~light of the world~

Friday, April 3, 2009

I just had my interviews today at NUS.

Funnily, I met Justin on the way to the venue, but I didn't even notice him (I just saw these two guys walking from where I was headed to) until he kind of snapped/waved in front of my face, and I got a shock! Lol.

Anyway, I couldn't find the venue, mainly because the paper told me to go to LT28, but when I went there I only saw the room for another team that wasn't mine, and so I had to go find my one which was nearer the LT27!

Because I didn't know how it was gonna work, I asked the guy waiting before me whether his interview was at the same time as mine, but his was 30 minutes before mine. Now, they tell you to arrive 60 minutes before your interview time, and this chap explained it that they take less than half an hour to interview you, before sending you to another room for the 2nd interview. So I guess they make you come earlier so they can get it done with faster.

The two ladies at the desk had this list in front of them, but I couldn't read it to see perhaps if they arranged the interview order according to name or index number or something. The lady that stayed on (one left) was really nice, like she smiled at me encouragingly and gave me a free bottle of water!

So some time after the guy before me came out, (there was another army boy after me), the bell rang and I went in. I had kind of expected some panel of like 5 people, but there were only 2!! So it didn't feel so scary, haha.

After mine was over, about 20 minutes, the lady directed me over to the other room, where I saw the guy before me sitting beside a girl who was presumably before him, and still waiting. Apparently the 2nd interview takes quite a bit longer than the first.

Being my usual garrulous self, I started talking to them, found out the girl is from TJC, the guy from RJC, what they put as 2nd choices, how the 1st interview went, stuff about their schools, etc. The fellow after me only came to sit down after the girl (I think her name was Michelle) went in. And his mother is so nice, she fetched him from camp, and waited all the way throughout the process for him, and even gave him newspaper to read! I borrowed his Life! Section.

I realise how talkative I am. I went on asking the one before me about his army stuff, found out things like why he's Pes C (shoulder injury), his CCA (swimming), his musical skills (not a lot, apparently) and all that. He saw his friend (I'm thinking schoolmate, also Pes C) who had already finished the interview and was relating the experience. He's a son of a politician, (imagine that!), and apparently his parents didn't care that he put medicine as his only choice, like what I and the chap before me wanted to do, except that our parents told us to put other things. The girl also put Law as 2nd choice, like me.

Then after he went in, I started talking to the other guy (from CJC), and I can't believe he got an interview okay. He put medicine as his THIRD CHOICE. WHAT THE HECK. Like other people in his platoon got more As than him, put medicine as 1st choice and still weren't shortlisted! And because of that he gets called the "med student", and tutors some guys in the same room/bunk/whatever who are retaking their A Levels!

One thing that occurred to me is, all the three army boys I saw had their parents fetching them after the thing was over! And I said, "Wah, parents so free to come and fetch their kids." The fellow after me said, no, actually his mum got to work, but take leave to fetch him, "Because this is very important." OH MY. SUCH NICE PARENTS. But he admitted it made him seem spoilt, haha! Good that he knows!

I realise I've said a lot about these people (on this blog) I've only met for less than two hours today, and will possibly never see again. Good thing I don't know their names. But I think it would be ultra cool if we all got in, then during university, we can point at each other and say, "Hey, weren't you the person at the same group for the interviews? Wow!"

EDIT:
I just got back from my first ever night driving lesson (I actually forgot to re-turn on the lights after I finished my parking section and went back to driving), and I saw that I received this letter from NTU.

I've gotten an acceptance to NTU Biological Sciences! And I'm stunned, firstly because I didn't know how hard/easy it might be to get in, but mostly because, even if I have nowhere to go, I now have somewhere to go!

This sounds utterly contradictory, but it feels like at least a part of my future is secured. Even though obviously I want to get into NUS medicine more than anything, but even if no other university would accept me, NTU already has! Haha!

xuan blogged at 3:22 PM

May your light shine...
in the darkness...