Poly Or JC? That's up to YOU!

Without meaning any disrespect, I have to say that Singapore has always felt like an overly conservative place to me. It can even be considered tradition for Singaporeans to choose only the most widely accepted route amidst fears of being labeled an outcast or even belittled by others. But maybe it could be time for change – and for people to realize that maybe the traditional way isn’t really the best way for all individuals.

Education alternatives after O levels

Since youth, most of us have been brought up with the mindset that going to a Junior College far exceeds any education you could receive at a Polytechnic. A Junior College gives you a degree, which is highly sought after by Universities. Junior College students are even given more priority in certain scenarios as compared to Polytechnic students – for example, JC students still pay a subsidized fee for public transport while Poly students pay a bloated fee and are often forced to buy concession. Aren’t all us students the same age? Don’t we go through the same problems? Why are we considered “adults” just because we chose a differing education as compared to peers of our own age? Is this a form of discrimination or just a show of ignorance?

Of course, I am not at liberty to criticize anything too much because I might not even fully understand the implications of the situation myself. But what really bothers me is the mindset that people – especially those of the older generations – seem to have regarding these two different education paths.

Let me bring up some faults that Junior Colleges appear to have to me. Firstly, JC’s require you to take a mesh of subjects that might not particularly interest you or even have any benefit to you in the future. Maybe this variety of compulsory subjects are suitable for somebody who has no inkling of what they want to pursue in the future; however, most students would find at least one or two of the subjects to be completely redundant and uninteresting to them. Nevertheless, students are still expected to take on these subjects and are forced to channel time and effort into preparing for them which they might otherwise be able to use more productively or meaningfully. This is just a colossal waste of time. Take, for example, Steve Jobs who dropped out of college and only attended the classes that mattered to him – he didn’t become great by following the syllabus because it was easier. He dared to do things that others wouldn’t dare to do, he went against the book and reaped what he sowed. Well, long story cut short, I think that this could be an example of becoming successful by doing what really interests you.

Now, secondly, everybody knows that a JC education is no bed of roses. Packed with subject work and revision and many other things, JC students have barely enough time for sleep. Is this approach of education really effective in molding knowledgeable and efficient leaders for the future? Leaders in history don’t become great because of the knowledge that has been continuously drilled into their heads every second of the day – they become great because they were equipped with a winning character and the right mentality. It doesn’t matter how long and how much time you channel into work - if that work means nothing to you, it can’t even be considered productive work. What really matters isn’t how much time or effort you put into things. If you are clear about what you want to do, or even have just an inkling of what interests you, then you can put in some effort in the shortest span of time and still become more productive than somebody with more time and effort invested in something impractical. Students need some space, even amidst their education. None of us are robots who can work non-stop and still be expected to remember every scrap of information that is thrown at us. More importantly, most of us don’t even have to know half the stuff that we are expected to learn. So why not pursue an education at an institute where you are only taught things that are relevant to you without weighing down pressure like a ton of bricks?

Article from the Strait Times

I’m not vying for a dramatic change in mindset or a change in what could be seen as discrimination against polytechnic students – we’re more than capable of being the bigger people and accepting anything that can be thrown at us. All I’m asking for is acceptance. Many friends I know had stellar grades after graduating from secondary school, but they willingly chose to study at a Poly entirely because they knew clearly what they want from life and sought to learn only the things that will make a difference in their futures.

Polytechnic gives students more freedom, that’s true – we aren’t constantly swamped with work and faced with teachers breathing down our backs. But our modules aren’t easy to handle at all – the only difference is that these are modules that actually interest us. This freedom might seem condescending and might even said by some to be a way to breed ‘lazy’ students, but I think that what it really does is breed independence. The students are now in charge of their own lesson times and personal commitments – almost like a stimulation of a real working environment. Although poly lasts for one year longer than JC, students will leave poly with a greater amount of relevant knowledge and the right habits to tackle university life or even a working environment.

Well, I realize that I might actually be rambling on right now. I don’t mean that JC isn’t a good choice for further education – I just mean that it might not be the best choice for everybody. I just think that if you more or less know what you want to do with your life in the future, it might be more practical to consider an education that can equip you with what you really need; pushing against whatever public mindset there might be. Well, whatever the case, I hope that you make the right choice completely devoid of any pressure you might have from a recurrent stigma. Keep an open mind and I hope you find the success that you deserve!

Thank you for your time!

Please don't hesitate to send in any of your own thoughts or feedback to Ordinarysgkid@hotmail.com or to follow me on twitter at @NatKathXo Comments on the article itself is welcomed too! Please share the article if you happen to find it interesting! :)


Credit: Google for Images. First: Unknown. Second: The Strait Times or Sp.edu.sg