POly or JC? can't decide.
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What are your opinions about poly and JC? actually i would prefer to go to a poly. but my ultimate goal is to go uni. i heard the GPA must be 3.5 to have a chance to get in? is it true? is getting a GPA 3.5 hard? is JC really easier to go uni? in the poly's i found a few courses i'm interested in (they are in order of preference )
-Business and social enterpise (13) (pls give me feedback on this one!) NP
-Diploma in Human Resource Management with Psychology 11 NP
- Diploma in biomedical engineering 17/18 NP/NYP
- diploma in interior architecture and design (TP) 15 TP
- business studies NP (i think)
in yr opinion, which is the best? in terms of salary, "rewardingness" and allowing me to have a social life. please give me feedback on business and social enterprise too. i am really interested in that but apparently the pay is bad and everything about it isn't very good. will local uni's be interested in students who take this course?
does everything end at poly? will there be very little chances of further education?
if you don't mind, pls also tell me about overseas uni's. are they super super expensive? and what kind of GPA's would they need there?also, what is the diff. between L1R5 and L1R4?
thanks! =) -
Update 14 Jan 09
TakChek wrote (paraphrased) "some students, even if they can make the JC cut-off point, may be better off if they went the Poly route".
My reply : Yes, that's true of course, in exactly the same vein how many students who end up in Poly, would have done better in life if they had instead attended JC.
In other words, sometimes (no, oftentimes) decisions that we make based on myopic, limited perspective, understanding, or access to relevant information, at that point of time, may not be the 'correct' one that would serve us the best, in retrospect.
But nonetheless, we have to make the best decision available to us at any given point; and I maintain that unless you're sure you know what you want as a future career and it involves particular Poly courses, otherwise go to JC (or even MI, if you have no choice) instead. It's keeping your options open.
Once you enter a Poly course, unless you're gonna waste time to drop out and switch course halfway (I've many students who did this because they regretted their initial choice of Poly course, and some who up till now, suffer in the same regretted choice of Poly course coz their parents won't give them permission to drop out and switch course halfway), otherwise it means your life career is more or less limited to your field/profession as specified by your Poly diploma.
Which is a good thing, if you know that field/profession is what you want to do in life. But if not, do yourself a favour and keep your options open, go to JC (or even MI).
TakChek replied :>>> Yes, I edited out the earlier part as I figured it wasn't consistent with my viewpoint that options should be kept as wide as possible. That said, not everyone is cut out for a JC course - they might be better off learning a vocational skill. <<<
I replied :
Yes, this is up to each student to decide for himself, and to decide by this Friday (deadline for JAE applications).
We need the entire spectrum of professions for a society to function. Each person will have to decide for him/herself what he/she wants to do in life.
Ultimately, trust that whatever path you've chose and/or you're lead to take, there's always a unique pro (pros vs cons) and unique advantage to that path in life.
(end of update)
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I've explained the pros and cons regarding JC vs Poly, and how you have to decide which is best for you, in this thread here (have a read).
Excerpts of my posts :
Pros and Cons.
There's the general JC vs Poly debate which everyone is familiar with (for some JC turned out to be better choice, for others Poly turned out to be better choice). In particular, look very carefully at the course of interest to you in NUS, NTU, SMU, that would help you reach your planned profession most directly, then from there, taking into consideration any and all other relevant factors (eg. family financial status, preference for JC vs Poly culture, industrial relevance, current trends, etc), decide whether JC or Poly is a more helpful choice for your life path.
But whichever path you choose, enjoy it and go all out and perform your best with passion. Don't ever regret your choices. But that is not to say that you shouldn't be open to the possibility of changing courses midway, if necessary. If after a semester or two in your course, if you decide it's better to switch courses, do so wisely without regret or feeling that "I wasted my time!" because nothing is ever wasted. There's a reason for everything, you just have to make the best of it.
Even more specific advice :
If you want to do medicine, then JC would be a better choice.
If you want to be a school teacher in the future, then JC would be a better choice.
If you want to do industrial based professions (eg. engineering), Polys would be a better choice.
For Chemical Engineering and Life Sciences, both JC and Poly are comparable alternate pathways to getting a Degree in these specialties in the local Universities. So for such courses, you still have to decide which feels more appropriate, comfortable and helpful for your life path. And opt for them accordingly (which path gets 1st choice and which path gets 2nd choice, etc).
I'm glad to see more students interested in Science/Research/Engineering/Technology rather than Commerce/Economics/Finance/Banking/Investments. The future of this world needs more of the former and less of the latter.and
As DeRong87 accurately said, in uni everyone is equal. (never mind some employers which reportedly prefer poly grads over JC grads even after both go Uni... coz one counter-balancing side of the coin is that the fact remains a larger proportion of JC grads go on to Uni)
Which means that regardless of whether you choose JC or Poly (both are really viable alternative routes to the same goal - University), just make sure you give it your all, your 120% effort so to speak, if you're serious and committed to getting a University education. If you're not (sure you want to continue on to Uni), however, then Poly is clearly the better choice, in terms of employability. As everyone knows, JC is useless if you're gonna stop at 'A' levels.
Mystory, yes there are risks in any Uni degree you get, in that you might not end up in a career you thought (or you wished) you would get. If sales is not your interest, then simply avoid it. With your Science degree, there are certainly alternative relevant professions other than in sales - for instance, R&D industry, and (like myself) in the Education profession.
In other words, if you're interested in Science, go ahead and pursue your studies (JC, Poly, Uni) in Science, don't let a fear of "I doewan to kena salesman!" frighten you away from fulfilling your passion and limiting your potential in the disciplines/subjects that you've natural inclination and talent for. If for 'pragmatic' reasons you choose to take commerce/economics/finance/business when you've no interest in this (eg. if your interest is really in Science), then how do you expect to perform competitively against your coursemates who do (ie. are naturally business pple rather than Science)? And you definitely need to be the top % in your course (whether JC or Poly) to get into Uni.
Zen13, the difficulty with taking Triple Science in the JC, is that the average JC student takes three H2 subjects and one H1 subject, of which one (of these four) must be a contrasting subject. And if as you say, the planned "chemical and biomolecular engineering" (though it does make sense, from a technology point of view, why they would want to do this) requires 'A' levels Physics & Chemistry & Biology, and as everyone knows, Mathematics is essential for almost everything (whether science or commerce... ok, maybe humanities doesn't require it as much), particularly engineering.
Which is to say, that this "chemical and biomolecular engineering" is slated to be an elite course, exactly like Medicine, in which you do require 'A' levels Physics & Chemistry & Biology & Mathematics, then only the top few % of JC students can possibly study the abovementioned 4 subjects *and* a contrasting non-science subject (contrasting subjects are required in today's JC curriculum).
Naturally, the Polytechnic courses will likely be revising their curriculum as well to better prepare their students for the future planned University engineering courses.
All in all, don't worry too much about all of these right now. Meaning, if you love Science, don't worry that the new "chemical and biomolecular engineering" will seemingly or apparently require you to study Triple Science & Maths (something that most JCs will not allow anyway). There are still many other relevant courses in the University that you can capitalize on your innate strengths, talents and passions for Science. You could still be a chemical and/or biomolecular engineer with bridging courses in the Uni, or you could discover your inclination for other relevant professions (eg. education).
Grace_enying, to some extent, yes. A greater proportion of JC students go on to Uni. However, the flip-side of the coin is that if you fail to go Uni, your 'A' level cert is relatively useless (mostly to 'use' it and use your $$$ to apply for private Uni courses), while Poly diplomas are more employability on their own. Though increasingly, getting a Uni degree even after Poly is usually sought after, for most graduates.
For those of you 'O' level students who decide to go on to JC, choose your subjects based on your personal interest and passion. JC is a tough course, if you don't like what you study, you can't perform well in it. If you like Chemistry and Biology, the recommended or popular combination would be to study H2 Chemistry, H2 Biology, H2 Mathematics, and let your contrasting subject (eg. economics) be a H1. If you manage to get into a (so-called) 'top-JC', then add in Physics for more career options (eg. Medicine). (Note that the above suggestions are for those primarily interested in Science, not economics/commerce/finance/business.)
Personally, the two subjects which I find interesting to study in the JC, are Chemistry and Biology. If you want to go JC, you better make sure you have at least 2 subjects which you like, otherwise don't go JC (you can't peform competitively if you don't like what you study). You always perform better when you enjoy the subject, and this is true anywhere, JC or Poly or University. -
>>> in yr opinion, which is the best? in terms of salary, "rewardingness" and allowing me to have a social life. please give me feedback on business and social enterprise too. i am really interested in that but apparently the pay is bad and everything about it isn't very good. will local uni's be interested in students who take this course? <<<
It's all up to what you want in life. Pursue your passion. To make it big and become rich and successful, find what you love to do in life, and make a profitable living out of it.
I can't comment on business courses, but if you love science and technology, go for such courses that expand your potential and possibilities for a career there.
>>> does everything end at poly? will there be very little chances of further education?
if you don't mind, pls also tell me about overseas uni's. are they super super expensive? and what kind of GPA's would they need there? <<<That depends on yourself. If you're rich, you can certainly go to any University you like. Even if you're not, if you perservere, when there's a will, there's a way. You can apply for scholarships, bonds, loans, etc.
Also, check out the following :
Stressed-out varsity applicant? Check.
http://takchek.wordpress.com/2008/03/15/stressed-out-varsity-applicant-check/
About doing Science in Singapore
http://takchek.blogspot.com/2006/07/about-doing-science-in-singapore.html
Biomedical Engineering and US Med/Grad School
http://takchek.blogspot.com/2007/01/biomedical-engineering-and-us-medgrad.html
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jc people will tell you go jc.
poly people will tell you go poly.
ITE people will tell you go ITE.
however, i, sinicker, am very much concerned abt your situation and advise u to go with where you really wanna go to.
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yup, JC students can get admission into the local unis easier
an average jc student can get into a local uni but an avergage poly student cannt
poly lifestyle is also different .the schooling time depends on the modules u take for example i am frm nyp business mgt i take 6 modules in 1 sem, each wk there will be 1 tutorial and lecture each lasting 2hrs.So my total hrs spent in nyp is abt 24hrs per wk not too bad eh..u spent only on avergage 5 hrs in sch
also, there is alot of presentation going on!! , gonna get used to it, also need to speak up more, participate coz poly have cp marks, class participation which amts to 10% of ur grade
i am currently a first yr student and i think that year 1 is easier to score therefore the i cannot give an accurate feedback my first sem gpa was 3.5
this is all i can tell u, interms of rewardness , salary i cannot give u a feedback yet after all i am only a year 1 student going on to year 2
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you study well nothing is hard
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i remember being used to study competitively in school...wot i loved most was racing to complete mathmetic questions with the Os students..lol
now in ITE, i dun really feel any of those competitive spirit like i used to...maybe just alittle though...my only challange is to keep my score up..
Ultima gave you all the answers you needed..
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Starting salary difference between uni and poly fresh grads is around a thousand plus per month, excluding bonuses which are also tied in proportion to your monthly salary.
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then what's the diff. between L1R4 and L1R5? i heard polu uses L134? is that including CCA grade, like if get A1/A2, can minus 2? for JC students is it very hard to go uni? like must get all A's? and poly students very very hard to get into uni?
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yes for poly can minus from CCA points... poly uses L1R4, which further separates into L1R2B2 and then further into something i can't remember which is for application into different schools. eg: business and engineering... engineering doesn't count in Humanities (Combine Humanities).
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don't think so much, join the best, go JC
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Originally posted by Deino:
i remember being used to study competitively in school...wot i loved most was racing to complete mathmetic questions with the Os students..lol
complete fast but do properly not this one??
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I think its more ideal to go to through the poly-uni route since employers do pay more and while in uni, you will have an easier time learning some of the stuff since you already have an experience based on your attachment programme.
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From what I observed, it is tougher and more stressful during the uni period for those who went through the poly-uni route for engineering.
For a fact, look at the top scorers in uni... not many comes from poly-uni route.... I guess the main reason is because they missed the easier scoring modules which they are allowed to skip. It is these modules that can help to push the grades up further...
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Originally posted by eagle:
From what I observed, it is tougher and more stressful during the uni period for those who went through the poly-uni route for engineering.
For a fact, look at the top scorers in uni... not many comes from poly-uni route.... I guess the main reason is because they missed the easier scoring modules which they are allowed to skip. It is these modules that can help to push the grades up further...
and they usually not talk abt it at all... but i see them suffering in silence.. their inadequate sleep hours, it's very obvious..
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Originally posted by candiz:
don't think so much, join the best, go JC
JC better than poly? -
Nope,JC is not better than poly.Both have pros and cons.
If you really want to go university,you can go either JC or Poly.I for one,think that the JC system is quite stressing,and it's only 2 years.The Poly system is much more relaxed and it's 3 years.If you think you can cope with rote-learning like in secondary school,just that the syllabus is much more complicated,you can consider going to JC.If you think you can't cope with that,you can go poly.It's a common misconception that poly is worse than JC,it's on an individual basis.If you fail to go university through JC,employers would rather hire a Poly diploma holder compared to an 'A' level graduate. i.e you HAVE to get into university if you choose the JC route because that is your ultimate goal if you wanted to go JC in the first place.And diploma holders earn more than 'A' level graduates.
Hope you consider your choices carefully,as this is a crucial part of your life(okay,sounds a bit too exaggerated ._.)
All the best for tomorrow!
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I strongly recommend the JC route if one is academically inclined enough. I would use the L1R5 as a rough cut-off. If you get 10 points and below, I would think JC will be a better choice.
You are only 17 after the Os, and most people at age 17 have no idea what they want/ are interested to work in. The key is to keep your options wide.
For those of you aiming for the top ranked universities in UK/US, you might be interested to know that the vast majority of Singaporeans here went through JC, with alumni from the top 5 JCs in particular RJ, HC and VJ dominating the list. It is rare to find someone who went to a neighborhood JC, much less poly.
Even the local universities admit fewer poly grads than JC students, on both absolute and relative percentage numbers.
This old thread might be of interest to some readers here. I quite like Themis' entry, especially the parts highlighted in bold.
Your school does have an impact on your ambition and your drive in life. I am a HDB kid, and I have a younger brother.
I did well for my PSLE, went into one of the so-called "good schools", did well for my O Levels, went into a "top JC". Unfortunately, didn't do too well for my A Levels, and ended up in NUS.
My younger brother unfortunately misstepped far earlier in his academic career than I did - he did not do very well for his PSLE, and went to a neighbourhood school, and then to a neighbourhood JC. Now waiting for results of his university application.
The difference in our outlooks? - For me, going to NUS was a given. I do not, at any point in time, ever doubt that I will at least make it to NUS. The only question for me was whether I can get a scholarship to study outside Singapore. For my brother, getting into JC is only for the top students in his cohort, making it to university is a dream come true. Same family, same background, we even love and hate the same academic subjects - the only difference is our schools, and yet our outlooks are so completely different.
And why is that? It is the environment - when you are studying with people who are ambitious, intelligent and who knows the options available to them, you start to realise what you can do in your life. You become, for want of a better word, infected, with their zeal and enthuasium and ambition. You know there is life beyond NUS, NTU and SMU. You know there is a world outside Singapore, that Singapore is merely a hothouse, not the world. You learn to aim to do better than merely pass an exam, but to ace it.
Compare that to the neighbourhood JC. It is not that the teachers do not encourage their students, or that the students do not have dreams. But their dreams are what the students in the top JCs take for granted as reality - to enter a local university, to get a degree. They too have drive and ambition, but it is of a much lower level. Note that this is a generalisation! There will of course, always be exceptions to the general rule.
And it is things like this that matter - the expectations you have of yourself, the dreams you dare to dream - that ultimately determines whether you "make it" or not.I suspect if you remove 'neighborhood JC' with 'poly', the general argument still holds.
That said, if you happen to be one who is acing the Sg system, please don't display such behavior.
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Originally posted by FirePig:
JC better than poly?majority of ppl in uni are from JC, just stats
ok, i'm sick of the poly-JC debate, the pros-cons crap.
TS, if u can-make-it, then go to RJC, HCI, NJC, VJC etc, only when you are among the best can you deliver your best.
if you are not academically strong, then you decide yourself la, poly / lousy-JC all the same.
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TS knows best.
But if ever you regret your choices, don't ever do that. Make sure that you make use of your choices to the fullest no matter which you make, whether you regret it later or not.
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I really like this thread, so much precious information, If they dont change your choice, they can reaffirm your decision.
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Thus i guess an important factor for choice for the typical student would be environment. Does AJC have a good environment?
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Originally posted by davidche:
Thus i guess an important factor for choice for the typical student would be environment. Does AJC have a good environment?
Of course its good. When compared to ACJC.
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Originally posted by ditzy:
Of course its good. When compared to ACJC.
esp after those stomp scandals in ACJC
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Originally posted by sinicker:
and they usually not talk abt it at all... but i see them suffering in silence.. their inadequate sleep hours, it's very obvious..
what's more is... For guys.... they have supposedly learned Uni Year 1 stuff in poly, then they go NS, and then jump to uni second year...
Compare this to stopping at JC, then NS, then study uni year 1 stuff to move on to uni second year right after that....
It's obvious that the second choice sounds better for guys...
I won't say there's any distinction in either JCs and Polys.... The main differences to me are really in the uni years....