A Time When I Persevered And Was Successful

Well, let's consider this first:  None of us were born to study, right?

As a daughter from a not so privileged family background, my family members did not do so well academically, and I could not always rely on my parents, as knowledge was limited. There was a time in which both of my parents were not working and there was no primary source of income. Our future was at risk. All that were my parents' hope was for me to study hard and earn money to sustain the family. That seemed like an almost impossible job, especially for a child, only 7 years old. Since young, I never had the opportunity unlike other children nowadays to enroll in tuition classes, study with strangers whom I have never met before and associate with them to form great relationships, and had never almost anyone to rely on, except myself. I always had to study under harsh conditions, as my old house was really cramped and there was only a small little fan that we had to share.

I was always criticised as "poor" in primary school, whether physically, mentally or socially. I always lagged behind and was a burden to almost everyone. Except for one, which was my Primary One Form teacher. She was patient, kind and caring. Seeing my state, all alone during group projects, she approached me and told me about my wonderful future, if I were to work hard. Her lovely voice and the words that came out of it inspired me, touched my heart, and gave me the spark to the ignition of my dream… She always told me that if I dared to dream, put my heart and soul to fulfilling it, it would eventually come true, no matter who I was, and how disadvantaged I was compared to other students.

One day, a thought hit me. If my life was just to keep being insulted and picked at, what's the point of living? I had the stupid thought of ending my life, which was ridiculous and foolish for myself to do it. I thought... "What if, I was to change my life and be a child who cares about my studies? Imagine what it would be to take on that life...for a day?" If I were to end my life, I would let my parents down, my younger sister and lastly, my teacher who cared so much for me.

I followed my dream.

My dream was to study hard, not to let my parents down, and to search for a better future. The first step was to teach myself Grade 1 spelling. With the help of my parents and my Form teacher, and after many spelling tests, failures and mistakes, I had finally gotten a full mark for spelling, and learnt how to read and write properly.

Through the never-ending encouragements from my family and teacher, I decide to further pursue my dream, to reach a further goal... To work hard for my studies and my future…

Although there were ups and downs, I still clinged onto my dream, even if it was about to slip out of my hands.

5 years passed so fast, that I could barely remember how I first started on my quest. The obstacles were my failures and I was about to give up, as I had not the knowledge other students who had guidance had, and the fading interest to study. But I thought. No one was born to be perfect, to study and all those were habits, slowly cultivated to form the people today. Without the foundations, the goal of a student of today would not have been reached.

PSLE was around the corner, and all of the students in my level, including myself, was getting nervous.

Being promoted to the first class in my Primary school, life was... stressful. But I believe without the tremendous preparations and stressing from the teachers, a good result would not be accomplished. I am who I am because of them, my family and my teacher.

As the saying goes, "Patience is a bitter plant but bears sweet fruits.” Patience is the thought of holding on to a dream, and waiting for it to happen, while working hard on it. Perseverance is the action in which we not giving up despite tremendous failures and continuous pursuit on our dreams. After hard work, comes success and a great outcome. Also, "Perseverance is at our first try, and if we don’t succeed, try and try again, and one day, we shall succeed.” Though my life was full of failures and mistakes, the spirit in me that encourages me and tells me to keep going on still burns on.

Sometimes, on my way to my Secondary School, I would always pass by my Primary School, and that familiar face would greet me, grinning from ear to ear. And she spoke, “I knew you could do it,”...