Why I want to study locally

Law FTW! I'm more or less fixed on studying locally at NUS, so I hope I will get into the Law faculty eventually on one of the college scholarships.

Why study Law locally? For that matter, WHY STUDY LOCAL? That's becoming quite a common question these days. After all, it is widely thought of that studying overseas is 'better' than local - it could be because of the prestige conferred on to overseas graduates (seems more to me like a result of the colonial baggage carried by Asians - the false impression of Western superiority), the mosaic of diverse personalities one will encounter (though whether a cross-pollination of perspectives and ideas will happen remains debatable), or simply the belief that a superior brand of education will be prescribed (that's probably true for colleges in the same vein as Oxbridge).

Sometimes I think I'm such an idealist, though at other times I can imagine being called a pragmatist. For this decision, I guess it can be described as a fusion of the two, though I believe it is slanted more towards the idealist side.

Challenge I want to become a living proof that studying locally can produce thinkers, pioneers and leaders who are equally, if not better, equipped with excellent thinking faculties as our Western counterparts. Or to put it simply, I love challenges that mean something to me!

Dream I wish to fulfill my dream my day, butI have this nagging feeling that if I go overseas, I might become awashed with exalted visions of granduer that might sidetrack me with alternative ambitions. Perceived superiority based on superficial standards often result in people pursuing what they think they should do, rather than what they really want to do.

Bonds Since I don't wish to emigrate in the future, I want to be able to experience the kind of setting where I can randomly encounter an ex-buddy in Wisma and rekindle our friendship over local cuisine at Xin Wang; or to be able to arrange for an impromptu gathering (like what I frequently do now with classmates, scouts and councillors) and have a catching-up session. I have always believed that it is the little surprises in life that collectively adds up to make living such an intriguing and scintillating experience : D

Future I want to someday be able to point out to my children the spot where I had spent countless hours practising for the best marriage proposal ever. I want to some day be able to visit my best friend and write his or her autobiography, in the year of my retirement. And on my 50th wedding anniversary, I want to bring my wife to our secret little spot somewhere in Singapore and remind her of the many unforgettable episodes we have been through together with a romantic surprise. I want to do many things, and I want to do them in a familiar place, in a home called Singapore!

There are many other reasons, but these are just some of the ones that resonate with me. One day, these may neither be the same reasons, nor be the same anchors that will hold me close to this tiny island as they become displaced by subterranean tectonic changes. But I shall leave the future for tomorrow, for I am happy with my decision, and that is what matters today.