Sakshi

Success isn't about perfect plans.

For me it was about crying after McDonald's shifts and still showing up the next day.

Back to July 2023, what started as my dad’s dream of seeing his daughter at a prestigious UK university led me here today.

I got into University of Leeds. All set to have my "perfect" life.

Reality hit fast.

I wish someone had told me about the physical toll of working 25 hours at McDonald's while your mind refuses to believe that "this" was the life you chose. Those lonely walks home, questioning every life decision.

August 2024, something had to give. Did something either brave or completely mad.

I quit McDonald's, moved back to India.

No safety net. No plan B.

Just pure determination and student loans breathing down my neck.

Then came that onboarding call with Shaki. You know those moments when everything suddenly clicks? That was Unimad for me.

It wasn't about throwing out hundreds of applications anymore. It became about strategy. About turning those McDonald's experiences into stories of resilience. About being genuine in a world of perfect LinkedIn profiles.

Funny thing about authenticity is that it works.

When I stopped hiding my McDonald's experience and started owning it, something shifted. Employers didn't see desperation anymore. They saw determination.

The breakthrough didn't come instantly. It came through rebuilding. Through learning that each rejection was teaching me something.

Looking back, starting 8 months into my MSc was too late. This madness needed more time than I thought.

If you’re relating to what you’re reading now, remember to keep pushing, keep growing, and most importantly, keep believing in yourself.

Sometimes, the maddest stories have the happiest endings.