my focus to revising for my three exams, which were worth half of my year's grade. I had given myself just over three weeks for this, but it quickly became apparent that it wasn't enough time, and I entered the most stressful period of my life to date. A little-known fact about me is that when I am stressed, I lose my appetite. Considering how naturally big my appetite is, it's quite a sight to see. During that particularly stressful period, I lost roughly 5 kilograms due to my stress.

It felt like I was stuck in a loop: wake up, work, sleep, and repeat. Fortunately, I managed to perform well in my exams, but I realised the mistake I had made. I promised myself that I would never put myself in that situation again.

For the rest of my time at the university, I carried that lesson with me and made sure I was well-prepared for all of my work. This change in my approach was reflected in my exam results, where I mostly scored high firsts. It culminated in my final exam of my degree, where I achieved the top of my class. However, I could only achieve all of this by learning what it felt like to be so underprepared for something, despising that feeling, and taking all the necessary steps to ensure I would never be put in that situation again.