Posts by John
Here’s to the misfits
June 10, 2019
I’ve never felt as if I’ve truly fitted anywhere. This is not because I haven’t tried hard enough. I remember being a young 7-year-old in primary school trying to fit in with the ‘cool kids’. Whilst other students were having their lessons, I ran out to play at the fitness corner. I still remember one …
Deep working (when work doesn’t happen at work)
May 30, 2019
If you are reading this, you might be procrastinating from the revision you have to do. If you are, this might be helpful. As I’m currently on placement, I’ve been grappling with this question: why doesn’t work happen at work? I make myself many cups of tea, I chat with my colleagues, and I attend …
The last lesson
May 13, 2019
I look at the result slip that my teacher hands to me. BBAD, the paper reads. I feel a whirlwind of emotions. In front of my friends, I know I cannot show too much emotion. But I wish the ground would swallow me. [3 years later] I log into Bluecastle. Looking at the marks listed, …
If my essay were…
May 6, 2019
I love writing essays. There is no sarcasm intended in the previous sentence. I genuinely do. I love writing it, responding to the question, and seeing it as a unique way for me to express myself. But perhaps many of us don’t. We detest the coursework our professors set for us. We hate the pain …
Rest.
April 22, 2019
I remember working incredibly hard as a high school student in Singapore. As a student in one of the best schools there, it felt like a constant competition. I would wake up at 6am, start our morning assembly at 730am, and then begin lessons at 8. We would often have lessons till 3pm, before we …
I’m a poor student!!!
March 24, 2019
Last December, I was at the tram stop with my friend. She suddenly pulled out 2 tea bags from her pocket. ‘Look what I’ve got! Two Twinings teabags from the leftover tea in class just now! I didn’t take the Lemon and Ginger one because I didn’t like it.’ I slowly reached into my pocket… …
Focus.
March 11, 2019
I used to feel as if there was a little clock within me, slowly ticking away. I had to make use of every single second to be productive! This was probably made worse by the compulsory national service I had to do in Singapore, where every single second mattered. I often remember that as soon …
Kindness
February 11, 2019
I am at the Manchester Piccadilly Station. I have just come out of the Oliver Bonas, irked by the outrageous price of £6 for a notebook. As I come out, I see an elderly man seated on a chair, with a rolled up mat underneath him. There is a cardboard underneath his feet as his …
Figuring out your passions
January 28, 2019
This is our last outfield exercise before we finish our mandatory two-year National Service (NS) in the army. I look into the stars, covered in mud, camouflage paint, and dirt. The socks within my boots are wet. Mosquitoes are buzzing around me, wondering if I will be a tasty meal. This looks like it’s going …
Why results aren’t the most important thing
January 2, 2019
Loser? “Hey Tom*! You scored so well! Only 1B!” With hardly a word, my form teacher had moved on from me to her next student, leaving me to deal with the tsunami of emotions washing over me. It was hardly easy. In the aftermath of the collection of my less than stellar results, it seemed as …
Student life on social
