Last week while having a conversation with a taxi driver while going to work, it struck me that its been 6 long years since since I was in Singapore! Thats more than my 5 memorable years at my previous habitat in Jakarta - one of the more happier and successful periods of my life.During the journey I began wondering about what have I done and learnt in these 6 long years?? Is there any one/two things that I have gained or appreciate from this stint?
Still recall the day vividly when I received the call from the NUS Office of Admissions informing me about my successful enrollment into the course of Computer Engineering at the School of Computing. The feelings were rather mixed I recall, primarily for the fact that I couldnt make it into the same course offered by the Faculty of Engineering, which offered an "engineering" degree - an assurance and security net for most Indian families. But on the whole the picture was rather rosy! I was happy that my family wouldnt have to shed US$15K per year had I alternately entered IIT KGP and plus a couple of my close school friends had made it into NUS as well - back then there was a kind of romanticism that we school friends would explore the college experience together and our friendship would blossom the way it did in school - only later did we realize that that was not meant to be......
Alas the NUS experience didnt go the way I had expected it would, atleast academically! Bar a pretty decent first semester, fared miserably in my major degree and had entered the viscious cycle of failure over the four years. Not that the course wasnt interesting/didnt suit my interest or the faculty wasnt good enough - it was more a effect of my lack of focus, discipline and effort. And since the annual aggregate results are cumulative, by the time one reaches midway, one realizes that it doesnt have much impact to put in efforts and do well then - yep, a self-fulfilling prophecy to convince oneself not to work hard!
But since this blog is more about what I have learnt and gained, lets rest the academic bit to rest! When I look back, there are probably a couple of things I remember/cherish most about my NUS life - the first being representing the uni team at the highest level as well as touring with them to Victoria, Australia for a 5 game series with local schools and colleges - that was one dream come true!. Made some good friends through cricket and shared some cherishable memories. The second one being pursuing the minor in technopreneurship. More than the interesting courses and faculty, it was an eye-opener experience for me in that I realized that I wasn't interested/suited for a hardcore technical job and I rather would enjoy a career in marketing and business development. That was an important turning point I reckon and an experience that helped shaped my career choices.
So what is that one most important takeaway from my tertiary education experience? - managing people & relationships - be at the personal front (trust me, have had some rather interesting and twisted experiences in NUS, which I personally think were crucial in my character development) or at the academic/professional front.
Its been two years since I began my career at IESingapore - and I must admit that its one of the better choices that I have made and its been an enchanting experience thus far and have been enjoying every bit of it. The last two years have definitely helped ease the pain and embarassment of my poor run at university and the postivity, focus and the urge to succeed, something which was there in abundance in my days in Jakarta, is definitely back.
The high-level industry exposure, the opportunities to talk and network with people from diverse backgrounds, the autonomy to propose and work on your set of business problems, the practical experience of learning to analyze specific business problems and recommend solutions to the board/ministry, the opportunity to develop and carry out your own industry development programs and not to forget the numerous opportunities to travel and lead delegation of Singapore companies to numerous parts of the world (9 countries thus far) - its been a fantastic journey so far and I believe that another two/three interesting years are definitely in the offing.
Through my two year stint, I have learnt to appreciate the importance of focus, discipline ethics and hard work - something I must admit I have learnt from the Singaporean colleagues - have never seen another race who can be so ambitious and focused, with strong tenacity and perseverance to drive mixed with a good sense of ethics to guide oneself.
These 6 six years definitely have not been as rosy as my experiences in Pune and Jakarta, but definitely one that has helped me guide and learn to lead an independant life well - it has presented me with various shades of life and has helped me learn with the people and circumstances involved - would attribute it as the 'phase of exploration' that has been an eye-opener and has helped shape and mould my attitude and perspective for the prime years that await me.
