Time

For what it’s worth: it’s never too late or, in my case, too early to be whoever you want to be. There’s no time limit, stop whenever you want. You can change or stay the same, there are no rules to this thing. We can make the best or the worst of it. I hope you make the best of it. And I hope you see things that startle you. I hope you feel things you never felt before. I hope you meet people with a different point of view. I hope you live a life you’re proud of. If you find that you’re not, I hope you have the courage to start all over again.
- Eric Roth, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button



S.

Pound the Alarm

Alarms are going off; danger signs, warnings.

It's not all unfamiliar though.

At different stages of your life, you'll reach a cross-road.

You then have to make a choice, and that decision is solely yours.

At the end of Secondary 2, I had to choose the subjects I wanted to take for the next 2 years.

Of course I didn't know what I wanted. BUT! I knew what I didn't enjoy. I didn't like D&T (Design and Technology), Home Economics, Arts (History Literature etc). I ended up with science and humanities.

After 'O' levels came another headache: What courses to take in Poly.

I had absolutely no interest in ANY courses across all polytechnics! I was so annoyed that I told my dad I wanted to just go take up manicure or beautician course in ITE. Of course I didn't. So, I chose by elimination again. No to IT. No to banking. No to a lot of stuff. I went into Ngee Ann taking Diploma in Product Design & Innovation, because I thought it'd be more of a design course. It was the worst decision of my life. It was the top of my no-no list in Secondary School - D&T.

It was 3 years of hell for me cus I liked it none. I stayed on for that piece of paper. At the end of the course, I still didn't know what I want in life. Questions started pouring in: "Are you going to continue studies in this area?" "What are you going to work as" "Where will you go after graduation"

That had placed a tremendous amount of pressure on me. I decided to put studies on hold while I think it though; didn't want to make another grave mistake.

I stepped out of my comfort zone and applied for a sales job. I didn't expect myself to get the job since I had no prior experience but I was overjoyed that I got it! It definitely improved my interaction and communication (not that I'm very very good at it yet), and allowed me to be more organised and focused.

A year later I decided it was time to further my studies. Choices and decisions again. Thankfully, there wasn't as huge a variety of programmes in Degree as in Diploma. I chose Business(Marketing).

So now, it's close to graduation for me.

Questions regarding the future starts popping up, again.

"What's your next step?"

"What are you going to do after you graduate?"

"What jobs you want?"

"Have you already applied for jobs? You should start.."

At this moment, I'm placed at the same cross-road. But it's different now. I can't escape to education anymore (I don't intend to further my studies! Enough!! Haha). Time to step out into the scary man-eating society.

I'm not confident at all, but I think I know what I want.

Finally. After all these years.

Time to step out of my comfort zone once again.

Hopefully, I will achieve it.

S.