It is easy to feel like Convocation is just another day, another day to celebrate the end of the 4 years of my university life. But to be more retrospective, it is way beyond that. It's been a long way. Every single step of the way in my education, I must say that the last few years in university were strangely, the easiest.
The toughest had got to be the two years in JC, when the academic requirements were the most rigid and stringent (as opposed to studying arts in Uni). If you were to ask me, I probably would maintain that I don't think university is "worth" going, because it is easy and mostly because I chose the simpler path, knowing that Arts is something I am more confident with and essay-writing would be manageable. I might not have been as active in hall and CCA as I would like, but in exchange I know I have what I wanted because time is a limited resource that you can only allocate to a limited amount of things Therefore, I think to make your education or the important time during your early 20s worthwhile, it is really up to you.
Other than making the formal education part of your life fulfilling, one of the uses of your ultimate degree is to find a job thereafter. In my job hunting experience, there was one consistency in what employers are looking for - the relevance of your skills and experience to the job you are applying, and ultimately, what you can contribute to the company. Simply put, if your academic results and CCA achievements are not related to the job description, it will not be value-adding to your job application. Of course I am not saying that you shouldn't be involved in CCA because of that, because certainly, memories and experience gained from your CCA will be precious as well. I believe that the university life is less stressful than JC life to give undergraduates more time to develop their interests and pursuits other than their academic results. Especially at a time like this when the job market is incredibly competitive, internships are crucial to job hunting. Nearly every fresh graduate would have decent credentials on their resume because internships in Singapore are very popular. Even if you don't really know what you want just yet, pick an internship that involves a lot of exposure and opportunities to pick up new skills.
But regardless, it really isn't about amazing academic results that we celebrate, but being able to truly learn how to learn. To know what it means to rise up from where you fall, and to dust yourself off, and even support those who may falter occasionally. It's to learn how to gather strength in times of darkness, how to be your own greatest cheerleader when things get tough. You are the main scriptwriter of your life. Ultimately, you decide. Everything happens for a reason, especially the mysterious choices we make, powered by our sixth senses.
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