HQ - 05/23/98 13:00:28
Comments:
Totally agree with ruth abt the job thing... can't imagine doing something i don't like day after day... would be like having lectures by Lee Fong Seng everyday, GP lessons with HPF or [for the guys] having classroom military lessons everyday... salary?.
. isn't something some of us have an option to not be concerned about, but you have to noe where to draw the line for yourself...
... am not saying tt i didn't "enjoy" or benefit from my 7 years in the GEP, but more tt i believe tt i would have been happier out of it... it's a personal thing.=)
>sigh<... have yet to wake up to the fact tt NS is part of my life and tt there's no way out... gotta learn to pick myself up... =(
Ruth - 05/20/98 01:12:02
Comments:
What does Yvonne mean by "you either win big or lose big"? Can draw also what! Anyway, I was glad to be in GEP but more glad to be in RGS. It was only 4 yrs for me and can't say I made very close friends those 4 yrs. Everything passed like a breeze. Stuck
with the same people? I remember my group of friends were never quite fixed. HQ if you'd been miserable in GEP, why didn't you opt out? It could've been possible. Anyway it's too late for regrets. Just make do with the friends you have from JC lar!
Haha! Guess what! I've just been axed. I think my boss had enough of my leave-taking spree and decided to give me the sack. Well I've had enough of him too. Yay! No more dragging myself outta bed every morning and facing a day of gloom! Got so much free t
me now! A pity I didn't get to throw the files into his face before I left. Darn! But this job made me realise that money cannot buy happiness. I'd rather remain at the immigration job. I was paid very little but the atmosphere there was much more cordial
Sigh, shall keep this in mind when I choose a job in future. Salary is not everything!
yvonne - 05/19/98 03:21:13
My Email:lionel@pacific.net.sg
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well..... hold out for a big hand.... in the end you either win big or lose big....... scary huh?
Siwei - 05/18/98 17:24:59
Yeah.... GEP was definitely a good choice for me. I mean, I had tonnes of fun in all those years and despite the stress, which I think would have been there even if I had been in Express (cause most of the time, stress is self-created), I think a lot of
pportunities were opened to me through the GEP. Quite thankful for that.... ANd I thikn it really DID make me more vocal. I admit, I alwasys was a chatter box, but I think the GEP teachers in Primary school were pretty lax where noise and such were concer
ed and if I had not been chucked in an environment where I HAD to do so many presentations and whatnot, I think I would have been a lot more timid thatn i am now. Just maybe... can't really tell can I? Actually, come to think of it.. i regrd this as a goo
thing, but I'm sure some people would think otherwise (considering how much I talk nowadays)
Alvin - 05/17/98 01:30:57
My Email:woof34@hotmail.com
HQ ah, I think joining the GEP is one of the best thingies tt could ever happen to anyone! =) Didn't U have lots of fun all those 7 yrs? =)
HQ - 05/17/98 00:49:16
as usual... i see the confusion mounting and indecisions being voiced over and over again... if i had a choice to turn back the clock, i truly believe tt i would not have taken up the offer to join the GEP. Life would have been so much less stressful, so
uch less demanding... and of course, i would still have my 2 "die-together" buddies... but the fact of life is tt there is no "turning back". You have to go forth and make the mistakes and learn from them... there will always be things which you have to d
cide/experience for yourself... think things thru yourself, find out the opinions of a few knowledgeble friends and make the decision yourself. You'll find everything much easier once you've justified your own action to yourself, then there would be no mo
e indecision.
Chunda - 05/16/98 15:13:37
Alan: Don't complain...my coy does NOT even have nights off on Friday.
With regards to all the career/schrshp/uni worries, a few points of thought:
1. Try not to be swayed by stereotypes. If you take up teaching, don't expect every student to be as "seow on" as an RJ student or a Beng like one in Presbyterian High Sch. Similarly, don't take every shlrshp as an admission ticket to a rat race because
t is up to you if you want to join in. People find it easy to associate images to certain professions, which can be a reflection of your bias through ignorance. Find out what you can by doing a bit of research-speaking to ppl in the job, broshures, etc.
2. Personally, I always believe that there is nothing absolute in this world. Please do not regard your tertiary education/first job as a do-or-die affair. It is true that certain professions such as law and medicine are largely determined by your first d
gree, but for those instances you just have to ask yourself if that is really what you want to do. In Siwei's case, she just has to listen to herself and not her parents (easier said than done?). Weigh the pros and cons of each choice, eg Ruth's case: doe
your burning passion in dancing outweigh its relative job insecurity?
Still, the main message: your first choice is not a final choice.
Oh dear. I don't seem very coherent after months in the Army, do I?
- 05/16/98 15:10:58
Alan: Don't complain...my coy does NOT even have nights off on Friday.
With regards to all the career/schrshp/uni worries, a few points of thought:
1. Try not to be swayed by stereotypes. If you take up teaching, don't expect every student to be as "seow on" as an RJ student or a Beng like one in Presbyterian High Sch. Similarly, don't take every shlrshp as an admission ticket to a rat race because
t is up to you if you want to join in. People find it easy to associate images to certain professions, which can be a reflection of your bias through ignorance. Find out what you can by doing a bit of research-speaking to ppl in the job, broshures, etc.
2. Personally, I always believe that there is nothing absolute in this world. Please do not regard your tertiary education/first job as a do-or-die affair. It is true that certain professions such as law and medicine are largely determined by your first d
gree, but for those instances you just have to ask yourself if that is really what you want to do. In Siwei's case, she just has to listen to herself and not her parents (easier said than done?). Weigh the pros and cons of each choice, eg Ruth's case: doe
your burning passion in dancing outweigh its relative job insecurity?
Still, the main message: your first choice is not a final choice.
Oh dear. I don't seem very coherent after months in the Army, do I?
Ruth - 05/16/98 03:57:46
But what if your dream is to learn dance? Give up other choices and maybe use Engineering as a backup? Dance is not marketable you know? At least medicine is something....
Siwei - 05/15/98 17:21:33
Can't be as poetical (??) as Alan, but just like to say that in a way, a chance to pursue your dreams is worth giving up something else isn't it? Can't have all the ideal options waiting for you to make your choice. But that doesn't mean that you won't ha
e anyh choices left even if your dream isn't fulfilled. Using this eg., you accepted COrnell, right? So in the eventuality that you do'nt get into medicine (touchwood), oyu can still go to Cornell and to something alse. Definitely isn't the ideal but thin
about it..... it's prob still pretty good, right? (or maybe I'm wrong, given your expectations.) Not trying to tell you what's right. Just that I think that as long as you have a back-up plan, then it's worth a shot at your dream. Don't know if you get m
point.....
Alan - 05/15/98 13:44:11
Amazingly, I've got a night off today! This is probably to allow us to dump off our clothes for washing because our weekend is burnt. We have to stay back for the passing out parade of the batch before us, and that meanns we'll (I and Wen) book out at 8pm
tomorrow. Stupid, but I can't do anything about it. I'm pretty upset. It seems that the lives of low ranking personnel counts for nothing in the army. You have to make do with whatever scraps that are left for you. When they tell you the day before that y
ur weekend program has to be abandoned because you'll be booking out late, then you have to make do with that too. Gotta get used to it I suppose. Just like HY getting his long weekend burnt the last time, with just a few hours notice. My buddy tells me t
endure, since we'll hopefully get into medicine and get disrupted. Hopefully. And, logically speaking, the chances are better than 1 in 2. But that doesn't stop my morale from going through the decending part of a bungee jump. If I knew I was disrupting,
at least I would have something to look forward to. And that would make all the difference. Unfortunately, I can't be sure about it. Choosing to abandon all to be a doctor, I've given up scholarships, a chance at the law faculty and 10ml of blood for a he
B test. Pursuing your dreams comes with a price that is paid as a deposit. You have to go all the way, or else all that you have given is in vain. This is big time gambling. So who can say whether it is better to fold early, or to hold out and hope for a
really good hand? I always hated poker.
Ruth - 05/15/98 09:05:44
It's been really refreshing reading all the entries. In fact, it's normal that most of us can't make up our minds as to what we wanna do in future. So it's kinda comforting huh, that we're all in the same boat. I agree with Huaquan. S'pore is too fast-pac
d for me also. It was never my intention to join the rat race or paper chase. I just got dumped into it. Scholarships are only a Singaporean culture. Go to another country and you won't see such things happening. That's why some people feel bad about them
elves for not securing any scholarship. Siwei I would advise you to think twice about DTA/ OMS. A scholarship will give you some prestige but prestige always comes with a price. Don't even let parents decide things for you. For my case, my mum was a bit u
happy 'cos during my interviews, I chose to say that I don't wanna become an engineer. That's why I failed to get my scholarship. But I didn't care. If I had to lie to secure that scholarship, then it goes to show that the organisation is not suitable for
me. Why go for it then? I was thinking, since I'm so disgusted with the paper chase here, why not migrate to somewhere where the life is simpler? Yeah, I'm also disgusted with the clamour for materialism here and the way people will look at you if you hav
no degree. I agree with Wen. I find poly students nicer than some kiasu JC students.
yvonne - 05/14/98 09:08:57
My Email:lionel@pacific.net.sg
wow amazing influx of entries over the long weekend... just got my Hep B test results bac... call me paranoid but when the nurse called and said the doctor wanted to see me personally regarding my tests i kinda freaked out.... tot i tested positive or som
thing... yep if you have Hep B you aren't allowed to go into NUS medicine.. but well nah.. nothing,... perfectly healthy... :) hmmm seems like this is the time when everyone's deciding what to do in the future... scary huh... a decision we make now when w
're say 19? with our limited experiences etc etc .. and one we're probably gonna live with for the rest of our lives!!! eeeeuuuuuu dun llike it... know i'm considering if i might wanna be a teacher.... if i dun get into medicine..... since the interviewer
were so adamant bout tt being a good fulfilling career!!
Siwei - 05/12/98 05:45:12
Why are my entires always extra long compared to most other people? I guess ther's some truth in "grandma" after all. OH.... btw, thatnks to Haoyang for the raisin bread. Kept me full throught the concert.
Siwei - 05/12/98 05:42:15
Just to start off with minor correction to Chunda's entry -- Wen's bond should be 4 years. It's local. COme to think of it... 4 years doesn't seem very long (though I might just change my mind after I start work). Actually, don't you think that in a way,
it's good? No need for the hassle of writing resumes and going for some more stu[od interviews whe you come back. No need to worry of your university education is going to pay off in the form of a well-paying job. I guess that's why I wondering if I'll ev
n wanto to take up a PSC scholarship if I"m offered (which I prob won't be anyway, so perhaps it won't even be a consideration) I mean, after 4 years, still have to come back for a placement interview, to compete with everyone else (whom you'll prob know
for a place in the admin service. Don't even know if they'll place you in some ministry like environment or something. Esp for those who aren't even OMS scholars. I think OMS is too much linked to the admin service. I guess that's the impression quite a
ew people have (me included, until recently) have and it's quite misled. Nevermind... I'm rambling. I think that I sort of just realised that prestige isn't really as important to me as I thought it was. I'm sort of "tired" of having it matter. I guess
hat's why I somehow feel very inclined to take up the DTA even though my Dad sez that if I'm offerred OMS (Open), I should definitely take. it. I'm even hoping that I don't get offerred that, just so that I wouldn't have to make that choice. Just so that
don't hav eto convince my Dad otherwise. And so that I don't have that much of a choice and even if I'm not tooo happy in MINDEF noext time and I see other eople shooting up the civil service, I can't balem myself for taking up OMS. Make sense? Maybe not
LIke I said, nevermind.
Shiyin - 05/11/98 13:19:23
My Email:jklinsyk@pacific.net.sg
Wen. what do you mean by you ORD this year????? means no more NS????? soo good one ah????
Chunda - 05/11/98 09:55:54
Hmm...I thought ODAC did do something this weekend. Congrats to all those who were offered/secured scholarships these past few days, although I urge Wen to think more carefully about signing with Police to get out of army.I mean, we're talking about 6 cru
ial years of our lives, right? Btw, I heard that everyone who went for law/medicine interviews last week got GRILLED anyway, so those who thought they screwed up probably did not do as bad actually.
Oh well, here's to a long and boring wek of topo-ing.
Jason - 05/11/98 09:54:04
My Email:jasonpng@mbox2.singnet.com.sg
Lucky Wen must give us a treat coz he is getting out of army. Weikai and I still got abt 1 more month before our fate is decided.
Weikai - 05/11/98 03:43:22
My Email:weikai@pacific.net.sg
same sentiments here..esp when you tahan thru the week just for the weekend. Well, I suppose enjoyable weekends dun come every week, and this weekend's been pretty dead for me. Yep..it's a horrid feeling. Got a pleasantly high pay without the chance to us
it, got a pleasantly long weekend without the chance to spend it well. Having girlfriend is a plus point in this sense cos you know she'll most probably be free for you, and your weekend will be occupied almost for sure. As for me, I shall compromise wit
a lousy but still competent substitute...my PlayStation. No life hor.....
Please plan something for next week!!! =Þ
Alvin - 05/10/98 17:37:32
Y'know, it's such a HORRID feeling to be bored during weekends. Why? Cos it's wasting valuable book out time!!! =(
HQ - 05/10/98 13:47:20
I see everybody's life is pretty messy rite now... so i guess you pple wont mind me chipping in on the pensive mood... tot it was gonna be a looooong weekend, but in the blink of an eye, i only have one day left... if anyone were to ask me out now.. the a
swer would most certainly be yes. Studies studies studies... and i tot i was alone in not knowing where to go... at least i sill got 2 years to figure things out.
Just had my 1st taste of "defaulters' parade" on fri nite... was terrible. OCS is full of the integrity pressures... and you wonder how perfectly sensible pple just like you and i sign up for the army... and even then... not all of them seem like they wou
d fit in. Some responsible, mature guys really do "enjoy" the regimented life, while others just want a direction to go in life... all 19 years old oredi noe... if you noe by now what you want, good for ya. but if you dont, dont fret, it'll come to ya...
ventually... and you will be sure when making that decision. i've heard lots of stories of pple ending up with occupations with nothing to do with their degrees, so it's nothing unusual. In fact i think it's very normal cos spore seems way too fast-paced
or me... so much pressure on studies... so much pressure to start a career fast and do well in it. You decide what you want to do with your life... no one else can.
Alvin - 05/10/98 12:40:24
Hee :) LUCKY Wen's going out of ze miserable army! Anyway, I really wanted to go cycling too, xcept tt I only booked out 6pm & reached RJ 7pm. Also didn't have a bike helmet so was stuck at home. Not tt bad lah, considering a week in lousy Tekong :. Raine
every nite, wet clothes each morning, and charging up hills byt day, bashing thru jungle by nite...... By the way, anything on tomorrow?
Wen - 05/10/98 07:17:47
Hey Theresa about your students I find I really like the people who are "lousier" students.....ie those institute and poor A level students in general.......in the army these guys are true to themself and very nice people.....sometimes I get so pissed off
with smart-ass kiasu RJ/HC/NJ/VJ whatever people. oops didn't mean you guys. Oh well. I don't wanna grow up.
Oh yeah guys I received a local PSC offer for Police.....if so my permanent ( no reservist ) ORD will be middle of next year.....a few months after the OCS pp POP. So there.
Alan - 05/10/98 07:15:21
I've had me med interview. It was amazingly bad. I think the worst part was that mine was one of the last. The profs were all incredibly bored and tired. They kept cutting me off and giving me stony looks. They suggested that I was there because all my fr
ends were applying for medicine and that it was some sort of fad for rj people. It was BAD!! I was absolutely depressed for hours after that event. One guy asked me if I thought mountain climbing had anything to do with medicine!!??!?! DUH!!??!??
I want to scream everytime I replay that interview in my head. Aaaaaaarrrgghhh!!!!!!!!
Ruth - 05/09/98 17:06:53
Oh yes... just wanna ask. Has anyone been mass mailing these days? If yes, I didn't receive any mails and I thought that was kinda odd. Can someone please check if my add has been included?
Ruth - 05/09/98 17:02:42
Ha ha ha! That sounds like a terrible experience, Yvonne... See... I told you there's no way you can prepare for it. I've gone through such traumatizing interviews too. And I realised I was going more for the prestige of the scholarship than the course of
study. Dunno why I chose Engineering other than for the job security. Everytime I try to imagine myself doing engineering I see a bleak destiny ahead. I want an exciting career. I want to lead a happening life. Engineering is not going to give me all that
A pity that's the course in greatest demand now. And when I go for interviews I kept insisting that I want to study engineering but don't wish to become an engineer. So that's probably why I got so many rejections. Think about it. It's not going to be th
end of the world if you can't get your first choice, medicine. (Hope you do.) Studying overseas can be quite fun. You learn to be more independant.... It was always my dream to study overseas. But I guess I can't do that now, without a scholarship and it
s stupid to accept just any scholarship just 'cos it gives you a chance to go overseas. Oh well... I guess I know roughly what I want to do in future already. It may not be very prestigious, but that's where my interest lies.
Yeah..... I really wanted to bike today but I knew I was never going to make it back in school at 5pm. I only managed to finish what I was supposed to do by 6pm. Thanx for that offer anyway Yvonne. Btw, Haoyang, heard that you went for a law test. Tell u
about it! Anyone else got interesting things to share?
yvonne - 05/08/98 06:40:01
My Email:lionel@pacific.net.sg
whooops... why the two entries... nevermind.... sorry for the loooooong lamenting......:)... hey guys dun be sad..... look forward to the next weekedn/holiday and take each day as it comes.. it helps to be optimistic... :)... hmmmmm...... anybody has any
dea what's going on on saturday.. heard the biking pple are leaving at 5/6 pm.. which is pretty early... theresa just suggested fantasy island on monday.... anybody intersted?.. yep we're all growing up..... quite scary..... we gotta make all the big deci
ions bout our lives now.... sec sch.. JC.. not much fo a choice... it was where we're expected to go... a followup thing... most of us chose science coz form there we can theoretically go anywhere.... and no finally we have to decide what exactly we're go
na do wiht the rest of our lives... are we gonna strive for our ideals... and pray for the best... or are we gonna just opt for the safe options... and know that we will have a stable secure job when we come out...are we willing to leave our friends... fa
ily .. and all things familiar in s'pore at the risk of losing it all.. or are we gonna hang on to all these which means so much to us.... and stay in s'pore even if it means that we may not get to do what we want to in the future... what is the right cho
ce... what is the best option.... who knows?!???!?!?! if i don't get into medicine... how will i react? what will i do? will i dare and want to leave s'pore? hmmm..... :) i shall decide when it comes lar..... shall not be bothered bout it now..... hey sun
ay's mother's day too !!!! :).... let's do somehting these three days 'kay!..... hoep to see all of you soon... :)
yvonne - 05/07/98 03:03:03
My Email:lionel@pacific.net.sg
thanx ruth... it was quite terrible lar the interview... when i came out i was so frustrated... tot i'd messed it up bad... well but after thinking bout it.... quite an interesting interview.... those pple are very good at traumatising pple... you know wh
n i told them i was working in TTSH they told me.. okay lor.. then why do you need to study to be a doctor.. carry on and work ther.e.. it's a hospital job anyway... then they insisted i shld be a chinese psyichian... coz they siad it was soon to eb reco
nised...... and it had a looong heritage and tradition so it's better than western medicine... then they told me to be a teacher since i wanna be in a pple oriented job.... then they scolded me for not telling them that it was the prestige and job securit
that i was there to be a doctor... when i said i didn't agree with the health care business thingy they told me to send patients off with money..... sheeeeessshhhh... obviously trying to make life difficult for me.... i was kinda frustrated.... when they
asked me.. do you have any more qns.. at the end of the interview i asked them.... why then are all of you in the medical profession?.... hmmm..... my bro tot it was provoking...... that they din really expect me to ask them any qns....
yvonne - 05/07/98 03:02:56
My Email:lionel@pacific.net.sg
thanx ruth... it was quite terrible lar the interview... when i came out i was so frustrated... tot i'd messed it up bad... well but after thinking bout it.... quite an interesting interview.... those pple are very good at traumatising pple... you know wh
n i told them i was working in TTSH they told me.. okay lor.. then why do you need to study to be a doctor.. carry on and work ther.e.. it's a hospital job anyway... then they insisted i shld be a chinese psyichian... coz they siad it was soon to eb reco
nised...... and it had a looong heritage and tradition so it's better than western medicine... then they told me to be a teacher since i wanna be in a pple oriented job.... then they scolded me for not telling them that it was the prestige and job securit
that i was there to be a doctor... when i said i didn't agree with the health care business thingy they told me to send patients off with money..... sheeeeessshhhh... obviously trying to make life difficult for me.... i was kinda frustrated.... when they
asked me.. do you have any more qns.. at the end of the interview i asked them.... why then are all of you in the medical profession?.... hmmm..... my bro tot it was provoking...... that they din really expect me to ask them any qns....
Ruth - 05/06/98 15:07:09
Actually it's virtually impossible to prepare for that interview, Yvonne. You just gotta be yourself. Be sincere and truthful especially. Normally when I go for scholarship interviews, I think what I want to say. But in the end, I speak from my heart 'cos
I think I'll be doing myself a great disservice to lie. Maybe that's why I still can't get a scholarship.... Anyway, good luck and hope to see you step into that medical field one day. Btw, I'm interested in the biking ex but I got a few things in the aft
rnoon. Plus I haven't got a bike. Any gals going? Dunno if it's worth rushing on that day just to make it for that ex. Have fun....
yvonne - 05/04/98 07:48:49
My Email:lionel@pacific.net.sg
arghhh....... just got my medicine interview notification!!!!! it's on wednesday...... shhhheeesssssshhhh they tell me only now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! a big huge... major interview which would determine the rest of my life and they only give me 2 days to prepa
e myself!!!!!!!
arghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh
i shall try to calm myself down.....
Jason - 05/03/98 08:45:54
My Email:jasonpng@mbox2.singnet.com.sg
Here is another person who is suffering from the Sunday Blues. Sighhh... ... the lousy feeling starts the moment u wake up from bed and remember that u have to book in later in the evening. Morale will be low and most will spend the day sulking at home.
Think that this is the 3rd or 4th time tt I am complaining about booking in but I juz cannot help it.
Agree with Weikai that we are growing up. Cannot remain like a JC student forever. Must think and act like an adult now. A lot of us are already making impt decisions for their life. Taking up a scholarship means tt ur next 10 years or so is already f
xed. Somehow I dun like the feeling of making my own decision and being responsible for it.
howeyang - 05/03/98 08:39:51
hmm.. great expectations .. not ur typical movie fare... but gwyneth paltrow's not very typical either... :)
this sat's cycling ex... anybody confirmed the timing? most of us prob can't make it....no bikes.. tired... btw.. this wed's mama's and sat's yvonne's bday...
anyway... the biking thingee... mebbe we can meet at rj just to send them off...?
Weikai - 05/03/98 07:38:54
My Email:weikai@pacific.net.sg
Here I go again, the usual Sunday lament about booking in. Tomorrow all hell will break loose on me when I return to the ovenly island for a 6 day field camp. Holidays are so precious, you just want to make full use of them to enjoy as many things as you
hink you've been missing out. *Stretch... Quite shiok. And yes we've really been growing up quite a bit, our mentality, maturity etc. In the process also realised that there are still so many things in the wide world, society, for us to learn. We just had
a glimpse of what things will be like when we step into the society. But hey at least life's getting more interesting, in a way, amongst the mundane work or training. Enjoy yourselves everyone, that's important, dun overwork =). Looking forward to more gr
at stuffs lined up next weekend and Vesak Day holiday, if there'll be any. See you all then.
Ruth - 05/03/98 01:59:23
Congrats to all those who have secured scholarships, Siwei, being one of them. I'm still scholarshipless. Don't be surprised if I end up in S'pore. So how was Great Expectations? Or did you guys watch it? I was having my semifinals. I didn't get into the
inals but I truly enjoyed myself and learnt quite a bit through interacting with the other contestants. I was really mesmerised by some of them in fact. Yeah... I love dance... love it more than anything else, outdoors, studies (bleah....), music etc. Mea
while life is going to be boring. Guys I pity you for having to go through NS! Arrggggghhhhh!!!!! Tomorrow's going to be Monday and I'm already developing office-phobia! Life is BORING!!!