30/10/09 - Last Day of my 3 year course

What makes a good uni?

Is it the friends that you make? Or is it the wonderful lecturers that have made an impact on you forever?

Today is my last day in university for my 3 year course. So sentimental.

Today marks a special beginning and end. It is the beginning of something new. And it is the end of something that has been nothing short of great!

I will try to list down my most memorable times at uni (not in any order):

- In 1st year when Audrey, Sue Ann and myself used to hang out, we will usually walk to lectures together, be late for class together, and Kelvin would get Sue Ann's and Audrey's names mixed up.

- The moment I met my awesome, good friend Kelvin. That was the beginning of an awesome friendship. It was when I came up to him, following a recommendation from Ken, and asked him to join me to participate in the UBS Investment Banking Challenge.

- The 3 of us, Kelvin, Ken and myself, winning best first year team in the UBS IB Challenge. It was so unanticipated. We were really just toying around and giving what we thought was "right"
but was actually so wrong. None of us had done any finance subjects before.

- Joining the Entrepreneurial Investment Club (EIC), and meeting wonderful people who are now known as the original gang, including Donald, Edward, Eugene, Siew Ching, Yang, Jamie and Mitheran. Truly memorable those times.

- The times when I had multiple crushes on many people. It was the start and ending of a few beautiful relationships which I will always remember.

- My ATA tutor whom I really disliked and tried to ask hard questions every tute, which she always failed to answer my questions, and then somehow through a miracle I got high tutorial marks.

- The MUEC competition that we joined and got 3rd place. It was memorable. Thanks to my wonderful team including Kelvin, Wei Na and Chiau Lin.

- The various sleepovers at Kelvin's place.

- The times when I would be so involved in uni and in my investment partnership. The times where my friends would always remind me never to give up and continue on despite the odds.

- The wonderful journey of learning, discovering and finally understanding a topic in the areas of Economics, Finance and Accounting.

- The studying together during Swot Vac where Bailieu Library will always be super full and yet we would be able to find a place.

- The various luncheons I have had together with my friends where we would have a drink and share a few common laughs.

- The time when I found out that I got selected as a PASS leader and also as an Economics tutor. I was at a high that time. It was like a dream come true.

- The evolution from having a lot of senior friends in 1st year to having a lot of junior friends in 3rd year in uni

- The time when we played drinking games until the morning at Ze Ying's and Agnes' place.

- The times when my friends and myself would just hang out at Chan's place or in Union House while wasting the time away.

- The Royal Exhibition Building where all Melbourne uni-ans would have their exam, it has become a landmark place. That place signified excitement, fear and thrill of the unknown to be discovered and faced bravely.

- The feeling of belonging to somewhere when you are at uni. And also the feeling of purpose that the place gives one person.

- The times when all of us would DIE for holidays to come. And when it finally came, we wished that uni were to come back again.

- The feeling that I have completed at least 132 hours of tutorials since the beginning of the year, made an impact on at least 204 students in total and have directly influenced the way they think about the world and their own lives.

I felt I got so much out of uni. More than what I had given to that place. Next year, God bless, I will be starting my honours year which I would regard as a separate degree as research is totally different.

I want to thank all my friends for giving me a memorable time at Melb Uni. Now all that's left is the exams, and may all of us PASS. I do not want to rewrite this entry next year again if I fail my exams this year.

I would like to end with a timeless quote:

"If you feel that you have both feet planted on level ground, then the unversity has failed you" ~Robert Goheen, Time, 23 June 1961