Forever Young

Hello there!

Today will be a very... challenging day, I must say, for many young people out there. Today, the O Level Examinations results will be released (somewhere in the afternoon) and that sure will bring about a lot of changes for many juniors I have out there. Here's to Jiasen and Zhaobin doing amazing for their papers!

Well, I came across an article on The Straits Times this morning regarding how Polytechnic students need lessons on current affairs, and how we don't know much about these issues due to the absence of the subject General Paper, also known as GP, in Junior Colleges. Much to the gratitude of several friends in FMS who shared the article. If you would like to read about it, the link is below!

http://www.straitstimes.com/forum/letters-in-print/poly-students-need-lessons-on-current-affairs?utm_campaign=Echobox&utm_medium=Social&utm_source=Facebook#xtor=CS1-10&utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social-media&utm_campaign=addtoany

So, I decided that it'd be appropriate today to write about my personal experience with polytechnic, and how the article, despite having been published on a credible and renowned source of accurate news in Singapore (although it was on ST Forums), was highly skewed.

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The day I got my O Level Examination results was, difficult. It wasn't like examinations, where we'd be cramming little notes and formulas into our brains to keep us occupied before the papers. It wasn't like school examinations, where we got the results subject by subject. In fact, we had our parents by our side during PSLE that it didn't make much of a deal anyway. Our parents had a higher control over the secondary schools we were choosing.

By the time we took our O Level Examination results, we were more matured than we were at 12 years old. We had our own plans for our tertiary education path, and it was pretty scary for us.

Anyway, I got an L1R5 of (14 - 4) = 10, and a L1R4/L1B4 of (11-2) = 9. The minus points come from CCA achievements, and a HCL grade of B3. My worst, and most common grade, was a B3.

The subjects I took? Well I could tell you all the individual grades, but they don't matter anyway. In Nanhua, that was considered the average grade. To get a net score of 10 was... ok. I had my choices of Junior Colleges, and Polytechnics. However, I had my hearts set on Polytechnic anyway.

Since secondary three, I did not believe in aiming for a junior college education? Why? I simply didn't have the discipline to study my *** off for 2 years and regurgitate the information that I never wanted to learn in the first place. Furthermore, I refused to take 2 more years of Physics, Mathematics, and Geography that never once taught you anything about Geography anyway. All we did, was learn about tectonic plates.

But then again, I never condemned junior colleges to be a bad path. It just simply wasn't the one for me. Therefore, I had my hearts set on Polytechnic.

Since I absolutely detest doing Math and Science again, I chose a most unconventional path. I chose to go into the courses of Arts Business Management, and Mass Communication. Of course, I wasn't a great fan of Mass Communication. However, it seemed like a pretty decent course with something interesting to learn. Little did I know how people worked their *** off to get into that course. I'm sorry to whoever I stole that spot from.

As I placed Mass Communication as my third choice, I knew well enough that that'd be the worst course I could get into. I would never get past my third choice. Well, I guess that's true. Either ways, I found it to be pretty easy for me to pick my polytechnic course because I didn't want to get into a junior college. Is it difficult to get into a university with a polytechnic diploma? Definitely. Is it challenging to discipline yourself to work hard for 3 years? You bet it is. But was it a worthwhile education, as compared to the junior college path? Personally, I'd say yes.

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Now, to address that horribly skewed article.

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I did actually write an entire post addressing the article and bashing all its points, but I decided otherwise to publish it. I could go on writing about how skewed the opinions on this article is, but this is, after all, his opinion. Bashing him completely would be the same as bashing Amos Yee's points of view anyway. That would make me no different from people who are bashing people's opinion, when we are all fighting for more freedom of speech in this society.

Being involved in the media industry has taught me a lot about opinions and assumptions. I am also in the fight for looser control on the Freedom of Speech in Singapore. We can't go around asking for more freedom of speech, and bashing people's opinions and telling them that they aren't allowed to have these opinions.

Everyone is entitled to their opinions, and we can think otherwise but we don't have to bash them about it. Why? Because nobody is wrong for thinking the way they do. Even if it was purely assumptions with little thought put in, it is their opinion and we should respect it.

Despite saying so, I believed that the article appeared at an appropriate time and students who are choosing between polytechnic and junior college should not be presented such a skewed opinion on polytechnic educations at this point in time.

Choosing between junior colleges and polytechnics should be based on the individual's passions and desires to learn. If you were a student who enjoyed studying math and science and have not actually figured out what specifically you would like to learn, go for the junior college path. For students who are sure of what they'd like to learn and couldn't afford a major examination again, opt for the polytechnic path.

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Here's wishing the students good luck for their results. For those who are trying to get into FMS or Mass Communication, I only have one line for you.

"We aren't nicknamed 'Forever Missing Sleep' and 'Mess Comm' for nothing".

Amen to graduation 2016! 

Here's a song that would be appropriate for many people out there who are facing huge changes in their life.