Obaid's Mecca

1. I got married at 18 I met my wife in high school, and no it was not arranged. 2. I've memorized the entire Holy Quran Six hundred pages of pure Arabic. It took me two and a half years (full-time), but I was able to do it. It was a religious choice that I decided to do with a few of my friends. 3. I have six other siblings I am one of seven children and second in order. My older sister is twenty-three and my youngest sibling is a toddler. 4. I am multilingual.  I speak English and Urdu fluently, and I've learned enough Spanish and Arabic to hold my own in conversations with native speakers. 5. I have never shaved my beard. My beard has been growing since I was fifteen and I have never shaved it since. I occasionally trim it and shape it to keep it tamed, but never used a razor to get rid of it. I think I've forgotten how my chin looks!

Dear Self, Although as finals week may sound scary, I know that the final weeks are even more stressful. With due dates, final examinations, studying, and borderline grades hovering over your head, things can become very overwhelming. On top of all that, being married, having a part-time job, and looking to move doesn't make things any easier. But relax. Remember God. Give it your best. Know that the finals and assignments will all come to an end, and you'll have your satisfying exhale of relief. You've gone through times that have been worse and tasted the sweet sense of relaxation that comes afterward. Use that as the motivation that drives you and allows you to grind through what's left. Be confident in yourself and focus. You've got a goal to reach, and you will reach it. You got this. Sincerely, Obaid P.S. If you ever need any extra, epic motivation, and to be reminded of your dream, watch the embedded video.

(Don't worry, I won't spoil anything) Before this movie even came out, I was extremely excited for its release and would read up on any details about the release date. Before the trailer had even been released online, I found out that it was shown in a D23 Expo, so that day, I searched everywhere I could for the leaked version of it. Someone had to be recording it discreetly, right? Sure enough, I found this lob-sided, color-altered, duo-screen, and camera-recorded version of it online (How-to-Avoid-Using-Copyright 101), and I enjoyed every second of it. As you can tell, I am a huge Marvel fan and also very easily entertained. So, I found this movie to be amazing. The thrill, the suspense, the action, the emotions, and the plot all had me captivated. I definitely rate this a 10/10 and would recommend it. Others complain about the ending and how a certain aspect of the plot could have been better, but I appreciated its originality. Now for the next year, I'll be on t

If I told you that I have always been interested in Biology my entire life, I would be lying to you. Biology, along with History, used to be my least favorite subjects in middle school and high school. It wasn't until recently that I became interested in the subject. After my first semester in college, I decided that maybe I should go into a stable profession because I value structure and stability immensely. So, the healthcare field seemed like a safe bet.  Therefore, I decided to try an EMT course that a friend of mine had recommended. The thing that really got my attention was that EMT's get to drive the ambulance. Of course, it turned out to be a whole lot more than just driving an ambulance. I learned basic anatomy and physiology, basic medical procedures, and some insight as to how the healthcare field operates. Although the class was a 10-credit-hour class, I came out of it having loved it and appreciative of the knowledge it exposed me to. I found the human bod

MIST Chicago, also known as the "Muslim Inter-Scholastic Tournament," is an annual event that brings many MSA clubs at different schools together in a competitive environment. The weekend-long event includes competitions like Basketball, Quiz Bowl, Short Film, 3-D Art, and much more. In my high school years, I competed in various competitions such as 2D Art, Spoken Word, and Nasheed, which is a type of religious singing that involves only vocals. It was always such a great experience because it was such a powerful way for me to get creative and grow as a singer, Muslim, and even a person. Now that I'm out of high school, I wanted to participate in MIST in a different way. This year, I was given the honor to judge some of the competitions that I once competed in. It was interesting to see the next generation of students become so involved, excited, and nervous to compete, and it reminded me a lot of myself when I was in their shoes. 

Where do I see myself in ten years? This is a question I've asked myself many times since starting college. The future is scary in that it is so unexpected. I've learned that failure can come easily to those who take the future lightly. The only way to prevent future failures to the best of our ability, however, is to plan. I believe that planning is a major key to success, and that is why I spend a significant amount of time simply planning my actions beforehand. Before writing a paper or going about my week, I make it a point to map out the things that I need to be done. As it stands, I am on track to graduate from Lewis and start medical school at LECOM in Pennsylvania. Having a set path to becoming a doctor has helped me stay focused and driven me in terms of my studies. In ten years, I can see myself hard at work as a Medical Resident, finishing up my residency and begin working as a full-fledged physician. I respect the future and what surprises it may hold for me, bu