HOOKED sets out on an adventure to dig deep into a few
graduating students' memories, just so we can uncover a few insane
astounding childhood ambitions.
"I mean how do you
know what you're going to do till you do it? The answer is, you don't. I think
I am, but how do I know? I swear it's a stupid question."
- J. D. Salinger's The Catcher in the Rye
Some people
know all their lives what they want to do "in the future." When "in the future"
transforms to the present moment, they change their minds and abandon that
childhood dream of being a baker, to be a banker instead.
We all have
dreams, some last for two days, others stretch out for years till we graduate.
Whether these dreams are influenced by the people around us or by the media, it
has become a way, for some, to cope with an ambiguous future. And it seems that
the term "childhood dreams" is rightly appropriate, after all, they remain as
fluffy images in our minds, as we chuckle and think fondly about the days when
we were less jaded, before we learnt that we're "little cogs", "little men
clinging to little jobs".
In this
issue, Hooked goes around campus to speak to some graduating Honours students,
most of whom are about to depart the academia world for good to join the great
big workforce out there. After a long sixteen years of studying, are they ready
to live out that childhood dream of theirs?
 Dewi is a 4th Year Sociology major, who once envisioned herself
delving into the deep seas to be a marine biologist. Her love for the ocean was
inspired by her dad who was an avid sailor.
However, fate intervened in curious
(natural) ways and Dewi has found that her aptitude lies in Sociology, not
baffling neutrons and protons.
She enjoys Sociology because it heightens her
knowledge about the world around her and at the same time, raises
thought-provoking (harrowing) questions about life as we know it.
Dewi now hopes to be a housewife in the future. Before any
masochistic feminist commentary begins, let's set things straight. This sassy
young lady hopes that being a housewife will free up more time for her to do
NGO work and thus, give her a chance to be involved in what she is truly
passionate about.
‘My mom said that I'll be a prime minister.'
His mother's belief sparked Dong Thou's childhood ambition
to rise up to be the most powerful figure in North Korea. Currently in his 4th
year in NUS, Dong Thou has found his passion in Sociology and renounced his
childhood ambitions for the continual (continual, continual, continual...) pursuit
of knowledge. Dong Thou will be aiming to attain his Masters in Sociology after
he completes his honors.
Who knows if his childhood ambition will one day
materialize? Look closely at this face for it may just happen to graze the
papers in the future!
 Affable Melvin, a regular in the Navy, is quick to share
that he has no particular ambition in mind when he was young and has only seen
the light in the past two years.
This Year 4 Sociology student now aims to be in
the Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC). His interest was piqued when he
watched a fighting video clip he downloaded and he has since been pursuing his
interest by joining the varsity's Muay Thai Club.
Melvin hopes to work (out) towards his ambition by
concentrating on building up ‘em muscles when he graduates.
We can't wait to
see him beat the living daylights out of crummy fighters and bring some glory
to us supposed nerds in NUS.
Shu Fen is an awe-inspiring 4th Year student who has a big
heart to match her huge aspirations.
She had toyed with the idea of being a
doctor when she was younger but decided it was not her calling when she
realized Biology eluded her.
Now a Sociology major, Shu Fen aims to become the
entrepreneur of the year within the next 10 years. This ambitious young lass
has it all well thought out, including a plan to horde massive amounts of cash
(otherwise known as capital accumulation) in the next three years.
Aside from achieving this goal of hers, this driven young
lady hopes to set up a school in possibly Brazil or Gana. She hopes that she
can use her Dad's business affiliations to help make a difference in these
communities. Shu Fen hopes that her school will help the children in these communities
hone skills which will enable them to make a living.
Jun Xiang
We bumped into Jun Xiang, a Year 4 Economics major, while he
was hard at work behind his bulwark of books. After invading his territory and
insisting for a response, he took some time off all the facts and figures and
confided in us that his childhood ambition was to be a teacher because he felt
that it would be a relatively easy job.
Now armed with the knowledge, talent and a
thirst for the more tangible things in life, Jun Xiang hopes to become an
analyst in the future.
However, he thinks that one should not be too bent on ideas
or ambitions for many dreams can pass. ‘It can all change,' he quipped in a
knowing manner.
Kenneth
Inspired by childhood heroes such as Fandhi Ahmad, Kenneth
used to be extremely keen on becoming a professional football player.
Practicality, however, has come in between his childhood dream and himself and now, he
feels that he may well end up starving if he chooses that path.
Discovering his
capability in Economics, Kenneth is excited to be surrounded by numerals in his
future aspiration as an analyst/investment banker.
From this insightful yet inconclusive poll, it seems that many relinquish their childhood dreams due to
unforeseen circumstances (or the lack thereof). Be it pragmatism, the whiff of
wads of cold hard cash, or after years of daunting studies, the metamorphosis of dreams suddenly seems to have become part and
parcel of growing up.
Nevertheless, in the face of such pessimistic developments, we should aspire
to look upon the loss of childhood dreams as a mere progression, as success often
begins with small faltering and possibly wrong steps (or so we would like to
believe). HOOKED
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Written by Guest on 2008-10-09 11:13:54
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