I have never achieved a score of 80% or higher in my entire life.
Unveiling a Journey Beyond the Expected
In a world where success has often been confined to numerical achievements, it’s time to celebrate a different kind of journey — one that is marked by personal growth, resilience, and the audacity to challenge the status quo. As someone who has never crossed the elusive 80% mark, nor stood as a top achiever, I share my unique perspective on how my ‘mediocrity’ became a wellspring of empowerment, leading to a life rich with lessons, self-discovery, and unexpected accomplishments.
Navigating the Shadows of School Mediocrity
My school years were defined by unfinished homework, average test scores, and a tendency to avoid direct eye contact with teachers. In an educational system that often equated success with high grades and polished language skills, I grappled with internal chaos and an enduring lack of self-confidence. While my peers reveled in the limelight, receiving accolades for academics and extracurricular activities, I lingered in the shadows, questioning the worth of my journey. The whispers of self-doubt echoed ceaselessly, a haunting reminder of what I perceived as my inadequacies.
Embracing the Mediocrity and Beyond in College
My transition to college didn’t bring about a miraculous transformation. While I’d hoped for a fresh start, I found myself facing an even steeper uphill battle. In school, my struggle was against those on a similar path, but college introduced me to an entirely new league. Suddenly, I was in the midst of some of the sharpest minds from across the country, and my self-assuredness took a hit. As my peers delved into hackathons and conquered competitive programming challenges, I remained a stranger to the world of coding. While other students basked in the glow of their achievements, I watched my roommate secure a pre-placement offer from a FAANG company, and another friend collected five different job offers. Meanwhile, my own hands remained almost empty. In those moments, it was easy to feel that Engineering was a mistake, and the allure of returning to my family’s business after college grew stronger.
Once again, self-doubt became a relentless companion, whispering that I was out of my depth. The familiar shadows from my school days found a new home within the college corridors, and the echoes of inadequacy followed me as if woven into the fabric of my identity.
Corporate- From Shadows to Spotlight
As my final semester approached, when everyone around me was eagerly hopping onto the job train while I was still figuring out where to jump. My coding skills were barely existent. But they say necessity is the mother of invention, right? So, I dove into coding through an online course on web development and completed it. With no elaborate plan, I packed my bags and moved to the capital city for onsite interviews.
I’m talking about 10 to 12 interviews within a week — a rollercoaster of emotions that tested my resilience like never before. And guess what? I managed to score an internship as a web developer. Sure, the stipend was nothing to write home about (5000 bucks a month, anyone?), but it felt like a victory. That little victory marked the beginning of a transformation I never saw coming.
Each day for 4 months felt like a mini triumph, a confirmation that maybe I could actually pull this off. The doubts that had haunted me for so long started to fade away, replaced by a growing sense of confidence. Amidst this whirlwind of newfound confidence, an epiphany struck me. It happened during a conversation with a colleague who had aced every exam but still felt the weight of uncertainty in their career. Reflecting on my own journey, on the countless nights I spent questioning my abilities since school days, I realised that success was not confined to the checkboxes of academia. My journey, fuelled by determination and the will to learn, was proof of that.
But that was just the beginning. I eventually landed a job in another big company, and let me tell you, the pay check was way more than I ever dreamed of during my college days.
From there, it was like a snowball effect. Within four years, I had gone from an internship to one of the top positions in the company. I started from the bottom as a hopeless college student and, with time, climbed up the ladder to become a Chief Operating Officer — yep, you read that right. It’s crazy how life can surprise you, for some it’s in school, for some it’s in college and for some it’s beyond that, but it’s never too late isn’t it?
Life Beyond Numbers
As I close this blog, my heart overflows with emotion. “I have never achieved a score of 80% or higher in my entire life” — a statement that once seemed daunting, now carries a new meaning. It’s a reminder that success isn’t boxed in by numbers; it’s about the unique path we carve.
This narrative does not dismiss the importance of numbers but rather honours the essence of individuality.. Let it be your guide, a whisper that life is a canvas where you paint your own story, it’s just how and when you pick your brush.
So, step forward, letting your heart guide. Beyond numbers, beyond expectations, lies the symphony of life — composed by you.
