One semester down, seven more to go. Just like that, four months have gone by – four arduous months. Even on hindsight I wouldn’t have said that it was a flash nor was it a breeze. Those four months did feel long. If my first semester in NUS was anything to go by, then I am expecting my undergraduate life to be no walk in the park. JC feels so long ago, and the 3.5 years in between made transition back to school a little tougher than desired.

I remembered being a zealous freshman in August, overly zealous perhaps. I couldn’t wait for school to start. I miss the lectures and tutorials, I miss life as a student. It might have been the sustained period away from school, or the one year leave of absence I didn’t envisage, or perhaps just my increased maturity through the passage of time. It was afterall 4 years ago that I completed my A levels. Boy was I motivated. I was prepared to work hard, to do justice to my time in NUS, to 彌補 the one year long absence.

The first six weeks were wonderful. I worked hard and enjoyed what I was learning in class. I kept myself well abreast of all deadlines and assignments. My midterms were good, and I was really enjoying myself. The increased autonomy I had as a university student was a double edge sword. I felt liberated from the lack of constant supervision and as a consequent - or not - skipped many lectures, mainly those 8am ones.

The workload increased with each passing week, and I was feeling the strain. I was probably too hardworking – such work ethic unsustainable. It wasn’t long before I crashed out – my first burn out. That was shortly after mid terms. I took a week ‘off’ school, and the catch up after that was nothing short of miserable. I crashed several times for the remaining period of the semester. Miraculously I did reasonably well for my second mid terms, and hopefully so too for the finals.

If results is a priority, then a semester in NUS is analogous to the 3 months preceding the A levels. It drains the heck out of you. The zealous freshman four months ago is so relief that his virgin semester in NUS is now a thing of the past. Long may it evoke pleasant memories.

The holidays are finally here! I need my break!

Happy Holidays!

And for once, I have so much time on my hand, I don't know what to do. :)