The first thing I said into the mic was, "Mic test, mic test."

Typical of an audio technology student, after the first mic failed me with a dead battery.

The sea of students before me looked at me with lazy eyes.

"Are you guys asleep?"

I was invited back to to my alma mater as a guest speaker for its Career Fair 2007. Other panel members were a Tiffany and Christina, Steffi and Clarissa. These students were all from junior college.

I was the only student from polytechnic.

The last panel member only counted to a certain extent. Hazel was already in university, having progressed from polytechnic.

The people from JC (junior college) had been ranting on and on, going too far. It could not compare to the two-party conversation the SMU [unimportant term] students had, but still, it was long. The girls were nodding off.

I had to boost the crowd. Somehow.

"Okay, okay. I have to tell you something first. What your teacher said just now is totally true."

That got the girls up. Their teacher being complimented by an ex-girl is something.

"Let me tell something to you."

I related to them that during the Career Fair my cohort went through, I found the current course I was doing - Music and Audio Technology. I told them that it was a driving goal that set me from super-slacker to study-girl.

I got in, with marks that were on the dot. I took the opportunity related one important fact:

Polytechnics are doing something very funny with their cutoff points. They're making them lower, and lower and lower so you've got to work hard or else you can't get to JC, or poly, or go anywhere.

[There was a fact that better students were taking places meant for weaker students, giving the weaker ones no chance at an education university. It's not anyone's fault that everyone wants to be some gaming legend or music talent, right?]

"For my diploma, out of 40 available places, 200 applicants applied. The rest were turned away."

There were sounds of shock from the girls. Maybe they didn't expect such competition for the courses.

Now, for the tickle.

"Yeahyeahyeah, really!"

The entire cohort burst into laughter.

Great. I got the show on the road.

"But, moral of the story is: You cannot just study hard for your O Levels [the second major exam you take, the one before you go to college. SATS, right?]. In poly, it's not a place to play. I know [that] for my music course, you got guitars and shred-shred-shred, got piano and jam-jam-jam. No. We jam hard. We jam to do assignments, compose pieces and pull our hair out."

That got the crowd going. Some girls burst into great laughter.

"So, you have to study hard, throughout.

"So I worked hard in my diploma. I don't want to sound... snobbish... but..."

Now here's the tricky bit. To say or not to say? To motivate and do an ego-booster, or let them sleep on?

Aw, if I can do it, I'll just do it!

"I'm second in my cohort."

The rousing 'Wha...' from the audience.

"And if I keep it up, I may get a 9-week all-paid trip to study in MIT."

That being Massacheusetts Institute of Technology.

The 'Wha...' resounded again.

The underlining story? Poly has its perks.

"So, wherever you go, just do this: Work hard. Play hard. Study smart and that's all I have to say."

While other girls took 10 minutes to explain why they chose JC, I rounded up mine in the given five minutes.

And no, I was self-trained to be an entertainer. I knew it was worth it. The cheers and comments of 'she was so funny!!' proved it.