How often do you get to celebrate the achievements of the past batch in the morning & the achievements of the current batch in the afternoon? We did. ACJC did.
It was nice to see the 35ths, 2AA2, 2SB5 & 2SC9 back in college and also up on stage to collect awards for their academic achievements. It sounded silly but I clapped that hard from LT1 to cheer them on. As much as all the trouble & mess which they have created, this will always be a batch that I will miss. Perhaps it was because they are my first batch? Perhaps it was because that I had so much fun with them in and outside of the classroom? Perhaps it was because I was not that busy then and had the time & opportunity to get to know them better as people. Perhaps... perhaps...
Then when my current students went on stage to collect their awards for their Promotional Examinations, I cheered hard as well (together with the rest of LT1). It was nice to have a batch with a majority of teachability and humble spirits. These are what made a long day at work seem somewhat worthwhile...
Then come 12nn, the auditorium underwent a stage of transformation and we were preparing for the release of the GCE A-Level Results. It was heartwarming to see the seniors back in school, waiting anxiously to collect their results.. and heart-wrenching to see them wait to see what happens next. It was even more heart-wrenching to see Mrs C shed her tears for her senior batch, telling them that whatever the results may be, they have passed through the portals of this college and left as better people & friends to each other.
At that moment, it was as though I was transported back in time to my collect of the results: It was a day of rushing down from work, sitting excited in the auditorium and waiting (hopefully) for my name to be called out from the podium, so I could have a moment of glory... but also wondering what if I was left on the 'bench'... how will I react? By God's grace, the latter did not happen, but the next thing on my mind was what to say to friends who were on the 'bench'?
X-years later, I am back in the same auditorium, 'receiving' results for umpteen times more, but now, from different corners of the auditorium. The auditorium still looks the same, the layout is still the same.. just that the crowd that passes through the place will change every year.
Some people say that the day we receive our results is the day to the rest of our lives, but for some, it is the day to the end of our lives. I choose to stick with the first part of the statement because I have seen how disappointments at the A-Level did not bring one down, but opened a different door that brought the individual to great heights & better places.
So to all the students out there, whether you are already in university and thinking if you have chose the right course, or if you are still thinking of what to apply (while in NS), or if you are not even sure of where your grades will bring you, or if you are not even sure if you can pass your A-Level, you are not what your grades say of you. Your A-Level grade is a stepping stone, but it does not determine your path ahead. There are many who have gone before you & did not allow their A-Level grades to limit their progress in life.
If you are feeling like there is no light at the end of the tunnel, you need to know that you are not alone in this walk. You are blessed with friends, teachers & family who will support you through this difficult time. And more importantly, you are well taken care of by our heavenly Father, who has promised you that "(He) knows the plans He have for you.. plans to prosper you and not harm you, plans to give you hope and a future."
Look back and be encouraged, by your friends, your teachers, your family.. and by God.