Friday, April 14, 2006

Been there, done that

In the bus on the way back from work, I overheard a conversation between 2 young girls, who were probably in secondary school.

Girl A commented that her sister was at home at this time, because she was going to start school in a week's time so she had just quit her job.

Girl B asked her friend which school her sister was moving on to and she mentioned Nanyang Polytechnic. The two girls soon shared very excitedly, their views and "beliefs" about polytechnic/tertiary education.

Views like:

- Her sister's timetable is "so good", some days she goes to school at 9, some days 12pm and some days she doesn't have school.

- The school has an airconditioned food court, and McDonalds as well!

- The school is so big!!

- Freedom to join any CCAs they prefer and the freedom to quit anytime they want.

- No homework(??!!)

- Ability to wear any clothes they want and they can dye their hair too!! -_-

The whole conversation was really amusing, although I have to admit that I have felt this way before. That sense of eagerness, anticipation and that "haolian" feeling when I know I am now part of that "distinguished" group of tertiary students studying in "fancy" campuses.

How I wished I could tell the two girls these:

Wait till you become part of the school. The school would be so big that you might get lost or risk being late for classes because your tutorial venues might be at one end of each other.

And who said there was no homework? Plenty of it!

Free days and flexible hours? Wait till you "camp" in school or come back on your free days to complete the neverending projects, assignments and readings. Then you will really really miss your 8am to 2pm classes back in secondary school.

Just a case of been there, done that.