Frustrations of a Late Bloomer

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It's a tough world we live in. Age and O levels are still the factors in our nation when deciding to further our studies, despite the efforts some of us have made which, in foreign standards, are considered eligible for it. For most of my generation, these factors have become obstacles at this stage of life. It's quite a challenge for some, but also a waste of resources when we think about it.

Everybody deserves a second chance. A person who have struggled years of hardship and only managed to get back up again can be no different than the child prodigy. If they reject the next person who have successfully achieved outstanding results despite not qualifying the other criterias such as age (I mean, c'mon, seriously, what's up with that?), then they could've made a very big mistake. One decision can make a big change. What if that person could one day change the world if he had not been rejected?

I speak on behalf of these people like myself who have fallen before but managed to stand up again at this very day. Everybody deserves a second chance, and these people speak for themselves. Despite factors which have become obstacles that gets in their way, its the burning desire, drive and motivation to study which still exist in them that keeps them going. If these people, despite age, wishes to study, why stop them? Is education an investment or a cost in the future development of our nation?

Yes its true that we have to raise the bar in our education standards over the course of time in order to meet our vision 2035, but what about the responsibilities of fulfilling the promises of our late monarch, the architect of Modern Brunei? He envisioned that all, and I mean ALL of us in this nation deserve to live better and prosperous lives. As in the case, I am fighting for my future as its my rights. Its everyone's rights and everyone should stand and fight for it.

So let my experience be a lesson to all, especially to the teenagers who are currently enjoying the freedom given to you. We are living in difficult times. While you still have that freedom you think you deserve, do not take things simply for granted. We should be thankful that we are given education at no cost, so don't waste that chance and blew it. Opportunities are wide open at the early age. Don't end up with life full of regrets like the rest of us who could've done better when we had those chances.


One of the lucky few who have survived the education depression

What Next?

A Vision of Students Today

This was the video that was played by Mr Reeda of Anakbrunei.org at the end of his presentation at the Blog It Up @ UBD seminar last Saturday. It's brilliant! I was very impressed on how this video was made and I really enjoyed watching it. It gives me a lot of thought about how our new lifestyle changes affects us as students of the digital age, whether we could survive with it or be destroyed by it. In reality, it's a tougher world out there despite the fact that technology has gotten more advanced than ever. The objective of this video is not exactly to demoralize the viewer but to open our eyes and minds and encourage us to better prepare ourselves to face the challenges in life as a student. Hopefully this will be useful for you all, whether you are currently studying abroad or preparing yourself for it.


Suddenly this post rekindled my (not-so) good times...

Memoirs of a Chubby Fat Senior

I used to be as thin as a stick prior to my early Pre-National Diploma days in The Business School. Over the years, I struggled to keep my weight at its most optimum. I was a fitness addict back then, so basically I did a lot of cardiovascular activities (running, hiking, swimming etc) to help maintain my shape and to avoid weight gain. That all stopped by the time I was in my second year. Beginning 2008, I realized that I'm gradually putting on a lot of weight and the figures just doesn't seem to come down!

So what really caused this weight gain? Well, based on my observations, I noticed that some of my seniors put on a lot of weight prior to their final years up until their graduation (though some managed to shed off successfully after that) and its kinda like a tradition for the students of Business School to experience this phenomenon (that's right, juniors, you could be next, hahaha). But one thing for sure, its the lack of exercise and the high craving for food during those stressful second year that resulted to this physical change.

Now, thanks to Aidilfitri and an abundance of open houses, I've reached to the point where I am in a highly potential risk of being overweight. If I don't do something about this now, It'll just get worse. I must return to my initial weight, the way I started when I got into the Business School 3 years ago; fit and healthier. I still got my old clothes that I no longer fit due to my waist size, but I'm pretty determined to be able to wear them back because I still love them.

Things have been hard for me lately. The most obvious is when I climb the stairs to work. Its a 3 storey climb and I could not even catch up with my own breathing. And when I'm too relaxed, I tend to be sleepy fast. Looks like my pair of legs are longing for a good hike on the hills (did I ever mentioned I used to conquer 9 hills in Shahbandar?)

Most importantly, I definitely need to change my eating habits. Lately I have this tendency to eat until I am full, with a combination of sweet drinks on the side. Its really hard to avoid it, especially when its given to you for free. After all, Brunei is a country abundant with free food! Well, this is where I should keep a contsant eye out starting today. I must watch my diet.

Hiero in late 2006, Shahbandar, hill 7. (Not convinced? There's more where this came from)

I gotta start running, and there's no better time to start than today. I'm putting my deadline to 1st of January 2009. The countdown starts now. This is exactly how it was like, 2 years ago. If I could do this before, I certainly can do it again. I need all the motivation I could get.

New running shoes, check. iPod, check. I'm off to the stadium!

Save The Stress For Next Year

These past week I've noticed that my juniors (2nd year) are beginning to experience the assignment and test turbulence which are pretty much what we have experienced during our time in 2nd year. I've read their schedules which depict how tight their days and weeks are, with all the tests and assignment dues all crammed in, not to mention the Business Project activities, organizing school functions and the upcoming Gerai Ramadhan.

May 15 - one hour before our final Business Accounting exam
Hearing all this brings back a lot of memories for us. Clearly we've been there. I suggest that they keep hanging on and save the stress for next year, because the 1st semester hectic-ness is just only the beginning. By the time the 2nd semester (next year) approaches, there will be more wave after wave of tests and assignments which will keep pouring in.

So how did we manage to survive throughout our 2nd year? Basically, and most importantly, is to keep a constant positive mind. With positive thinking, you can get through whatever obstacles that get in your way, no matter how hectic or crazy they are. It's true that my classmates and I experience all this during our days making dead ends meet and lots of sleepless nights (even the seniors before us had to go through the same process), and no matter what, we struggled hard. We had to be strong under pressure and eventually we got better and stronger when the next challenge was given to us.


Picture grabbed from Marriz-Scene.
So guys, I just wanna cheer you up. 1 year isn't really that long. It'll all be over before you even know it. You will feel the joy and excitement by the end of the day after the final exams are completed. For now, please do have a great time during Gerai Ramadhan because it's gonna be the most memorable experience for you all. Don't feel demotivated about the fact that school hours are just gonna take away the energy for the afternoon activities because I can assure you that it's not exactly going to be that way at all, and instead you will have the greatest time of your school life, to be with your close friends in the holy month of Ramadhan. So all the best to you all. I will see you guys there soon.


Next week, I will be posting pictures of our previous Gerai Ramadhan activities organized last year, so stay tuned.

Focus

How bad do we really wanna achieve success? In order to succeed in life, whether its career, wealth, passion or dream, a strong focus should be cultivated from the beginning. We can't simply assume that we'll get there. It takes hard work and dedication, with a strong clear focus. Whatever we do in life, be it at work or in school, a strong focus could lead us to success.

We tend to be distracted along the way, and thats when our focus start fading out as well. Without a strong focus, we become confused and to achieve our goals and ambitions would prove difficult. So try to steer away from distractions. Distractions such as things that get in our way, be it drugs, spending on unnecessary things, friends that bring us down or take us away from our determination, obsessions on things that don't contribute to your goals, etc.

So ask yourselves. What is it you wish to do in the future? What do you really want? How do you see yourselves in 5-10 years time? What are your objectives in life? And finally, how are you going to get there? Do you have what it takes to reach for your designated target?

Special thanks to YuY for the great piece of advice last night.

The Cashflow Quadrant

The Cashflow Quadrant represents the different methods by which income and money is generated. This theory is designed by Mr Robert Kiyosaki from his famous book, 'Rich Dad Poor Dad'. The Cashflow Quadrant consists of 4 quadrants which represents the different types of career or situation you are in that dictates how you earn money.


On the top left quadrant is the E quadrant. The E quadrant stands for Employee. It means that you are employed in a company or organization, or in other words, you get a job. You work. And in return, you get paid from what you do by your boss. People who work in the government sector or a private company fall in this category, wether you are a waiter in a restaurant, a mechanic in a plant, or a manager in a corporation. The drawback of being in the E quadrant is that you greatly depend on your salary. Should you lose your job, you will not earn anything until you find another job.

Below the E quadrant is the S quadrant, which stands for Self-employed. Self-employed means that you work for yourself. Now these people differ from the top quadrant because they are entirely independent. They prefer to do things on their own. Good examples of a self-employed are mechanics who open their own workshop, plumbers who takes calls from customers through newspaper ads, doctors opening their own clinic, and lawyers in their own firm. These people are so good in what they do that they start their own business and look for their own customers rather than working for someone else. They are specialists. Obviously, he gets to keep all the profits. But the problem of being in the S quadrant is that the business depend on you greatly. If you get sick or are unavailable in your office, than there will be no business for the day.

On the top right quadrant is the B quadrant which stands for Business Owner. The term business owner means that the person owns a business or a corporation. Unlike the Self-employed who still have to work, business owners own a system, meaning to say that business owners have people working for them. They don't have to do all the hard work as they are the decision makers for the long-term goals of the business and signs the paychecks for their employees. They have accountants to handle the financial matters, they have the sales and marketing staff to sell their products, they have secretaries to take care of all the paperwork, and so on. A good example of a local business owner is Pehin Lau Ah Kok who owns Hua Ho Department Stores.

Finally, below quadrant B is the I quadrant. This is what Robert Kiyosaki calls it 'the playground of the rich'. The I quadrant stands for Investor. People in this quadrant do something not many other people do, which is making more money out of the money they give away. They invest their money. Instead of working for money, they let the money work for them. They buy stocks, they invest on property, and they do foreign exchange trading. Overall, they're playing with the numbers.


As you can see, when you compare the left quadrants E and S with the right quadrants B and I, you can surely tell where the rich people lie in. Obviously, the Business Owners and the Investors are the money generating quadrants, and that's where we should be if we want to be financially successful. But some of you might say "How is it possible for me as an employee to get to be in the Right side of the quadrant when I don't even have the skills, knowledge and a lot of money?" There's even a saying that you have to inherit a family fortune if you wish to be in the right quadrants. Problem is, you are not one of the Hiltons.

Well, turns out, nothing is impossible. People have been doing this for years. There are self-made millionnaires and billionnaires who started from the left quadrant. Employees can be investors if they know how to spend their money right, and the self-employed can become business owners over time should the business continue to grow. In short, everyone can start a business, and everyone can invest. It's all a matter of choice whether we want to do it or not. But if you wish to stick to being in the left quadrants for the rest of your lives, well, good luck climbing to the top.

A Senior's Advice To The Juniors

Before my collegues and I step out of the business school for our 6 month attachment in a couple of months time, I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize to the juniors if there are any wrongdoings I've made throughout the years in The Business School. I'd also wish to say thank you to all of you for all the moments we've shared together under one roof. And as a thank you gift, I'd like to share with my fellow juniors some friendly advice for your success in your future endeavours.


Study Hard, Study Smart
Aim for the best. The faith of your future is entirely in your hands. Work hard to achieve great results now and you will have a better career and a more meaningful life. For a better performance in your studies, be with those who are smart, dedicated and hardworking. And more importantly, whenever you're in doubt, don't be afraid to ask questions.


Be Proactive, Be Creative
As much as you study hard to achieve excellent results, don't neglect the practicals and activities that will be assigned to you. Be active in all aspects of tasks given, as it will reflect your quality of work in the future. Be active and unleash the creativeness in you. You all got it; you just need to get it out. Do not underestimate the power of your common skills.


Adapt The Right Mindset
As a business student, you should know what your objectives are. Start adapting a business mindset. Be aware of current issues, read newspapers, learn from the successful entrepreneurs, buy business and motivational books, put an interest in market trends, try running your own small businesses (that don't necessarily require a business registration). These are great investments in your life. Who knows, you might discover your talents in the process.


Respect
Respect your tutors and they will support you. Respect your seniors and they will help you. Respect your juniors and they will follow you. Respect your classmates and they will love you.


Make Friends, Not Enemies
Your fellow classmates and colleagues of your level are your greatest assets. Socialize with those you still have yet to get to know each other. It will benefit you during the Business Project. You'll never know who you'll end up with. Don't lose your friends and make enemies because it will only jeopardize everything (I'm not kidding!). Jangantah kan berpuak-puak.


Don't Procrastinate
Last minute work is pretty common, but if you're able to break that barrier, you'll go even further ahead. The best thing about organizing your schedule is that you will have quality in your assignments and enough time to rest (or have fun if you wish). Avoid procrastination and start using that organizer.


Give Something Back To The School
Should an opportunity arise, do what's best that will bring up The Business School, and the school will thank you for your dedication... and much much more!


Other advices I could think of:

• Eat moderately. Don't fatten up like I did.
• Don't overspend. Your allowance is not a treat for a sound system or the latest handphone.
• Keep supporting the canteen. Trust me, you'll save more having lunch there than dining at KFC.
• Don't be absent. Your attendance counts!
  
• Keep our school clean
• Keep our toilets clean!
• Protect the tree of knowledge (points at the tree at the car park).
• Stay away from drugs
• Don't cheat on your boyfriends/girlfriends!!!
• No partners? Stay single, like me! Siuk kali ah.
• Bookmark / link my blog.
• Visit my blog everyday.
• Promote my blog to your friends.
• Advertise at my blog. (I got carried away, haven't I?)

And lastly...

Don't Give Up
... because your education is the greatest investment you'll ever get.


I wish you all the best with your exams, and hope you all make it to the next semester. :)

Am I Up For It?

Let's recap. 3 more months until my days in the Business School will finally be over. But I gotta get through the exams first. Things are getting tougher than I expected, particularly on my statistics which I struggled the most.

If I get through this very well, I could give that scholarship application a shot. Of course, I have to ensure my total aggregate points meet the requirements. But is this really what I wanna do for my next step? One part of me says I should stay and consider getting a job right away, because seriously, it's not at all fun earning $255 a month these past couple of years. Even now, I can't hardly move. There are things that I wanna get, but all are restrained because of the more important things I have to focus on, e.g. transport, food, the basic stuff.

Sigh. I'm just this close in getting to the point where I can finally earn something, and have the luxury to get access to what I wanna do, what I wanna get and where I wanna be. However, I've made a promise to myself to keep on studying despite my age. Even to the point of getting a degree, that's also my dream. But being at this age where I have to really start living, it's tough to survive. Let's just hope that this Diploma I'm getting right now is really worth it.

Besides, studying in UK is tough as well. But hey, everything is tough, it's life. There will be a point in time when I really made that a reality. Maybe I should focus on what's happening right now, and see where things will be heading for me.

Knowledge Is Power

Though I wasn’t among the brightest students in my secondary years, what made me inspired today to be who I am is the motto from the college where I used to go less than a decade ago, written by the late Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien III (father to His Royal Highness Sultan Haji Hassanal Bolkiah Mu'izzaddin Waddaulah). The words were pretty bold and clear; “Knowledge Is Power!”

Every time I walked down the flight of stairs through the main reception of Sultan Omar Ali Saifuddien College, I tend to glance at the late majesty’s portrait with those words engraved on a plaque below the frame. At that time, I took it literally for granted, not having the sense of knowledge of how those words could empower me to apply the knowledge of the world and incorporate it for my future success and a more meaningful life.

After leaving the college to pursue experience in the working field, I thought that I had forgotten that message, as I was too pre-occupied to make ends meet. One night, I was browsing through some old books on my shelf in my room. I was delighted to have found several old college yearbooks of SOAS College from the years 1997 up until 1999. As I opened the cover page, there it was, the mighty words of the late Sultan written in big italic fonts; “Knowledge Is Power!”

From that point on I realized how it all finally made sense to me. Glancing through the pages of the old days, I couldn’t help but regret the times I have wasted throughout my early days, not applying those words for great use. “I could’ve been the best,” I thought in my head. “I could’ve done better.”

These turn of events had encouraged me to take up studying once again, and by doing so, I’m giving myself another chance. Back in the days in SOAS College, I was too playful, lazy even. Now I know that time is of the essence, and that by obtaining more knowledge I’ll be able to change my course of life for a better future prospect. Whenever I meet up with a few teenagers who have just somehow completed their O levels and decided to quit studying and seek for a job, I always encourage them to continue studying as far as they could go. And, of course, I’d share that wisdom which the late Sultan had passed to the Bruneian students for generations, “Knowledge is Power!”

Indeed, Knowledge is Power. With knowledge, you possess great power, be it the power to lead and influence, the power of gaining wealth and happiness, the power of greater wisdom and faith, etc. The more knowledge you obtain throughout your life, the more powerful you can be in the future. The more you learn, the more you know. The higher your education, the higher your career opportunities could be. The harder you work the more experience you’ll get. Knowing more is the greatest asset a man could have in his lifetime. It’s priceless.

Never underestimate the power of knowledge. Don’t stop learning, for knowledge dictates where you’ll be in the future.

Reflections

Just got out of the meeting room for our Business Project meeting. Apparently the whole school yearbook project has been brought up. (most of us thought the idea was scrapped). Looks like this is gonna be the toughest year for us. It's what 'final year' is all about.

Only less than 5 months until our final exams. My statistics class is still crap. If I don't score my stats well, I wouldn't make it for the work attachment. I've already planned out where I wanna go after this course, but it seems that the whole stats issue has been a huge barrier that's been getting in my way.

And now we've got 3 huge projects to organize within a period of 4 months; Social Responsibility, Main Event (Mini-Expo and Consultation Week in campus) and the Yearbook. The Yearbook is probably the most challenging task ever to be given to students in the history of the Business School. What's more, I'm elected as the lead designer for that project. Whew, there's just so many things I have to do at a very limited given time!

Mr Iswandi did, however, stressed out a very important message to us during the meeting. "If you're able to accomplish all the projects, assignments and your studies altogether, then you are able to do time management well, and that reflects how you're able to work under pressure because this is what's gonna happen in real life once you get a job."

He's right. I should be able to do all this. It's what I've dreamed of, to work under pressure. I realized now that I've been put under a test, and I should prove to them what I can really do. But simply saying it isn't enough. I gotta start doing something about it NOW.