AUP

Finally I have something to write about after so long! :)

Yesterday I went to a friend’s house and I met a few old schoolmates that I haven’t talked to since they went to boarding schools. Of course all of us now are in different universities and colleges and therefore we were exchanging stories on our experiences. Then suddenly they were talking about how hard physics is. I joined in and said I agree. And then when they moved on to calculus I said it shouldn’t be that hard. And then one of my IT major friends were complaining about her java class and although I didn’t take the class I still butt in and said programming is interesting (based on the few flowcharts classes in Ms Chong’s class). And then one of them asked me what I am taking. I said political science. And then she shook her head and asked again, “No, what subjects are you taking?” I said anything I want and all eyes were on me.

I have always wanted to go to the States for as long as I can remember. The first thing that attracted me was the environment. I love it as the place you can grow into your own self without anybody or anything to hold you back. Second of all, I remember growing up and reading all those teen novels I always love it how the students can learn biology one period and after the next bell go to art class. How amazing I thought. Because I truly, madly, deeply hate it that I was STUCK in the science stream for the two years after PMR. I don’t understand why I can’t choose to take add math, drop biology, and take geography. Well, technically I can but I know how the teachers will react if I suggest it.

So now, this is it, this is finally my time. I want to learn EVERYTHING. University life is not just about getting a degree and walk away. Well, maybe that’s the notion here in Malaysia so that’s why I am very glad I’m out of it. I hear my friends talking about how they are just studying whatever it is because that was what were offered AFTER SPM. I mean, AFTER SPM! They just look at these ten or seventeen subjects and they think they can determine the major for these kids? And then I hear about my engineering friends who have to take a test for the UNIVERSITY to decide which engineering specifically they are going to go into depth. It’s mind blowing! I know it makes sense. Only certain high achievers can carry tough subjects, I got it. But what if after that the student changes his mind? Where can he go after a whole year doing a specific foundation? So here comes the US education.

Just because we learn music or art does not make us any less well in our major. In this system, students can learn and grow for the period of two years. That’s it. After that they have to make a choice on their major. See, it’s not that bad. It’s not like until we graduate we don’t have a clue what we’re doing. It’s called a liberal education because they want for scientist to be able to talk about society and engineers to understand the economy of the world. It makes you human, not a product-producing robot.

Even after all that she did, I’ll still remember what Ms Lee said in music class while pointing at Rassyid and me. “This is the reason why the government is paying big bucks to send you all the way to the United States. They want you to come back different compared to local graduates. As an American graduate you are supposed to be cultured and that is why they have classes such as this music class.” And I agree with her.

I am a proud to be an AUP undergraduate. I am proud because instead of telling the world I learn about politics, I just have to say I LEARN. And what do I learn? Anything under the sun that I want.

-C-