I’ve long stopped penning down New Year's resolutions — ever since I realised traditions were societal constructs that we don’t have to follow if we don’t want to. New year, new me? I beg to differ. Any time of the year is a good time to begin accomplishing your goals or change an undesirable habit. But I suppose I can see the appeal of New Year's resolutions. After all, it wasn’t too long ago that the internet was teeming with expeditious listicles.

Maybe, just maybe, I can make it an exception for this new decade — it might be interesting to look back at these goals a year on as a measurement of change. This is technically my first year back into the working world after I graduated with a Bachelor of Communication from the University of Newcastle. I see 2020 as the year of betterment for me. I know if I just push myself a little more, I can grow into a more confident, more well-read version of me so I can be a better media practitioner.

1. Staying curious

One thing I noticed after graduating from university is how I have essentially stopped learning — a great pity because I had such a thirst for knowledge back in university. It’s easy to see why that is the case though.

At the University of Newcastle, we had knowledgeable lecturers who, on top of mapping out lesson plans, directed us to relevant and current articles or news they deemed to be relevant. Not least I recall discussions held during public relations classes relating to current affairs — we were encouraged to share our views, whether they were in agreement or opposing standpoints. Those sessions were helpful in allowing us to understand more about the media and communication industry not just in Singapore, but also globally.

A module I fondly remember is Public Affairs & Communication, in which our lecturer, Mr Robert, taught us the different systems of governance around the world. I took an interest in communism and socialism in particular and continued reading about them on my own, which led to me holding an hour-long debate on economic equality and state ownership versus what we have in a democratic society with one of my clients back when I was freelancing as a writer/designer. This knowledge eventually led to me securing the business.

I recognise that it’s important to be in the know, especially in the media industry since we always need to be on our toes about the latest news or trends. So in 2020, I hope to regain the momentum albeit without guidance this time. Only by doing so can I be a better media practitioner.

2. Gaining confidence

Most of you may not know, I used to have crippling shyness to the point of getting anxiety attacks thinking about school. One of my biggest fears in primary school was hearing my name called out in class because that usually means I have to answer a question T____T

Fortunately, as I moved on to university, I got over that fear and became more confident of myself. I believe my time in university contributed to this confidence as well, since I had to present in front of my classmates and pitch to clients.

One of my fondest memories was scoring full marks for a presentation for my final year module, Journalism. Of course, this was done through multiple consults with my lecturer, who, thankfully, stayed patient despite my endless questions.

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i name this one: the valedictorian’s many condescending thoughts. and one posed photo so y’all will forget how terrible i look in candid photos wtf. . a lot of you asked (REALLY GOT PEOPLE ASK OK HAHAHA *defensive*) if i have a video recording of my speech. i hesitated sharing it initially because it wasn’t my best delivery — i was nervous as hell after finding out, on the day of graduation itself, that i wasn’t just the graduate speaker for my faculty but that i was representing the entire university cohort what the!!! . after some consideration, i decided to share it anyway because a lot of you have been following me since secondary school or poly days, and i thought it would be meaningful for you to be a part of this journey. 😌 . TLDR: video link to my speech in my bio!!

A post shared by Yi Tsing 怡靜 (@pekyj) on Nov 24, 2019 at 4:33am PST

Thanks to the University of Newcastle, I also got the chance to stand in front of hundreds of people to deliver the valedictorian speech! Young Yi Tsing would’ve never imagined this scene.

In 2020, I hope to bring this newfound confidence further — be it professionally or outside of work — by first changing my mentality. By becoming more confident, I will be able to show a better side of myself, allowing me to bring my thoughts and ideas across easily.

3. Read more

I can’t believe I only read 6 books in 2019! I’m aiming to double the amount with 10 books in 2020. Scoffing at all those times I sneered at my teachers for reiterating — like a broken record — that reading is important. As an adult, I now know that reading is important. Not only does it provide me with a respite from reality, reading also expands my knowledge as well as improves my language skills, creating a better version of me.

One of my favourite parts of the University of Newcastle was the online library that I had access to. I could, in the comfort of my own house, browse the online library and pick out books and academic journals I was interested in. It also helped that every module came with recommended readings for us to understand the module beyond what’s taught in lectures.

Now that I’ve graduated, however, I have resorted to the old school way of visiting national libraries again, which takes a lot more motivation and self-discipline *deep sigh*. Shoutout to my secret santa for getting me Kinokuniya vouchers because I finally bought The Dark Charisma of Adolf Hitler — a book I’ve been hankering for.

4. Write again

Publishing a book has been on my bucket list for over a decade now. 2018 and 2019 were the years I was the busiest with school and my freelance projects, so I stopped updating my blog frequently. But that doesn’t mean I’ve stopped writing; I was still churning out essays after essays in school. Modules like International Media Studies or Communication & Discourse required several essays — all of which gave me the opportunities to practice writing.

Writing has always been a huge part of my life and, now that I’ve graduated, it’s time to jump back into that. It would be completely ironic for me, who majored in journalism and public relations, to claim that I lost touch with writing so it’s time I change that.

2020 will probably be the year of change for me, diving back into the workforce after graduation. They say the only constant in life is change, and it is my job this year to ensure that my change is for the better. Come what may, I’m ready to take it on — as a better version of the person I was in 2019.

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This post was sponsored by PSB Academy Singapore.