Once upon a summer in 2022, I found myself wrestling with biochemistry inside a freezing lab. Patience wore thin alongside the dripping solutions, and I bailed on this path of biochemistry. With only a month before move-in day, I grabbed a trendy major without much thought. Was it a calculated move? Nope, life's not that neat.

Screens and monotonous text didn't thrill me, but, I boarded the CS train at 2AM, sleep-deprived, in an airport terminal. I trudged on; in unfamiliar waters, I tackled algorithms, basic concepts, and how to think like a programmer. Against all odds, I aced the placement test and plunged into the deep end.

In this new world, CS showed its double face. A select few brilliant students sailed smoothly, while most battled hard through the demands and deadlines. They lost spirit, quitting physically or mentally, as the weighty question lingered: "What's the point?"

So, why pick this tough road? Why dive into complex algorithms, AI, and the relentless challenges of CS? It's actually quite simple: it's BECAUSE it is hard. When its 2 AM, eyes stinging, brain throbbing, we still code away and push the limits of who we think we are and truly find ourself admist the challenge.

Life's trials test us, be it CS, relationships, finances, or otherwise. Doubts creep in, urging us to 'stay put'. But, the struggle that had us in tears also lets us rise. Hardships uncover strength we doubted.

That's the beauty. Struggle's where we grow. Each algorithm conquered reveals hidden parts of us. We learn we're tougher and more capable than we believed.

This is the same spirit that drives me, the same reason I’m here, standing in the crossroads of challenge and change. I am not naturally smart and intuitive. But I am relentless, constantly pushing against my limits to humbly learn, improve, and conquer whatever problem separates me from my dream — to prove that talent may take you far, but hardwork will bring you anywhere.