Thoughts on Reddit's chanceme

I'm addicted to reddit. 

Reddit is different from other social media applications because of the unique and realistic insight provided by reddit users. Reddit thrives off of logical discussions, which many other social media outlets lack. In a way, reddit is a more mature and intelligent Instagram.

Reddit has a variety of topics, and each topic has it own discussion page referred to as a subreddit. For example, there's a subreddit called /nfl where all people focus on are national football games. One of my favorite subreddits is /woahdude where people talk about things that make them say "Woah dude." Recently, I discovered an important subreddit that would give me critical and forthright college advice: /chanceme. 

/chanceme is exactly what it sounds like: "Hey guys. Can you guys look over my resume and tell me the chances I get into ____?". It's a great idea honestly. Because all the people on that subreddit page are students applying to college, there's a sense of solidarity. Most of the time, students are kind and willing to help others. However, there are times when the page can become harsh. Here's an example: 

Link: 

 https://www.reddit.com/r/chanceme/comments/9qmaf2/chance_me_for_cornell_early_decision_other_ivies/

For those who didn't read the comments, this is what one of the replies said: 

This actually isn't the rudest comment I've seen on this subreddit. I like how the person who commented told the person who posted not to lose hope. There is no ill-will involved here. The first sentence of the comment is maybe too honest, but maybe it's necessary to get the point across. But overall, this is a comment that could hurt someone's feelings. 

(I recommend you guys scroll through this page to get a better understanding of what happens in /chanceme.)

One thing you'll notice when going through these posts is the extreme sarcasm in some of the comments. Look at this one: 

Link: https://www.reddit.com/r/chanceme/comments/9mc2sd/chance_me_ivy_league_mit_and_stanford/

The comments ooze with sarcasm, and I can't help but laugh every time I read them. Posts like these don't have much useful advice pertaining to college, but it puts a much needed smile on your face during the difficult and dire times before college applications are due. 

In conclusion, I like /chanceme. Even though I cringe sometimes because of the toxicity of some comments, most comments are beneficial and empathetic. By reading /chanceme, I've come to realize how futile it is to have bitterness towards others and yourself because of academic standing. Some people are going to have better academic scores and better extra-curricular activities, and that's perfectly okay. At the end of the day, if you're happy at wherever college you end up at, then you've succeeded. Of course, going to a prestigious university is amazing, and I want to give major props to those that do. But even if you don't, it's going to be alright. I have to remind myself that not being accepted into my dream college isn't the end of the world. If anything, it's the start of a new adventure. 

I Don't Know What to Major In! Do you?

College essays and chemistry worksheets are eating my up time, and I often forget the reason of all my efforts. I constantly have to remind myself that I'm working hard to pursue my intended major in college and hopefully discover what I want to do for the rest of my life. But how would I know that right now? On college applications, most colleges require us to select a specific area of study. I might have a general idea on what I want to major in, but without experiencing the courses, there's no way I know for certain on what captivates me the most. I'm planning to major in some type of engineering, but the main reason I'm doing so is because I think I'm a STEM person. I'm not even sure if I'm a STEM person.

This fall semester, I got an opportunity to enroll in a variety of University of Illinois courses. Out of these classes, ECON 102 (Introduction to Microeconomics) has stirred in me an unknown passion in economics. To be honest, I registered for the class because I heard it was relatively easy. Friends that have taken the class before urged me to take this "joke" class and get an easy "A". Because I'm a good friend, I immediately signed up.

Turns out, I have the best friends in the world.

In short, the class is actually really easy. An optional final exam, no midterms, and a homework deadline after nearly a month are all signs of an easy class. However, while the class is easy, this is no allusion to the class being useless. ECON 102 is a very important class: it sets the foundation for most of the economics classes in the future. Most importantly, this class is fun. This combination of fun and important made me forget about the difficulty of the class.

My biggest realization after taking half an economics class is that economics doesn't always have to apply to money. Before the class, whenever somebody brought up economics, I had this illogical notion that economics was basically business, and as a result, I wasn't able to understand the difference between the two fields of study. After the first couple weeks of class, I quickly noticed the broad range of topics economics covered.

Because ECON 102 doesn't have a final or any exams, there are other assignments that provide those hundreds of points. Every other week, we have to participate in an online debate. Our instructor poses multiple questions on a website called PackBack, and students have to respond to these questions. One of the first questions posed was something I didn't expect at all: "Should my brother buy a handgun?" What! I was perplexed. How was the decision to buy the gun related to economics? After reading some of the students' responses, I would learn that economics doesn't have to deal with monetary aspects of life.

Here's the main point. I had no idea what economics was and if I liked it before the class! I didn't even know what that major offered! Stay woke. There might be a crazy and unexpected major that interests you that you don't know. And when working on your chemistry worksheets and college essays, be conscious of your true goals.