I'm going down

Monday, May 25, 2009

How time flies. Two terms have passed. Despite the apprehensiveness of coming to a new school, with it is the excitement of making new friends, new teachers, and the hectic secondary school lifestyle.

My first day in school was quite unsucessful. When I reached the clock tower, I felt lost; none of my primary school friends were from my consortium. The only two people I knew were in Aphelion. However, I felt welcome, when the band played music to welcome us into the school, and the seniors smiled warmly at us. Later, we started introducing ourselves to the various subject teachers, and after school we had the CCA orientation. I recall how desperate i was when I could not find the classroom after i had my lunch. After searching for nearly twenty minutes, it finally occured to me to check the top floor. And true enough, I found my classroom. I still remember how relieved I felt when I found my classroom.

Anyway, it took me nearly three days before I finally found a good friend. I suppose that is irrelevant, so now i will be moving on to the later part of the term.

I suspect that I was over-confident for my term 1 tests, because at the end of the term, when I received my results, I realised how badly i had done. Though I was not the last in class, I was not too far from there. Still, I felt that the teachers had taught us well, and adequately prepared us for the tests. Coupled with some serious studying, anyone could have easily scored several A1s.

During the march holidays -- we went for the annual secondary 1 camp. It was quite enriching, relatively fun, and it allowed me to spend time with my friends -- interacting and getting to know them better. Overall, i enjoyed the secondary 1 camp.

As I moved into the next term, I enjoyed school life better. I made more and more friends, and soon, I even enjoyed coming to school. Term 2 passed quickly, and now, there is only one week left to the june holidays. Our class has organised some class outings, and I look forward to the holidays, to max out my ace and have fun with my friends.

I also need to pull up my grades desperately for next term, and hence I have decided to do assesments weekly, finish up my homework quickly, and get tuition for mathematics and geography, my two weakest subjects.

Sean Seewent down at 7:10 PM

" Is it your duty to give to charity? "

Should giving to charity be mandatory? To me, the answer is a "Yes" and I will substantiate my reasons for this.

The most significant reason is that people will not give to charity at all, if they do not need to. In fact, most people nowadays rarely give to charity at all, unless they are pressed by family members and possibly, onlookers from the public. The idea of not giving to charity at all is inherently flawed. Children should start learning from young that it is essential to understand that kindness extended to others will ultimately be rewarded. giving to charity is merely getting the more fortunate citizens of this world to contribbute to our society and care for the less fortunate citizens of this world.

Secondly, by giving to charity, we are helping those who really need help in the process. When one sees how his/her actions have a positive effect on those they have helped, and this will spur more and more people to give to charity. This is enough impetus for them to carry on, and carrying it forward. This would never have happened if they had not given anything in the first place, be it money, clothing or sustenance.

Lastly, people who oppose my Point of view will say that forcing people to give to charity are self-defeating and ineffective in the long term. What these people have failed to understand is that without making it our duty to give to charity, nobody would even do so in the first place. Hence, the argument that people would be more commited if they are allowed a choice simply does not stand.

It is evident that it is our duty to give to charity, whether we like it or not. Only then can we ensure that even the less fortunate have something to be thankful for.

Sean Seewent down at 6:03 AM

Tuesday, May 19, 2009

" Should we control technology or does technology control us? "

About a million and a half years ago, primitive man took one stone and used it to shape another piece of stone to create a makeshift axe. It was a simple tool but it was the first piece of advanced technology in the world.

We now live in the age of technology. Since the middle ages, technology has propelled the world forward inexorably. I can reasonably assert here and now that technology does not control us. Rather, we are the ones who control technology.

A significant part of technology is the infamous computer games. The consequences of playing computer games are countless. And fortunately, they are not negative consequences, rather, they are positive consequences. Computer games are enjoyed by both youths and adults. To be able to relax and destress is beneficial as it may help us to work well.

Furthermore, the softwares for computers are created in such a way that the graphics are not only colourful and captivating, they can also be educational and stimulating. The biggest problem with computer games, the problem of over-dependence on computer games, will not arise if parents as well as children are disciplined enough to know how to do things at the correct times. They should set aside different hours for both leisure and work.

Technology has vastly improved our lives, so far, and by controlling technology, we will all have a bright future.

Sean Seewent down at 5:55 AM

"How do you know who your friends are? "

No man is an island. Everyone likes company. Who doesn't? From the moment we learn how to socialize, we have always been surrounded by friends. A wide circle of friends is what we all desire. One who is without friends, who shuns company, is often considered antisocial. When we were much younger, we treated our parents as our lifeline. They were the ones who fed us, clothed us and protected us. however, as we grow older, this role is increasingly being replaced by our friends. As parents become less important in their guardianship role over us, we depend more and more on our friends for survival and growth.

What are friends? Friends are definitely not people whom we just know on a superficial level. Those whom we know but not too well are merely acquaintances. Friends are the only ones, apart from our parents, who know us well. Merely knowing and understanding us is still not enough; enemies and foes also know and understand us, but they simply utilize this knowledge against us. Friends must also look out for our interests. Friends must help us see the stupidity of our actions, and stand by us when we are in trouble.

Of course, friends also mean companionship. Teenagers are much more likely to confide in their friends than their family members, including their parents. Friends keep us company, share our joys and pains, and so on. These are just some of the benefits of friends.

Hence, it makes perfect sense to have friends. Our ultimate survival depends on them. True friends are hard to find, however, so we should treasure them when we have them. In short, true friends are the only people who will stick by us, stand up for us, and share our happiness and sadness. True friends are definitely more valuable than any other material goods in the world.

Sean Seewent down at 5:19 AM

"What is the right way to live? "

Many years ago, a scientist came up with a survey which asked people if they lived their lives aimlessly, or actually bothered to set goals. Out of the few thousand people who took the survey, 95% of people just lived their lives aimlessly, while the remaining 5% minority set goals for themselves. For this 5% who bothered to set goals, their income greatly surpassed the combined income of the 95% who did not.

Anyone would expect that after the results of the survey were revealed, people would rush to set goals and directions for their lives. However, that was not the case. The majority of the world still lived their ordinary lives, and all because they believed that time was on their side.

Ironically, what these people believe is totally untrue. Time ticks away, indefatigably, and their lives are draining away without them knowing. Instead of wasting one's life away, why not use our lives constructively, to do something that will benefit all of mankind? Had Thomas Edison not been born into this world, to this day, who knows? We might still be living in a world of darkness. Hence, what I am trying to emphasise can be summarised in a sole statement: Live as if you were to die tomorrow.

Death may seem scary, but it remains the only thing that exists to tell us that time is not always on our side. One day, inevitably, our lives will come to an end, and the only thing that remains to remind us of that is death. If we were to live as though we would die tomorrow, we would treasure, we would savour every single moment, as it would never repeat itself again. By seizing every moment, we can focus on what we can do to help ourselves, rather than sit back and wait for miracles to take place.

If we live as though we were to die tomorrow, we will be able to realise and set our priorities. Things that have previously been paramount will now fade away, while trivial issues will take on a renewed importance.

Though the thought of living as though we were to die tomorrow can seem rather frightening and morbid, it spurs us on to do what we need to do this day. The right way to live? Live as though you were to die tomorrow.

Sean Seewent down at 4:20 AM