After that incident, I did everything to ensure that never repeated. I was always early, taking notes and asking about everything I wasn’t sure about. Those good habits turned into the strong work ethic that helped me start and sustain a counseling practice during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, is the people. People play a big role in creating a rich academic experience. Friends to joke around with, and to struggle with. Lecturers who are truly passionate about psychology and excited to talk about it. Even the problematic group mates taught me how to handle worst case scenarios.

I often hear the validity of a bachelor’s degree to the job market being questioned, that working experience may be worth more than academic qualifications. Personally, a degree isn’t weighed only by CGPA and certificates, but how a person learns and develops life skills through the process like retention of knowledge, discipline, and friendship. Those are the transferable skills that have carried me through each of my working phases.