Sunday 19 October 2008

University

If there's one regret that I have, it must be the lack of a university education. Now, my parents had never deprived us of a good education. On the contrary, they always emphasise on its significance. Both my brothers graduated with honours and one even completed his MBA.

What happened to me? I started off really well in primary school, usually topping the class which made my grandparents very proud. When I started having difficulties with math, I realised I wasn't as brilliant as they thought. Still I managed to get into a good secondary school and junior college.

I would like to think that my subject combinations led to my downfall. I had no interest in accounting, statistics and economics and struggled with the subjects for two years. I couldn't get a place in the popular Business Ad faculty in our local university (we only had 1 at that time) and turned down an offer to do social science because I didn't know what my prospects were after graduation.

It's funny how our visions were so myopic then. It was like with an accounting degree, you could be an accountant... one-track mind! The kids today are more well informed than we were.

I started working at a publishing firm with the intention of applying for a place in Business Ad again the following year. Mum was getting anxious and started bugging me to take courses in the meantime. She was afraid I may lose interest in studying. To appease her, I did a course on Public Relations at a commercial school which actually piqued my interest in journalism. Unfortunately we couldn't afford an overseas education.

When the time rolled around for the next enrolment, I found that I was enjoying my job and working life too much. Well, one thing led to another, and the university education simply eluded me. I went on to do a marketing diploma which suited me and I did very well. Unfortunately I was pregnant with YK and with motherhood taking precedence, my studies were disrupted.

At the back of my mind, this education thing still bugs me every now and then. I often wonder if life would be any different if I'm armed with a degree. While I had never really enjoyed school , I'm sure I would have loved the campus life. Reading about people doing their MBAs make me wish I were in their shoes. If only I were so academic...

It has always been a dream. As long as the dream never dies, I may just go back to school again some day as a matured student. Who knows? I could be that granny graduate!

9 comments:

mooiness said...

To be honest, I think that if you are happy with your career and business then it really doesn't matter whether or not you've had a university degree.

Even for uni graduates, a lot of times their current career isn't related to what they had studied, as is the case with me.

But I applaud your desire for knowledge. And yes campus life is very enriching. :)

The Real Mother Hen said...

My Taiwanese friends have a saying - University - 由你玩四年 - let you play for 4 years, and it's absolutely true. I like school because it's a big playground, nothing more :)

J@n!ce said...

I have the same thinking as you. Would life be different to me if I'm armed with a degree like the other 3 of my sisters. *sigh*

Blur Ting said...

Mooiness - Yah, you have a point but it does creep up on you time and again. Even Janice feels it too.

Oh, I would enjoy campus life for sure. Maybe I would be too distracted to study :-)

Blur Ting said...

MH - Wah, a big playground? I like.

Blur Ting said...

Janice - So you feel it too? Nehmind, next time we can go be grandma undergraduates together!

Anonymous said...

Ha ha... Papa Bean doesn't have a graduate degree either... but I am not sure if he regrets or not.. I have a degree...but do nothing related to my degree :(.... don't worry about it so much.. I think if you really want... you can go back later. Uni's really like the "mature" students and those kinds of students get so much more out of studying than people who go during the "normal" years.

Nick Phillips (15/03/1967 - 04/11/2022) said...

Live your dream I would say.

As for me, I can't really see myself studying again.

Amel said...

I think you're doing VERY WELL even without a uni degree, but you're right...if the time is right and you're interested in getting one, why not? ;-D

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