Today is the last lesson of our Android Design Innovation Course at Maha Bodhi Primary School. As with all our classes, we will sum up their journey throughout the course into valuable life lessons for them to reflect and takeaway. We shared with them 3 key lessons and observations that we believe are relevant to every student in Singapore’s education system.

“If you stop dreaming, you start dying”. Dreams give us a purpose in life. Without dreams, we are no different from robots. So dream big and do not underestimate yourself. If you keep perceiving yourself as a kid, people will treat you like a kid. Be bold and be wild about your dreams. Take a minute to think about your dream. *that’s when they get all excited and you drop the bomb*

While chasing your dreams, you WILL hit a brick wall, I guarantee you. The wall is there for a reason – to separate those who would die for their dreams and those who don’t really want it. The wall can take on many forms, e.g. a new concept that you have not learnt before, rigid school policies that restricts you and other frustrations you might face. While making your Android apps, many of you just wait for us to come to the rescue when you are stuck. Now that the course has ended, what then? Who is going to help you now? *immediately there are students shouting “Google”* That’s right, the next time when you hit a brick wall, just remember this – there is always a way. You can google for help, email us, seek help from your teachers, parents and peers. Try everything you can to get past the brick wall and you will be better than the rest who only complain and do not take action.

Those who have scaled past the brick wall are the ones who will lead. I notice many of you will give up whenever you need a functionality in your app that we did go through in class. You will wait for other groups to finish and copy the code they have done – even if their code was very crude. How does that make you different from these sheep in the photo? Always following behind the herd, even though there is an alternative and more efficient path. So stop following and start to lead a new path with your dream.

Be prepared. When you leave the flock, there are no model answers, no sheep in front of you to follow and nobody to handhold you. However, what you get in return is an experience that your peers can only dream of. (Yes, let them carry on dreaming if they do not want to take the lead.) It will give you the opportunity to jump to the front of the herd and create the next big thing that will change the world.