I joined the wonderful GESS community in 2006 in Grade 2 and graduated with my IB in 2017. Inclusivity, inquisitiveness, and empathy were the foundations of my education, and they were developed thanks to my friends, teachers, and parents. GESS’ philosophy of giving children roots & wings also meant I was exposed to a wide range of cultures, values and histories both in Singapore and abroad. When I share my school experiences with my university friends in Australia, I am aware of how fortunate I was to have grown up in Singapore and at GESS.
After GESS, I returned to Australia for my tertiary education. I started a Bachelor of Science Degree at the Australia National University in Canberra. Six weeks later, I was very lucky to be offered a position to study medicine at Bond University in Gold Coast. At Bond Uni I had a group of wonderful friends, I enjoyed the challenges of my course, and always had the support of my family. In 2023, I started work as a junior doctor at the Gold Coast University Hospital, and my ambition is to become a psychiatrist specialising in child & adolescent, and forensic psychiatry. As much as I love the Gold Coast beaches, the Bukit Tinggi GESS campus still holds a special place in my heart. I have fond memories of walking to the sports hall through the jungle, our breaks in the red brick forum, and the Weihnachtsmarkts and Summerfests. And who doesn’t miss the food, cleanliness, and great public transport in Singapore?
Looking back over my five years in Australia, things weren’t always smooth sailing. Each year was marked by natural disasters, including floods and bushfires, not to mention the global pandemic. Overlaying this were other local issues. These experiences made me realise that although growing up in Singapore at GESS develops open-mindedness and adaptability, it is very much a protective bubble.
So what’s my two cents worth on transitioning to university? If you have undertaken a First Aid Course, you would recall the ABCs of first responders. These are my suggested ABCs and more for your next steps after GESS.
A – ALLOCATE time for yourself. Look after your physical and mental health. Find a good family doctor. Exercise, and sleep and eat well.
B – BATTLES, life is full of them. The trick is to learn which ones to fight, and know which ones are OK to lose. Stand up for what you believe is right, but ensure you live to take on another day.
C – COMPANY. Find friends and colleagues you can rely on and have fun with, and it doesn’t have to be a huge circle. Even though most of my GESS classmates moved to Europe, we still had Zoom lockdown parties, which were great opportunities to check in on one another.
D – DO the DULL adult stuff. Manage your finances, and your living space, and vote.
E – ENJOY the journey. Reflect on the past, revel in the moment, and keep an eye out for the future. Life is absurd; one moment you are learning about the marvels of modern medicine and enjoying a beer at the uni bar, then the world goes into lockdown and hospitals are overflowing. However, you can still find moments of beauty and light relief all around you.
Your time at GESS is a wonderful opportunity to develop your critical thinking skills, your teamwork skills, and your sense of empathy. The years immediately after GESS might not be the best years of your life, but have fun where you can, and take care of yourself and those around you. There will be many surprises along the way, and all you can do is adapt to the circumstances. A lot of people talk about resilience, but I think the emphasis should be on malleability, because it is our experiences that shape us.
P.S. One last tip: do meal prep and freeze them – it’s a great time and money saver.
