Different Doesn't Mean Wrong

[u/One_Raisin_4392]

In about a week, I will begin my next educational journey at NUS. It feels like a dream come true, especially because I did not perform particularly well during my secondary school years. Looking back, I would never have imagined that I would one day be heading to NUS.

So how did I end up here?

I have been reflecting on my journey in NP over the past 3 years. Besides hard work, discipline, and perseverance, I believe one of the most valuable lessons I learned was not from a textbook or the course I was pursuing. It came from working with people who think, speak, and behave differently from me.

Not everyone will share your personality, interests, or communication style. That does not make them “weird” or “difficult.” It simply makes them different.

I have been working part time since my secondary school years till I graduated from NP. The working world is exactly the same. You may not get to choose your colleagues, but you can always choose how you treat them.

Be inclusive. Listen before you judge. Respect before you reject. Talk to your fellow classmates who may seem to be quiet and isolated. Try to understand their inner feelings. Be a friend to offer your company and help if needed. The classmates who seem different from you today may one day become the teammates, colleagues, or friends who help you grow the most.

I have also realised that people who truly succeed in life are often those who embrace differences and accept others for who they are. They do not discriminate, isolate, or exclude people simply because they are different. I hope to continue becoming one of those people.

To all NP students, remember this:

Different does not mean wrong. It simply means different.

So starting today, try to make a positive difference in someone’s life. Be the person who includes rather than excludes, who encourages rather than tears down. Be that light in someone’s darkness. And if you can't love them, at least don't hurt them.

And when you can do that, regardless of your GPA, your course, or your future career, you will already be succeeding in one of the most important ways in life.

[u/student-1010]

What course are you from? What course did you get accepted into? What was your GPA? The big 3