I just came back from my little discussion with my FYP (final year project) supervisor. I am actually happy he is my supervisor because even though he is smart and has all these credentials, he still falls within the range of
normal human beings, you know, those who posses the ability to laugh and tell jokes and stuff.
I remember my mother's friend, who is also a highly esteemed member of the faculty at a university in Taiwan. She was telling us about a certain convention she attended and they were discussing about something very technical like high efficiency propulsion system for launching a projectile -or whatever-...then she told us all the while she was thinking why can't they just discuss about sex. Hahahahaha I really burst out laughing, then my mother had to hush her because a
kid was around. And she was pertaining to me.
Okay another sidetrack, when I was in the US, we ate buffet at this restaurant. When the bill came, I was charged half-price because they took me as a kid.
I AM 21 you know, NOT 12!!! I could have already gotten married at Las Vegas if I wanted to muahahahahaa. But of course I didn't, because I still have one more year to go in university, which brings me back again to my first topic - FYP.
So. I am actually excited in this whole final year project thing. I know there would be a lot of challenges along the way. There would be times when I'd be deprived of sleep, or time for doing things that fall under the 'leisure' category...which would eventually lead to a social life that's non-existent. There'd be a lot of whining. There'd be shedding of tears, sweat, or even blood. There'd be madness and wishing for death to come. But it's only for one year, and it'd be over before I know it. Then there'd be exhilaration and self-fulfillment and euphoria. Yes, I'm expecting to experience the extremes because I want to do really good. I want to do great. You know, finish with flying colors and all that cliche (at least for my FYP, because that's too much wishful thinking if I say I'd graduate with flying colors because of the way our grading system is structured).
My last two years in high school was also spent doing something very similar. We plainly call it
Research. My project title sounded even more complicated then - Coconut water as mycelial growth enhancer for Volvariella volvacea (paddy straw mushroom) - as opposed to my FYP entitled Biological activated carbon for removal of organics.
It was laborious, and honestly until now I still cannot believe my groupmates and I have this hardbound copy of our research sitting pretty on a shelf at the library in Pisay Davao. For two years my
weekends (as other people know it) were gone, and computers and lab facilities became my buddies. I remember one Sunday afternoon at our home, as I was hauling my ass off to go back to Davao, my face was concurrently streaming with tears and I was hugging my mother and telling her I wanted to die already because of too much stress.
Anyway. I SURVIVED!!! Woohoo!!! Thank you God.
And some more, all our hard work paid off because we even got an award at the science fair in school. Woohoo again.
So now I am intending to have a repeat performance. Or make it even better.
My supervisor also gave me a reality check, because I asked him some advice about pursuing further studies. Then of course he emphasized good grades, like I don't already know hmpf.
I mean, sheesh, getting a headstart in life will be so much easier with remarkable grades, in a sense that you already have a passport to good scholarships or good jobs. A lot of opportunities would come knocking on your door, and your biggest problem would be confusion as to which one to choose. Of course there are remarkable people who make it in life without proper education, but they are the exception rather than the rule. They are the anomalies. They had to go through a lot of things to prove their worth, because whether we like it or not, the way the world sees a recent graduate's worth first and foremost is through his/her grades in school.
I know what I'm talking about, because I can see a vast difference in the way opportunities present themselves when I was still an
exemplary student then, and a
mediocre student now. Having graduated 4th out of 90 in my cohort gave me access to the conveniences and high standards of a first world country which I would never have known existed. I could have gone to any school I wanted to back home, but I was blessed with an even greater opportunity here in Singapore.
But now, if I want to apply for this or for that, they reject me because they look at my grades first, and so I don't even have the chance to show them what else I can offer.
Yeah it's not all about grades, they are not the most important things in life, but no one can deny that THEY DO MATTER. A LOT.
Anyhoo, I am just getting in touch with some sense of realism since I am going out in the real world very soon.
Whew, that was a mouthful. Actually I am just killing some time before going to dinner with Rovin, Maybeline, Robinson, and who else??
cheerios.
