It all started when my dad had a dream — not the poetic kind, but the “you two will take the toughest exam in India” kind. The JEE. An exam taken by almost 12 lakh students every year. Me and my twin sister? We decided to prepare for it on our own, with no coaching, no teachers, nothing except YouTube, fear, and a lot of audacity. We studied till 3 AM almost every night, and during the day we helped our father, who is a farmer. Four hours of field work, cattle work, housework — because we are the daughters of the house, and apparently also the “perfect cousins” of the family. Somehow, preparation went well. The January 2025 attempt felt good. We both wrote the exam on the same day. Then came the results. My sister got 42 percentile, a classmate with two years of coaching got 80 , and I got… 22 percentile. I cried. Not because of the score, but because I started doubting myself. In 10th grade, both of us had scored 96%, so failing suddenly felt like breaking into pieces you didn't know you could break into. But I still had a second attempt. So while preparing for the April exam, I also had to prepare for my final board exams. Two big weddings came in between too — yes, we attended them (priorities change when you live in reality, not in textbooks). After the January attempt — sorry, Attempt 1, not failure — I became quiet. Very unlike my usual “chaotic-silly” personality. I thought maybe I wasn't good enough. But then I looked at my parents, my sister, and myself. I couldn't continue like that. So we planned again, studied again, cried less and worked more. Boards came first; JEE had to pause. Boards are conceptual, JEE is practical — both pulling in opposite directions. After boards, we resumed JEE prep and wrote the second attempt. My sister got 51 percentile. I got 61 percentile. Still not enough to qualify because of category cutoffs. Still disappointing. But that night, when I compared 22 → 61, I felt something I hadn't felt in months: Proud. Then our board results came — 91%. After failing two JEE attempts, that felt like a small but meaningful victory. Then came the future. JEE wasn't happening. We gave CUET — decent marks, but not enough. We gave NDA — and reached the exam center two minutes late. Worst feeling ever. At that point, it felt like there was no light at the end of the tunnel. I genuinely thought, “Bro, just disappear.” But instead of disappearing, we changed our direction. We prepared for IELTS at a small local institute, and within 9 days, both of us scored 7 bands. People take two months for that. This was our BIGGEST win of the year. Now came the country. Everyone suggested the US or UK, but we thought about our parents. We wanted something good but affordable. And then — while listening to BTS (yes, I'm not denying it) — we found out Korean currency is cheaper than Indian currency and the education is brilliant there . So South Korea entered the chat. Most people in our village didn't even know if that country existed. Our parents thought we just wanted to go because of BTS (okay, 30% true). Convincing them was the hardest part, but we did it. We applied to one university — got rejected due to a missing document that even our teachers didn't know existed. Another failure. We found a travel agent. Applied to another university. Got shortlisted for a scholarship interview. Meanwhile, we still did all the field work — we have 16 cattle, and for years we've been helping our father. People in the village criticized him for letting girls do “boys' work.” But now they praise us, and sometimes even feel jealous seeing my father relax. (Also, I make tea so good it could enlighten someone.) Then… Results came. We BOTH got a 70% scholarship — the highest scholarship offered for undergraduates by that university. The purpose of telling this story isn't to brag. It's to show that everything happens for a reason. If we hadn't been rejected, failed, or cried, maybe we would've never researched so deeply, become hardworking, or turned into village girls who can outshine men in farming. Never expect life to be good or bad — it will happen anyway. If something bad happens, it means you need to change. If something good happens, it means you're on the right path. Follow your passion. Once you find direction, you will never be lost. Either you will reach your destination, or you will become an excellent traveler — a quote from one of my favorite teachers. Now, with all these lessons, me and my sister are going to South Korea for our bachelor's degrees. This year changed our lives — and I'm grateful for every part of it.