Sorry guys, I promised about writing about my trips but when I look thru my gallery, I feel that I did not make enough effort in taking really curated photographs and feel that those photos are so not deserving of being in my blog. (ohmy, blame those perfectionist for making their photo look oh-so-perfect. Ok, probably just my problem for not making the effort).

Anyway, been touching on this topic more often than not whenever people ask me why am I not pursuing a degree at my age. Well, just putting a disclaimer before those who studied in the University start thinking that my blog post is highly prejudiced… I’d like to mean that this post has no intention of targeting at people who pursue a degree and it’s just me trying to pen down my views and my perceptions of things.

After working for almost 4 years in the corporate industry, not concluding that I’ve come to derive that a degree is not mandatory but would just wanna take this chance to advise everyone who’s just finished their Poly education to think twice before they decide to pursue a degree. I get that a lot where Poly grads first graduated feeling lost, feeling worried that not pursuing a degree would mean that they earn a lesser amount in the corporate world or that they would be judged/questioned by their relatives etc during every year’s CNY gathering. Look, I’ve been in your shoes before and am glad that never a bit did I regretted not taking the footsteps of friends who pursued a degree did. I’m here to assure you fellow poly grads, please do not pursue a degree just for the sake of pursuing a “brand” to your name. I’d honestly advise you to try different jobs during the period where you first graduated. I call it the “Identify-your-interest” golden period. Cuz I’ve seen so many people taking a degree which they eventually don’t end up doing or working for so the degree ultimately becomes a typical “entry-ticket” for your so called entry pay of 2.5k? Of course, income does play a part, and if you feel that you need probably a 2k pay to survive a month and that a “not-so-diligent-job” to work degrades yourself as a poly grad, no that’s not the case. Now the question is why?

At the early stage of my life at my early 20s, I worked reaaaally hard, like people often question me why do you want to work this, why this, why that? I get that SOOOOOOOOOO much. But you’d learn that essentially, a passion do not feed you well and working wisely and hard might fetch you nearer to your financial goals. I work day in day out, only spacing out my Sunday as my only off day(and I mean it when I say that I do that for the whole entire 4 years). Yes, I missed out so much fun with friends where I could simply go on a Friday girls out night, or like go on Fridates just like any teens would but I chose not to. I did lose friends but that’s okay, cuz at the later stage of your life you’d get to learn that you do not need many friends but you need TRUE friends. So here’s my one cent worth. People who understands you stays by you. I’ve previously shared with one of my really good pal that people who understands you probably are the ones who’re working as hard as you did and it’s awesome to have friends who are like-minded and works equally hard together with you to move towards their career/financial goals. Don’t worry about losing time with your friends because if you think again, what’s the point of going out and not able to do a lot of things because you feel that everything seemed so expensive and that you don’t have that kind of money to eat in restaurants, or like grab a beer at a bar as you’re probably earning an amount of 1.8k(keeping in mind that this is before deducting cpf) and you’d rather spend the money wisely, calculating every dollar and cent at a restaurant which may ultimately look bad on you in front of the cashier or any bystanders out there watching what you do.

You’d come to learn that this society is realistic. Everyone is selfish. We’ve been placed in a situation where no one’s gonna pity you and give you money just because you don’t have it. You’re gonna be on your own, you’re going to take responsibility of all your bills cuz when you’re out from Poly, it also mean there’s no more spoon-feeding anymore from your parents and that it’s really time to plan out your life properly. So, instead of feeling afraid that you’d lose your friends just because you’re busy working and not able to spend time with them, why not think for yourself on how working hard could bring you to financial independence or things like what you CAN and AFFORD to do if you work really hard for it? It’d do you so much benefit rather than being fearful of losing a friend who don’t even understand you well enough. Of course money should not be a limiting factor when it comes to friendship but money is important to be independent and not being dependent on others(for instance, borrowing money all around getting yourself into many debts or getting money from your parents). This will make you look even bad compared to being busy all the time with work?

I job hopped quite a fair bit at the earlier stage of my life, feeling so lost before about my life goals(like I often see how people around me doing so well and I’m always getting worried that I won’t get there or things like questioning myself just what am I doing in my life why am I still so worthless etc), but there’s one thing that kept echoing in my mind is that I should never in one time lose faith in working hard and just keep on working until I figured out something that will lead me to somewhere better in the midst of doing something that seemed “degrading” in the eyes of the others. Yes somehow and finally, I do not know whether it was really luck or was doing a job that expose you to people from all walks of life broadens your networking since human relationship is the key survival in this society which it fortunately leads me to where I am today, where I found a really good boss who’s willing to teach me whatever he can, willing to groom me and take the risk of hiring me since I do not have a degree and I am not academically inclined for this job responsibility. This job is really life-changing and it really makes me grow in my knowledge bank up there. I’m so gonna be so thankful and I really am. Never once have I felt so fulfilling about a job that I hold. Anyway, back to the point, do not feel ashamed of what you’re working as long as you know what you’re doing(being upright) and you know clearly what you want to achieve in life.. just go ahead with it, you’d ultimately get there. Even jobs like FNB, do not feel that studying a diploma and working in a FNB industry as waitress will get you to nowhere cuz there’s always a way out. You can always be a waitress slowly becoming a captain of a team under you or even a FNB manager, or you can always learn about food and end up owning a food business being the chef of your own business(which is the safest way out in a biz in case a chef just decided to quit on you) there’s really always a way out of what you thought seemed impossible but as long as you’re willing and determined, you’d definitely get there.

It’s true that people look at you differently if you have a degree qualification and it’s true that you have faster advancement (slightly) in your salary but not limiting to the fact that experience can overlap a degree(depending on which field you’re in). Ultimately, experience plays an important part in your daily job. You take for instance someone who’s working in a finance department of a company. This is based on where I’ve been. I’ve worked in the finance team before and I’ve also seen how an experienced staff(who may only have Secondary school education) is valued by an upper management base on his/her experience rather than just a degree holding candidate. Ultimately, it’s about how well you catch what is expected of you and how much you’re willing to do and learn to impress your superior – Attitude plays a big part. There’s no point spending 30+k in studying a degree which you eventually do not do or may not be relevant to your career. It’s good to have it if you already have concrete career plans drawn out and is pretty sure nothing will change your interest over years then yes, please go ahead and get one cuz it will help you in your career pathway. If you’re lying on the “I-feel-so lost” side, please be advised not to take a degree just for the sake of getting one even if the subject is not what you really want but you’re getting that degree just because you’re feeling safer with that degree on your hand, then please do not waste 3-4 years of your time, throwing in your parents savings(30-40k for that degree course study) and lose out on opportunity cost(if you’re using that time to work and generate income while figuring out what you really want to do in your life). If someone ask you to think wisely if you’re not taking a degree then please do ask yourself also are you thinking wise of what you want to do in the future with what you’re settling yourself for today? Don’t make a bad decision just because a degree looks nicer and more outstanding in the society today. Do what that brings you more benefit at the end. A degree is just a degree if you do not know what you want to do in the future or you change what you want to do in the future. Time is precious, when time is wasted, time is not gonna turn back just because you made a wrong decision.

Fret not, nowadays there’s so many upgrading courses available and government is also subsidising us for upgrading course, anytime if you need, there’s always subsidies for your upgrading course, a lot of things can be learnt on the job. And the upgrading courses are readily available for you anytime you need them. There’s always alternatives in life. Not trying to discourage anyone here from pursuing a degree, just trying to make it a point that if you lie on the you-do-not-know-what-you-want-in-your life side, trying out different jobs makes you realize what you want and do not want, there and then, you can make better decision when you’re clear of what you want and go for it.

I genuinely hope  that this post could help people who are lost in life and people who do not have any directions after graduating from Poly.

Till I see you again, stay tuned 🙂