Kent Ridge Hall - A Place We Call Home: HPBlessings

Thursday, September 29, 2011

HPBlessings

HPB 09/10 Flashmob

HPB 09/10 DND

HPB 09/10 Photoshoot

HPB 10/11 at NUS Openhouse

HPB 10/11 First Comm Outing:)

It feels almost surreal getting Smses from some freshies on advice for tips on scoring during HPB interviews. WOW it has been a grand total of TWO years since I last stepped into SR1 for comm interviews. I remember fearing for my life – not sure what to say, not sure whether to expose all my commitments, not sure whether to be honest about my own doubts of being able to cope with my work, not sure if I was that “crazy KR person” who every senior seemed to be, not sure if these scary seniors would be judging me from head to toe – they didn’t even know me, how to make them know ‘me’ for me??

Well for one, remember, WE ARE ALSO HUMANS. Though some may seem inhuman (in terms of superwoman strength *cougL cougA cougU cougR cougA”); over-bimbz (choongz); over-sexy (gab and ah liew) etcetcetc. There’s no way we aren’t humans like you and I – we’ll listen to your concerns, questions and Bora and Marianne and Joyce have super powerful strengths to access your deepest and darkest concerns and deal with them accordingly.

Number 2: BE HONEST: if you aren’t sure you are fully capable of anything, just voice it out. There’s a reason why all of us are in KR – we’re not here for people to always praise and reassure us – life would be so boring. We are here to learn new things, to get trashed and then get better. Why are we surrounded by so many people? We are here to fall and rise because of their encouragement. I wouldn’t be able to learn from my mistakes if there was no one to tell me in the first place.

Number 3: ASK YOUR HEART. Why are you here in SR1?

Why do you want to be in HPB? If you are here because your neighbour and your floormate signed up too, ok maybe... but good luck to you when this question is posed during interview, cos that’s not convincing enough. If you are here because your senior joined before and seems to be having so much fun... what happens if your own experience don’t match up to your expectations? Are you going to ask that senior to clear up the mess? Worst still, are you going to throw in the towel? Are you ready for the commitment?

Number 4: HAVE CONFIDENCE IN YOURSELF- confidence doesn’t need to be loud, confidence doesn't need to be show-y, confidence doesn’t need to be proven. Have belief in yourself, answer the questions with true honesty and you have won half battle. :D

Lastly, we have to be realistic... last I heard, 34 applications..for 12 spaces..? All I can say, from my 2 plus years of being in KR, it really doesn’t matter. You can always apply next year as a senior member (no one said seniors weren’t allowed); you can always bring the ‘HPB –spirit’ you know you have to your other comms, your own blocks, your own floor. It’s a lot better than imagined.

Having said all that, even though my time is up and I need to stand aside already (put bluntly haha) I really really am so excited to see the next comm up, because it’s going to be such a fantastic experience, and let this interview (successful or not) be the start of not just a HPB experience, but a KR one. :D

Seek, Strive, Excel.