Connecting the dots
Attended the "NJC student leader - Alumni dialogue session" yesterday. The main purpose of the dialogue session is for the alumni to understand the problems faced by current students, and how the alumni can help them. Teachers were not invited to the dialogue, so that this can be a fruitful and sincere session.
In my own opinion, such session has been long overdue; the alumni had failed to make its presence known to the students even though the alumni has worked hard all these years helping the college to raise funds and bursaries through its numerous annual projects. I never knew the existence of the alumni during my school days, much less know the stuffs they do to help the college and needy students. It was only after sitting in their meetings that i realised that they were all unsung heros, volunteers to fundraising projects which will bring them neither more fame or glory (most of them are in their 50s). They are there to serve with honour for their alma mater with no strings attached. But as many of us know, unsung heros and mr nice guys never get the credits... and this probably explains for the poor membership in recent yrs, which is why i really felt that such a dialogue session will be useful in promoting alumni existence among students.
Many issues were raised by the student leaders, mostly complains with regards to the lack of space/facilities. However I felt some of the valid issues were not discussed in depth, probably because of the lack of time, and also the seniors' wish for every student to make his/her comments. Throughout the session, i felt there was a need for the alumni to make known to the students of the constraints faced by them, and how they are working towards in solving the problems. I was a student who was full of ideals, with a mentalility of " i want, i get" , but has been since been tamed after my term in the national chorale. It was a good experience as I realised that having a head-on confrontation with the admin is not always wise, working round the obstacles and exercising imagination for things to be done my way is instead the right way to go..
The most impressive speech i heard in this meeting was by poh tzan, a senior from the class of 1974-75. While trying to convince the juniors that the school and the alumni are making changes for the best interest of the students, he cited a quote on "Connecting the Dots" from job steve's speech to stanford undergraduate.
"you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. you have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. this approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
This is so darn true.. At points in our life, we stopped and ponder whether we had made the right decision, chosen the right course, the right job, the right companion, and we are totally clueless as to where we are heading. We tend to let present setbacks dictate our futures, without looking back to see how we have gotten so far.
In analogy, solving for dy/dx=0 provides u with only minimal information of the problem, u still have to connect the dots by subsituting information back to the past equations to solve the utimate problem.
To my friends who are frustrated with their final year projects, relationships or/and work.. I hope this article had provided u with some insight, of the importance to carry on despite failed results and setbacks, and the faith in knowing that everything will turn up just fine eventually. =)
In my own opinion, such session has been long overdue; the alumni had failed to make its presence known to the students even though the alumni has worked hard all these years helping the college to raise funds and bursaries through its numerous annual projects. I never knew the existence of the alumni during my school days, much less know the stuffs they do to help the college and needy students. It was only after sitting in their meetings that i realised that they were all unsung heros, volunteers to fundraising projects which will bring them neither more fame or glory (most of them are in their 50s). They are there to serve with honour for their alma mater with no strings attached. But as many of us know, unsung heros and mr nice guys never get the credits... and this probably explains for the poor membership in recent yrs, which is why i really felt that such a dialogue session will be useful in promoting alumni existence among students.
Many issues were raised by the student leaders, mostly complains with regards to the lack of space/facilities. However I felt some of the valid issues were not discussed in depth, probably because of the lack of time, and also the seniors' wish for every student to make his/her comments. Throughout the session, i felt there was a need for the alumni to make known to the students of the constraints faced by them, and how they are working towards in solving the problems. I was a student who was full of ideals, with a mentalility of " i want, i get" , but has been since been tamed after my term in the national chorale. It was a good experience as I realised that having a head-on confrontation with the admin is not always wise, working round the obstacles and exercising imagination for things to be done my way is instead the right way to go..
The most impressive speech i heard in this meeting was by poh tzan, a senior from the class of 1974-75. While trying to convince the juniors that the school and the alumni are making changes for the best interest of the students, he cited a quote on "Connecting the Dots" from job steve's speech to stanford undergraduate.
"you can't connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. so you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future. you have to trust in something - your gut, destiny, life, karma, whatever. this approach has never let me down, and it has made all the difference in my life."
This is so darn true.. At points in our life, we stopped and ponder whether we had made the right decision, chosen the right course, the right job, the right companion, and we are totally clueless as to where we are heading. We tend to let present setbacks dictate our futures, without looking back to see how we have gotten so far.
In analogy, solving for dy/dx=0 provides u with only minimal information of the problem, u still have to connect the dots by subsituting information back to the past equations to solve the utimate problem.
To my friends who are frustrated with their final year projects, relationships or/and work.. I hope this article had provided u with some insight, of the importance to carry on despite failed results and setbacks, and the faith in knowing that everything will turn up just fine eventually. =)
posted by junKiT | 2:00 PM
3 Comments:
That's the Steve Jobs speech that Ms Shu gave us.
I've got something to say abt solving for dy/dx = 0 but I think I'll skip the mathematical analogy and come to the point. It is minimal information but important nonetheless. The past has some kind of magical influence on the future but that is not the end of the trajectory. Let us have faith in the future but not blind faith and actively control our present (not to let setbacks and failures control us) to shape the future as best as we can. And do look forward.. you can't live life walking backwards.
Hey guy, I truly agree with you on this! The process of walking a journey is crucial, sometimes maybe more important, then the eventual destination. Maybe the dots can be those learning experiences we gain through the process? It's like building a network of experiences to make a final picture. Nice analogy... dots. Though ar, no matter what we still need to move on. =)
wah. u so long nvr blog le ah
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