SEP

Since secondary school, I have had the privilege to study at one of the best secondary school in Singapore. It wasn't all smooth-sailing, but I did learn a lot, and I most definitely will be a very different person if I have continued my studies in Malaysia. But I have always set my sights much further abroad. My father's subscription to National Geographic might have played a key role in my aspirations - I have always imagined myself in the shoes of those photographers snapping photos of the beautiful landscapes. I wanted to see places, I wanted to experience those diverse cultures, I wanted to get myself out and about.

I was quite passionate about applying for studies in UK after JC. Then again, I was rather naive, and thought that the most accessible place for overseas, privileged education was in UK. I did get offers from a dream university, but decided not to attend, as it was expensive and I could not secure an overseas scholarship. NUS offered me a scholarship, and I accepted it after much deliberation.

Then came the chance to apply for Student Exchange Programme. I didn't really know what I wanted. There were so many choices, and I really did not need to limit myself to English-speaking countries. Almost anywhere seems possible. Well, I did regret not putting enough effort into my SEP research - my aspirations are largely held back by my laziness. There were so many things to research on - location, accessibility, cost, and most importantly, module mappings. I even had to make changes to my application after the deadline due to change in minds. All was well till the announcement of the offers.

I was offered an SEP to Norway in Semester 2. And I was immediately hit with many after-thoughts. Longer semester time = larger cost. SEP in Sem 2 = no chance for IA. Inability to map HR modules = only able to do TEs and UEs. Limited mappable TEs = inability to specialise. My cortisol levels rose so high I had trouble sleeping. After talking to many seniors and department staff (who were so very kind), I finally made an appeal to change my SEP to Semester 1. It was hard justifying my intentions when my initial application put down Semester 2 for Norway. And to add on to the stress, my request was only put forward on a Friday afternoon, and the application deadline was a Sunday. The coordinator who makes the decision was on a half day leave, and this means that she can only inform me of her decision (and whether there are vacancies) the day after the deadline.

Fortunately, the coordinator was so kind. She advised me to accept the offer first, while waiting for the appeal to be processed. On the next Monday, she called to inform me that all was well, and I can re-accept the SEP, this time for Semester 1.

My choice for Semester 1 was largely based on module compatibility, and the prospect of applying for Industrial Attachment after that. For now, I stand by my decision, and I am proud to have made the choice. I have never felt so happy in my life - I am finally going on an adventure!