10 min read

This week passed way faster than I realised. But that’s the thing about life because one moment you could be studying for IB, next thing you know you’re serving National Service and now you’re getting ready for university to begin. 

Then you begin reminiscing about how certain moments felt like yesterday and you begin thinking about how you could’ve done things a little differently. That was how I would’ve felt in JC or National Service- just harping on missed opportunities along the way. 

I feel that the biggest change in me over the year would’ve been this change in mindset. Instead of raking up old tales and lament on those moments, I begin to cherish them because I would not be here or the person i am today had I not made those choices yesterday. And now each day flows with this question of “what should I do today so that I can thank my old self in the future?” And naturally, everyday becomes a new day that gets filled with wonderful memories.

Too many things happened this week- where do I even start??
[tl;dr: I bolded these highlights]

I missed my end-of-the-month vlog as well as my usual blog entry on Sunday night. I feel like these two stood out to me the most just because it was a promise I made to myself as an effort to ‘do more’ on a frequent basis. Fatigue or a packed schedule should not be an excuse because it just becomes a reason for me to avoid writing. Obviously there was disappointment at myself. BUt now I have to keep to this regular schedule. Given this situation, I have decided to continue with only the weekly blog for now.

What was more surprising was the overwhelming support and response I received from my family and peers (and of course, other art accounts in Instagram). Having that support becomes an extra validation that I need, like an extra push to keep propelling you forward. Down the road, say 18 months, I should have a couple of drawings (facade + exploded) and that is the side goal (while juggling academics). Anyways, I’ll be updating my portfolio with this piece soon and the link should be updated here once that’s done. In the mean time, do check out my drawings of Dr Martens and the Volkswagen Beetle if you haven’t!

IT FINALLY HAPPENED. I moved into NUS’s Tembusu College on Friday. Moving into my room felt like the closest thing to a holiday since Covid-19 hit. I get to see everyone lugging all their bags and struggling to carry their items up yet everyone exuded this glow on their faces. 100% sure it was excitement. Because no matter how scared or nervous you are stepping into a new environment, there is always that sense of excitement, eagerly looking forward to the endless possibilities ahead. Also, huge shoutout to the 2017 Freshman’s Guide to Tembusu for magically cleared all my doubts.

But here I am now. 

A proud student reading Architecture at the National University of Singapore. 

Obviously I need a Master’s Degree to be a Registered Architect and even though NUS offers this 5 years programme, it has always been my dream to study and work overseas so the plan is to continue my Master’s elsewhere upon completion of 4 years. Right now, it’s an estimated SGD150,000 budget for tuition fees and accommodation for 2 years of studies overseas so I need to use the next 4 years wisely if I plan to fund this. Anyways, that is the struggle of being a university student- juggling finances, worrying about the future and scoring well in my academics. But if anyone can do it, it’s me. I just have confidence in myself that I can achieve my dreams. 

Back to my experience in Tembusu College.

Everyone I met in school so far has been genuinely nice people. My floor mates on the 15th are amazing and the ones I’ve met bonded quite seamlessly. Of course, a lot of effort was put in by the seniors during the Tembusu Welcome Week and just promoting this wonderful ambience around Tembusu. 

I have been getting a rhythm thorugh my good night’s sleep then waking up for my routinely morning stretching/exercises. It just feels like I’ve finally found the right stage to perform in. And now what’s left for me is to put in the effort that I myself expect to put in once the briefs have been properly assigned.

And I look forward to sharing more stories along the way through these posts.



Now that school is starting, I just wanted to take this opportunity to thank everyone I have met along the way prior to this journey. Family for their unconditional support, Primary School friends whom I have kept in contact, friends at SJI and colleagues from National Service, RichardHO Architects for giving me the opportunity to learn from the best people around and God for everything that has happened.


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