Recently, I attended a seminar on the purpose of life.
I always wanted to do things what others around me cannot do.
In my society, there are a few tiers of talent. One tier is made up of those who can't even get into technical institutes, another tier is made up of those in technical institutes, then the next tier is those who passed polytechnic courses, then the next tier is those who get into normal university courses such as the arts and the sciences, then there is another tier which is made up of people in selective fields with interview such as law and medicine. The top most tier is those who win scholarships to study overseas, be it United Kingdom or United States.
My high school has a track record of sending her top student to the medicine and law schools in my country. However, she doesn't had a track record of sending her students to overseas universities. Coupled with my parents' insistence for me to get an A Levels certificate, I did go to that high school out of spite. I want to prove everyone wrong, I can get into a foreign university with government scholarship. Bad rash decision.
In the end, I did partially inspire one of my classmates to get a scholarship to read Engineering in MIT, THE college for Engineering. Because of the combined efforts of him, my teachers, fellow classmates (including me), we all did help him smash the bamboo ceiling in my HS - that my HS can, indeed, bag a scholarship, and be recognised as our country's cream of the crop.
However, in the process, I failed because of personal issues. I dropped out of my university... And re-enrolled in another, did badly in that Uni.
Yes, most universities do accept bright students for transfer, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale and of course, MIT. But a few don't. My focus in my 1st 2 years in college was to exploit the system and really see which holes I cannot crack, but I should crack. I really look forward to live and interact with fellow students in the residential colleges.
Turns out, there is only one university in the United States, coupled with perhaps Iranian universities, that don't accept Singaporean students to even study for a term... I thought I really dug so deep.
Why is it that I must get into that exclusive place? What will I stand to win there, and what will I achieve?
Because getting a scholarship is not enough, so does climbing up the social ladder, attainment of some tangible achievement. Oh, doesn't this sound like winning.
I always thinking of winning. Winning the system, winning the odds, winning everything that has stakes.
How can I win all the time? With winning ideals, of course.
But why should I win...?
Good question!
I always wanted to do things what others around me cannot do.
In my society, there are a few tiers of talent. One tier is made up of those who can't even get into technical institutes, another tier is made up of those in technical institutes, then the next tier is those who passed polytechnic courses, then the next tier is those who get into normal university courses such as the arts and the sciences, then there is another tier which is made up of people in selective fields with interview such as law and medicine. The top most tier is those who win scholarships to study overseas, be it United Kingdom or United States.
My high school has a track record of sending her top student to the medicine and law schools in my country. However, she doesn't had a track record of sending her students to overseas universities. Coupled with my parents' insistence for me to get an A Levels certificate, I did go to that high school out of spite. I want to prove everyone wrong, I can get into a foreign university with government scholarship. Bad rash decision.
In the end, I did partially inspire one of my classmates to get a scholarship to read Engineering in MIT, THE college for Engineering. Because of the combined efforts of him, my teachers, fellow classmates (including me), we all did help him smash the bamboo ceiling in my HS - that my HS can, indeed, bag a scholarship, and be recognised as our country's cream of the crop.
However, in the process, I failed because of personal issues. I dropped out of my university... And re-enrolled in another, did badly in that Uni.
Yes, most universities do accept bright students for transfer, including Harvard, Stanford, Yale and of course, MIT. But a few don't. My focus in my 1st 2 years in college was to exploit the system and really see which holes I cannot crack, but I should crack. I really look forward to live and interact with fellow students in the residential colleges.
Turns out, there is only one university in the United States, coupled with perhaps Iranian universities, that don't accept Singaporean students to even study for a term... I thought I really dug so deep.
Why is it that I must get into that exclusive place? What will I stand to win there, and what will I achieve?
Because getting a scholarship is not enough, so does climbing up the social ladder, attainment of some tangible achievement. Oh, doesn't this sound like winning.
I always thinking of winning. Winning the system, winning the odds, winning everything that has stakes.
How can I win all the time? With winning ideals, of course.
But why should I win...?
Good question!
