WHAT???? only 1 A in SPM?!

I had to type something when I got so much news from my Leos about their results. Some were very happy because they scored straight A's... Some scored so-so... some only had a handful, some had none at all! Well .... Gaining Straight A's is something you should be extremely proud of! You have done well.. and congratulations! Also to those who scored the number of A's... Bravo!!!!! Let me tell you this... My sibblings... Elder and younger brother  and me.. with all the A's we got during our time at SPM... probably still cannot classified as a STRAIGHT A's student. Mark my words... all three of us combined you know! hahaha! 

Let's start to classify the types of students you are:

TYPE 1: Straight A's and active in your extra-curricular activities

TYPE 2: Straight A's and stay at home, number of friends on Facebook exceed 500, but number of real friends ... "10 fingers can count all" (typical chinese translation.. my apologies)

TYPE 3: 6-8 A's... not too bad in your social life... and very happy of your results cause you earned it!

TYPE 4: 6-8 A's... very active in your social life.. and not happy with the Type 1 & 2... cause you think that you should be there! You are now blaming yourself for not spending enough time in your studies and you are thinking the famous phrase... "I wasted my time in XXXX club/association.. I should have bla bla bla...."

TYPE 5: 4-5 A's... very happy with whatever you have achieved... cause you led a life at school.. got friends.. got family... got facebook (hahaha) and you're just happy! No issues!

TYPE 6: 1-3 A's... Very active in social life.. FB most likely >1000 friends.. real friends lagi banyak... Should be some key persons in their clubs, associations etc etc... Don't bother much about all the other types as above.. cos you felt that you led your life happily.. gained a lot of street-smart experience.. and don't bother about anything in the world at this stage

TYPE 7: Just as Type 6, but the problem is you damn tulan with yourself now... cause you felt that you should have studied harder.. you shouldn't have joined all those clubs or association! Your parents are screaming down at you.... for such lousy marks and that you disgrace them... The word that constantly pop up in your mind right now is... "I should have..."... or "I Could Have...."

TYPE 8: No A's... Still ok to you.. you are really not that affected la. Chill-ing all your way and laughing at the Type 7s!

TYPE 9: No A's... Blames the world... don't care.. and no idea about whatever...

Let's analyze now aite!!!

TYPE 1.. well congrats! You earn it.. studied hard... well done! For the Type1, I respect you really. How I wish I could be just like you! You know, I have friends like you peepz... Active in all that you do at school... prefect maybe.. scouts? Leo? Interactor? Bandie? Debator? Someone in school lah! You are awesome wei. You work hard and play hard! Good luck in our future! Don't look back now and say that you have achieved this great and awesome results and start slacking k? Your SPM and high school life is over! Now's College and Uni time! Continue to be that top student out there and continue to enjoy your College & Uni life! Definitely you'll love it as it's a whole new ball game!!!!!

TYPE 2: Firstly, congrats lah.... Secondly.. Sorry I have to say this... You might end up with thick glasses somewhere... maybe earning a couple of thousand and driving a brand new proton sudah cukup makan gua? A small house and 2 kids already cukup. Good on ya... But really... if you end up in some Uni.. stop facebooking and go out there to actually "LIKE" what your REAL friends are talking about man... Seriously! I mean.. ya lor.. you will most likely end up working for the TYPES 4-9 anywayzzz... think about it... Staying in this "TYPE" will make you so old in thoughts that you would end up being a bloody anti-socialite. But then again, if that's the journey of life you want to lead... Go ahead man! Really... and my apologies for pointing out the inevitable.

TYPE 3, 5, 6, 8... Do you know.. how many people out there are just like you? You'll survive in the open , real world faster than anyone else! You have principles in life and you would have no issues mixing around with anyone, from any race, country or religion cause you have the brains and you go for it!

TYPE 4, 7... I think you should just go out and get and chill! You need to move yourselves to the 3,5,6,8....! You have the brains too.. but you have the jealousy heart and soul in you that should have been wiped out! You need to seriously think about the examination is something to challenge yourself and not against one another! Life is a competition. Whether it is a healthy one or a dead serious competition... you'd better stay clear pls! You may have the brains... but if you let the heart tells you where to go and lead you to the "I will do all I can to bring him/her down" mentality.. then you'd better stop that feeling right now! How to? 

Oh well.... look yourself in the mirror....scold the person facing you kau kau!!!!! :) It might work. Hahahaha..Otherwise...

Chill... and work harder next time! Life is just at the cross roads... not even started yet!

Types 9: Erm... go get a job and make yourselves useful la. Don't waste your parents' money for tertiary studies no more.. better let them use it for a European holiday or something.. at least they earn it! :) Otherwise.. it's time to think about your life and move yourselves to the other Types already lehh! it's time to make your past 17 years of life... a slightly more useful one.. not to the world or your family yet.. but atleast to yourself! Think about it! It ain't cheap raising you... Like Chinese Saying... your parents should have gave birth to a block of Honey BBQ Pork. atleast the prok serves a purpose. :)

Time to wake up from your life and make them proud of you!

Summary
I scored 3A's in my SPM back then. I was very active in my Leo Club, school band and prefect activities! The number of extra-curricular certs that I have received would add up to at least an inch thick (then)! To blame it on my activities, I must say it will be a little to harsh to do. But I did. YES.. I was really a TYPE 7! No kidding! Still failing to think that I could have balanced out my activities and my studies... I just couldn't be bothered with my life and went into Form 6.

When I was in Form 6... I must have thought I was a bloody Romeo or something.. and because of chicks and all... I kind'a screwed up my life and also at the same time I was really not studying much. I didn't fail any subjects though.... but I had 1A, 1B, 1C, 2 Ds in my STPM! i only really tried to study 2-3 months before the exams! Throughout the 1.5 years in my Form 6 life... I think I hurt many of my friends by choosing wrong words and doing the stupidest shyt anyone could have thought of (we'll leave that for another blog post k?)....

Hence, when I got the results... I kind'a like ... stayed at TYPE 7... blame the world.. blame this and that... and forgetting to blame that one thing that is undeniably the root to my "failure"... ME.

Well, application to the local university came....at that time... we didn't have online submission.. no facebook nor friendster even.. for friends to post "I'm going to apply for this bla bla bla" on their status. We just had word of mouth! Yup!!! I grew up in the Malaysian Internet Revolutionary period of time.... hence.. yeah.. MIRC was a cool thing then! Oh ya. ICQ came about later! hahahaah! Those were the days man!

Anyway... I applied for some courses and yes.. I didn't get anything! Yup!!! Nothing! So where do I turn back to? My parents of course! My parents and elder brother supported me in my tertiary education... Both of them were just teachers in public schools and my brother was only an accounts executive then... he just finished his accounting course and started working not too long ago then.

Well... I told myself that... all my life as a TYPE 7... and failing to see it when I was like that.. i started to think otherwise. I told myself... I can do it if I want to.... I changed my life entirely. I seriously and really.. really studied hard... cause I knew the extra tuition classed my dad had to give was to support me in my private tertiary education. True enough... I bought loads of books...revised constantly with my friends... and stayed focused! Well.... the results...? In that sem, 2 students scored straight A's for our Level 1 Business Diploma... and I was one of them. I then applied for a degree completion course doing an ADP course (American Degree Program) and I graduated top of my class.... and gave a speech at my graduation ceremony! My parents were thrilled!

Oh.. just incase if you are wondering... when i said I migrated from TYPE 7 upwards.. I really didn'y go to the extend of a TYPE 2 ... hahaha... I was the Org. Chairperson for my college's Prom Nite... and in 96, I obtained Top Leo (Omega).... I organized a project called Literacy Week that was a nominee for the International Lions Club Literacy and Cultural Award... Though the project didn't win, being able to be selected by the Multiple District 308 (Malaysia-Singapore-Brunei) for the award was already something I am proud of! I also went back to my school band and actively supervised projects, practices etc etc etc! 

I think I managed to migrate from TYPE 7 to somewhat of either a TYPE 1 or 3...

NOTE: Telling you all these is not to flare my successes. It's not to tell you what awards I got.. what achievements I obtained whatsoever! telling you all these was because i wanted to tell you that I realize at some point that.. "IT'S TIME TO CHANGE"!!!! Some people see it back in Form 1 when they screwed up their UPSR (hahahahah.. wtf!) Some after their PMR.. some after SPM.. and it wasn't until my Tertiary years.. my college/uni years... that I realize I screwed up my entire high school life.. and because of me... my family had to work twice harder to put me through college! Even so... HOW MANY PEOPLE out there would not realize even until they die that they stayed at a certain TYPE for life?

I have friends who have stayed in TYPES 7 .. or 9... or whatever you wanna call it.... even at Uni... and they ended up failing their subjects etc etc.. and become a college/uni drop out.. and end up selling some stuff for some companies.. earning a starting pay of not more than RM1200/mth? And still... complaining about their lives.. bla bla bla???!!! How often do you hear some people.. seniors... saying the following:

"Don't follow my footsteps.. Study hard now. It's your future"
"I f***ed up my life... cause I didn't study well"
"When i was your age.. I was bla bla bla bla bla"

WHAT TYPE ARE YOU????!
It's time to make a difference... If you are a LEO Member... and you were serving as a Leo during my terms as RCC or DC, I am sure you would have been to a M.A.D project (Making a Difference) for the community as well as for the environment... But have you ever thought that.. it's really the time to stop and MAKE A DIFFERENCE in your LIFE now!!!!

If you are highly active in your activities, but seriously suck at your studies.. It  is time to really consider doing a lifecheck and balance things out! If you are a studious Type 2....Really.. go out there and stop complaining why you have no friends! You are a smart person.. but it's time to CHILL!!!! Go watch a movie from the actual cinema rather than downloading from youtube!

This is your LIFE!!!! Do you want to just drive a small car when you grow up? Live in a small sized apartment or house? Work 9-5pm and end up at home having no idea what life is all about?  (Disclaimer: Sorry to those who are in this state... my respect for you if you feel that your life is full with this conditions... My apologies for using your life as an example. I do not mean to insult your current state)

Time to switch and upgrade your TYPEs. Time to Make a Change in your life and Make a Difference for your future!!!!Time to strike that balance and start to think....!

Regards

Lion Alan Thoo

DC for Leo Clubs

District 308B2 (Malaysia)