Imagine If...

Spilling secrets in the am hours and mini naps filled with vivid dreams were a daily occurrence. Stuck in traffic where the need for food and a comfortable bed were the only coherent thoughts.

Imagine if I had made a different decision. I would not be where I am or who I currently am. That sounds a tad bit drastic yet it is the ultimate truth.

I think life is built on happenstance. There are so many moments that become great memories in our lives simply by making split second decisions. It could have been so different if I had chosen to study a different degree or chosen another university as my institution of study. It could have all been so different if I had chosen to stay in my comfort zone and not allow myself to explore the unknown.

Everyone tends to have a reason for choosing a certain degree to study and thereafter a career path. Mine was the need to be challenged to my very core.

I was always the timid girl in school, the one who blended into the backround and didn’t really say much. Fellow classmates most probably knew me by my academic achievements rather than by my personality. Choosing a degree that has forced me to acknowledge parts of myself that I had previously ignored before, has been one of my better decisions in life, if not the best.

I’m a final year engineering student by day and a blogger by night. However, I found writing an opinion article on LinkedIn to be a challenge. I’m not always the most eloquent person when it comes to expressing my opinions on certain matters. I guess it’s because I sometimes become so overwhelmed with everything that I want to say; that only the half -formed thoughts tend to spill out.

I’ve decided to share my experience of friendship and opinion on the importance of having a diverse friendship circle in university and well... life. In my first year of university, the introvert in me was terrified and I felt out of place. Through pep talks and faking it till I made it, I developed self confidence that has taken me to places I could previously never imagine myself in.

If I could compare where I am now and the person that I’ve become compared to 4 years ago, I would say that there has been major growth. I walked into university as a shy girl and I’m leaving as a confident young woman with a heart filled with courage and determination. The people that surrounded me definitely played a major role in this.

Early mornings and late nights affected my emotional health. However, my friends more than made up for this. A quick laugh and some tea tended to put more things into perspective. Our 60 minute daily commute on 4 wheels was the most taxing, yet sometimes the most fun. 

Your friendship circle should always include people who motivate you to become the best possible version of yourself that you can be. I’m glad to say that I have found my people. Having friends who know all parts of you is vital for your wellbeing. We need people to give us tough love when we lack the motivation to study. We need people to grow and expand with. We need people to tell us no and correct any toxic behaviour. We need friends that become family.

The WomEng network has also become one of those safe space circles where I have interacted with young women with incredible minds and who are doing impressive things in the world. I am beyond honoured to have had the chance to experience such a diverse fellowship.

These are memories that we will share with our children and stories that will be told when we are old and grey.

2017 and I was alone.

4 years later and it was definitely better than I ever imagined.

2021 and I have a wholesome friendship circle that has become my family.