Hiiiii, I’m Vic — and in this undergrad Q&A I’m answering the questions you sent me on Instagram, with the perspective I have now as a PhD student at the University of Toronto. I talk through the stuff that actually makes or breaks your day-to-day: time management (without turning into a robot), dealing with guilt when you’re not “maximizing” every second, and how to find purpose in your degree by getting involved in things that make you feel more like you. This is very much a “real life” chat — not perfect-student propaganda. I also get into the practical questions I know everyone wonders about: how I personally think about balance (yes, I mention my calendar), whether all-nighters are “normal” (and what I’d rather you do instead), and how to survive boring lectures without spiraling. Plus, we touch on reading week expectations, finding love in undergrad, and my favorite mindset shift: staying curious because being curious thickens the plot. If you’re trying to actually like what you’re studying (or at least not hate your life while doing it), this video is my big-sister PhD-student pep talk with actionable steps.