is a story about a 16 yr old school girl named Jenny who wants to go to oxford to read English. However, her dad really wants her to go to oxford to read law because he finds it way more practical and lucrative.
Then upon a fortuitous encounter, Jenny met a guy named david who is all about the glitz and glamour where he brought her to all the parties, great restaurants, concerts, and she even get to watch awesome french films. So basically she was enjoying the life.
As time pass, she feels that education is hard and boring and that before she dies after she graduate, she wants to live the life.
When she said die, it was just a facetious remark. In actual fact, she was talking about the nature of the lifestyle a person lead after he/she graduates, so mundane and repititious, like death.
In e end david proposed to her and she accepted it but then later on she came to find out that he is actually married and has a kid. She was beleaguered and despondent. When she went to visit David's wife, she felt even worse and then she rushed all the way home and she blamed her parents. She upbraided them for not stopping her silly 16-year old naive thinking about glitz and glamour, that her parents should know best that all these are not realistic.
Rather than putting an end to it, her parents abetted her to move on with David and even approved of their marriage.
Later, Jenny's dad went to apologise to her. He said that he was scared all his life and that he doesn't want that to happen to Jenny. That is also precisely why he wanted Jenny to go to Oxford to read Law and eventually become a renowned lawyer that can indulge in profligate living.
That's roughly what the entire movie is about.
Personally I thought that I can really relate to this. Firstly, I am really happy that I managed to squeeze my butt into Nanyang Business School. It was really an arduous endeavour altogether which really started in primary school. Then you have the secondary school and the junior college and finally at the University. It was really a vicious elimination process to come to think of it. Many have been eliminated along the way and what's ironic is that those who have passed all the stages are deciding whether to drop out. That is they do not want to go to University and that they want to start to work.
Is it because we like to take things for granted? Which is why we do not know how to appreciate the precious opportunities given to us? After all the hard work, some of us have decided to drop out of University just because we think it's boring.
Perhaps some of us think that we have survived so many trials and that we are so damn good already since we already made it to Univeristy. Thus, we can be complacent and start to wander around. But, little do these people know that those people who did not make it to University have a revival round and that they will overtake the people who gave up the opportunity previously. When that happens, it will be too late to regret.
I have a number of friends who told me that the degree qualification is no longer important today because of it is ubiquitous in this society. And that business is all about practicality and experience and not a piece of paper.
While I fully concur with the fact that business is all about the experience, I do not agree that the degree qualification is paltry. It is de facto the key to this society now. It is for the fact that everyone has it that you must not lack it. You will be a mile behind if you do not even have the basic qualification required by the society.
Instantly, there's no cushion to fall back on and naturally people will stare at you for no good reason. You might not care now but trust me, in the long run, you will be irritated by it for sure. Then, it's too late to regret.
So to my readers out there, don't worry if you are not doing as well now for you hold the key to your own fate. You still have a shot at this so long as you keep working and trying. Do not give up midway. Remember that. No matter how hard it is, you have to persist for it is for your future.
For me, the key is to have a strong resolution. When I feel that I must finish my work, I will swear upon my own surname that I will finish it.
Too radical you might feel but that's the type of discipline we need today. Acerbic and relentless.
That's education today.
No comments:
Post a Comment