> Use your free time post-covid to build up something worthwhile. A cat is a good start!

And to take it further, even if you’re one of those (many) people who thinks the sky is constantly falling with COVID...there is still no reason to wait until “post-COVID”. If you want to build a skillset start working towards that now, not tomorrow

I’m 22 and a senior+ developer at a BigCo. I optimized my whole life to be able to escape from the big capitalist machinery as quickly and cleanly as possible. Maybe a cat’s a good idea to get me through the next couple years.. but honestly a pet rat seems like a lot less commitment given they live 2-3 years yet are still affectionate creatures.