William's Words: The Three-peat

There’s something about the name “William” that draws people to giving me nicknames. “Bill”, “Billy”, “Will”, and “Liam” are all common ones I’ve been called before. This phenomenon is most commonly done by the more outgoing people I meet, but I’ve been called different names so many times I don’t quite know how to categorize it. People assume they can make instant friends with me by trying to be “casual” and “cool” by using a nickname. I hate it. A name is possibly the most “personal” quality that a person can have. In a way, names define us like nothing else can, even if most names aren’t truly unique. A name is a descriptor, a quick definition of who someone is without explanation necessary. I’m also rather attached to my name; a name is one of few constants throughout a person’s life, and I happen to like mine a lot. I’m stuck with it, and I’m happy with it. Now, to address nicknames. Nicknames are usually reserved for the closest of friends. A friendship takes months or years ...

  I stare blankly at the screen. The screen stares blankly back. My coding project is due in four days (“space it out over the two weeks of time you have to complete it!” my professor had warned). I have not started. My mind is empty. “Maybe tomorrow” I think to myself. I closed the app. I eventually finished the project a day before it was due, but not without serious groveling before even attempting it.       When I applied to Uni, I distinctly remember one of the essay questions asking us to rank which of three assignments we would complete if we only had time to complete two (I can’t remember the semantics of each assignment, but it was something along the lines of “Study for a biology test, complete a math worksheet, read a chapter of a novel for english”). I felt confident that my answer of “I would choose to complete the assignments in the classes I felt the least knowledgeable first. In my current classes, I feel blah blah blah” would wow the admission...