I completed my very last paper on Monday (28th November) and with that, I was done with school. Done. It felt underwhelming and I guess it didn't really sink in for me, especially since things had already started to wind down in the past 2-3 weeks post-placement.
I only really felt it during our graduation get-together on Thursday - at McDonald's! We all felt a bit silly but it was pretty fun. The team came down to join us and we had a few good laughs over fries and burgers and jokes and games.
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| Really like this pic! |
And this is me receiving our graduation gift from Prof Susan. It was a personalised pen with my name on it (!) and a handmade notebook made by Sim :)
It struck me how fast time has flown by and how crazy it is that I actually survived the course. At the start of it I remember thinking that 2 years is a really long period of time, and that the journey ahead is gonna be so tough. The team kept emphasising how full-time, rigorous, and difficult the programme was going to be (to be honest I think they really played this up to make sure we manage our expectations and put in hard work). Anyway I really did feel scared as evidenced by my blog entry dated 10 Jan 2015 -
"One week of school has passed, and it feels like Monday was an eternity ago.
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The reason why I say it feels like it's been a loooooong week is because it has truly been quite crazy. Makes undergraduate days seem easy. The workload is really heavy, with lots of readings and preparation to be done. The lectures are detailed and also content-heavy and they move very fast. Almost impossible and also not advisable to drift off during class. PBL tutorials also require lots of preparation and active participation. I had very little free time this week for "leisure", finding that I had to complete a small mountain of assigned work.
But in the midst of all this hectic shuffling from task to task, I am comforted by the fact that God is with me on this journey. And yes there is much stress involved, but I really do feel excited about becoming an SLT. The more I learn and study, the more I look forward to it. I hope God continues to grow my passion to help others!
Not sure how I'll survive the rest of the two years.
And this has been ... the first week."
Well I did survive it, and I can say with confidence that it is only by God's grace. His grace helped me to be more chilled out about exams and assignments and homework, assuring me that I just had to do my best, and that I am defined by so much more than my performance in school. By His grace, I was assured that He held my world in His hands and was in control all the time - especially when my to-do list was crazy. His grace allowed me to still serve in church without feeling too overwhelmed - He really expanded my capacity and time, so I could continue to be involved in ministry. By His grace, I can look back on the last 2 years with joy and gratitude - I am surprised that it was such a positive experience and I know I will recall these times with great fondness. Thank you God :)
Praying that You grow my capacity and passion to love others through this, and bring You glory.
