from green to black

why should i study in nus

oh i finally went running today. not the stanchart one
though. ran from kap to adam, then right to empress then
up to holland and acjc then to nus and finally down
clementi sunset way to home. i was so unfit, i think i
spent a good half the time walking. ugh, no wonder my
spare type is slowly steadily going to exam period
levels. anyway as i was slowly walking around nus,
wondering what life would be like as a student again.
wondering if what virn said was really true and that
i should be yearning to go back to school again. but
strangly all i felt was ambivalence. firstly i have
to admit, the very fact that i am not even serious
about the idea is a very unnatural step for a singaporean.
i'll admit that the degree has its advantages but i
am much more swayed by the opinion that it is overrated
and that it really doesnt deliver in certain courses.
but anyway the main point was that i was walking around
the watching mainly the foreigners doing their thing
and i was like hmmm pretty few people, some were in
heavy mugging mode some were probably adding the
finishing touches to their work, while the more
mature and wearied ones probably profs doing extra
time made their way to the carpark to head home.
well its a sunday i know, but reminding me of the
crazy hours in front of books? no way!

so this leads me to wonder, with the singaporean
value system of hard work, being yes-people cogs in
the gears, safe with all our out of bounds markers and
all, how the heck am i supposed to fit in? is there
room for my original thinking? is there tolerance for
the challenging of convention? as asians, we have a
huge pride issue and we hate to have our feathers
ruffled how would my kind amount to anything esp
when projects will be internally marked and graded.
personal bias as well as being unreceptive to having
work done in more efficient(thought of as lazy) ways
would be very detrimental to me.

furthurmore it is somewhat amusing to see the astar
building in nus. i mean, if we've noticed the news
reports why is it that given a choice and the moolah,
why do our best rather study overseas? if even our
best wouldnt go to nus however hip cool and happening
cutting edge and all it is, doesnt it raise your
eyebrows? hell its like phillip morris telling you
smoking doesnt cause cancer since our top execs
hang around it all the time but never got it. yeah
yeah they dont smoke but hey they're around it all
the time.

oh well, but i really dont know coz i'm not in it
anyway. so probably this post just serves to tell
you how ignorant i am. but damn, must i really get
that stupid degree?

posted by green unseen @ 6:57 AM