Originally posted by Sagara:
Not easy to throw everything here and go overseas.
I have poly mates borrowing 50k-70k from banks just to go Australia to study.
In fact, most poly grads would go overseas to continue studying if they are well off and well the others would start to look for jobs.
Life is a gamble . No pain no gain. Unfortunately not many Singaporeans can or will take the gamble. I know of some who just gave up and packed their bags up and return to Singapore and then badmouth the country which adopted them.
I can tell you that the best piece of paper I got from Australia was not my degree or my scholarship but my permanent residency visa.
I also can tell that I gambled with my chances in Australia to survive . It was not easy - I can tell you that I was depressed and wanted to go back to Singapore several times in my first 2 years in Australia. No family support , friends not too many - I probably made 4 good friends within 2 years and the rest are fair weathered. I had to pick myself up several times. Then something snap in my head - if I don't take risk to really go for what I want , my time in Australia is wasted.
I was a nurse - so one part of my life in Australia was nursing (ever tried full time study and full time work? I did it for half a semester and crashed badly). I took the gamble and moved to another career pathway. Out of my 20 non-nursing job applications in health , I failed to get 17. And with the remainder of the 3, it means lower pay than nursing . I took the one which gave me better odds - again another gamble. I worked my hands off for that job even though the pay was not worth it for my handy work . I can tell you that I have been backstabbed at work, stomped to bits by higher ups. And I got past it, pick myself up and do better - prove to the people who want to see me down that I can do better than them. The gamble paid off now that 2 states offered to "hijack" me from my employer in Australia.
I am going to the third state which offered me more carrots and after the interview , they want to "hijack" me immediately with a better offer. 2 hours after my interview, they made an interim offer after they found out that one state is hanging out for my answer.
Gamble .....I took a risk . It is slowly paying off after 6 years. Well worth it. It is not a fairy tale. I am taking another risk with this appointment as well and I have to work doubly hard to make it really pay off.
My friend borrowed 40k to study in Australia - he got his degree. He didn't get a job but he worked it smart - he opened his business under the business migration scheme to get pr and now he is a millionaire. He came from a poor family. His parents scrapped up what they can to help him out. Now he has paid off his loan , bought a house, sold a part of his business and now relaxing abit , just waiting for his parents to get their visa so that they can enjoy life . I can tell you that he worked EVERY DAY from morning to night to run his business. Last time , I remembered going past his tiny shop at midnight , he was still there doing his accounts or cleaning the floor.
Out of 3 Singaporeans who came here - probably one goes back because they had the wrong concept of opportunity. They think that it should be offered on a silver platter .
Everything is a risk - how much pain are you willing to undergo for your gain?