Is it ok to take a longer path?

Shazwani's story got me thinking about our relationship with time.

We have a funny relationship with time. In the micro, we tend to procrastinate while in the macro we want things fast and instant. Patience is a virtue we don't talk enough about. Likewise in education, being able to complete our studies within the stipulated number of years (e.g. 6yr for Pri sch, 4 yrs for Sec sch etc) was put on a pedestal. I recall the word "repeat" as being a taboo and this notion is being manifested as we entered adulthood. For example, we are "expected" to go through the rites of passage of getting married by this age or purchase a house by that age etc.

On average, the life expectancy of Singaporeans is 83.8 years in 2021 and we can expect it to increase with advancement in technology. 83.8 years is a long time. Why are we in a rush? Why do we limit ourselves to start "aging" and "retire" by a certain age? Perhaps it's time to slow down and reflect.

I'm very glad that Shazwani had the self-awareness and courage to chose the less popular path. Not only is she more confident, she has also, ironically, moved closer to her goals. In the macro scheme of things, the 1 more year that she took to get the grades that she wanted, made up for only 1.19% of her lifetime to achieve what she wanted. I think her ROI is pretty high :)

https://www.schoolbag.edu.sg/story/give-up-on-my-dreams-or-re-take-the-o-levels