thoughts going into the last 4 months of uni

A snapshot

And just like that, the last four months of my university experience are here. Though I am not quite yet at the finish line, I want to take some time to reflect on the past five years of my life and prospect the next year or so.

Given that everything goes according to plan, I will graduate this May with a degree in Computer Science. After a three month period of job searching that started last September, I accepted a role as software engineer for a startup in San Francisco. I am surrounded by empathetic, passionate, and sincere friends, and I have experienced nearly everything I wanted to in university. I failed a course, struggled with identity, joined clubs I love, rode the bus home with friends, flew across the country to work, played intramural sports, made friends, lost friends, crammed for exams, had dinners on campus, learned about anime and manga for a class, and even started a band. So much happened in these five years, and while I will encounter similar experiences throughout the rest of my life, I will never experience this again.

All these moments make up a large part of who I am today. Without a doubt I am a much different person than when I started university. Five years ago, I had no idea what the future held in store for me. Five years later, I am in the same position. The difference is that I feel more equipped to take on the next five years, and these five years are more prone to change, which excites and frightens me. Who knows, maybe after a few years I end up working in another city or move back home.

There are many feelings that come into the mix when I think about this “transition point” of my life. I’m happy that I made it to this point and I’m proud of the person that I’ve become. Inevitably there are moments that I regret and wish I could do over, but my character is one who went through those. Accepting that we can’t go back and “fix” things is accepting who you are.

This has been more a blurb on thoughts that have recently taken up head space, so while it may lack cohesion it is also a part of the struggle to put my feelings to words. With that said, thanks for reading and I’ll see you again soon :)

Fulfillment

A clumsy but accurate summation of my final year in university can be made in one word: fulfilling. I am barely 3 months into this school year and it is as if a lifetime has passed. I have started thinking about what makes this year different from the previous 4. Normally I avoid dissecting my happiness in fear of destroying its source, but I am confident in its current presence.

I have stumbled into a core group of friends that I see nearly everyday. Often in friend groups I am afraid my position is temporary, but I have only felt continual growth and deepening in our friendships. Like the facets on a jewel, I discover new sides of each person and cherish each one as I have. The best friend groups form organically, like molecules colliding perfectly to create a reaction. I am eternally grateful to have been there at the right time. This year I feel as though I have found my stride. While my future after graduation is still up in the air, it feels in reach. There is an unmeasurable difference between confidence and helplessness in the face of uncertainty. As someone who used to believe the "important" things were out of their control, this means an incredible amount. I find I am more receptive of new experiences and people, and that has made every day special. Within the nwPlus team I have tried extending my role. Though my official title is as Development Director, I am also doing my best to be a culture leader. My first year with the nwPlus team was unforgettable, largely in part to the senior members. This year I want to give back what I received two years ago. The result is an incredible team culture and many new experiences with new people. The thesis of my undergraduate degree is being built upon my very own eyes. In approximately 5 months the curtains will draw on my university experience. That being said, if the first 3 months were any indication, I am sure the next 5 will be even more vivid and fulfilling.

the return

It's been a minute hasn't it?

Enough significant events have happened to my personal life and to the world that I'll never be able to write about them all here. I don't have the tact or the social awareness to cover global topics properly, so I'll leave that to the professionals and write on what I can: myself.

To put it briefly, since the last time I posted:

• the world was hit with the COVID-19 pandemic
• my first co-op with Vidyard went remote and was extended for 4 months
• I went back to Vancouver mid-pandemic to complete my co-op term
• I took up another co-op term with Opencare in September
• my hair grew significantly longer

There are multiple draft posts that I'm looking to revive, so expect some nwHacks 2020 and SAD content soon! I'm excited to take up blogging once more, as I've felt my creativity and writing skills have deteriorated over the past year.

Last week I completed the last day to my year of co-op work, and classes don't begin for a while so I'll also try to put a fresh coat of paint on the blog in the downtime. Look forward to it, and you will hear from me soon!

tales from the kitchen

Back in December I was offered a position as a software developer co-op (basically an internship) with a company in Kitchener, Ontario. At the time I didn't expect it at all. When I received the interview offer I was thrilled but also anxious at the thought of having to move away. I thought, "I'll cross this bridge if I get the job!" and it turns out I crossed more than just a bridge.

I traveled a few thousand kilometers to Toronto, then hopped on a bus to complete the trip to the Kitchener-Waterloo area, and the rest is history (albeit very recent and still in progress history). Work has been great to me (will likely make a post reflecting on my time here at some point), the place I'm staying is super convenient, and everything has been pretty darn superb.

Things that have surprised me so far:

- people here are missing out on the great opportunity to call Kitchener "the kitchen"

- the light rail here is on the ground

- there aren't a lot of Asian people here (outside of students at the university)

- culture wise there doesn't seem to be too much difference from what I can tell

- somebody from my high school lives a block away from me

- I don't mind eating the same things every day, but I enjoy cooking different meals

And so it has been just about 6 weeks into my time here in Eastern Canada and sometimes it still doesn't quite feel real to me. I'll be walking back home, in the freezing cold, watching my breath disappear into the sky, and I'll feel like tearing up for some reason. Maybe it's because I never anticipated achieving so much, or having the fortune of such a pleasant chapter in my life.

I do miss home, family, friends, and the comforts of Vancouver (the food is much better back home), but the learning and growing experience has been unmatched to anything before. With confidence I can say that I will be a better, stronger, and more well-rounded person when I go back home.

That's all that I have to say for now, I hope you enjoyed that little peek into what I've been up to lately! Thank you for reading, tune in next time for how Western Canada's largest hackathon went and my goals for the esports club :))

here we go again

It's been a wild almost four months since my last post and (as you can guess) a lot of very important things have transpired since then. There is far too much to stick into one post and I'll be breaking them up and writing separate pieces on them throughout the next bit. This has the added bonus of allowing me to focus in on one thing and thoughtfully and fully write about it.

Without further ado, here is a TLDR of sorts on what I've been up to!
- I moved to Waterloo, Ontario to do a co-op work term for 4 (potentially 8) months
- nwHacks 2020
- UBC Esports plans
- my week of fame on Subtle Asian Dating
- a lot of thinking (self-confidence, productivity, personal goals)

Everything has recency bias to it, but if anything else significant comes up I'll write about it! It's getting late so I'll leave it at that - see you soon!