Welcome to my world. Hold on tight. It's going to be a bumpy ride.
Sunday, 21 February 2016
My gymnastics training video from today
Here's a short video for you! My buddy Tricia filmed my training today and it's incredible to think that I am turning 40 this year, yet I am training skills that I couldn't do as a 20 year old. I'm still enjoying gymnastics at my age and don't intend to slow down yet. It's just a short video at 1:21 - so no excuses not to watch it. Many thanks for reading guys.
Hi. I was looking for your email address so I could ask you a private question regarding an older post. Could you please contact me at: allen.karlin@gmail.com
I've been a new reader of your blog and have been avidly reading some post on your take on education and parenting in singapore. I'm 19 this year and I've just got my results for A levels. It's not that fantastic honestly as it probably can't guarantee me a place in any local university. Even if I could get into a local uni, it wold be those courses which have pretty low indicative grade profile as compared to other courses. So coming from a typical singaporean family,parents always say."just go uni. Any course also can. If not just go UniSim. You need a degree as a baseline to get some where. Any course will do."
So of course after reading up on your posts and having some knowledge behind, I know that unisim is just a dumping ground for many. Thus I'm unsure of what I should do in order to please my parents and make smart choices.
1. Assuming if I even get into local uni, I'll probably be attending those fass or arts/social science course 2. If I can't make it into local uni,I have to apply to SIM under parental pressure. Honestly, the courses in SIM are business based where it doesn't interest me that much either.
Just a note. I come from a very average singaporean family where my parents lack the financial capabilities to send me overseas to study. Hope to hear some of your inputs on it. Thank you very much!
1. I'm afraid it doesn't really make sense to say that any degree will do - some degrees are better than others and some are just not worth the paper it is printed on. The Singaporean mentality that you must have a degree is somewhat misleading - sure a degree is useful when hunting for a job, but an SIM degree? Have you read this piece here: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/q-what-is-wrong-with-degrees-from.html
Given the two choices you have presented me, I am hoping that option 1 will work out for you - ie. go to do an arts degree at NUS. It will at least be an NUS degree and not an SIM degree and there is a HUGE difference between the two. That ought to be your first choice.
Can you tell me why an arts degree from NUS is not right for you? If you had your way, what would be the course that you would rather do? Give me more info please so as I may be able to advice you further.
Are there also options that you could explore via the poly route? There are some good courses at the polys too - but so much depends on your interests.
Yup I've read that article before and I clearly agree with the points about the difference in quality between a private uni cert and a local uni cert.
Without a doubt, I hope that I can enter a local uni too. I'm fine with arts courses offered by the local uni. Just a little doubt because I've been told by people that a specialised degree like mathematics or science would be more beneficial than a general arts degree. What's your take on it? There again I know beggars can't be choosers so I'll gladly take up any local uni if they accept me.
Everyone has been discouraging me to take the poly route cos my results is not that cham. Like die also cannot make it. Eventually a diploma student also want to have a shot at university so thats why there's no point going to poly right now when I've already finished A levels.
Hi Jiayi. I feel that you may be asking the wrong questions - it is not a question of what degree is more beneficial or useful, but what you are interested in. One course that I have praised highly is that of radiography - you know, X-rays (the world will always need X-ray experts, it is well paid work) but unless you are interested in the subject, you may find it boring and a struggle to study because your heart is just not in it. So Jiayi, allow me to ask again please: where is your heart at? What do you like? What are your passions? What makes Jiayi happy?
So let's leave aside the poly vs uni debate for now and please tell me what your ambitions, passions and goals are. Where would you ideally like to see yourself 10 years from now in 2026 and let's work out how we can get you there to your dream job, ok?
Hmm personally I like to interact with teenagers/young adults so that's why I always wanted to be a teacher. I've taught some students before and parents have reflected back to me that I do teach their children well. That has been pretty much my ambition since young but I've also been told by teachers themselves that being a teacher in sg is not easy as most of the time you'll be clouded with admin work/planning rather than teaching per se.
On second thought, I do like lab work at times. Like doing experiments in the lab. Just that my grades probably won't get me there anytime. But of course,teaching is definitely my favourite.
Hi Jiayi, thanks for the additional info. Well going to NIE and getting a teaching qualification is a way to get into teaching but I have written a piece on it already: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/q-why-dont-you-want-to-teach-in.html
Have a read of that and decide what you wanna do in terms of teaching. In the UK, a lot of the teaching extends outside the school curriculum: for example, two areas which are NOT covered in standard school curriculums are coding and Chinese and I have friends who teach both to school kids after school. Both are in huge demand and they are paid a lot of money to teach these topics to school kids - they earn as much if not more than regular school teachers because of the high demand for these niche subjects not covered in the schools and I guess they are exploiting a gap in the market. When schools start making coding + Chinese a part of the regular curriculum, then these people will be out of a job (or start working as regular teachers), but for now, they are making a killing and are completely free of the bullshit admin that most teachers are forced to contend with.
Have you thought about working in the education sector as such outside the framework of NIE-Teaching-MOE in Singapore?
Hi. I was looking for your email address so I could ask you a private question regarding an older post. Could you please contact me at: allen.karlin@gmail.com
ReplyDeleteThanks.
Sorry Allen, I never enter into private conversations with my readers as a rule. Leave a comment and I'm happy to reply on my blog.
DeleteHi limpeh.
ReplyDeleteI've been a new reader of your blog and have been avidly reading some post on your take on education and parenting in singapore. I'm 19 this year and I've just got my results for A levels. It's not that fantastic honestly as it probably can't guarantee me a place in any local university. Even if I could get into a local uni, it wold be those courses which have pretty low indicative grade profile as compared to other courses. So coming from a typical singaporean family,parents always say."just go uni. Any course also can. If not just go UniSim. You need a degree as a baseline to get some where. Any course will do."
So of course after reading up on your posts and having some knowledge behind, I know that unisim is just a dumping ground for many. Thus I'm unsure of what I should do in order to please my parents and make smart choices.
1. Assuming if I even get into local uni, I'll probably be attending those fass or arts/social science course
2. If I can't make it into local uni,I have to apply to SIM under parental pressure. Honestly, the courses in SIM are business based where it doesn't interest me that much either.
Just a note. I come from a very average singaporean family where my parents lack the financial capabilities to send me overseas to study. Hope to hear some of your inputs on it. Thank you very much!
Hi Jiayi, thanks for your comment.
Delete1. I'm afraid it doesn't really make sense to say that any degree will do - some degrees are better than others and some are just not worth the paper it is printed on. The Singaporean mentality that you must have a degree is somewhat misleading - sure a degree is useful when hunting for a job, but an SIM degree? Have you read this piece here: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2016/01/q-what-is-wrong-with-degrees-from.html
Given the two choices you have presented me, I am hoping that option 1 will work out for you - ie. go to do an arts degree at NUS. It will at least be an NUS degree and not an SIM degree and there is a HUGE difference between the two. That ought to be your first choice.
Can you tell me why an arts degree from NUS is not right for you? If you had your way, what would be the course that you would rather do? Give me more info please so as I may be able to advice you further.
Are there also options that you could explore via the poly route? There are some good courses at the polys too - but so much depends on your interests.
Thanks for taking time to reply to me.
DeleteYup I've read that article before and I clearly agree with the points about the difference in quality between a private uni cert and a local uni cert.
Without a doubt, I hope that I can enter a local uni too. I'm fine with arts courses offered by the local uni. Just a little doubt because I've been told by people that a specialised degree like mathematics or science would be more beneficial than a general arts degree. What's your take on it? There again I know beggars can't be choosers so I'll gladly take up any local uni if they accept me.
Everyone has been discouraging me to take the poly route cos my results is not that cham. Like die also cannot make it. Eventually a diploma student also want to have a shot at university so thats why there's no point going to poly right now when I've already finished A levels.
Hi Jiayi. I feel that you may be asking the wrong questions - it is not a question of what degree is more beneficial or useful, but what you are interested in. One course that I have praised highly is that of radiography - you know, X-rays (the world will always need X-ray experts, it is well paid work) but unless you are interested in the subject, you may find it boring and a struggle to study because your heart is just not in it. So Jiayi, allow me to ask again please: where is your heart at? What do you like? What are your passions? What makes Jiayi happy?
DeleteSo let's leave aside the poly vs uni debate for now and please tell me what your ambitions, passions and goals are. Where would you ideally like to see yourself 10 years from now in 2026 and let's work out how we can get you there to your dream job, ok?
Hmm personally I like to interact with teenagers/young adults so that's why I always wanted to be a teacher. I've taught some students before and parents have reflected back to me that I do teach their children well. That has been pretty much my ambition since young but I've also been told by teachers themselves that being a teacher in sg is not easy as most of the time you'll be clouded with admin work/planning rather than teaching per se.
DeleteOn second thought, I do like lab work at times. Like doing experiments in the lab. Just that my grades probably won't get me there anytime. But of course,teaching is definitely my favourite.
Hi Jiayi, thanks for the additional info. Well going to NIE and getting a teaching qualification is a way to get into teaching but I have written a piece on it already: http://limpehft.blogspot.co.uk/2013/07/q-why-dont-you-want-to-teach-in.html
DeleteHave a read of that and decide what you wanna do in terms of teaching. In the UK, a lot of the teaching extends outside the school curriculum: for example, two areas which are NOT covered in standard school curriculums are coding and Chinese and I have friends who teach both to school kids after school. Both are in huge demand and they are paid a lot of money to teach these topics to school kids - they earn as much if not more than regular school teachers because of the high demand for these niche subjects not covered in the schools and I guess they are exploiting a gap in the market. When schools start making coding + Chinese a part of the regular curriculum, then these people will be out of a job (or start working as regular teachers), but for now, they are making a killing and are completely free of the bullshit admin that most teachers are forced to contend with.
Have you thought about working in the education sector as such outside the framework of NIE-Teaching-MOE in Singapore?