If my JC life was a Taylor Swift song, which one would it be?

Okay, it's more of an amalgamation of a few Taylor Swift songs, but you get the gist. 

In a recent US Senate hearing regarding the Ticketmaster debacle, many noticed the senators referencing Taylor Swift songs in their speeches (which some found very annoying). But, no matter whether you found it exceptionally endearing or culpably cringey, it did make me aware of just how apt Swift’s lyrics are in describing our day-to-day life. And in the spirit of fun and ingenuity, I’d like to use some of her lived experiences to depict my own. Hence, here’s a run-down of my JC life in the words of the Pop Queen, herself. 

P.S. This post is laced with my advice and personal nuggets of wisdom, most of which I wish someone had told me before I started school. So, pull up your socks, sit up straight, and let me take you down a journey in my memory lane. 

Anti-Hero: “I have this thing where I get older but just never wiser Midnights become my afternoons” 

As a child, whenever I saw students from JC, I always thought that they were so composed, so sophisticated, so has-their-life-figured-out to me. As a result, I expected myself to suddenly and immediately become the epitome of discipline, grace, and maturity the moment I stepped into the hallowed halls of my JC too. But, that, unfortunately, was not the case. 

I remember crying alone in a toilet stall one afternoon in March. It was particularly vivid because the day was very warm and I only dehydrated myself further with the volume of tears I was losing. I had just received an onslaught of bad grades, ones which positioned me near the bottom of the cohort. I remember setting the expectation that “I will get it together when I enter JC” but that day proved my aspirations otherwise. Despite entering JC, I maintained some terrible habits from before – procrastinating, falling behind on my work, and straying away from consistent revision. Midnights became my afternoons because, instead of properly managing my time, I left all my work to the last minute (2 AM). So, in a similar anti-hero fashion, I got older but just never wiser.

You need to Calm Down: I ain't trying to mess with your self-expression, But I've learned the lesson that stressin' and obsession’ ain’t fun

Now, as the bad grades start rolling in and the CCA commitments start piling up, you’re going to notice yourself going just a bit crazy. You can spiral and you can panic but, most importantly, you need to know how to get through it. The easy option is to mope and complain about how screwed you are. The difficult part, here, is to actually sit down and go through your problems. Learn to control your emotions and face the problem head-on. 

Need help? Phone a friend or a teacher. Falling back on work? Make sure you catch up using whatever time and holiday you have. Seek the extra help you need and get the extra work done. 

I went through many manic episodes in JC, ones I wish I dealt better with. But, hey! That’s just part of the quintessential JC experience… right? (No, it’s not – you’re better than this.) 

It’s Nice To Have A Friend

Many say that JC will be one of the hardest times of your schooling life. Despite all that, I actually quite enjoyed my two years here. I owe this zeal to my friends. The friends that helped me through all my sudden breakdowns and the ones that made every recess a memory I now cherish.  

The age-old adage holds true – no man is an island. This is especially so when you’re tackling one of the hardest curriculums on EARTH (source? Trust me bro).  You’re going to have to depend on your friends A LOT (especially that genius that can solve every vector question).  In your journey through JC, you will have to face so many matters that are new. All on top of that pile of work that you’re already drowning under. With the barrage of relationship drama, friendship kerfuffles, and leadership struggles, your besties are what’s going to help you keep your sanity. 

And yet, oftentimes, we forget how important they are and how much they need our help too. So, as you read this, I want you to ask yourself: when was the last time you checked in on a friend? 

Don’t lose sight of the people that matter in your pursuit of the next best letter grade.  

Now, this part might sound self-contradictory.  I just told you to depend on your friends and now I’m telling you that “you’re always on your own”? Pick a side, am I right? 

Okay, hear me out. 

In JC, you’re going to have to make some tough decisions. Skipping that party to work on your tutorials, choosing to eat alone because you can’t afford to wait on your entire friend group, staying back alone just to seek help from teachers – these are just some of the sacrifices you will have to make, some of the moments you must brave by yourself. 

But, at the same time, you will gain an incredible sense of independence. As much as your friends will be of great help, there are just some giants that you’re going to have to face alone. The biggest of which being your A-Levels, and the life you will have thereafter. Entering the halls of your JC, you’re going to feel an immense amount fear and uncertainty. I wish I could tell you that this get’s better with time, but it doesn’t. You just learn how to deal with it. 

When I entered my school hall for my first paper (GP), I was so paralysed with fear that I could barely feel my legs. While I did share a glance of assurance with the pal by my side, I knew that I would have to climb this mountain alone. And climb this mountain, I did. 

At this juncture, as a person who’s been-there-done-that, I want to debunk another myth: life doesn’t just magically “get better” when As ends. Sure, you will savour those initial months of long-desired freedom. But, what follows after is a barrage of uncertainty and indirection. I’ve faced plenty of rejections and disappointments this year and it’s been hard to just bounce back from it. Some parts of you will start to miss all the structure and instructions of JC and of school. You may feel lost, you may feel lonely and you may feel directionless.

But, despite all that. Remember this: 

You’ve survived and thrived in one of the toughest educational curriculums. You’re going to figure this out. 

“Cause there were pages turned with the bridges burned

Everything you lose is a step you take

So make the friendship bracelets

Take the moment and taste it

You've got no reason to be afraid

You're on your own, kid

Yeah, you can face this 

You're on your own, kid

You always have been”

With all my love, 

Bubbles