Too Long; Didn't Read
From my educational background in Malaysia, it was ingrained in me to strive for academic excellence. Despite the constant reminder that academic achievements aren’t all there is in life, it was difficult for me to break free from that mindset. I loathed the idea of “not being up to par” as my peers and trudged through my classes with the goal of getting good grades. Neither did I prioritize the need to really understand the concepts of my courses in my Software Engineering career, nor did I step out of my comfort zone to make the best of my time.