This afternoon, I was chatting (via an internet messenger) with a friend of mine (junior, perhaps) who is currently pursuing her undergraduate degrees at MIT. Out of nowhere, she said 'hi' to me and no longer after that, we found ourselves discussing about opportunities that MIT could offer to oneself. I found myself, not long after that, regretting my life decision that I choose way back 2 years ago. I should have challenged myself for a higher standard in education, I think to myself. I was overwhelmed and seek a comfort zone by telling myself that NUS was not a bad choice at all considering its influence in Asia scientific research. Today, my faith towards NUS was challenged and I succumb to defeat. I have to admit that there was way more opportunities offered in US college.
She encouraged me to do a transfer to MIT or other US top institutions, a dream which I had buried deep in my heart since my first year in NUS. I was confident that NUS with its amazing facilities could nurture my mind and unleash my whole potential. Well, I still find it true to certain extent until now. However, the desire for transfer to US still lingers within my head and it was revived today by my conversation that I had. What a bad news I had when I found that I was one-semester late for transfer application. MIT would not consider a transfer application for one who would soon graduate, unfortunately. After we found that out, she encouraged me to enter the graduate schools in US, especially in MIT, instead. Well, I would really consider that.
Our conversation ended, leaving me in trance about my uncertainty for my future. What will I be? I was of no work experience nor community experience. I did not have any good student-teacher relationships. I did not focus myself on a particular research interest. All those 'holes' suddenly become more and more apparent compared to how negligible they were when I was at my first year. Should I work with a company? Or should I enter the academia directly? I was overwhelmed with such dilemma: "Will I live a life of commercial scientist or an academia?" and remarkably, everything just began with a 'hi'.
To end this post, I would like to share a quote:
"Children can be fascinated by almost any object. Perhaps they feel the universe that each one
contains. Most adults seem to lose the enthusiastic intensity of exploring ordinary objects.
Ironically, an important condition for being a scientist or a philosopher is that one not lose a
childlike mind, or at least maintain that curiosity for much of each day." by Ronald C.Pine at Science and the Human Prospect
peace
vixklen
P.S. I am not blaming any parties here. It was just the fact that such difference in academic culture exists between NUS and MIT. You can't blame a culture, can you? As it is already become 'the virus of the mind' in the society.
7 comments:
truly touched something beneath my heart at the moment i read this!
I totally, whole-heartedly agree with you..if I have enough $$, I would not have chosen NUS, I chose NUS really is because it is a much better university than any in Malaysia but I harbour hopes to use that NUS qualification to go somewhere else. Why? NUS education is too exam based. I don't think people here appreciate the meaning of education itself but rather the system is one such that intense competition in exams is the way to go...deep down inside, I am also disappointed with the system here and you are not alone. That is why I might have repeated myself many times that given the opportunity, O would definitely want to leave this island if possible...
OMG, I can't agree more with Gavin's comment! I thought NUS was able to expose me towards more research stuff - but I ended up failing modules (not really failing, just did badly) and studying things that are more of the lecturer's interest rathern than my own interest!
Same here. The fundamental reason for me choosing NUS was not of its sparkling facilities nor its brand new NMR instruments, it was basically the fact that NUS was much more better than any university in Indonesia.
The fact that NUS education based on a exam-centric thinking saddens me about my decision to enter such place. People are seeking good grades and all that for nothing. Ask them a question 2-3 months after the final exam, I would not be surprised if one will have forgotten almost everything about what one learned.
I am sort of a person who really seek the joy of discovery and attainment of knowledge to explain various nature phenomena rather than reading and doing exercise to get As. *sigh*
I see (and glad) that I am not the only one have such impression towards the 4th-best-university-in-Asia.
so true, Kelvin! Other than that, students were competing for good grades and good CVs just for a better class honours and better job opportunity. If ask what's their goal, it is quite often to hear people who says they will find a stable job and continue their life just like that. Whilst, just to get the good CVs, I noticed people who grabbed research programmes opportunities without the passion of doing it - regarding the program as a past time, a process in turn to graduate with a nice cert! This is what makes me dissapointed, because, by that, many whom were much more passionate might not be able to grab any opportunity at all and these people were there wasting all the chances away!
hi kelvin. come to US soon if you're able to transfer.
i've been here, in the US for 4 months, and im studying at community college rt now. next year i'll transfer to the big university. i hope MIT (aha!), but it's okay if i only can reach university of illinois at urbana-champaign, illinois.
as you wrote here, US universities offer more beneficial stuffs and promising career (worldwide standard, of course). i love US. hehehe...
thanks for sharing your idea 'bout NUS culture and everything. it pushes me to do my best here. and yah, saya dari medan jg, tamat SMA thn lalu. kamu ngomong ttg si polim, bukan. sblum ksni, aku baca dia di koran lokal. dulu aku pernah pengen bgt masuk sutomo, tp skrg gpp ternyata.
$? klo uda sampe sini byk beasiswa kok. aku dpt full scholarship kok dsni. and you know what? my english was very bad when i came here, even now im still working on it.
yeah... horas, deh!
orangmedan
18 thn, Illinois, USA
Haha. Thanks untuk sharingnya! Moga-moga anda sukses di US. W ud decided kalo w bakal graduate school aja di US. Karena w ga lama lg ud mao dapat bachelor, jadi MIT ga kasi transfer admission. HAHA! But I am glad my post could motivate you! =)
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