This update comes after sort of a hiatus- I’m currently serving my National Service, and have just completed my 3-month Basic Military Training (BMT) course, and am awaiting my posting to the Army unit/training school which I will be going to.

This 3 months in BMT have given me a new insights, and has been an enjoyable experience meeting new people and making friends. Apart from the military regimentation (and by extension, punishments), it has been almost like a residential school camp with a bunch of guys coming together 24/7 to mess around and have fun. BMT has also been a time to rest and reflect on the paths that I have taken, and paths which I will take in the future- after a whirlwind of activities in the months leading to army, army life has provided a place to think and plan while making friends, learning, and following instructions.

These months have also witnessed the release of my A-Level results, which were good enough to enable me to qualify for scholarships and universities. There was an unexpected B for GP which I didn’t in my wildest dreams see coming, but then again life’s like that, with its little surprises and all. A few people have asked whether I will appeal the result and I considered doing so- however I think it matters little, and will serve as a good reminder to me in the years to come.

With regard to the future, I have been fortunate to receive a provisional scholarship to study economics in the USA. At the moment it is still provisional and contingent on several factors, however I have done much homework on the scholarship and really hope to enjoy the career that it will bring me in the many years after my university education. I will write on this a bit more once more things are confirmed; I dare not write much now given that it is still tentative. I will also be awaiting the results of my university applications come 1st April, where Yale, Williams, Harvard, Brown and Stanford will be giving me their admissions decisions.

Army life, while giving me a whole new world to explore, comes at an opportunity cost- I am unable to participate many of the service-related activities that I would have liked to start or continue doing. Very likely this will be put on hold till I enter university; otherwise I might attempt to juggle both, although the priority will be to do well in army.

This online journal will remain open; I briefly considered closing it as I think it represents a huge deviation from the normally private life I prefer. However it stays open as a way of keeping in touch with others, and helps me keep track of what I’m involved in beyond the zeitgeist of the moment. So thus begins the rest of my life beyond junior college, into army, into university, and into the world.

Related posts:

1. 6 months: OCS Delta Wing
2. New Chapter
3. Sharpening the Axe
4. Moving on: Stanford University
5. Making Ideas Happen I