Starting matriculation life on campus
Published on: Monday, July 24, 2023
By: K Krishnan
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Some would have got places near by while others would have got offers from out-of - state.
Congratulations if you were selected for Matriculations!
Although it is the end of your secondary school education, but it is also the beginning of your tertiary education.
You may have all kinds of thoughts running in your mind. You would be wondering whether you made the right choice.
If you had not accepted the Matriculation offer, by now you would have joined Form Six classes. You would still be staying with your parents and commuting to school.
Only now you will value staying with your family. You were treated like a Prince or Princess at home. Your mother took care of your laundry, ironing and cooking.
Your siblings helped out with the house chores. Your father worried about finances. You had your parents to wake you up every morning to go to school.
Practically you had no worries.
Everything has changed now. You are on your own staying in the hostel.
You have to take care of yourself. You have to manage your own health, take care of your laundry and meals.
You decide whether you are going to class or not. No one to push you or nag you. Life is different in a hostel.
Loneliness
The first and most important issue is staying alone. You may tend to miss your mum and your siblings. You start to call your family everyday.
This is not new and soon you will get over it. Your semester is just starting and you have a lot of free time. Once your assignments pile up, you will be busy.
You may have less time to brood. Soon you will get over your loneliness, don’t worry!
Room mates
If you are staying in the hostel you may be sharing the room with other students. They may be of different race, religion and culture.
All of a sudden you feel like staying with strangers. You may feel very uncomfortable and uneasy living with them.
Don’t seclude yourself from the others. Mix with them and be friendly. Soon you will realise that they are also in the same boat. They are all nice people just like you.
Soon you will make friends with them. Cheer up!
Food
You are used to eating mum’s cooking at home. Suddenly you have to eat from the cafeteria. It can be tasteless, stale or flat. But, don’t go hungry.
You can’t eat in restaurants every day. It can be expensive. Choose what you want to eat and learn to survive.
There are many people out there who don’t have food to eat. At least you are better off. Eat what is available for now. Learn to survive!
Subject streaming
You would have got your subject streaming by now. You may have applied for pure science and they may have offered you computer studies.
You may feel lost. If you have an option to appeal, do exercise your rights. Appeal for the option you prefer. If you are rejected, don’t feel bad.
Appreciate what you are offered. There are may people who were not offered Matriculation.
Your Goal
You are where you are because you had a goal. You wanted to do matriculation and enter the university.
You opted not to do STPM or apply for Diploma programmes. Stick to your goal. Achieve your goal by all means and go forward. Don’t look back and cry. You have to achieve what you aimed for. Go for your goal!
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