And some reflections on university life — I am not on campus much anymore. Having almost finished my studies, it is only a matter of time until the current semester runs out and my status as a student with it. …

Striving for academic achievement put me on autopilot. Now, I am finally feeling my way through liminal space. — “I can’t bear to do the same thing over and over every day anymore.” For weeks, I had been whining to whoever was willing to listen about how I just wanted to be done with the biggest project I had ever undertaken: my Master’s thesis in philosophy. …

I might be mocked for visibly expressing my non-binary identity, but cis straight people put on the bigger show — Recently, one of my best friends, a fellow queer person, threw herself a birthday party under the motto of camp. As soon as my friend announced the theme, I knew the aesthetic I wanted to embody. As a baby queer, my wardrobe remains somewhat wanting in the camp department, but…

How growing up in Eastern Europe kept me clueless about my identity — The first time I ever heard the term ‘homosexual’ was when I asked my father why he didn’t shave his legs. I had seen my mother do it, so I thought it was just something everyone does. Basically, at the tender age of 5, I was already thoroughly confused about…

On choosing freedom and entering a period of exploration — “I just feel like, now, I have to start acting like an adult. From 18 to 25, you still have somewhat of a grace period. Like a trial month for a subscription service. But after 25, you gotta commit.” These are the words I said to my dear friend F…

It helps me see through my own bullsh*t. — Do you sometimes stare at what you wrote and wonder what is wrong with it? If yes, welcome to my daily struggle. I’ve been working on my Master’s thesis since February and started writing in July. Since I’ve committed to shooting for a B+ in everything I do, my approach…

I set up many Notion pages as I’ve been working on my Master’s thesis. But only three really made a real difference in my workflow and progress. — When I set up my Master’s thesis dashboard in Notion, I spent most of my time customizing a countdown widget and curating motivational quotes. And that’s all, like, really cool and aesthetic. It’s nice to have a pleasant landing page. But most days, I just need to get on with…

Having solid professional relationships with professors is incredibly important, but they are not always easy to come by. — When I first went to university, I still believed that working hard alone could get you where you need to be. Somehow, I held on to this belief despite benefitting from having good relationships with teachers in high school who helped me apply for scholarships. I went to a prestigious…

Trying to build a network as a young woman in academic spaces can feel exhausting, isolating, and even downright unsafe. — It is no secret that you need a strong network to make it in academia. The longer I am at university, the more apparent it gets. Information is often gatekept, and opportunities are not widely shared. …