#044 Getting Permanent Head Damage?

6 Nov 2012

My year3 sem1 is coming to an end, having exams in a few weeks’ time (23 Nov – 6 Dec). After this semester, I am left with one semester to clear my remaining modules and another focusing only on my FYP. Then… I will graduate!

About 7 years ago, during my sec4 time, I have to make a decision – to go JC or Poly. During that time, my understanding was going JC has a higher chance to enter Uni, which sounds like “Wa… 大学生xia…” But the drawback was that it is a wooden plank between 2 buildings, there is no room for failure. Others often say – “If you complete your JC but didn’t get into a Uni, the A-level cert itself is equivalent to an O-level cert, whereas with a Poly degree, you can find a better job.”

I had forgotten what the reason is, I chose JC. 2 years later, I got my A-level cert. As mentioned earlier, there is nothing much you can do with an A-level cert. So it is another decision making time, what course should I take in NTU? (There is a, rather silly, reason behind me choosing NTU. Maybe I will mention it in the future) Ultimately, I got in to Mathematical Sciences.

After 2 years of National Service, I enrolled into NTU. Another 2 years have passed since then, now I am going to graduate soon. Once again, I have another decision to make; this would probably be the last yet most important decision for my academic study. Should I continue to future study?

Currently I can think of 3 choices –

1.       Get a decent job after I graduate and lead a peaceful life with her, maybe apply for a local part-time PhD study at a later time.

2.       Apply for local PhD study.

3.       Apply for overseas PhD study.

From what I heard so far, it seems to have a better chance in finding a job in local Uni with a foreign PhD. But this means that I have to be away from Singapore for probably 4 years, what about her? Can she come along with me? How about my family? Friends? Etc. There are just too many things that I couldn’t bear leaving.

Next year, during year3 sem2, that will be the time for me to make decisions – What is the field that I am going to work as my FYP, if I am going to continue PhD right after I graduate, if so, local or overseas. I don’t have an answer right now, I hope that I would be able to make a firm one soon, and have no regrets about it.

~milkteaisthebest~