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The first days of spring

Posted by DAVID BC TAN under: College/University on 12 Jan 2010.

19-year old Ethan left for the US a few days ago, closing a chapter on his somewhat eclectic homeschool to begin a new chapter studying in a university in Texas. Never mind that some folks scoffed that the uni in question wasn’t a ‘recognized’ one (okay, it isn’t Ivy League). As his parents we were a bundle of mixed emotions – incredibly delighted, a mite apprehensive, pretty bowled over, fairly amazed, deeply grateful – but mainly happy for Ethan, that his unconventional ‘schooling’ did not get in the way of his education. 38 hours, 4 planes, 1 wrong airport, and a visit to Walmart later, he writes about starting out as a regular student for the first time in his life.

———————————————————————————————————————————————-

ethan-n-elliot-7-jan-2010TOMORROW I BEGIN MY FIRST SEMESTER in Hardin-Simmons University. I’ll be coming in smack in the middle of the academic year. There won’t be an official orientation for me since, well, it’s just not worth it. I’ll have to play catch-up in a game altogether unfamiliar to me. I do not have my books. I do not have my schedule. I do not even have the key card to my dorm (and have had to rely on the kindness of strangers). This is because everything – everything – will only open tomorrow. Someone in my dorm promised to show me where to get the necessary first thing in the morning. Still. Oh god.

The months preceding that letter of acceptance from Hardin-Simmons were frustrating, confusing months. I wandered in the desert for 40 years when it came to sending out college applications. A major hurdle was the fact that I’d never been to school before. I had loads of interesting things like book reviews published in the newspapers, piano exam certificates, public speaking awards, extra-curricula portfolios – that sort of thing – but colleges wanted more. They wanted to see GPAs, transcripts, high school finishing certificates that they recognized. I was on the verge of fabricating my GPA when I grasped at the first straw I could find. I went to Eli360, a Christian college rep agency. Eli360 represents more than 50 private universities across the United States. The list of options was narrow because of my qualified lack of qualifications.

Hardin-Simmons was the first to accept me. I could speculate on and on why Hardin-Simmons accepted me even when I didn’t have a GPA. It might have something to do with Eli360’s president speaking to the university on my behalf. It might have something to do with the recommendations my friends wrote. It might have something to do with the person reflected in my application packet. Or it might have something to do with the slumping economy and the need for easy cash. It’s possible Hardin-Simmons may not be the only university in the world to accept me, but I don’t and didn’t care. I took it.

I received a partial scholarship from Hardin-Simmons based on my SAT score. A better SAT score would mean a better scholarship, so I took the SAT again. I studied for it this time and, to my surprise, scored higher for math than for writing. I’m now eligible for a better scholarship that would cover about one third of my fees. This I’ve decided to take as a promising omen.

I’m here for a Bachelor’s degree in Liberal Arts and Sciences. The sort of degree that nobody really understands because Liberal Arts students don’t really understand it either. Ah, perfect. But to give you a better idea of what this might mean, my classes this semester will be:

College Algebra
Intro to the Visual Arts
American Government
Freshmen Writing I
Intro to Psychology

The weeks leading to my date of departure were full of farewells. The people who showed up at the airport to see me off made it a little harder to leave because I could see how much I’d be leaving behind. Kuala Lumpur. Singapore. Moscow. Houston. Fort Worth. Abilene, Texas. I’m here. And I’m not done yet. In a matter of hours I’ll discover what it means to go to class.

——————————————————————————————————————————————-
(Photo: Ethan (R), in a rare pose with younger brother Elliot in KLIA) Follow Ethan’s blog here.

22 Comments so far...

Azlea Says:

12 January 2010 at 5:45 am.

Congratulations Ethan!! Hope all goes well for you and that you have no problems settling in. It sounds scary and exciting at the same time. Must be hard for your parents as well. Take care.

alicia ling horsley Says:

12 January 2010 at 8:12 am.

Even though I hv never met, I am so proud and happy for you. What a great achievement for malaysian homeschoolers to look up to!

Cynthia Tan Says:

12 January 2010 at 9:48 am.

Very happy for you, Ethan! Work hard & have a smashing time 🙂

W L Ping Says:

12 January 2010 at 10:04 am.

Way to go for all homeschoolers in M’sia, you have a bright future ahead of you!

Audrey Phang Says:

12 January 2010 at 10:16 am.

Congratulations Ethan ! You will be okay. Make lots of friends there and you will enjoy the university life abroad. It is really another new chapter of your life.

Moses Tey Says:

12 January 2010 at 10:44 am.

LOL, it’s amazing to see how an 18 year old could have been wandering for 40 years….:)

Prayed for your son.

Blessings,
Moses

Dr Chin Shih Choon Says:

12 January 2010 at 11:50 am.

Hi Ethan,
Congrats! So happy for you and your family.
Do enjoy your college days…………….:-)
From Uncle Chin, Auntie Bi Bi , Alicia and the ‘gang’

sochau Says:

12 January 2010 at 11:58 am.

Congratulation!

Aunty Celine Says:

12 January 2010 at 12:28 pm.

Congrats! You’ll lick them! For someone of your ability and talent, it will be a piece of cake, or as they say in Malaysia, kacang…

ian ng Says:

12 January 2010 at 2:38 pm.

Well Done! Have a ball!

Aletta, Joshua & Janke (South Africa) Says:

12 January 2010 at 2:39 pm.

Dear Ethan, we met you at JPS and we are SO thrilled with your new endeavour! May your have a wonderful experience there and make the most of it! Everything of the best to you. (We can empathise with you missing Malaysia – we do too since we left it a few months ago, especially the friends we made and the food!)

Thulsi Sangae Says:

12 January 2010 at 7:05 pm.

CONGRATULATIONS! Yours is the kind of story homeschooling parents like myself LOVE to read about! All the very best, I am sure you will excel.

Lily Wong Says:

12 January 2010 at 10:17 pm.

Wow… so good to hear of his next adventure … thanks for sharing
with us David n Sook Ching. Keep us updated.

Pray that the Lord will bless Ethan n keep Ethan, shine His face upon
Ethan, be gracious to Ethan, lift up His countenance upon Ethan n give
Erhan peace, in Jesus name.

I share your feelings and am very happy for your family.
—
Sent from my iPhone

Lily Wong
+60 (12) 223 1388
lily@truthfabricasia.com

Juli Cole Says:

13 January 2010 at 9:51 am.

Well done! As an American college grad myself, I totally understand the confusion and red tape, especially your first semester. You will learn the system fast enough, don’t worry! Also, once you have a year or two record at the university, if you are not happy with the courses they offer, you might be able to transfer to a more “prestigious” school, though that doesn’t always mean better instruction. Not sure how that works for foreign students. Good luck!

ethan Says:

14 January 2010 at 3:12 am.

Wow. Thank you everyone!

Me Kiun Wong Says:

23 January 2010 at 5:56 pm.

Excited for your son’s new journey! May the training he receive in the next few years help to further equip him to be the person God wants him to be.
MeKiun

Homefrontier » Thanx, ijust don’t read. Says:

17 January 2011 at 1:56 pm.

[…] 1-month stint in a kindy when he was 5) he wrote about leaving home for college in a post entitled, The first days of spring ShareThis var shared_object = SHARETHIS.addEntry({ title: document.title, url: […]

Angeline Says:

8 February 2011 at 11:37 pm.

Hi Ethan (my 8yr old shares your name),
Just had to drop you a line because i did my BBA in Abilene too! I know Ted, Ellen & Eric of Eli360 who were at ACU then and was naturally thrilled to read your story – albeit a year old! I hope you’re having the time of your life like i did. I chose to go to a Christian uni and would do it again. I would not exchange the rich experience of knowing and learning from Godly teachers and international students. Wish you the best!

Homefrontier » Homeschooling Cherish: A 20-year old journey through life (Pt 2) Says:

28 March 2011 at 1:10 am.

[…] who goes to college. Reading to learn, is straight A’s student Brian Tan’s story The first days of spring, is Ethan Tan’s journey from eclectic homeschooler to scholarship student at Hardin-Simmons, […]

Homefrontier » Homeschool: An experience I would never trade Says:

15 March 2012 at 8:29 pm.

[…] posts on homeschoolers who have moved on to O Levels and beyond: Brian Cherish Ethan Rachel Jian Eu Jianwen Balakrishna From homeschool to O Levels […]

Homefrontier » Homeschooled 5th Grader is swimming champion Says:

23 May 2012 at 1:15 pm.

[…] Brian Cherish Ethan Rachel Jian Eu Jianwen Balakrishna From homeschool to O Levels […]

Homefrontier » How 15-year old Sam discovered her passion for dance Says:

25 June 2012 at 10:03 pm.

[…] Brian Cherish Ethan Rachel Jian Eu Jianwen Balakrishna From homeschool to O Levels […]

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