Well this summer has been one of the most reflective i have ever had. I was certainly not reflecting on how good I did last year because I did not. When i look back there are so many things i could have done better. I could have done better in French, Chemistry, Biology, Economics, and definitely English. I could have been more concentrated in class, I could have shown more seriousness to my studies and I definitely could have cut down on my over-confidence. I don't know what drove me to be like what I was last year.
Maybe it was my ignorance, maybe it was my pride, maybe it was my reputation, or maybe it was just my immaturity. I made a lot of mistakes last year, like not studying French, not revising English, not studying well for my Chemistry test, not taking Economics seriously throughout the year and most of all being disrespectful to the teachers who have taught me so well. I would correct all of it if I could go back but all I can do now is move on and correct it in 12th grade.
Going back to India, has made me realize my mistakes more than anything. My ignorance last year made me feel like a complete jerk when I saw my old school and all that i had left behind here. I am so fortunate to have ended up in an IB school, which was never part of the plan when I came to study in Abu Dhabi in 10th grade. I was going to join a GCSE school like Yasmina. My luck turned around at the right time, I guess. Don't get me wrong, I did work in 10th grade but like always I lost my motivation to carry that on in 11th grade.
Why me? Why couldn't I just stay my 10th grade self: Studious, nice to everyone, and serious about my assignments. I think I know the answer to that. When i was in 10th grade, I wanted to get a medical degree because I thought that my caring attitude was a sign that i was passionate about being a doctor. That did motivate me to work hard, especially when i didn't have any experience with the IB. But towards the end of 10th grade i changed my decision to pursue hotel management because I wanted to work in the hospitality industry in which i found my passion. My caring attitude was just part of my character that stemmed from this passion.
This decision did change a lot of things for me. The main one being that if you want to get into any good university for medicine,the minimum IB score is 38 and even then the chances of getting in is very minimal. As for hotel management, I just have to pass the IB diploma and I'm set. All the universities which provide the degree want students with real passion for the hospitality industry, not to forget good interpersonal skills. So that brought my target IB score way down and that resulted in me working with no dedication at all. Now that seemed like a reasonable argument at the time, but now I realize the mistake which resulted in the 34 I got as my final grade in 11th grade. Its not a bad score by any means, but i know i can do way better and hence I have decided to raise the bars and strive to reach my full potential. The last thing i want is to look back on my IB diploma score after 12th grade and tell myself that I could have done better.
Redeeming is part of our lives and from what I remember OSHO said, without change, there is no life, I have decided to redeem myself, take control of the opportunity i have and erase the bad aspects of last year. I am hoping to do great this year and to my friends, hears to our school and our teachers who have set us up for great things and hears to our 2016 batch which I believe is going to yield Raha International School's highest IB diploma scores!
PEACE OUT
Monday, August 17, 2015
A strangely nostalgic return back to India
For me, summer has so far been busy and i don't mean that in terms of my holiday homework but nonetheless, busy. I had to go to many temples around Thiruvananthapuram and my native place to complete rituals which had been promised to the gods. This is normal of a trip to India as it is a time to really be in sync with my culture and my religion because studying in an international school makes it hard to stay informed and educated about what is happening everyday back here in Kerala.
Although i came back here in 2014 as well, this time it feels different. I feel nostalgia and I don't know why. I had started to hate this place when i left here after 9th grade because i didn't like my experiences here but now i have started to love it again. I feel free when I'm here. I talk to everyone without any frustration and anger. Its like once you step out into the balcony at 5 am it is complete and utter bliss. I feel a rejuvenating energy running through me every time a cool breeze catches me. Everyday, I look at the mountains far away from me covered with a sheet of mist and memories flow back. I know, its deep.
The city has changed, rapidly. While i was gone for an year, hundreds of new developments
have been completed and the places where i once saw bare land, is now full of residential buildings and office towers. There are now air conditioned buses, better transport services, better roads and a lot more things to do.
I lived in the city for 4 years of my life from 6th grade to 9th grade. I really blended in well to the city culture and so it was hard to leave it after 9th grade. I think this is why i felt nostalgic but what i still don't understand is the fact that i did not feel the same way last year after my 10th grade. Maybe studying in an international school had made me become more distant from my culture over 2 years as I have made many more friends from different cultural backgrounds. This apartment has looked the same for the past 5 years and this certainly brought back many memories. I remembered the time when i stuck glow-in-the-night stickers on the walls of my study room and how it ended up being a bad idea. Don't judge me, I was in 6th grade!
One thing is for sure I will never ever forget those 4 years as it has shaped me into who I am.
Although i came back here in 2014 as well, this time it feels different. I feel nostalgia and I don't know why. I had started to hate this place when i left here after 9th grade because i didn't like my experiences here but now i have started to love it again. I feel free when I'm here. I talk to everyone without any frustration and anger. Its like once you step out into the balcony at 5 am it is complete and utter bliss. I feel a rejuvenating energy running through me every time a cool breeze catches me. Everyday, I look at the mountains far away from me covered with a sheet of mist and memories flow back. I know, its deep.
The city has changed, rapidly. While i was gone for an year, hundreds of new developments
have been completed and the places where i once saw bare land, is now full of residential buildings and office towers. There are now air conditioned buses, better transport services, better roads and a lot more things to do.
I lived in the city for 4 years of my life from 6th grade to 9th grade. I really blended in well to the city culture and so it was hard to leave it after 9th grade. I think this is why i felt nostalgic but what i still don't understand is the fact that i did not feel the same way last year after my 10th grade. Maybe studying in an international school had made me become more distant from my culture over 2 years as I have made many more friends from different cultural backgrounds. This apartment has looked the same for the past 5 years and this certainly brought back many memories. I remembered the time when i stuck glow-in-the-night stickers on the walls of my study room and how it ended up being a bad idea. Don't judge me, I was in 6th grade!
One thing is for sure I will never ever forget those 4 years as it has shaped me into who I am.
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