Tertiary Education

Tertiary education.

Such is the name of the hell hole Im currently living. At least that is how Im seeing it for now. Since the O'level results have been finally released and some of you are going to look out for advice on where you would want to further your studies, maybe I can help by giving you my perspective.

When I was in Secondary School, people always told me going to a Polytechnic (Poly) would be easier than Junior College (JC). They lied. I'm not saying that JC is an easier feat. I feel that both has its stressors.While Poly is more task oriented, if you cant manage your time well, you would be thrown into a sea of confusion flailing your arms at passer bys who dont notice you simply because they are buried under all the work they are busy with. However, the type of stress is different. Plus, there are perks. You learn life skills. Things like organisation, leadership, liaising with real organisations, networking, presentation skills and working in a team. Sure, it sounds like a bunch of team bonding camp crap but the truth is tat companies now dont look at how many essays you can write and how quick you can type on the calculator, but things that would really help the company forward and trust me, people skills is one of the very important factors they look for. Someone who can get things professionally organised and lead a team.

Take business for example. Who cares if you can memorise the periodic table or draw graphs with a fancy schmancy calculator. That is what google and computer programmes are for. Recently, I took a module in statistics and at the same time, my friends in JC were learning statistics. My lecturer simply tested us on how well we understood how to use the system (also known as SPSS) while the JC students were leaning how to count the average/ mean/ whatever the nonsense we had to count using a calculator when the computer system calculates EVERYTHING for me with the click of 3 buttons.

You see, the recent movie in 2013, "Monsters University" portrays exactly everyone's fears. What you study so hard for may not even be applicable to the real world. Basically they graduated a scarers but laater on in their work life figured that collecting laughs were 10x more effective. So I didnt want to spend 2 years in an institution being taught things that I probably wouldnt use in the uture when I could be doing things to give me the "X" factor people talk bout.

I may be biased, but I have a rule. Its to never organise anything with a JC student. They are ook smart but things dont always go by the rules. You need to know how to bend and weave to situations. Its not like poly teaches you that, but they throw you into the sea and you just figure it out on your own in the end.I feel that the JC system in Singapore simply spoon feeds us. It is crazy stressful but in the end, who care is you can write a 600 word essay in half an hour?

Ultimately, we all just want to get a good job with a good pay. So my post may be biased and I have a lot more to say, but Im too lazy and I have got a test to study for. Hence, I shall end it here, good bye and all the best for everything.

Oh, and before I click "publish", really, just do whatever you want. In the end it's your own walk with life. People can give you all the opinions they want, but it is your own that should really matter to anyone!