Convocation 2017 – I finally graduated!

Hello! Earlier this week, I attended my convocation/commencement. It’s the official ceremony which marks my graduation from NUS (national university of Singapore)!

I honestly felt more sad than anything that day as I just attended a classmate’s funeral the night before and just didn’t feel like celebrating at all.

But seeing that my parents, boyfriend and super good friends who would be there and who came down specially to congratulate me with bouquets of flowers, I had to try my best and feel better for them.

Me whispering: “hi can u help me get into your masters programme next?”

My dad specially flew down that day to see me! Also felt awkward because it was the first time my parents, friends and boyfriend were hanging around me at the same time and I wasn’t sure how to deal with it lolol.

Mitch and I!

Fika! She was the first one I met after exiting the ceremony hall! We met in the nus fasstrack summer programme, which started before even the official school term lolol. So we basically knew each other for more than 4 years!!

Me with my closest psychology friends! We met from the psychology camp organizing committee. Definitely one of the best decisions I’ve made was joining the camp committee, despite the fearful first step of applying for it alone and not knowing anyone there! But I came out of it more confident and with more psych buddies!

I’m very thankful and grateful for having come to NUS, especially the faculty of arts and social sciences. Academically, it has trained me to think and write critically instead of accepting facts as they are.

Writing good essays was a huge struggle for me as I came from a sciences background (chemistry, physics, math), and would have much rather attempted to do 1000 math questions than write a 1000 words essay. I’ve come to a point where a 3000 word essay is pretty much the norm, and might even still be too little a word limit if I don’t write succinctly enough.

As a person, I’ve learnt to slowly be more sociable and daring, and at the same time, more accepting of my introverted nature. I’m glad to be surrounded by open minded people who gracefully accept differences between our background and disposition as well. :’)

I entered university frightened, wordless, sad, but with a hunger to learn. I came out of it with a courageously bigger heart, being able to speak up more than I used to, equipped with the tenacity to be more positive, and though I have learnt so much more about human behavior through my 4 years as a psychology major, I remain eager and hungry for more.

Goodbye, NUS! I’m proud to say: I was here.