Every now and then, someone would ask me which schools I went to, what courses I studied, and so on.

Building a mental model of my mentality?

I’m guilty of that too.

For instance, if a guy says he’s from ACS, then you half-expect him to be pretty fluent in English and not Chinese, and he might be slightly cocky or snobbish. No wonder so many people suspect that I was from that school.

But stereotyping is useful only to a certain extent.

I know that too well because people who attempt to figure me out using stereotypes often fail quite spectacularly.

Like this particular colleague of mine, who was sure that I was educated overseas. After I assured him that I didn’t study overseas, he could even ask “are you sure or not?”

Then a few months later, he’d ask “are you sure you didn’t study overseas?”

And the same question again, another few months on.

I’m often reluctant to talk about the schools I’ve been through, because it only paints the wrong picture, especially if I’m dealing with someone less sophisticated, meaning that I’ll have to spend even more time explaining why I’m not like your typical RGS girl (just kidding - I didn’t study there, although I sometimes wish I did - LOL).

Granted that there are a lot of things I learnt in school, but the values that define me and set me apart from others are there because I refused to learn what was taught, or managed to unlearn them.

I refused to learn that the teacher is always right. That grades are important. That certificates are the reason we go to school.

I had to unlearn the ‘fact’ that teachers are necessary for us to learn. That knowledge should be hoarded selfishly. That one can’t go far without a degree (quite true if you’re in the civil service).

I am not a product of any school.

I am what I am, not because I went to this or that school, but in spite of going there.

I am not a product of the education system here, but despite it.

I am not a product of Singapore.