What I've been up to (26/02/2026)

Many things, both good and bad, have happened since my last post, and I’m not quite sure where to begin. These past few months have mainly been dominated by moving and reorganizing my living situation, but I guess I’ll start with my firefighting experience.

I finally began going on call for real emergencies, as they say that the best training happens in the field. We use an app called MyStart+ to indicate when we’re available, in addition to mandatory duty weekends that rotate between the five teams of St-Légier. These duties run from Friday evening to early Monday morning. We don’t have to remain at the station the entire time, as long as we stay close enough to respond quickly, except for the first hour, which is dedicated to equipment checks and announcements.

My very first call came on Saturday, August 30, around 3 p.m. I had just finished installing reflectors on my bike when I heard a siren. The sound seemed to come from my phone, but I wasn't sure. Seconds later, both my pager and phone rang. I confirmed my availability and rushed to the station — luckily already next to my bike. It turned out to be a false alarm caused by an automatic detector. On one hand, it was reassuring that nothing serious had happened; on the other, it was slightly disappointing for a first intervention.

The following day brought my first real operation. I was playing chess with a student when my pager rang — which, admittedly, arrived at a convenient moment since I was losing. A car accident had occurred at a roundabout. By the time we arrived, the police and medical teams had already handled the injured, and our role was simply to clean a small fuel leak and clear debris. I was told it was probably the smallest fuel leak they had ever dealt with.

The third intervention happened on October 5, just before dinner, for flooding in an office building. A tree had fallen the previous day, allowing water to infiltrate the ceiling. We installed a temporary patch so insurance services could later carry out permanent repairs.

The fourth call, on November 8, was different. I was already at the station and watched my colleagues arrive while already seated inside the truck. It was impressive seeing the driver manoeuvre such a large vehicle through narrow roads. Once again, it was a false alarm, but this time I was given the thermal camera to check for hot spots inside the building, just in case. The suspected cause was a smoke detector that had somehow been moved near a window and triggered by cigarette smoke.

Outside of mandatory duty weekends, I regularly made myself available for about two hours every morning after my boarding morning shift ended. I also attended official training sessions and trained privately with a friend preparing for the final firefighting exam on December 13. He had years of experience as a Jeune Sapeur-Pompier and aims to become professional; his help was invaluable.

Unfortunately, I was the only member of my station to fail the exam.

That result was difficult to understand. During the tests, candidates discussed their performances, and it felt like we all struggled similarly. I performed well in the areas I had trained, but the exam covers situations impossible to prepare for entirely. Because of this failure, I will need to undergo the full training again starting in April. In the meantime, I had to return my pager and am no longer called for field interventions, which feels strange after finally beginning to experience real operations. I’ll try again this year.

I learned that I had failed the day after moving out of my room, which connects to the next major chapter: losing my job.

My time working at the boarding house was mixed. I genuinely enjoyed helping students — preparing breakfast, tutoring, being available when they needed support — and we often had significant free time. I even taught about a third of the boarders to solve a Rubik's cube and helped build a cube collection for the boarding house thanks to my connections with the cubing community. I’m deeply grateful to Olivier Wirz for donating a part of his old collection🙏.

However, the work atmosphere with my direct supervisors was toxic. They frequently scolded me over petty issues and there were disagreements about how the contract was applied. I prefer not to go into detail. Even when relationships are strained, I believe professionalism means avoiding unnecessary accusations or naming individuals. It’s important to say, though, that this experience is limited to boarding: my colleagues at school and the HR department were consistently kind and supportive.

After pressure to schedule another exam, I booked a third attempt for my driver's license for November 5. About a week later, before the holidays, I was called to HR and informed that my trial period would be terminated. The main official reason for my dismissal was my failure to obtain a driver’s license within the required timeframe. I was also told that I was considered too young — even though I was not the youngest houseparent — and that my personality was not compatible with the job. Since the license requirement was contractual, I didn’t contest the decision. Ironically, this time I finally managed to obtain my driver's licence.

My parents had already moved back to Portugal by that time, while I chose to remain in Switzerland. I want to live here long-term, I’m undergoing naturalization procedures, continuing firefighter training, and — quite practically — my health deteriorates every time I stay in Portugal due to severe rhinitis.

Finding housing quickly became urgent. Renting in Switzerland requires three salary slips, and since my contract started at the end of August, I initially had only one that was complete. HR kindly allowed me to continue working until December so I could obtain the necessary documents. Once I received my November salary slip, I began visiting apartments, a challenging process given the housing shortage, my limited budget, and the requirement to remain near a fire station from the Riviera region to keep being a firefighter.

For a time, I rented a modest room in the same building as the boarding house for CHF 600 per month, sharing kitchen facilities but luckily having a private bathroom. The day after my firefighting exam, two firefighter colleagues helped me dismantle my furniture and move everything into storage and my temporary room. Moments like that remind me what real friendship looks like.

Around this period, I also made an important long-term decision.

Even before being fired, I suspected my position was unstable, which pushed me to reflect seriously about the future. The only profession I can truly see myself pursuing long-term is teaching mathematics at the high-school level. In Switzerland, this requires a master’s degree in mathematics — something inaccessible from my microengineering background. I therefore decided to start over academically with a new bachelor’s degree.

After researching options, I chose the Bachelor in Mathematics, Computer Science and Digital Sciences at the University of Geneva. Returning to university requires financial preparation, but my mother agreed to cover my rent once I resume studies, making this plan realistic.

Meanwhile, I had already begun searching for work. One day in Vevey, I noticed the name ArcMaths written on the back of a car. Curious, I looked it up and applied. That’s where I now work as a tutor. The company has many students, but I personally haven’t yet been assigned many of them, so my current income remains low. The atmosphere, however, is excellent and my boss is genuinely supportive. Teaching students from different educational paths has been interesting. I’m continuing to search for additional work to stabilize my finances.

Soon after settling into my temporary room, I received unexpected good news: my application for a studio in Montreux — the very first one I visited — was accepted. It’s located just one minute downhill by bike from the fire station, a welcome change from my previous uphill commute.

The past months have mostly been spent moving, organizing, and rebuilding stability. Now that everything is finally settled, my focus shifts toward earning enough to live while saving for university.

Some projects inevitably fell behind. I made no progress on Math From Scratch, exercised less than I would have liked, and paused my Korean studies. I'm planning on slowly resuming these activities. One of my current goals is to improve significantly in blindfolded solving and qualify for that event at this year’s European Championship in the Netherlands, where I’ll be competing. I initially planned not to attend to save money, but my mother insisted on supporting the trip. I’m deeply grateful for that — and for all the friends who have helped me through these months.

I can’t ignore certain doubts about the future. My academic and professional track record hasn’t exactly been smooth: I failed at EPFL three times, failed my driver’s license twice, failed the firefighting exam, and ultimately lost my job. Because of this, I sometimes question whether I will truly succeed at UNIGE. Still, choosing to try again feels like the only meaningful direction forward. At the same time, I’m aware that I may be making things more challenging for myself by continuing my firefighter engagement alongside university, remaining available for interventions whenever I return home.

Despite setbacks, uncertainty, and difficult moments, I realize how lucky I’ve been.