Hynavian

Yesterday night was commencement and I have officially graduated from NUS! :-)

Recalling, my study life has not been a cup of tea, especially after secondary. I’m not an exceptional student but I’m a good student. I would hand in homework or assignments but I wouldn’t go the extra mile for studies. The period after secondary was a nightmare and it started with entering a run-down institution that’s far from home for my first 3 months. As my prelim results for O’Levels were horrifyingly atrocious, I got into an equally atrocious college for 3 months. Folks there were of different frequency (they’re smart but their schools set the prelim papers to be too difficult), the place was run down with lousy facilities, there were only 2 food stalls selling inedible food and the course I got was obsolete. There I became depressed, dreaded school, constantly fell ill and lost a lot of weight. Save for 2 friends who saved my sanity when I was there, that institution was nothing memorable and I’m so glad that it’s no longer standing.

After the first 3 months when my results were released, I got into a JC that I wanted but faced the threat of being transferred from the Science to Arts stream because I did not have A maths. I was given the option of either entering the Arts stream or to leave the JC and so I chose to enter with English Literature, Economics and History (with History being the only subject that I wanted) as my 3 main subjects. I went home and laugh because taking literature was an insane thing to do; I barely passed Charlotte’s Web (with 51 upon 100 marks when I was in lower secondary) and spinning poems seem crazy. Economics was a subject that I didn’t know exist till I was given the option. I guess that’s what you get when you’re equipped with the sciences since I came from a secondary school that has no arts and commerce stream.

Try as I could, I couldn’t appreciate Literature and I adopted a mechanical way to answering Literature questions so as to pass. I constantly shocked friends with questions like “Why are strawberries and champagne romantic?” because I hated the taste of both items and it doesn’t seem romantic to forcefully eat/drink something one didn’t like. I chose to repeat the 2nd year of my JC because I was struggling with Literature and Economics and my aunt has to undergo a major operation during the A’Levels period. Some of my friends knew that I would be repeating the 2nd year while the others were shocked that I wasn’t at the examination hall. Regardless, the extra year allow for more friend making and extra time to think things through.

Alas I made it to the university but it was after appealing successfully. My JC friends who got in earlier and those who got in at the same time became my best-est best friend during my university days and we studied and hung out together. University was generally relaxing and fun and I enjoyed myself without studying much. Graduating without honors was a choice that I have made as I feel that there’s much more things to do in life than studying as my perspectives and priorities in life changed after my nightmarish experience in that institution.

Thanks Syl for the graduation lion!

Yesterday was a joyous event not only for me, but for my family and friends. Had supper with my friends after the ceremony and I even had an after ceremony celebration as home as my aunt got me a chocolate cake!

Having chocolate cake at midnight

My studying journey was rough but I manage to graduate nevertheless. I would like to thank my family for their constant support, my friends, teachers and those who helped in the slightest possible way. It was an awesome night and thank you all for coming. It’s a pity that I couldn’t meet up with pp as I arrived later but thanks for the effort to meet up pp!

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