life and society | the singaporean obsession with studying overseas (for a year)

"life and society" continues with its second contributor, Daryl Wong. For this series, he has written a light-heartedly funny and personal post about the one year spent away from home. I'm sure that people who have lived away from home in unfamiliar environments remember the same helplessness and uncertainty he writes about, and maybe more importantly, the amazing attitudinal changes that happen in us when we start adapting.

Daryl just got back to Singapore a few days ago after being away in Perth for a year. Proud to say that I read his thesis and proofread parts of it before he submitted it! Daryl is a hilarious guy from university, often hilarious because he's shrewd and practical. You can find bits of that humor in here, and you can read him at  http://ohyeahohyeahohyeahhey.tumblr.com/, where he has cross-posted this too.

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The Singaporean Obsession with Studying Overseas (for a Year)

Daryl Wong

G’day G’day. 

Singaporeans are obsessed with academic achievement. Singaporeans believe that studying overseas will provide one with a better education. However, this ‘better education’ comes with steep financial cost. 

I’ve been blessed to have had the opportunity to study and live overseas for a year, as I pursued my honours degree in psychology. Yes, I wrote a thesis, which was interesting (more on that later), I studied very hard, and yes, I got, or hope to get the grades that every Asian (and/or Singaporean) should be getting or would hope to achieve. BUT studying overseas is NOT SOLEY about the grades, the academic achievement or the Singaporean obsession to get ahead in life (although it helps you on your way). 

Over the course of this really quick year, I’ve grown, experienced, learnt, cried, sweat blood, died a little on the inside and out (okay may be not the crying part). Some say that studying and living on your own overseas, is a lonely, stressful and relationship breaking process that should not be undertaken if you’re not willing to give it all up. I’d say, its a fantastic growing process that many Singaporeans are deprived of. Take the plunge and experience, step out of your comfort zone and grow! 

I’ve gotten to know different people with differing degrees of craziness and warmness.

Owned my first car! cute little thing really. Awesome stuff there. 

Saw the most amazing sunsets that Singaporeans don’t really get to see. 

Watch a football match at a stadium that has more people in attendance than school assembly. Yes, S-league matches have lower attendance than normal school assemblies.

Observe a random tree in the middle of a carpark in full bloom. And experience flowers that are not 1) frangipani 2) balsams 3) bougainvillea. 

Used a jacket/pullover/hoodie for an extended period of time ( time > time it takes to walk around in Suntec City). 

More importantly, this year has been spent growing together with Vanessa even though we were apart (refer to previous few blog posts), treasuring my family and all the lovely people I’ve left behind in Singapore. Through this experience, God has put my life into perspective, and for that I am grateful. 

As I’ve come to the end of my year. I pray that God will lead me to greater heights and more exciting experiences. More than I could have ever imagine. 

So in all of this. Did I even study? 

This picture was totally worth all my hard work this year. 

To God be the Glory. The Best Is Yet To Be.

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"life and society" will feature various people from different walks of life and various parts of the world. New posts are up every Monday and Thursday at 6pm (GMT +8 / Singapore time) through the first week of 2012. On Monday (Dec 5), I will be featuring Mercy Laine, my friend from Szechuan, China, who just got married last week!