A Brief History of (My) Time...
1978-1981 (Too-Young-To-Remember Days)
1982-1984 (Kindergarden Days)
1985-1990 (Primary School Days)
The next three years were spent at Anglo-Chinese Primary School (ACPS) which is that really ancient school at Fort Canning Rise(the building has since very fittingly become the site of the National Archives). And the reason for the change of school was because I supposedly scored well enough in some test in Primary to show that I am 'gifted'(with what?). Anyway, the Gifted Education Programme(GEP) was only offered at ACPS, Rosyth and RGS, so I didn't have much of a choice but to take the daily trip into the CBD to my new school. Here, I got to meet many people of different background, most of whom have remained steadfast friends till today. I also came to realise that my neighbourhood school was not so hot after all, after my 'meagre' grades banished me to the lower half of the class...
1991-1994 (Secondary School Days)
And the reason those four years were a happy time was because of the bunch of friends who were there with me, many of whom I had already known for three years in ACPS. And the good thing about mixing around with these smart people is that they don't need to study much. So what you have is a soccer club that is ready for action anytime. I don't know why. But the whole lot of us were really crazy about soccer. RI had a soccer field, but it was perpetually bare from usage by the ruggers. Thus we improvised. In Secondarys One and Two, we played in the circular(!) study areas and were reprimanded by the Discipline Master. In Secondarys Three and Four, we graduated to a nearby field outside RI and got our names taken down by the police. But nothing could stop us. We were like playing everyday after school at one stage...
1995-1996 (Junior College Days)
Someone once told me that your results are only useful in getting you into the desired place in the next stage of your education. From then on, you start on a clean slate. I think he said that to console me after my PSLE. But I do know that I really had to do well in my 'A'-Levels. I had always wanted to further my education overseas, but lack the funds. So I had to rely on some scholarship. Academically, I certainly settled down more(really!) and put in much more effort. It may not seem so, but despite the fact that I do enjoy most of what I am studying, there were times when I really had to push myself to the limit, especially as the examination season drew near. The road was long and not everything was plain sailing, but at least now, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel.
1997-1999 (NS Days)
1999- (University Days)
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That period in everyone's life when you have the faintest but fondest memories of. After this, my life seemed to revolve around school...
I guess I was pretty fortunate to born at a time when they ONLY taught alphabet at kindergarden. Things weren't as competitive in the past and there weren't so much pressure on parents to enrol their children in some special computer pre-school. Anyway, I studied in this PAP sponsered kindergarden just below my block, which was nice since it was very convenient, and I could sleep in later every morning without having to worry about catching a school bus at such an early age.
Primary school days was a confusing time, really. I spent my first three years at Geylang Methodist Primary School (GMPS). My memories of this period were quite faint as it was so long ago and nothing very notable happened. But I do remember that my mother had a hard time getting me into this school as I did not have any elder siblings who schooled there and therefore did not have piority. Those who are familiar with the (absurb?) primary school enrollment system in Singapore will know that things such as proximity to the school (XX-kilometre radius), having elder siblings in the school and being affliated to the church or school (ie. 'volunteered' services or funds to them) rank amongst the criteria. Parents in Singapore would probably be able to relate to this. Anyway, my mother finally managed to secure my place through balloting (but at the cost of some other unfortunate soul). I managed to top the standard for all three years, so I guess I can say I did pretty well here.
I must say that I spent the happiest years of my life here (so far lah). During these four years, I schooled at Raffles Institution, which had just moved into its new sprawling location in Bishan. Life here was hectic and fast-paced. There's always a lot of stress and pressure on you to perform when you are in a good school like RI. This was not helped by the fact that I was surrounded by very highly intelligent beings. I remembered that I failed my first and only test ever in Secondary One. Hahaha. It was a Chinese test and I scored 49/100. I still remember that I felt quite bad about it after that. Not because I did not study for the test, but because I did and still did not know the answers...
After my 'O'-Levels, I went on to Raffles Junior College (RJC) for my pre-university education. It was a natural choice to me. I really couldn't bear to part with my friends, almost all of which were going to RJC. And frankly speaking, in my heart, I knew that I had to go to the best. The four years I spent in RI had conditioned in me a craving to strive for the best ('Go for the gold' says Letterman). And only the human environment in RJC can really push me to achieve what I can really do. I was pretty clear about the course I wanted to take and had sufficiently good results in my 'O's to avoid all the hassles during the first few months, so I settled in quite fast. Soccermania continued soon at three times a week, thanks to my easy time-table. And despite making new (girl)friends, my buddies from secondary school still stuck together through our love for soccer. (See Links for my JC class(2S04A) homepage)
If the last two years were the most memorable ones, then these last two years are definitely the most forgettable ones. It is really quite hard to describe that big transition from student to NS life. And to think that all this while I felt that school life was dull and boring! Perhaps it's true that one will only learn to treasure something when it is lost... Nothing much to write here except that I did manage to get the NCB scholarship I wanted and quite miraculously, found myself in a 8-5 appointment as an RP section commander at Brani Naval Base(after charging up countless hills for one year).
After a long two years and four months, I was finally reunited with my pink IC. From now I could at last continue with my studies. Fortunately, two years ago, I had managed to secure myself a scholarship with NCB to study Computer and Electrical Engineering at Carnegie Mellon University in Pittsburg, Pennsylvania. The scholarship came with a six year bond, so my road ahead (at least for the next ten years) has more or less been planned. I am right now looking forward to life in the States...