cubing

In my early days of cubing, I started Square-1 because its algorithms weren’t just learning an algorithm for every case, rather it’s like a tree where all you learn is how to get to the next case. I was really competitive and was stoked with my first Square-1 podium in 2019. Over COVID, I practiced 4+ hours a day, getting my Square-1 average down to 6 seconds which led me to become 34th in the world with a 6.78s average in competition. These days, I’m more of an all-rounder, practicing events from 7x7 to 3x3 Blindfolded. Cubing is more of a stress reliever for me now, when I’m bored I’ll do a dozen or so solves and get back to what I was doing before.

Cubing has a special place in my heart not because of solving cubes, but by how much it changed me. The special thing about cubing competitions is that everyone is super friendly and inclusive, which led me to come out my shell and make my first friend group as a shy 10-year-old. In 2023, I also organized my first competition, giving me valuable leadership skills from dealing with finances and leading staff teams. I believe this is what separated me from the pack and got me into Berkeley, as I was able to write passionately about how cubing changed me and the skills I learned. Even though I practice less now, I still regularly attend competitions almost purely to hang out with friends, with winning being a nice bonus when it happens.