Mathura Mahendren was the first in her immediate family to have attended university. She found that the transition to university was difficult, but not necessarily due to the schoolwork. How do you find your people amongst so many people? How much freedom do I really want? Do I really want to pull all-nighters? How do you manage your identity when it feels like home and university are two different worlds? How much can I tell my parents about my life without stressing them out?

If anything, sometimes completing schoolwork was almost a relief, especially when Mathura was going through the breakup of a relationship from high school. She learned the hard way that resisting pain is more painful than feeling it, and that there is value in cultivating support and safety nets to catch you in these more vulnerable life moments. Through it all, Mathura gained a more nuanced understanding of her self, emotions, and body, as well as a better sense of how to work with them.

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