On one hand, I looked forward to going to new and reputable school. It is one where everyone's been talking about, situated right in the middle of Singapore, the little red dot. Many tried ways and means just to get their sons a place in the school when their sons are of school-going age. Some got in because of fathers who studied there in the past, some through parent volunteers and many more through the sheer luck of balloting. “ You are so lucky!” my relatives said, “ Go for it, Ryan!” On the other hand, I dread the feeling of being someone new in the school. Too many “what ifs” going through my mind. Why? You might ask. Well, I had to give up everything I've established in my old school for the past three years. That's right. My dear friends, my favourite teachers, my volleyball place in the school team, my contribution as an AVA member, as an IT monitor and also a volunteer for the reading program, all of which I enjoyed thoroughly. I moved house to Toa Payoh and was pretty far from my old school but I did not mind travelling far distances to my old school. I guessed going to a reputable boys school was worth the sacrifices. I certainly hope my sacrifices were worth it. You must have probably guessed the school I was talking about by now. It is Catholic High, or Cat. High for short. The first day of school finally arrived. I woke up earlier than the Sun. Pretty early, huh? At 5.25 am. Many were still in Lalaland. I began my daily routine and trudged out of my house with my school bag slung on my shoulders. I had alot of anxiety. Would I be able to locate my classroom? Would the teachers be fierce? Luckily, my worries were unfounded. When I arrived, the teachers were very kind. I also had no trouble locating my classroom. I was paired up with Jun Yang, a bespectacled boy. He was short and a little bit on the plump side. During recess, he showed me how to buy food. It reminded me of my Primary One days, but I was glad to have him with me during my first week. I managed to enrol in the Volleyball CCA. In the first week, I struggled to keep up with the fast pace of Catholic High School. I remember going home hungry everyday as lessons ended late. In the second week that followed, it was easier for me to keep up. However, homework was tough and challenging. You must have the correct mind-set. In the third week, CCA started. I had to stay back for CCA on alternate days – Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Mrs Lee made us train really hard. The coach was more lenient and let us play. I had a lot of fun there, but I always went home dog- tired. However, After a few weeks, I got used to it. I also needed to stay back during Tuesday for Science Enrichment, E2K. It was very interesting I learnt buoyancy, how to test the salinity of water, which is the concentration of salt in water and conducted experiments to see which brand of cream blocks UV radiation better. In the sixth week, I participated in a swimming carnival and made it to the finals. On the day of the finals, the pupils and teachers were cheering furiously. I remember swimming with all my might. The results were promising but I did not make it. Winning is not everything – I learnt. In a competition, there is always a winner and a loser. Next year, I will participate again and maybe win a medal. The mass swim was fun and a totally new experience for me. I soon got used to the school routine and found it blissful to go to school. I bonded with new found friends. Acquaintanceship I thought lost was found again. A term had passed quickly and I am looking forward to the next new term. “No pain, No Gain” It means if you do not work hard, you will not gain anything. I first started understanding this last year, it was my first time participating in the SYF competition for Chinese Orchestra, so I had no idea what to expect. “It’s too difficult,” I told my Yangqin instructor as I tried to sight-read my SYF song. My three friends agreed. “Gather around, let me teach you,” said my instructor as he taught us how to play the song. Days passed as we practised the song over and over, and before I knew it, it was the day before the big day. Although I practised a lot, I was still anxious. My mother consoled me and said,” Don’t be anxious, be confident.” I was still worried. As I tried to sleep that night, I wished I could sleep as soundly as my brother. “ Ring…ring…” rang the alarm clock. It was morning. The big day had arrived. I went through my morning routines, my father drove me to the school. There, I wore the Chinese Orchestra performance outfit and a bus brought us to SCH. At SCH, we waited and waited and then it was our turn. We went in and started playing our instruments. So far, so good! I thought. Then, I heard a wrong note played. Oh no! Let’s hope the judges did not hear it, I thought. After what seemed like eternity, the song ended. We were brought back to our school to continue our lessons. After two days, we were told the results. The result was Gold With Honours! I nearly cried tears of joy. After all the hard work, we got Gold With Honours. I cannot wait to get Gold With Honours for the next SYF. (Collected from Catholic High School for "iremembermySchoolDays")