Holidays for a Somebody

Some extracts from the article "Holidays for a somebody".

Holidays for a Somebody

" Regardless of whether I return home (being an international student), travel elsewhere, or even stay in Singapore, I want to spend my holidays the way I feel they are meant to be spent: on holiday, away from the routines of university and life on campus. Unfortunately, it was apparent that I was expected to remain on campus if I were to play as active a role as I wished in co-curricular activities. My first views of the NUS campus were from inside a taxi, as I and my airport-fresh suitcases were dropped off at my residential hall. I remember being surprised at the amount of activity on campus even though the term was not due to begin for more than another two weeks. There were people everywhere – they were training for inter-varsity sports tournaments and preparing for conferences amongst the many other activities which if you want to be a part of, you cannot take off on the allocated holiday
the university gives you. "

" Yes, it is perfectly practical for students to do during their vacations what they cannot do during term time because of various constraints and higher priorities. Of course everyone is free to decide what to do during his or her holidays. Holidays are there to be enjoyed, to be spent in recreation and celebration, and no one can decide what these constitute for someone else. However, I cannot help but feel that there could be a system whereby students are not deprived of major university events simply because they take place during university vacations. How can an athlete perform as part of a team when he has missed out on three months of training sessions? How can an actress step up to the stage if she cannot make it to the rehearsals, despite the fact that she was a favourite at the audition?Admittedly, this is an issue that affects international students more than it does locals, as they are typically more likely to leave the country over holidays. Nonetheless, all students have the right to a true vacation, time off from university life. All students also have the right to as complete a university experience as they wish. Neither of these rights should have to be compromised for the other. "

" As just another student among the almost thirty thousand students at NUS, I’m no longer looking to be one of ‘those people’ from high school, who were the stars of every show, the pride of every tournament. I just want to be someone, experimenting in that clichéd search for an inner identity – without having to give up my vacations. "

“I just want to be someone, experimenting in that clichéd search for an inner identity – without having to give up my vacations.”

text by Dan Bee Shin
NUSSU Publication

This article is published in the most recent issue of NUS student's magazines.
Cant help to read it more than once. I share the same opinion as the writer on some parts of the article, especially this line “I just want to be someone, experimenting in that clichéd search for an inner identity – without having to give up my vacations.”

* Should show my mum this article so that she wouldnt nag me for not spending the entire holiday at home. *