I know what you're going to say: Don't say that! You are enough.
Thanks, but I've heard that phrase so many times over the years that it practically means nothing anymore.
You see, this story starts when we flew back home (again) a month ago during the holidays. I probably haven't mentioned this before either but I have just graduated secondary school and I am currently applying to colleges and universities in other countries.
When we flew back, I went to apply to this university. It's one of those famous universities in the country. We went there one day to their Admissions Office to apply. Documents and other requirements in hand, we told them that I am planning to apply as an undergraduate for the upcoming school year. The guy looked at us warily and said, "Ma'am, I'm sorry but the deadline was two weeks ago."
All heads turned to me.
"Oh," I muttered. "If you'd like you could write a reconsideration letter to our head," he told my mom. My parents both turned to glare at me. Mom sighed heavily and made her way over to the desk where the guy was waiting for her to hand write the reconsideration letter. The guy came back a few seconds later offering us to take a seat.
We did and the lecturing began. My dad could barely cover up his anger. You can probably guess how that went. You know how dads lecture and yell at the same time? He did that as quietly as he could - which was not very quiet at all.
We handed the faculty guy the letter and they gave us a card with a tracker number on it. He told me that I should follow the instructions that's written on the card. I was suppose to go to the link and enter the tracker number so that we can see whether our request was accepted or not.
I did check it that night and the next day, and of course it being a school (institutes which rob people off of their money) accepted the request. We went to the office again on the day stated on the link and had all documents ready.. or so we thought.
When we got there, everything fell apart.
There was a line of people also applying for the entrance exam. When it was our turn, we handed the documents to the guy we spoke to that other day and then we went to sit on the couch.
A few minutes later, he came back and asked me whether I printed out what was written on the link he gave us. I scrunched my forehead, "No...". He then asked me for the tracker number so we could just print it there.
I winced.
"It's at home.." I looked at my mom guiltily. He looked at both of us and told us to hold on for a minute. Mom shook her head at me, sighed heavily, and walked away.
I felt crushed.
A few more moments later, a lady called us out and told me rather snappily, "Did you not read the instructions on your card? It says to print it out. Here," then she shoved the paper at me, "printed it out for you." Then she stomped away. The clicking of her heels silenced by the carpeted floors.
I felt all eyes on me, so I pretended not to be affected by the rude chastise.
I went back to take a seat and then the lady called out my name again. I rushed to her to see what else was wrong.
"Do you really want to submit these?" she said, holding up the copy of my SAT scores. I could see from my peripheral vision that almost everyone in the room was watching us.
I gulped.
"Yes, why?" I asked. "Because you didn't pass the requirements," she shook her head and looked at me, clearly irritated.
"But when we checked last year, her scores are higher than the requirements," mom interrupted. "No, we need at least 600 for each section. She didn't get that, so we better not submit this or else she won't get in," annoyance clear in her voice as she handed me the envelope.
Eyes watching us, we situated ourselves back on the couch next to the other people who were waiting. I tried not to show my embarrassment by pretending to be texting someone.
Some other guy called us out again and asked for my application form. My heart began beating 90 times per second. I told him I applied online and didn't print out the application form. I could feel my face reddening even further. "Oh, well let us go this way so you can print it out. Do you remember you application number?"
My heart sank.
I fumbled for my phone to search for my application number somewhere, anywhere. I was desperate. I knew there was no way it was written in my phone but I searched anyway. Of course, I didn't find it.
We told the guy this and he said, "Oh.. hold on," he came back moments later telling me to fill out another application. I did what he told me and we printed that out. He asked if we brought the passport size pictures of myself and I said no because I wasn't even originally suppose to take the exam.
It was required, so my dad and I rushed outside, crossed the road to the nearest place where we could get my photo taken and then rushed back to the school. On the way there, dad was of course yelling at me for being so irresponsible. All of this happened in the span of 10 minutes.
When we got back, the office lights were dimmer. Everyone else was done applying. We handed him the pictures and I breathed a sigh of relief. It felt like everything was finally done and we could finally leave.
Boy was I wrong.
Another faculty lady came over and told us that we needed to give her the photocopies of the documents. She said they only need the originals during enrollment.
I squeezed my eyes shut and took a deep breath. She told us to come back after their lunch break and hand everything so things will be all set.
We went out and ate lunch at the nearest KFC. Dad did not yell at me anymore, surprisingly.
After lunch, we went back to the school and handed them everything and they gave me everything I needed for the exam - exam permit and they even gave me a goodie bag with a flash drive and stuffs to promote their school. Typical.
We paid and left.
It was grandpa's birthday too. Great way to start the day, eh?
We got home in the evening, around 6pm, after buying a cake and BBQ to celebrate my late grandfather's birthday.
Did I mention that we left the house at 8 am? It took us that long at the school. What a wasted day and it was all my fault.
-
Day of the exam
"Get everything ready! Bring everything that is related to the school - documents, your passport, the goodie bag, the flash drive; everything," dad says before we left the house.
We arrived at the school 2 hours early. We were sitting at the parents' lounge when mom asked me, "Did you bring the flash drive?" I froze. I looked up at her and shook my head, "No... why would I bring that for?"
Then all hell broke loose. (Okay, an exaggeration but it felt like that.)
My dad's face turned red. He glared at me so hard I could break as if I were glass and crumble to pieces. My mom dropped her head on the table with a distinct 'thump' and it looked like she was about to cry.
I couldn't take it so stood up and went to my designated waiting area. (the other gate)
I met a guy who just finished the morning exam. He showed me that he didn't bring anything else except two pencils and his exam permit. I was so relieved I could hug him.
He was cute. An LA kid.
So yes, I took the exam. It went horrible because I didn't study. I wasn't even expecting to take the exam; I came so unprepared. The Maths section sucked so bad and also that second to the last section which had questions asking "What can you conclude after reading the above passage?" and stuff.
It was horrible.
It was a battle against time and I lost. Drastically.
It's 7 days later and I just got my results.
As expected, I didn't get in.
Hooray.
I told my parents. Both are super disappointed in me. More so than they were when I took the other college entrance exam earlier this year and didn't pass.
I am the greatest child ever.
