In the first few months of reaching out to people, I had an overly simplistic view of friendship. I thought that the most crucial part in making friends online was the initial 1-on-1 video call, and that the relationship would naturally develop from there. And so, I applied the same…

Almost every day, what I want the most is to stop thinking, if only for one second. At any given moment — until the time I finally fall asleep after an hour of trying and as soon as I wake up in the morning — my mind is overflowing with…

It’s been around 3 months since I started reaching out and meeting people over the internet. In these 3 months, I’ve garnered many observations and realizations that have shifted my perspective on meeting people. Here’s what’s been brewing in my consciousness: 1. If the conversation was stimulating, I will feel…

For most of my life, I doubted my ability to write well. In elementary school, mathematics was always my favourite subject. I had an affinity for performing calculations, which tapped into the logical part of my brain. Conversely, English class was accompanied with dread. I seemed to take much longer…

I’ve been trying to decipher why I’ve been so burned out and brain-fogged over the past half year. Before starting grade 12, I had already been drained due to partaking in SHAD UBC in July (which involved 30 hours of synchronous sessions per week) and going on vacation in August…

Throughout my life, I’ve always struggled with making friends. In elementary school, my friendships never lasted more than a year. My friends were the product of the people I happened to be surrounded by, which differed year to year as I changed classes. I regularly spent time with sports kids…

Originally written for a high school English class Why do we make absurd decisions? No matter how logical we may consider ourselves to be, we are bound to fall victim to irrational actions — whether it’s wasting time on social media, eating while we are not hungry, or staying up…

Originally written for the U of T National Scholarship In ninth and tenth grade, I carried my laptop with me almost everywhere I went. I used it every day during lunch and after school, trying to convince myself that I had pressing tasks to complete. …

It’s a regular day in February, 2019. I’m browsing the web, trying to numb my feelings of boredom, misery, and alienation. Specifically, I’m conducting a Google search for debate classes, but I know that this search will likely be futile. I’ve consulted Google multiple times for debate programs in the…