It has been quite a bumpy year, filled with self-doubts, insecurities, and countless firsts. And yet I've made it. It's all done, and although I know I could do way better, I have to say I'm proud of myself for being able to tick one big box on my checklist.
And in the end, after being too hard on myself for conducting a crappy research that I couldn't fell in love with (although I did enjoy doing it tremendously), there's nothing more rewarding than having our supervisor told us, "Great job! A lot of judges (lecturer and professor) were really impressed with what you have done. Such an ambitious work for an MSc project!". Ah, and the unexpected poster-winning also felt pretty amazing. It's not the reward or the fact that I made the best poster among all students in my department (including those who did research with EEG or anything else; whose poster look both complicated and sophisticated) - it's the fact that, at last, I have done something right and was appreciated for doing so.
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With the poster which I don't really like at first as it has too many words that I just couldn't cut down. |
Regardless of all the challenges, this year probably is the best year my life. I did a lot of traveling, met a lot of inspiring people (not to mention new close friends), and learned more about myself.
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A snippet of my year. What's not to be grateful for? |
I'm still figuring out what to do next. I feel lost and find myself bewildered about which path do I need to choose; what kind of person do I need to be - but aren't we all twenty-somethings are?
I'm all waiting for the doors to be opened. And in the meantime, I'll travel some more, giving myself a reward as deserved. In the meantime, I'll keep whispering to myself, "You're still twenty one. Stop being so apprehensive about life and just try to enjoy it while you can."