Transitions in life can be messy, challenging, and perhaps even inevitable. Each stage of life is essential and must be addressed with much courage.
In my progress over the years, I have realized that I have become more mature and wise in the decisions I have made. This can perhaps be attributed to the ability of being able to identify the different circumstances and challenges and to use different techniques in tackling these issues.
One of the ways in which my life has been molded is by understanding and embracing my roots. This allows me to conscious of who I am, where I come from and what are my boundaries. For example, it would be impossible and unwelcoming if I as an international student demand that my peers work according to what I have been taught by in Singapore. Instead, I have had to integrate and change my mind set in wanting to accept that Australia and Singapore are culturally different and that the only way to go far as a student in Australia is to be like a “chameleon” lizard; ever willing, ever ready to blend in with the current environment. This “blending” into the new society has not only allowed me to appreciate the Australian culture but it too has proven to be a motivating factor for me to want to have a Cross‐cultural and International outlook towards life. By this, I have been challenge to want to look for social issues outside the context of Singapore and how I can compare and understand my own culture even more.
Being a student in ECU has given me many opportunities to grow, learn and put my knowledge into practice. Despite not being able to have any form of placement/practicum, I am happy that I have been involved in many areas of leadership and other areas of volunteer work such as; the university’s Open Day and the latest involvement in the leadership program. These involvements has not allowed me to understand myself better but it too has enabled me to learn skills such as team-building strategies, which are essential to the understanding and working with groups. (Click here to see the offer letter into the program).
Academically, I have been able to fulfill two of the goals that I have set about for myself;
- To have an increased knowledge of the different concepts of the human
Personality and things pertaining to it such as; development, cognition,
group dynamics, research methods and individual differences
— To have a more refined understanding of the current issues and struggles
of the society especially that with regards to issues experienced in both Australia and Singapore
The attainment of these two goals is certainly not through my own strength but through the support that I had over the past three years. The people who have been the pillars to my success include my parents, my brother, my close friends and even my lecturer. More recently, I am glad to have been able to work with and to learn from Dr Ken Robinson. He has been very understanding and nurturing, ever-willing to give advice, encouragements to me. He has also been forthcoming and has indeed motivated me for my next phase of life; graduate studies.
As a psychology student, I have also been able to learn two essential skills which are both valuable and in demand in the working world. These two skills are;
1) Sound Critical thinking skills and 2) Good analytical skills.
First and foremost, I believe that the ability to critically think should be an automatic second nature of all good psychologists. This is because good psychologists especially those working with communities should have the ability to grasp and pick up meanings from the things around them. Good community psychologists are also those who are able to evidently present and defend their propositions and perspectives of things and issues present in the society. This i believe is what i have essentially gained through the understanding of different psychological and academic topics and this has been proven through the writing of essays and literature reviews.
Next, I believe that I have also been able to learn how to efficiently analyze the things around me; people, environment etc. I believe that the ability to critically think must be accompanied by the aptitude to analyze well. To me, this is like a marriage relationship. This is because, without being able to analyze; examining parts and relationships of the target subject, one would perhaps never be able to give sound reasoning to what is taking place less, know which evidence, method to undertake in order to understand the issue at hand.
Last but not least, as a student in ECU, I have also been able to learn that success is not a destination but a journey. This has allowed me to want to devise goals which are S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S (click here to understand the concept of S.M.A.R.T.I.E.S) so that I can further strengthen my current set of capabilities and develop other abilities which are equally essential to my advancement in life.
Indeed, the journey for me in the past three years has been meaningful and may I say that I have not regretted any moment of it. Through these years, I am able to say that I have grown in all aspects of my life and that my thinking and perspective towards life has changed and matured. In all, i have been able to identify my strengths and weaknesses, my interests and future directions and this cannot be possible if ECU had not put into place its 5 core graduate attributes in motivating its students to strive for success and not yield to complacency.
(click here to see the full list of my strengths and desired future developments in life)
