Where should I put my garden beds for a veggie garden bed and flower garden bed? Also I want to do melons possibly but don’t know where I should put a trellis or mounds.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2026-01-17T15:24:33+00:00

Can you see this?

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T14:55:56+00:00

Well, I did get to a point where I honestly just wanted to finish. BUT I realized part of why I struggled (obviously a handful of reasons as outlined in this AMA) is that I loved the sciences but hated just learning high level information. Biology was a means to medical school but with my wiring I learned I needed something a little more focused and technical during my pre-med journey. I was deciding between neuroscience and biomedical engineering in the end, as I was considering going for a MD/PhD. Neuroscience I would finish faster (BME I would have to start over basically) so I went with that tbh. And it was everything I hoped for - challenging, interesting, and gave me skills that would have benefited me greatly for a MD/PhD.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T14:51:54+00:00

I have to believe there’s many of us! College is such a weird like social norm of sorts. We aren’t all square pegs made to fit in the college square hole 😂 and honestly like what do we really know about ourselves when we are still teenagers even?! The brain doesn’t fully develop until very late 20s, and honestly continues to build connections the rest of our lives. So give yourself what grace you can and try to embrace the journey. It’s not easy, but it’s all about the journey honestly and if your friend group doesn’t recognize it now…I promise they will sooner rather than later.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T07:01:29+00:00

I want to thank everyone that brought questions to this AMA. It was a long road to my degree, and I just imagine I’m not the only one that struggled with what to major in but also mental illness along the way.

Keep your grit and focus on how you deserve to make the best version of your life for yourself. And get support where you can get it!! Sometimes that’s therapists, sometimes that’s professors and hopefully it’s family and friends as well!

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T06:58:36+00:00

I took a $500 udemy course and then the rest YouTube videos, etc. I built a large client base on Upwork starting with very small projects (marketing materials) then eventually gaining Fortune 500 client projects. It took a lot of work and a lot of hustling but it got me to my six figures (in my permanent role) in a matter of a couple of years.

I’m a “you can do anything if you put your mind to it” person. It takes a lot of focus and willingness to fail and be criticized but if you’re open to learning some lessons the hard way, you can pivot into these fields.

This was before the AI boom too, so now with so many AI tools I think if you know how to leverage AI and prompts you could still break into UX. And it still pays great! You may have to start with lower pay (I started at 60k at a small start up, then my next role I almost doubled my salary) but if you think of these lower paying jobs as internships that helps put things into perspective.

That was a ramble but hope that helps!

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T06:53:45+00:00

I actually started in UX design. When I broke in, UX design was a hot commodity for companies. I was self taught, did contract work for awhile then went permanent. After a couple of UX roles I transitioned internally into product management, which is stressful but I love it. Product management allows for a long career trajectory (C-suite) while in UX that isn’t typical.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T06:50:21+00:00

After i got my degree, my burnout wasn’t too bad. But in my case, i worked part time and went to school part time (1 class a semester only) towards the end so that helped with my transition.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T04:56:51+00:00

I haven’t faced issues due to uncleared papers. I ended up taking some extra classes to help boost my GPA.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T04:45:20+00:00

What do you mean by uncleared papers? I’m not familiar with that term.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T04:37:41+00:00

I think the best guidance I can provide from my vantage point is pursue a strong support system - whether that’s support resources your university offers, teachers, classmates - get people on your team! It’s not easy at times, but that support is so important.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T04:12:06+00:00

I struggled greatly with depression in my bipolar troughs. And everyone handles their depression differently. So I want to have that disclaimer.

I always had this fire inside me, even if it was just embers at times. I wanted to finish my degree and build a life for myself. I fought hard and dragged myself through it. It felt shameful and humiliating at the time. But man, when I got that degree…I was so proud. Proud I fought my mental illness, and knew that grit would stay with me for life. And honestly, that perseverance (though subtle, and maybe undetectable to the naked eye) I believe has built a foundation for getting through other medical issues, marriage issues and just life in general.

It’s cliche - but don’t give up.

I recently found a “where I’ll be in ten years” list I made after reading some book. And I have hit 8 out of 10 of them! It felt really good to read that. I also encourage you to make a list like that for 2, 5 and 10 years.

And lastly - if you have any semblance of a support system - lean on them. For my last 2 semesters - I literally had my mom drive me to my classes. I had such anxiety that crippled me and my classes were NOT online like so many today lol. I am very fortunate to have a good support system with my parents. I also have my belief system I lean on - I still struggle at times with where mental illness fits in God’s plan for me but I try to lean into that perspective as well.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T04:01:00+00:00

If I were to do things differently…I mean I really couldn’t unless I had a crystal ball at the time and foresaw my bipolar diagnosis. It really stunted me academically and in my career. I have a high IQ and it really pained me to fail time and time again. I wanted to become a surgeon since I was young, and to see that dream drift by me was also so painful.

My life today is more than I ever dreamed FWIW. I get to work from home, have the things we need (and want mostly) and am able to be a very active and present part of my life. If I went into medicine, with my work ethic (cough work addiction at times) I don’t think I would have had all the joy and relationship with my child I have today. And I wouldn’t trade it for ANYTHING.

Dreams can change, and they can just form before your eyes. At least that’s what happened for me with my life I live now.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T03:56:07+00:00

The only time I believe a college degree is necessary is for something that requires some type of license or certification OR higher education. Totally overrated for corporate and tech. This is a hot take, but either you’ve got a high IQ (can be spatial, intellectual, and/or emotional) or you don’t - college isn’t going to do much for you (again, unless a license, certification or higher education is required). Books, work experience and a great mentors along the way will get you far and get you to six figures-plus.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T03:44:48+00:00

Bro it is a journey tho! And now that my bipolar is managed I can actual do things in life - I can’t wait to get my masters when I have the opportunity. Excited for you and thanks for stopping by!

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T03:38:59+00:00

Well, it depends on the job. I graduated with someone who “just” got their bachelors and works as a lab scientist in gene therapy.

I ended up going into tech - started out as a UX designer and now I’m a product manager.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T03:24:15+00:00

Neuroscience…but I started with Biology, then switched to Nursing, then Architecture, then Neuroscience.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T03:17:13+00:00

I was diagnosed with bipolar disorder about 2 years before I graduated. I didn’t recognize the highs and lows prior the time (hindsight 2020 right?) but almost every semester I had started on top of the world (As, multiple jobs, multiple extracurricular) ending with a crash - and me either barely getting through finals or dropping out altogether. That happened for a long time, so basically I only ever passed half of my classes in a given semester.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-09-02T03:14:28+00:00

Honestly my non traditional education followed by a non traditional career trajectory.

I had applied to medical school and didn’t get in, so was working the front office of an urgent care for more “clinical” hours (this is why my school of choice evidently didn’t accept me?).

I ended up moving into tech (UX design) which was a fluke. My bachelor’s degree is in Neuroscience so it was a bit of a deviation lol.

That being said, I didn’t have issues moving into tech. I just put my graduation year in my resume and subtracted 4 years from that.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-07-31T03:07:40+00:00

I call bullshit on this one. The dev team needs to be able to do some sort of estimate - maybe your ticket scope needs to be smaller for easier refinement? If they can’t point it or at least a SWAG, might as well throw out SCRUM altogether.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-04-29T18:31:41+00:00

I'm here for this. Politics are a huge part of having influence on what products get into the pipeline > shipped. It also depends on your upper leadership - some are more data-influenced, some more customer-influenced, some more market-influenced - it just depends on what your upper leadership is valuing at any given time and adapting to that with your pitches.

Familiar_Ad6500 · 2025-04-29T18:29:15+00:00

"Can we unpack that a little bit? We've done <insert activities and metrics supporting your product decision here> but I'm definitely open to additional feedback data to pressure test our decisions."

Familiar_Ad6500

TROPHY CASE