Feeling fed up again? Memorising poems for class – isn’t it just exhausting? Will it even be useful for future jobs? Sometimes, you just don’t see the point of learning. This just feels like a waste of time, you mutter to yourself. You pick up your red pen, pretend to write something meaningful, then sneak off to play games…

Now, picture yourself sitting in a dimly lit factory. You’ve finally landed a job, but it barely pays the bills. Every day is a monotonous cycle of pressing the same buttons, repeating the same mechanical actions endlessly, day and night. No socialising, no internet, not even music. The people around you have short tempers and bad habits. Your sharp edges, passion, and spirit are slowly being worn down. You know jobs like this will be replaced by robots in the future, but you can’t afford to quit. You’re no longer a newbie; you have responsibilities. With no job, who else will take you in? 

Suddenly, those memories of your childhood flood back. You remember your dreams of making big money, and spending every other month in Hawaii. You glance down at your rough, calloused hands, then take in the noisy cafeteria and its bland food… It all feels surreal. How did you end up like this?

Outside the factory, you hear the cheerful laughter of high school kids who just finished a day of school. You watch them, full of energy, linking arms and chatting – and you start to miss those school days. At least back then, life had hope. You unconsciously reach towards their departing school bags, only to shift focus back to the reality of the cold panes that your hands are pressed against. 

Remember, learning is the fairest opportunity we will ever have in life. If you push through the hardships. Every ounce of suffering during your student days will pay off tenfold in the future. Today’s laziness will become tomorrow’s regret. Don’t let your future self resent the choices you make today. 

Writer – Sophia Kong
Editor – Sophia Oblefias
Artist – Sophia Pu

–April 2024–