Having left 30 years of rat race behind me, the transition to the academia world was definitely a steep learning curve for me.
Born in Singapore, I moved 10,000 miles and landed up in a small town, Bloomington, Indiana (USA). While it was home to the famous rock singer, John Cougar Mellencamp, this was completely an eye-opening experience for me. The feeling of isolation was real, as there were far and few international Asian students living in the mid west states of farms and lands back in the early 80s. From the onset, I learned the concept of "swim or sink" and finished my undergrad degree. My quest for learning and trying new things at an early age had certainly helped me in my corporate career. It didnt stop here.
When a hybrid MBA program launched in early 2000s. I again jumped into two feet and embraced the experience wholeheartedly, not knowing how it would work. Back then, hybrid learning was like a foreign language. Most individuals wouldn't have heard of such a learning platform, let alone knowing what it meant. As if this adventure wasn't enough. When I finally had enough of the rat race, I enrolled in the Provincial Instructor Diploma Program at the Vancouver Community College. The college offered all seven courses in traditional classrooms and online settings (mostly asynchronous). Despite not having any knowledge about the academia world, I took a leap of faith and completed all these courses online. One would think that I had enough of excitement. Here I am again...exploring the next chapter of my life.
Jason Gray's musical lyrics resonated so much with me... "...If I fall, I win every time I get back again, cause I can't lose if I keep learning".....
Reference:
Gray, J. Learning. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sGWi6KynB8s