Thoughts of life

[Seamus Wong]

First of all, I love your journal - I can definitely relate to lots of your thoughts.

What is your opinion on the change in fees? I am assuming you are against it.

I think objectively, it's good, because I feel as if we have an over-allocation of intelligent people in fields such as finance, when those smart people would likely provide a greater benefit to society if they were in STEM fields.

Humanity really has got to where it is today because of advancements in science and tech, so it seems logical that the more smart people we have working in that field, the more technological progress we'll make.   

I'm interested to hear your perspective though

[jborn007]

First of all, I love your journal - I can definitely relate to lots of your thoughts.

What is your opinion on the change in fees? I am assuming you are against it.

I think objectively, it's good, because I feel as if we have an over-allocation of intelligent people in fields such as finance, when those smart people would likely provide a greater benefit to society if they were in STEM fields.

Humanity really has got to where it is today because of advancements in science and tech, so it seems logical that the more smart people we have working in that field, the more technological progress we'll make.   

I'm interested to hear your perspective though

Thank you very much.

Personally and frankly, I'm against it but I can totally understand that this matter can be viewed as a double-edged sword. I can  see an over-allocation of labour resources in other fields such as Arts, Commerce etc. substantiated by the number of enrolments in the respective courses especially in the bachelor of arts. Moreover, I do see the fact that Australia's global status in the STEM fields is low compared to other powerful countries such as the USA, Germany, China etc.

However, I may be wrong, but I see and personally know a lot of very high-achievers and promising, intelligent, passionate high school graduates are pursing a STEM degree and a number of years later would be amply ready to tackle problems in the science field that humanity encounters/ed.  Moreover, with the planned implementation of the 'fee hike', some people feel like this ruins their subject selections especially for the class of 2020 and would change it quite considerably if they knew about the increased-debt they'll have to pay earlier, possibly constraining their choices and forcefully take on subjects and careers that they dislike. I'm also guided along the belief that motivation comes from passion and it can be conspired that if the latter is materialised, then from this perspective our productivity levels would drop sharply and on account of that our society wouldn't be able to function properly as we need all the sectors to be thriving for it to harmoniously function.

I definitely can relate to the Minister for Education Dan Tehan's words that "the fee changes will incentivise prospective students" but a dear friend of mine proposed a solution to the lack of students engaging in a STEM degree is to simply and only lower the tuition costs for the STEM degrees ever more, which I second that and imo can be theoretically achieved through greater subsidisation from the state or federal government.

[jborn007]

21/06

It is notified recently the predicted cutoffs for desired university courses are to be soared given the recent extraordinary and unprecedented circumstances the world has faced this year. Whilst it does make our goals and plans more difficult and possibly unreachable, we must now allow our inner voices and discouraging thoughts to barricade our actions. As long as we have faith in ourselves and pride in our convictions then we cannot fail. No-one is alone and all of us are going through uncertain and tough times, and it is up to us to decide what happens next.

"Action triumphs adversity."

[jborn007]

22/06

Amidst the chaos that is happening in the world, it is imperative that we stay vigilant and look after ourselves more than ever. We are far from conquering the plague that is mercilessly consuming humanity and change is never easy as it takes us to admit that our efforts and methods may be flaw. A facilitation for this process is to face uncomfortable truths and becoming aware that immense amounts of effort is required in our everyday repertoires along with consistency and keeping in mind of our goal for improvement.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself."

[jborn007]

23/06

At the time when productivity-levels are at an all-time low, we must be cautious about how we manage our time. Time is the most precious and valuable commodity we have in our acquisition and let's be real, once it's gone it's gone forever. The simplest way to get our lives sorted out and back together is to just schedule, or at the bare minimum list, what a perfect day in our lives would be. Make it and stick to it, it's that simple! It is ludicrous and unbelievable how so many people are willing to waste their non-renewable time where it could have been spend on more worthwhile, meaningful and impactful areas.

"A man who dares to waste one hour of time has not discovered the value of life."

[jborn007]

25/06

Across our lifetime, it is very easy to worry and have a panic attack that demoralises us. Whilst there is a vast majority of us that succumb to these negative forces, it is important to bring to our attentions that we shouldn't worry too much to the extent that it becomes detrimental to us rather than motivational and instilling a sense of alertness into our minds. With such fear of tomorrow, how will we live today and be very present in our moments? Crossing the line makes us perform worse rather than better during those crucial and defining times we face in our lifetimes.

"Extreme fear can neither fight nor fly"

[jborn007]

02/07

As someone who has been fortunate enough to be brought up under both western and eastern cultures, it has come to my stark attention that the lack of self-discipline creates and solidifies a disparity between the two polarising cultures. This is explicitly seen in the actions to combat and beliefs that people hold in regards to the coronavirus, which a concerning number of millennials are disregarding the warnings and advice our government is frantically attempting to inform us about. It's really a shame to hear that an unacceptable number of young millennials are still daring to neglect social distancing and obliviously disregarding the health and safety of older generations who are without doubt vulnerable to the life-threatening virus. How difficult can it be to just stay at home and utilise other ways to socialise such as facetiming or giving them a call, rather idiotically hanging out and ultimately putting the vast majority of our lives at risk? Absolutely appalling.

"There is no magic wand that can resolve our problems. The solution rests with our work and discipline."

[jborn007]

24/07

Whilst it's in our greatest desires to pursue our day-to-day activities and ambitions, it shall be kept in mind of the undermined value of sleep. It's vital for us to not neglect our regimented sleep routine, as it can bolster our days of being present and vigorous in this world, and even accelerate our path towards the materialisation of our deepest desires. Otherwise we would be taking our thriving mind and healthy body for granted, along with subconsciously changing our trajectory from a better life and state of living.

"Sleep is our superpower."

[jborn007]

"Never EVER EVER give up"

2020 is a year that will be indisputably an influential year for all of us to remember. The unprecedented times and circumstances have been particularly challenging and strenuous, further intensified with the demanding assessments that the VCE has to offer. Time can't come back, and it is within our best interests to make the most out of it and get on top of our pertinent tasks. Procrastination is an impediment to anyone's goals and targets, and it is pivotal to confront and discipline our instant gratifications/desires that we seek on a quotidian basis. As I've sat my final VCE examination, it is my intention to make the most of these free months to fully recover from the mental scars and damages institutionalised education has wielded. The past few months have been a great testimony to the stoicism one must manifest to conquer the looming obstacles, but ultimately crises given birth to new leaders.