Graduation is probably one of the most significant milestones of someone's life, it's a day filled with so much joyous laughter, indescribable happiness for friends' achievements as well as heart pumping fear yet unbeatable eagerness for the future and what lies ahead.
Even though I (as with everyone else) suffered and slogged for my GPA (for 3 years mind you), I might just miss it when I move on to university. I mean, it's definitely gonna be harder and more intense there (my colleague who's working part time now during her NTU break told me she started studying from the second week of school). Since that instant, I've been dreading for university to start.
However, I'm pretty sure I would have the support of my friends and family when or if the tough gets going. Life's gonna get harder from university onwards anyway, might as well train myself to have more grit, this IS the survival of the fittest.
But beyond this, I hope to improve and develop myself, to become a better person through my next 4 years there. 3 years in Singapore Polytechnic has definitely changed a lot in me.
3 years back, I was this timid girl, never voiced my opinion about anything, so insecure about the way I looked, always thought everyone were 'attacking' me in their heads and only had grades in my mind. I don't know how it started but I guess it could be during a trip to Vietnam in 2012 that my perspectives changed. Towards the end of my first year, a friend, Lin Na, persuaded me to accompany her for the Social Innovation Project to Vietnam. It was a 3 week long project where we had to research and find ways to help a village lead a better quality of life.
In that trip, I bonded immediately with a girl called Zoe, we clicked so well that in the whole trip, we were like glue. It was only towards the end of the trip that I realised that I had neglected Lin Na which I felt bad for and made sure to remind myself to talk and hang out with her more often.
After the trip, even though Zoe and I started getting distant, I started craving the fun that Zoe and I had. She was my total opposite, being able to talk and laugh about anything with anyone she just met while I was extremely quiet and scared to start a conversation. She brought out in me, this giggling little hyena I never knew I had in me. She made me see how fun interacting with people was. And she made me want to make more friends.
Since that trip, I went to various camps and was also accepted to this program (which included more camps and workshops) in school where I had the opportunity to meet so many like-minded individuals. From there, I met so many more wonderful people, especially Isaac. He is this social butterfly I admire who can talk to ANYBODY. When you hang out with him, every 10 or 15 minutes, he would see someone is knows on the street and start talking to them. Watching him back then (I was in the middle of year 2), I desired to be like him, to be able to always see someone I know across the street to say hi.
Fast forward to today, that's what I had accomplished. I didn't even know I had accomplished that until my friend, Brenda, mentioned (after the 2nd time we stopped during our one hour work break because I bumped into and chatted with a friend/acquaintance), "oh my god, how do you have friends everywhere?!"
I surprised myself! Finally, I was able to be like Isaac! :) Although I have much to learn from him because he can make anyone comfortable with him, unlike me. I have not actually inherited that kind of skill yet, hopefully one day soon.
Moving on, I became much more comfortable in my own skin, could chit chat with a complete stranger as well as laugh and shout about without my noticing it. And I have Singapore Polytechnic (SP) to thank, for bringing me to where I am now. Thank you to all my friends and acquaintances, it has been my pleasure getting to know you. Hopefully, we'll meet again, on the street or anywhere else in the world. Because to see a familiar face among a crowd of faceless creatures, always brings a certain warmth to my heart.
PEOPLE I'M GIVING THANKS TO
Some/many I haven't met since the time we said our first goodbyes but have still affected me in some way and taught me many things.
Chloe. Joeslyn. Lin Na. Isaac. Jon Hon. Brandon. Melanie. Hillary. Umar. Faith. Felicia. Carrie. Zoe. Aslam. Julienne. Min Yi. Zhikuang. Sharon. Lili. Nadia. Chee Meng. Lenz. Ashton. Aston. Brenda. Sally. Yik Wai. Jason. Arie. Alexander. Jin Yin. Joey. Hui Yin, Hui Ying, Wei Hao. Benji, Sandra. Fiona. Kathy. Amanda. Kristle. Charles. Rafikah. Ryan. Fatin. Toan. Kieu. Yi Yin. Catherine. Vicky. Kemala. Yan Lin. Barani. Qi Qian.
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