A few updates in my life:
1) My laptop went dead on me. I believe it's not salvageable, unless I'm willing to fork up 700 big ones for it. So, I'm currently working on my sister's laptop which she got with her allowance (HA!) and now she doesn't want it. It was supposed to be my brother's slave computer but somehow he gets little electric shocks from using it. I'm now using a laptop named Jen Hoe and has none of my stuff in it except a folder for Afterschool.
2) I finally couldn't take all the pressure from balancing my Stony Brook preparations AND my job that I told Rajah I would quit in the middle of the month instead of the end. He was pretty cool about it. Yeah, I have a really nice boss. If only he could be less demanding. Or maybe I'm just lazy since I've never gotten a real job before and therefore, never known real pressure. [Rajah, if you're reading this, you know I love you! Hahahaha. Please don't write a bad testimonial for me.]
3) I'm finally gonna move to Stony Brook, New York! Yays for me! A lot of people around me has been oohing and ahhing about New York City when I tell them about SBU. It's an awesome place since it's only about an hour and half from The City that Never Sleeps, The Big Apple, the home of The Statue of Liberty, Times Square (THE Times Square and not Berjaya's rip-off version) and Broadway. I really appreciate being so near a metropolitan and all (kinda reminds of of home in Cheras where it's only half an hour away from KL city center) but I wouldn't have minded being in a suburban/rural area because people would be friendlier.
Speaking of moving to New York, these past few weeks has been really busy for me. I had to renew my passport (don't get me started on the immigration department!), apply for visa (who knew I had to pay so much and fill in so many forms for it!?), find an apartment, start shopping and packing and say my goodbyes. Nope, I still haven't found a place. Rent is really expensive, it's about $400 a month. Still, it's cheaper than living off-campus which is about $569 a month, and I can't cook. Meaning, crappy cafeteria food everyday.
I have no people to depend on there so I was kinda afraid of going-still am, a little. Thankfully, my sister has a couple of friends from SBU and I got Ms. Naini to help with contacting a few HELP seniors there. SBU has this Commuter Assistant program too.
I still feel pretty bad about not being smart enough to get a scholarship. Why is it always like that, huh? I've always been in the top class in school and I'm one of the good students in college (I think) but I'm never the best. In school, it was Gayathri and in college, it was uhh...someone I didn't know but definitely not me. I've always gotten better than average scores but not the best. In SPM, I was one A away from a scholarship. Well, at that time anyway. Now, HELP ADP decided to lower their requirements and if I entered college this year, I could've knocked off RM2,000 off my tuition. Not a lot, but it's something. Most scholarships need at least a 3.5 and what do I have? A 3.45! I'm so close but yet so far. I'm always the underdog.
I want to make my parents proud. It breaks my heart sometimes when I see how my dad has to work in Johor, away from the family and his whole life just to be able to support my education. Gah! So frustrating. If only I knew that this day would come. Then I would've taken Form 6 instead and saved us that RM30k. Or at least applied for a PTPTN loan.
I'm crossing my fingers and hope for the best for my experience in SBU. I'll commit all my time into academics, networking and employment. Pray for me!
