I
was particularly interested in how one of my students responded to my
questions. We did a few speaking practices in class as I was
preparing my students for their first assessment. I noticed that he
was improving a lot compared to the first few practices he did
earlier. I highlighted this to him and he seemed very happy with the
good comments. Somehow, I felt like I needed to know more about his
past as he had this “ Don’t do the same mistake !” look on his
face whenever he did the practice. So I asked,
“Boy,
where are you from?”
“Pahang,
“ he said.
“And
your former school? ”
“SMSxxxx.
“
“Oh
really, that’s one of the best in Malaysia!”
“ The
school, yes, but not me..” he responded with a smile that seemed to
me more of a sad than a happy one.
“ I
did not do well last time la, teacher..” was his next response and
that explained everything.
Thus, I did what I
had to do as a teacher, what else but to share some experiences and
thoughts with him.
“
Boy, the first thing
that you need to do is to pull yourself up and let go of your
disappointments and frustrations. Well, you are here now. That’s
what matters most. Take it as a second chance for you to make your
dreams come true. Familiarize yourself with the new life as a college
student. You need to be aware of what you should and shouldn’t do;
your priorities and responsibilities. If life is hard on you, just
tell yourself that things will be okay once you get used to the
routine.
Don’t
ever, ever look back. Close all doors to the past. Open up your
mind and heart to new experiences. Reach down inside and you will see
that you are meant to be just the way you are. Always believe there
is something in you that will make you stand out in the crowd.
Therefore you must always be in control of the situation or in other
words, take charge.
Besides
that, you need to aim high, stand tall, think big and bold. Always
believe in yourself that you are capable of making changes. Take the
failures that you face as part of a big game. Tell yourself that you
are being tested and what you need to do is to stay focused.
Always remember that Allah swt works in
miraculous ways. Everything happens
for a reason and at its own time.
So, never give up and never stop believing. Just move on
because you could actually be on your way to win the game. With a
little bit more of self -confidence and self-determination, at the
end of the day, the trophy could be yours.
Just
don’t mind what people say about you because some people often
seem to have so much to say. Always remind yourself of your core
business; you are here to pursue your dream. Never look down on
yourself and never let people do that to you. Do not let these
people ruin your decision and dream. Take charge !!! Ignore
these people, just go out there, do your best and make your parents
and this teacher of yours proud !
