A Girl and Her Vision

Salaam/Regards,

Let me tell you a story. A story so invigorating, I myself was really like being reborn (okay, that is waaaaay exaggerative). By Miss Tan, our much respected Science in Math lecturer.


There was a girl. She was being chosen to have a course in a university. Her course was Computer and guess what, she knew nothing about the computer. It was a total havoc--and yeah--how havoc it can be when your only chance of being a excellent is not the chance you have been waiting for. And so she decided to step into the dean's room, hoping for some sympathy of course-changing


Anyway, she did. Knocking the wooden door, she pushed it. A man was sternly sits on a chair, as his eyes were rolling to from right to left, reading something that the girl knew much. Resume`s


"Urmm, Sir?" she sounded; pretty much in a nervous, monotonous tone. The old man lifted his face and spontaneously a smile curved nicely under his thick bush of mustache. And he replied to the girl's verse.


"How may I help you, dear?"


"I want to talk with you personally about my course" she responded. 


"Okay.. what's about it? You didn't like it?" the dean put down his spectacles. All the resume`s,, he pushed aside, to the very edge of the table. His concentration was fully on the girl who was standing before him. Judging by her expression, there is something within that bothered her.


"Before we begin, would you have a seat?", the dean pleased the saddened girl. As air froze.


The girl--with face still looking down--forced herself to accept the dean's demand. She pushed the chair slightly deeper into the table. Facing a dean was the greatest thing she ever had; a sense of guilt, fear, terror, concern--mingled into a single, inexpressible emotion. Like an ocean ravaged through her sanity.


"Urmm.. the thing that I want to discuss with you regards my course in this university. You see, I was and am a normal girl from a quite rural place. I have never ever touch a computer, more than I have ever pressed a key on a pad. I have touched once, my teacher's; but only for once. So.."

The dean gasped. And exhaled a large volume of air. Never did he think that his professionalism would be tested so much. All his experience was really battling with humanity. Not that he did not understand (that the girl demand a change in course) but, there was no other empty course. All that she can do is to give it a shot, or leave the university.


"Dear, you know what's this unofficial university's policy, right? No course conversion when the letter hit your door house. And that is our perpetual policy; I'm not going to change it, for I have no authority."


The girl then nodded slowly, as if between acceptance and negligence. She could barely smile, nor hold her tear any longer. A drop of it flowed from the very corner of her eye. The dean was screamingly panicked.


"No, no.. don't cry dear. I do have a solution, of which, needs your agreement.."


"How? What?" she replied. There was an air of suspense on the air. 


"..ew.. ewwhh... whh ..whhy don't give it a shot? It worths so much, you know. Because based on your resume, you were a clever and disciplined student. Your lecturers stated here that you have the attitude of a great student. You can adapt much.."


The girl suddenly stopped her weep. Yes, she was once a very motivated student, she remembered it well. How she won the Best-Student Award in her small, village school. But that too, will never work out. Its do or die, success or fail. No other way.


She began to take a deep breath, hoping for a rational idea to her current concern. She was being too emotional, recalling that she is the only hope for her family. And did the idea crashed. 


A yes for the dean's suggestion.


"Okay Sir, if that is good for me based on your experience. I'll have a dart on it." A smile-a fake one-was forming well of her two lips. 


Along the semester, she did  a pretty hard but smart study. She ignored all disturbances, not letting any getting in her way. "A dream needs an accomplishment", she whispered to herself, every time something and someone, somehow tried to stall her. She really put a great effort upon her dream. And her family's hope.


In class, she concentrated so much. Her eyes did not budge even an inch off the white boards and LCD screens. Her ears caught every little thing the lecturers spoke and her mouth kept on asking questions, all her classmates did not even have the ability to comprehend. When everyone was sleeping during the night, accompanied by owls' hoots and a constant vision, she peeked all the reference books she could find-a page, after another-trying to fit her head with knowledge.


But the best part was, she did share her dexterity and knowledge with others. Never did she wanted to felt a sense of competition. And that counts as much. And finally, examination came. She was like, 'in a breeze'.


The result came out and yes--so cliche, like a movie--she did well. So well, when she showed it to the dean she met about six months ago, he said,


"Well, I don't any reason to transfer you."


MORAL: Miss Tan said, "Its not the zeroness of knowledge but the merely zeroness of attitude in learning that caused one to be a failure." Digest it well.