when you're a freshie, everything about ntu is admittedly foreign, new and exciting. admittedly more foreign than new or exciting. I remember the first day I learnt what ah tiong actually meant. I had to admit it was an eye opener.
because for once, you actually have to acknowledge that they will be part of the school crowd. before then, they were more or less invisible. its not that they aren't there. you just chose to "invisible" them. nah don't tell me you didn't.
and you suddenly find that timetabling can pose some very interesting logistical challenges. you can have lectures that are in opposite ends of the school one after the other, which means either you can run like an ethopian or you can be very late for every class and leave a bad impression.
not that running like an ethopian and bursting into class looking deranged with eyes unfocused from running too quickly doesn't.
oh, there is the 3rd option of asking your lecturer to end a little earlier. it is the correct option. you win 1 million dollars! no, I am actually relieved to have a correct option because it seems that in CS and in humanities in general, there is no correct answer.
Its actually very scary for a former science guy like me to be told that there is no longer a correct answer to that tutorial qn. its like a realisation that no matter how hard you study, you might still fail. its the loss of that security blanket. not to mention a certain alfian does make us all look juvenile. I can see how he'll be good for our course, but it doesn't mean that he doesn't push the bar like way up.
not to mention the loss of the spoonfeeding culture that we've all become used to. actually more so for the girls than the guys. as a guy I haven't actually used my grey matter much for 2 years, so a culture shock is guaranteed. for once, you actually do something because you want to, not because your captain is too busy fanning horse fart to do it himself. its actually liberating in a sense, that you no longer need to ask for permission to go to the toilet.
now, a perennial problem facing ntu freshies. the maze called ntu. in ntu, you quickly realise all the buildings, stairwells, rooms and ah tiongs look the same. how do you find your way around?
number one: ask a friendly senior. most likely answer? doh noe leh.
number two: try finding it yourself. most likely outcome? you become a white marathoner. you run like shit, you lose yourself, and you still lose to the ethopians. and you are very late too.
number three: you ask an ah tiong. no actually there is no number three. I won't go there sorry.
ok, to end it all, I hope you all feel a sense of pride getting off at the CS bus stop everyday. because I do.