Welcome speech!

Hi guys! I'm Lumo. This is the first time that I am sharing by blogging.

The truth is, I'm writing this covert blog on education as an outlet for my knowledge of the U.K. and/or U.S. application process and all the shenanigans that go with it, especially for those with a rural background in Malaysia. Flashback 2 years ago in my hometown's SMJK (Malaysia's Public Chinese Secondary School), friends crowded around my table, busy gossiping about the latest breakups at school and doing detailed analysis of the female anatomy. Teachers were perpetually mono-toning on about whatever they were droning about and I was, as usual, daydreaming. Sure, life in a rural area has its perks by being peaceful and relaxing, but in that small town, I was drifting away. Although I invested my time in doing all the extracurricular activities that I can get my hands on, I never really felt busy, I felt comfortable being the jaguh kampung (small town champion).

Later, I managed to secure a scholarship to do A-Levels at Sunway College. The competition there shocked me. That was the first time that I met such intense, cut-throat competition. There were people who did the MIT online courses, who were IMO Gold Medalists, who scored more 100s than the times they didn't score 100s - It was all too crazy! However, after some time of adjustment, I realised that I was not too bad. Coming from a rural background does not mean that we are weak, it is simply that we are not as well-exposed and well-connected as those from the urban areas. Now that I am studying at one of the best university preparatory college in this country, the playing field is leveled.

Fast forward 2 years and back to A-Levels, I have since discovered a sense of purpose (note that I did not use rediscovered here as I never had one before). For the first time, I felt an urge of entering Big-Name schools like Cambridge and Stanford. For the first time, I felt like I could stand a chance against the hundreds and thousands of monsters (geniuses) swamping the world outside. For the first time, I felt the need to give it my all - to go BIG or go home. It is not that I did not have the capacity to dream big, but it had not occurred to me to do so, until now. However, no matter the outcome, this experience has been an important eye-opener and I resolved to see that when the next Lumo stumbles along, he/she will have the guidance of this trailblazer.

Do you have a similar experience? What are your thoughts? Do comment below.