Writing these 31 things to say for a month really makes me reflect on a certain aspect of my life on a daily basis and I have been walking down memory lane and reminiscing about the past.
Day 9: Someone told me if you study hard, you will have a future. If you do not, you will struggle to make ends meet when you grow up.
As I was growing up, people around me be it my grandmother, parents, school teachers, media, etc. kept emphasising on the need for one to have a good education in order to secure a good future. Those words stayed in me for the longest time ever and I plough really hard for my academics. Nevertheless, I had my fair share of fun engaging in sports, playing mahjong, chilling near Merlion Park twice or thrice every week, etc. throughout my 17 years of education.
When I finally graduated with a good honours degree 3 years ago, I was looking forward to my supposed or assumed bright future. However, the last 3 years has been a stark contrast of what I had imagined. Not that I have been suffering or whatsoever but sometimes I wonder if I had been truly happy the last few years and had the rosy picture painted to me since young really materialize? Truth to be told, I actually enjoy studying and like I told my students, the first time I did 'A' levels invigilation, I actually found that memory to be sweet when the students were told that they could begin writing. It is that sense of satisfaction yet nerve-wrecking feeling that you have to illustrate how much revision you had done the previous day or days or weeks in that few hours that I miss I guess.
So even if it was not for the money or that supposed bright future, I would also have want to build up my academic competency. Nevertheless, like what the economists always say, education is nothing but a signal. It is a signal of your abilities and what you study honestly may or may not be of importance to your future career. I guess times have changed and mindsets are no longer the same. Students these days do not truly have that passion to acquire knowledge anymore and the reasons as to why they are mugging so hard are parental pressure, bright future, high-paid job, etc. If a bright future and a high-paid job are what you are looking for, education may not be the way at times. I did all the things that I was told and obtained a good degree but none of those things materialized. I am still stuck on the little red dot and the bigger world outside is still waiting for me to explore. This has struck me especially hard recently when I see my close friends leaving to work overseas one by one and I definitely envy them. However, I feel happy for them at the same time for I have always wanted to be a global citizen and I was told my education would be a gateway to what or who I want to be but looks like ceteris paribus assumption was applied. You need luck, the right job and an education, but not necessarily a good one to get you what you want.
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