When staring down an uncertain path that’s not fully figured out yet, being asked about it — over and over — can feel like a stab at your anxieties and uncertainty. Each inquiry starts reflecting your doubts, and each polite smile, awkward pause or forced answer becomes a reminder that you’re supposed to have answers that you simply don’t — at least not yet.

Let’s get used to failure — let’s fail over and over and over until it’s not holding us back from trying anymore.

In college, the list of people you know stretches indefinitely — roommates, their partners, classmates, coworkers— it’s a massive web. But as we get older, that web often condenses until it eventually dwindles into your own remote family. While it’s easy to pass this phenomenon off as “becoming an adult” and “getting older,” these statements ignore the fact that we have structurally ensured that loneliness is an outcome of our lives. 

Waking up at 9 a.m., my mind immediately goes to the activities of the day. When am I going to fit in time for meals? What homework did I forget? What am I going to do for the rest of my life? As a...