2025 was a rather lengthy year for me. I’m very glad it’s over. This winter break has been a time for me to unwind, and there has been plenty of unwinding done. Late nights spent playing games, scrolling reels, reading books, and so on. I would say that 2025 a strange mix of fortune and misfortune. My academic performance tanked, and it was almost entirely due to my mistakes. The two semesters I had were the most mentally challenging academic terms I’ve ever had. There were nights where I would curl up on my floor and cry, irrationally believing that I would never succeed in life after nuking whatever midterm/final I had just written. My flailing emotions got in the way of my relationship and academics, often sending me into depressive episodes that would evaporate in the mornings just to come back as the sun set.

But perhaps I’m being a little harsh here. After all, I happily celebrated my one year anniversary with my girlfriend in January. I turned 19 in March, and experienced the warmth of buying and drinking my own cold glass of whisky. I got the opportunity to host and lead the web team of a hackathon over the summer. As a result, my skills were noticed by other organizers. Now I’m hosting Hack Canada as well. I made many new friends in September thanks to my outgoing roommates. After cold emailing over 20 professors, one of them offered me a research position in November, and I’m set to meet him again in 5 days.

Last year was certainly a roller coaster of experiences. A lot of lessons to be learned, and a few moments to be appreciated. But I survived, and I don’t plan on dying anytime soon. So, for all it’s worth, thank you, 2025.