The guy in the middle is my senior, while the one hiding is yours truly. :) |
Just tonight earlier, I was chatting with 1 of my
seniors. He’s taking Computer-Aided
Design, graduated 1 year prior. What he
told me, made me reminisce about what I’ve gone through during my final
semester in university as a degree student.
I’m majoring in Information Technology.
1 month earlier, I just finished studies. I even took a professional course in web
development, Adobe CS6 Dreamweaver where I thought is essential before entering
the world of occupation. My senior is
currently a tutor in my university with Diploma student. He told me, how the experience of being a
research assistant turned out to be a hectic life with no personal commitment
accomplished. It reminded me of how my
course mate act during the days of deadline before we got our final year
project exhibited to the crowd. It was
funny, but sort of reflective of what a normal university student would do. It also became a determining factor for me,
whether to further my studies or not.
Time to reminisce about a chapter in my life.
Beginning on February 2014, our final semester begun. Usual preparations as well, where we enrolled
with our courses & stuff, meeting supervisors on our progress. I was doing a project based on Eclipse
environment, Android application development.
There’s no guidance here, all hands on with own effort. The hectic life begin for me. As early as the 1st week, I begin
to spent my entire afternoon in library, alone researching about Java. Even though I did quite a lot self study,
this I could say useless in helping me program my application. Eventually I relied on some source online,
where I tried coding everywhere, compatible to be compiled with my
application. It’s where I learn XML
& JAVA. One of my friend, he chose
the similar project scope with me using Java.
We both are the only ones programming our application entirely using
pure Java, using the actual internal development environment. This made us quite proud with our accomplishment
indeed. However, that’s not the
highlight of my story. From the remaining
146 course mates of mine each of them chosen other scopes, such as Python or to
the simplest of HTML. I became a guiding
& motivating factor for my pal to carry on with our project that seems
hopeless without any guarantee to finish & assistance from lecturers. However, we never gave up until the final
moments before exhibition.
During the final 2 weeks before exhibition, the very
library that became my “second home” began to be crowded with the shadows of my
course mates. Wow, I was glad that
during the less peak hours of 7.30 p.m., there’s existence of familiar aura
around. Lessen my heart from worrying
about the rumor about our haunted library.
Pun intended. However, this
pleasing sight soon became a very sore for eyesight that I began to search for
somewhere else to spent my 8 hours a day routine when there’s no lecture during
the day. The very attitude that colours
my course mates’ attentiveness toward programming. Discrepancies exist, where they pay each other
to finish their project. Some of them
who referred to me, confessed that they’ve never been clearly exposed towards
of the world for HTML. Some of them even
took 1st class. So I started
to wonder, how these people actually excelled?
Live a lie? My social media feed
began to be crowded with selfies of them doing project, some with very
irritating captions. Imagine, the same
routine they did for 2 weeks up until before the exhibition. I wonder, if they’re placed in my situation
of building Java apps that we never learnt before would they actually
manage. I’ve seen some of them as what I
would describe as “remora fish with the shark” mutual relationship. High score, but no foundation in
programming. They were even not
motivated to use language other than their own as lecture medium. These experiences that I see in people,
became the true motivation for me to learn something that people perceive
impossible to master. I want to prove
that with sheer willpower, we could accomplish anything. It was my personal guideline up until today.
Sadly to say 1 day before the exhibition, I realized that
my project won’t be able to be completed on time. I gave up on the spot, right next to where
people are setting up the booth & sort.
I wasn’t the first. The friend
that followed my footsteps, he told me prior that what we are trying to
accomplish is rather murky by the time.
He had sort of a light argument with me, claiming that he’ll move
platform to using drag-and-drop software instead. I was sincerely heartbroken at that time,
felt like if I didn’t shroud him with my confidence of completing our project
he might’ve done better with ordinary systems development. I continued to debug my application, knowing
that all hope is gone. The exhibition
came. I was judged by 2 strict
lecturers, where I believe my attempt to show my incomplete app may have come
to a disaster. All of my other course mate
who selected normal systems development had accomplished their task. Even those that took the easy way out, had
presented to the lecturer as if they’re the actual “brain & brawn” behind
their project. Actually I quite regret
the selection that I made.
The main interface of my app. Only 1 month after the exhibition that I managed to debug it. Luck waits for no man they said, haha. |
If I didn’t choose that path, I might end up as a proud
presenter just like what final year students should have experienced. You know, those that like "I'm proud to tell my grandson" thingy. Confidence flushed down the drain. Even though I didn’t go through the normal
HTML & PHP development like others, I had tutored 20 persons in
accomplishing their project. It made me
a proud man inside. Surprisingly, those
that cheated their way to the top won the top prize. Even my pal who moved from Eclipse to
drag-and-drop environment won 2nd place for his Android app. He was absent to receive the prize, as he
never expected he could win. The
uniqueness of our project might have lead to the winning. I was his representative to receive the prize
that people perceive I was the winner.
Left the hall with smiles, I broke down devastated that night. I spent 9 hours every day studying Java,
teaching others. But that factor made me
received appraisal from my closest pals, who saw my effort. It became a bittersweet final year memory for
me. However, I was relieved that my
failed effort didn’t diminish my trust in what I believe: never succumb to others' intuition, trust our own will. Felt complete, that I manage to share my
true account which is not in entirety but told with sincerity.
This is a life story that had mold a part of my life,
beginning from the very foundation of IT programming that I’m fond with. I learn how to bear pain of been betrayed by
people that I love, envied by people who don’t understand our sorrowful life
story, & how to work on ourselves using our own motivation to strive
forward. That experience also made me
began to receive support secretly from a few of my lecturers, who praised me
for my effort to laying out an impossible feat.
Even trustworthy support from the highest recognition of my faculty, my
very own dean, made my friends awe. It
was a fact I never mention to anyone.
These life experiences made me learn a few melees to better equip myself
of what to come in the future. It also
made me love programming, ready to further my studies in either the fields of
Multimedia, Information Technology, or Internet Computing. However, doubts exist. The accountabilities for furthering my studies. The credibility that I could placed in people
should there’s some Master students who care more of selfie doing assignments
than accomplishing everything well.
Discrepancies of the faces of people I’ll met during the unpredictable
span of studies. Financial aspect
included during the time span involved.
Adaptability with a new layer of society different from what I
experienced during degree years. Heavy
feeling of leaving Mom for another few years whilst busy doing my own thing. So now, should I continue immediately? Only God knows. Thanks to those involved officially or behind
the scenes during those moments of critical 11th hour for our final
year project exhibition. A life
experience to be etched firmly in mind.
Keep your dreams alive. Understand to achieve anything requires faith and belief in yourself, vision, hard work, determination, and dedication. Remember all things are possible for those who believe. " - Gail Devers