<p>We were all well informed, but,</p><p>We chose what we used for our debut.</p><p>The flashy cars and pretty dresses,</p><p>All those did not define adulthood's stresses.</p><p><br></p><p>Life didn’t evolve, it’s the people in it that evolved,</p><p>Our perceptions, our dreams, constantly resolved.</p><p>We chase after the glitter, the glam, the fame,</p><p>But find ourselves trapped in the very same game.</p><p><br></p><p>How did I grow up with the wrong idea about life?</p><p>I was raised by watchful parents who toiled day and night,</p><p>Yet, my reality was not completely what they hoped for.</p><p>I realize they hoped for better.</p><p><br></p><p>Their early mornings and late nights were never appealing,</p><p>After all, I am one who loves to take my time in bed.</p><p>More so, I love to read, write, speak and mingle.</p><p>It's all I did as a child and now, I am craving it.</p><p><br></p><p>Of all the choruses we sang,</p><p>The one I abhor the most these days is the one about the sea .</p><p>The sea I only got to see once, with its promise of freedom and tea,</p><p>My adult dreams now thrashed in the bayou.</p><p><br></p><p>I had always hoped we’d be great friends; the sea and I,</p><p>Always close only in thought,</p><p>That I’d love to live, to float,</p><p>But the only thing it does is take my breath away.</p><p><br></p><p>The sea whispers secrets, its vastness untold,</p><p>Yet we fear its depths, the stories it holds.</p><p>Adulthood promised freedom, a life without care,</p><p>But we find ourselves tangled in a web of despair.</p><p><br></p><p>We were warned of the trials, the struggles ahead,</p><p>But the warnings were whispers we easily shed.</p><p>The world painted pictures of riches in bold,</p><p>Yet here we stand, weary, feeling cold.</p><p><img src="/media/inline_insight_image/sob 3.jpeg" alt=""><br></p><p>The books I read spoke of courage and might,</p><p>Heroes who conquered with all of their might.</p><p>But real life’s battles are fought with silent screams,</p><p>And the weight of the world can shatter our dreams.</p><p><br></p><p>While we sit and wish life were easier,</p><p>It keeps on passing by, right before our eyes, busier.</p><p>Why not grasp the moment and live your reality?</p><p>Better days will come, but only if you can live through the brutality.</p><p><br></p><p>Still, within us lies a spark, a flame,</p><p>A hope that tomorrow won’t be the same.</p><p>We yearn for a life where our hearts can soar,</p><p>Where dreams aren't buried, but we are allowed to discover.</p><p><br></p><p>So, let’s embrace the lessons, the paths that we’ve trod,</p><p>And trust in ourselves, our own guiding rod.</p><p>For life’s a journey, not a race to the end,</p><p>And true success is found in the love we extend.</p><p><br></p><p>Hold tight to your passions, let them be your guide,</p><p>For in them lies the essence of life’s true ride.</p><p>And when the sea calls, don’t turn away,</p><p>Dive deep into its depths, let your spirit sway.</p><p><br></p><p>For in the waves, there’s a rhythm, a song,</p><p>A reminder that life, with all its rights and wrongs,</p><p>Is a dance, a journey, a story to be told,</p><p>Embrace it with courage, and let your heart unfold</p>
At the end of the month, we give out prizes in 3 categories: Best Content, Top Engagers and
Most Engaged Content.
Best Content
Top Engagers
Most Engaged Content
Best Content
We give out cash prizes to 7 people with the best insights in the past month. The 7 winners are picked
by an in-house selection process.
The winners are NOT picked from the leaderboards/rankings, we choose winners based on the quality, originality
and insightfulness of their content.
Top Engagers
For the Top Engagers Track, we award the top 3 people who engage the most with other user's content via
comments.
The winners are picked using the "Top Monthly Engagers" tab on the rankings page.
Most Engaged Content
The Most Engaged Content recognizes users whose content received the most engagement during the month.
We pick the top 3.
The winners are picked using the "Top Monthly Contributors" tab on the rankings page.
Here are a few other things to know for the Best Content track
1
Quality over Quantity — You stand a higher chance of winning by publishing a few really good insights across the entire month,
rather than a lot of low-quality, spammy posts.
2
Share original, authentic, and engaging content that clearly reflects your voice, thoughts, and opinions.
3
Avoid using AI to generate content—use it instead to correct grammar, improve flow, enhance structure, and boost clarity.
4
Explore audio content—high-quality audio insights can significantly boost your chances of standing out.
5
Use eye-catching cover images—if your content doesn't attract attention, it's less likely to be read or engaged with.
6
Share your content in your social circles to build engagement around it.
Contributor Rankings
The Rankings/Leaderboard shows the Top 20 contributors and engagers on TwoCents a monthly and all-time basis
— as well as the most active colleges (users attending/that attended those colleges)
The all-time contributors ranking is based on the Contributor Score, which is a measure of all the engagement and exposure a contributor's content receives.
The monthly contributors ranking tracks performance of a user's insights for the current month. The monthly and all-time scores are calcuated DIFFERENTLY.
This page also shows the top engagers on an all-time & monthly basis.
All-time Contributors
All-time Engagers
Top Monthly Contributors
Top Monthly Engagers
Most Active Colleges
Contributor Score
The all-time ranking is based on users' Contributor Score, which is a measure of all
the engagement and exposure a contributor's content receives.
Here is a list of metrics that are used to calcuate your contributor score, arranged from
the metric with the highest weighting, to the one with the lowest weighting.
1
Subscriptions received
2
Tips received
3
Comments (excluding replies)
4
Upvotes
5
Views
6
Number of insights published
Engagement Score
The All-time Engagers ranking is based on a user's Engagement Score — a measure of how much a
user engages with other users' content via comments and upvotes.
Here is a list of metrics that are used to calcuate the Engagement Score, arranged from
the metric with the highest weighting, to the one with the lowest weighting.
1
A user's comments (excluding replies & said user's comments on their own content)
2
A user's upvotes
Monthly Score
The Top Monthly Contributors ranking is a monthly metric indicating how users respond to your posts, not just how many you publish.
We look at three main things:
1
How strong your best post is —
Your highest-scoring post this month carries the most weight. One great post can take you far.
2
How consistent the engagement you receive is —
We also look at the average score of all your posts. If your work keeps getting good reactions, you get a boost.
3
How consistent the engagement you receive is —
Posting more helps — but only a little.
Extra posts give a small bonus that grows slowly, so quality always matters more than quantity.
In simple terms:
A great post beats many ignored posts
Consistently engaging posts beat one lucky hit
Spamming low-engagement posts won't help
Tips, comments, and upvotes from others matter most
This ranking is designed to reward
Thoughtful, high-quality posts
Real engagement from the community
Consistency over time — without punishing you for posting again
The Top Monthly Contributors leaderboard reflects what truly resonates, not just who posts the most.
Top Monthly Engagers
The Top Monthly Engagers ranking tracks the most active engagers on a monthly basis
Here is what we look at
1
A user's monthly comments (excluding replies & said user's comments on their own content)
2
A user's monthly upvotes
Most Active Colleges
The Most Active Colleges ranking is a list of the most active contributors on TwoCents, grouped by the
colleges/universities they attend(ed)
Here is what we look at
1
All insights posted by contributors that attended a particular school (at both undergraduate or postgraduate levels)
2
All comments posted by contributors that attended a particular school (at both undergraduate or postgraduate levels) —
excluding replies
Below is a list of badges on TwoCents and their designations.
Comments