Things I learned in investing [the hard way]

In 2018, I took my first steps into the world of investing. Back then, my financial situation was beginning to look up after a period of scrimping and saving from internship paychecks. With grad school tuition out of the way and another internship in the pipeline, my bank account was finally showing some promising numbers.

My curiosity about investing was piqued one day in the library, of all places, when I caught a glimpse of a guy trading stocks on their laptop using a website called Robinhood. That chance encounter led me down a path filled with trials, errors, and hard lessons about the world of investing.

My journey wasn’t straightforward from the start. Like almost every beginner, I made plenty of mistakes. But I’m sort-off happy I made them as each misstep taught me lessons I couldn’t have learned any other way. Experience, after all, is the best teacher. Through my trials, I’ve realized a few key truths about investing that I wish to share with anyone venturing into this realm.

Investing isn’t a one-size-fits-all affair.

Our individual risk tolerance, shaped by our unique circumstances and responsibilities, dictates our approach to investing. There’s no universal strategy that works for everyone. This…