LAW OR ECONOMICS? PLEASE ADVISE!
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Haha thanks firepig for your advice
But I don't intend to enrol in a DDP. Too taxing in my opinion and not my preference. I prefer to concentrate in one degree and do well in it. Thanks anyway :)
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Originally posted by Don1988:
Hi all!
Thanks for all your replies, very much appreciated!!
The thing about studying economics is this. My future prospects is contingent upon securing good honours in economics, and it is a no guarantee. And if I end up like the 80-85% of NUS econs major who ends up with a normal degree/2nd lower/3rd class, my future is quite screwed, in every sense of the word. NUS is really very stingy when it comes to dishing out good honours.
All things equal, a 2nd lower law degree is still better than a 2nd lower econs degree. Of course, I have confidence that I will excel in economics, barring any unforeseen circumstances. This is because of my strength in mathematics, and economics at university level is pretty much hardcore mathematics and nothing esle. But life is unpredictable and the past 20 years or so of my life has taught me this. I can't go into an economics major thinking for certain that I will get a 2nd uppers for sure. It's foolhardy and starry-eyed thinking.
yes, u really need to wake up. If u can't even get a 2nd class upper for econs, u can forget about getting 2nd class lower for law.
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Originally posted by 00king00:
yes, u really need to wake up. If u can't even get a 2nd class upper for econs, u can forget about getting 2nd class lower for law.
Don1988, don't listen to this kind of comments from 00king00.Since you only got 1 life, I hope you will choose the most challenging path in your life despite it may be the most difficult path or the impossible path for many to undertake in this forum and in the society.
You won't know what you how far you are capable of achieving if you always do things within your own ability and not willing to do anything that are outside your comfort zone.
If you just want your life to be normal like many, then by all means listen to them and walk the same path as many in here...at least you won't be alone.
But if you desire to be somebody out of your own imagination, then you should give yourself a chance and test yourself against all the challenges that your life is throwing at you.
Be yourself, not become everyone.
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Originally posted by Don1988:
Haha thanks firepig for your advice
But I don't intend to enrol in a DDP. Too taxing in my opinion and not my preference. I prefer to concentrate in one degree and do well in it. Thanks anyway :)
Taxing a not is all in your mind.
I think firepig's advice is very good. You could try for it, and then drop the one you are less interested in if you find that you really cannot cope.
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Thank you Parn. You have been really helpful all this while. I really appreciate it.
00King00, I beg to differ. I have not said that a econs 2nd upper is out of my reach. In fact it is perfectly within my grasp, barring unforeseen circumstances. But I know that shit happens sometimes so a natural level of caution cannot be substituted by over-confidence.
And another thing which I disagree. An econs 2nd upper is not easy to obtain, as implied by your statement. In fact, getting an econs 2nd upper from NUS is more difficult than getting a law 2nd lower, as evidenced by hard data and statistics. In NUS economics, there are roughly 400 student intake per cohort. Only roughly 100 go on to honours years, and out of this only about 60 obtain 1st class/2nd upper. The remaining 40 get the 2nd lower/3rd class. So in the end, only 60/400 get good honours, which roughly translates into a puny ~ 12.5%. How is this easy, please explain?
Law is tough, but so is econs. It just so happens that in a society like ours, professional degrees are always more valuable. But having better career prospects speaks nothing about the difficulty of the course vi-sa-vis other courses. In fact, many of the general degrees like mathematics, statistics, philosophy etc are nowhere easier than law, though these degrees do not carry much career prospects.
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honestly, i dont know why you are asking random anon pple for their opinions.
you should go talk to your teachers/discuss with your parents (if you think it's a gd thing...)/talk to pple who know you/email academic advisors or admissions officers in the unis etc....
1) we don't know you
2) we don't know what you want
3) we don't know what your strengths/weaknesses are
4) we don't know how the uni works
etc....."In fact, many of the general degrees like mathematics, statistics, philosophy etc are nowhere easier than law, though these degrees do not carry much career prospects."
and meh....you're so wrong >.< if you phrased it better, you might be more 'right'.this is what i seem to be getting:
1)you want to do law. for just about any other reason other than because you are interested in it.
2) you are interested in econs. but otherwise, there is nothing appealing at all about it.I'm majoring in anthropology. because i'm interested in it. pple tell me i should change my major (or do a double major) because "what can you do with an anthro degree?". but if you look it up, there are pple in 'high-up' positions who hold anthro degrees. at the end of the day, it is just a piece of paper. unless you want certain jobs that require you to hold certain degree(s).
also, i know of someone who minored in econs. and it's his minor that got him his job now. and it's a damn good job. pay-wise. haha -
I think if you do what you like, you'd put in better effort at it.
Sometimes, just because you can do it, doesn't mean you have to even though it holds 'better career prospect'.
It doesn't say much about giving you a better life. Maybe in terms of quality, it'll be good.Analogy, you = tourist in Sg.
You gonna leave Sg, having a dinner before you leave.
You got two choices, nasi lemak and some super expensive meal that you can afford but normal average singaporean like me cannot.You like nasi lemak. But you can afford for the super expensive meal.
The super expensive meal is a restaurant only in Sg which received superb reviews; "eat won't regret the money", "die die must try" etc.Of course, you can come back another day after trying one. That's an option.
but nasi lemak let's you feel satisfied. you love the rice, the ikan bilis, fried chicken, egg.
I donno. you decide. -
MK7 and udunnome
Thanks for your opinions. Very insightful, haha, especially the lasi-nemak analogy. Really kept me thinking hard.
Udunnome
I wouldnt be in the forums if I weren't desperate. Haha, no, joking. I guess strangers might perhaps give a more objective view. I also appreciate the fact that some of the people here are current students/graduates who have wealth of experience which I can tap into. For example, people who have been through the same dilemma, or in a particular course, can give me some insight into their experience.
Please don't be offended by that statement. After extensive research and consultations with numerous industry players, graduates and HR personnels, the conclusion I've reached is that in an overly-pragmatic society like Singapore, degrees like "anthropology", or even "economics", are often relegated to the backseat when it comes to job search. Granted; there are people at the pinnacle with anthropology degrees, but it isn't a common sight. All things constant, in today's extremely competitive climate, coupled with the pragmatic malaise that has seeped into our society, a professional degree definitely carries more career prospects than a non professional one.
That said, I really respect people like you who chose to go with their heart. I guess it takes a fair bit of courage to make that bold step. This dilemma between passion and pragmatism is going to eat at me for the many more months to come before I have to make the final decision.
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Your situation is the opposite of mine in the past......
I had the chance to study maritime law as an elective, and really enjoyed it so much, I love the material, the lecturer, the law library, the students, everything......
Unfortunately law was not my major.
My advise to you is to take up law, because it is more prestigious, more challenging, and more prospective in terms of future career.
If you like economics so much, take up a few econs elective, or buy econs textbooks and enjoy it, on your own.
Dont make a decision you regret.
Besides, I think you can mix and match a bit. You can specialize in commercial law, or IP law. At least maybe it has a little relevance to your hobby.
Like me, the reason why I like maritime law, was because it has a bit connection to international politics.
Remember what uncle Meat Pao told you......take law...
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Originally posted by Don1988:
But doing well, or having interest, in any particular subject doesnt translate into a good career. I noticed that in the financial sector, there is a disproportionate amount of people with finance, law and accounting backgrounds. It's pretty undeniable that an arts degree plays second fiddle to professional degree when it comes to job search.
Let me briefly address the part in red from your first post since I think that's what the geist of your concern stems from.I don't know which aspect of the "financial sector" you're interested in pursuing a career with; hence, there's no way I can address anything specific to your career preference.
However, as a general rule of thumb (if you've no plans to pursue a career in a markets-related role, take what I say with a pinch of salt), I would say the competition you'd face for a entry-level graduate position with any reputable financial institution for a lucrative position is far stiffer than the probability of you clinching a second-upper (or better) honours degree in either discipline.
On the basis of that, there really is no short-cut for you to secure a better degree and boost your chances of landing a top job by simply trying to work out which major will be easier to score and excel in. Regardless of your grades and discipline, do bear in mind that this is a cut-throat industry that pays top-dollar to the best brains out there and you're effectively competing with the top graduates worldwide for a limited number of positions.
Perhaps, to illustrate this more concisely, none of the entry-level hires on the trading floor of a bulge bracket bank I used to work for came from a university outside the creme de la creme(think the Ivy Leagues, Oxbridge, etc), but the background of those folks hired comprised of majors as diverse as history. Clearly, in view of that, evidence is aplenty that your chosen discipline of study will not, on its own, affect your chances of landing a job in the financial sector substantially.
Don't let me put you off pursuing your dreams, but it's important you get a dose of reality-check early on and realise it's not just the discipline of study and your grades that determine your chances of landing a well-paying job in finance.
More importantly, for the sake of ensuring you truly enjoy your varsity experience, I think it would make sense for you to pursue what you want to do. Certainly, you may also wish to note that there are plenty of courses in actuarial science/statistics/financial mathematics/financial engineering may suit both your interests and career objectives (assuming you'd like to pursue a quant role). Once again, these courses are by no means a passport to ensure you land a job in a meaningful, well-paying role in finance.
However, these are certainly disciplines of study you may wish to consider that would be relevant and applicable to your intended career. Good luck!
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Originally posted by udontknowme:
honestly, i dont know why you are asking random anon pple for their opinions.
you should go talk to your teachers/discuss with your parents (if you think it's a gd thing...)/talk to pple who know you/email academic advisors or admissions officers in the unis etc....
1) we don't know you
2) we don't know what you want
3) we don't know what your strengths/weaknesses are
4) we don't know how the uni works
etc....."In fact, many of the general degrees like mathematics, statistics, philosophy etc are nowhere easier than law, though these degrees do not carry much career prospects."
and meh....you're so wrong >.< if you phrased it better, you might be more 'right'.this is what i seem to be getting:
1)you want to do law. for just about any other reason other than because you are interested in it.
2) you are interested in econs. but otherwise, there is nothing appealing at all about it.I'm majoring in anthropology. because i'm interested in it. pple tell me i should change my major (or do a double major) because "what can you do with an anthro degree?". but if you look it up, there are pple in 'high-up' positions who hold anthro degrees. at the end of the day, it is just a piece of paper. unless you want certain jobs that require you to hold certain degree(s).
also, i know of someone who minored in econs. and it's his minor that got him his job now. and it's a damn good job. pay-wise. hahaAsking teachers are the next worst thing my friend ......
Do you think they have the experience in actual battlefield to advise .....Com on ..
My friends , relatives are teachers and most or all of them does not have the working experience to give these kind of advise leh .... Be bold , go to a law firm to ask .. maybe a teacher can refer you there and hopefully they dun ask you to pay ......
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IMO, i think its best for you to take law.
come on, even if law turn out to be a bad choice, so be it. alot of things doesn't necessary turn out as you wish in life.
how many here do really enjoy your profession? now and in the future?
but still, it is good to separate your ideals from reality. law offers a high stress work environment, but it is well paying with enhanced job stability.
as an economist, it is unlikely for you to be promoted to a senior enough position within a couple of years after graduation. as you know, the economy operates in boom-bust cycle every 10-12 years. can you stand the risk of losing your job and starting everything all over again if you happen to be retrench? whenever the economy goes down, the finance sector is going to be affected first.
lawyers, like doctors are needed regardless of the state of the economy. when times are good, lawyers are needed to seal business deals. when times are bad, they are too needed to deal with rising crime rates and to deal with bankruptcy settlements.
if you have a plan for your life. i.e when you plan to settle down etc. job stability should be your top priority.
so think through your choice carefully. don't regret. you don't want to spend too much of your life engaging in full time education...
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Originally posted by Don1988:
I am currently having a dilemma between 2 university courses and I would appreciate if anyone of you, especially university graduates/current students, could render me the appropriate advice. Thanks!
I am currently holding a law offer. In Singa-pragmatic-pore, a law degree is perceived as "lucrative" because it is professional in nature, ensuring job stability and good career prospects. I never fail to elicit approving nods or even raise a few impressed eyebrows whenever I tell people [who ask] that I will be reading law in the near future.
However, while serving NS, I struggled quite abit internally. Deep down, I have always been interested in the study of economics. Academic-wise, I have always performed well in mathematics and economics. However, everyone has been telling me that a social science degree is too "general" and doesnt provide solid career prospects unlike law. So far, very few, if any at all, have provided me with an alternate view.
I really don't know whether to pursue my passion or be more pragmatic. I guess the reason why I'm skeptical about going to law school is not so much the lack of interest as the intense competition amongst law students. Ultimately, law school admits students who are academically strong [I'm not one of them though, just got lucky I guess] and the cohort size is small. After talking to students and law graduates, I have come to the conclusion that law school is tough and the competition is cutthroat.
On the other hand, mathematics is to me what cooking is to chefs or what aeroplanes is to aerospace engineers. It comes just so naturally without the need to put myself through pain and misery. When I was studying mathematics or economics at school, I find myself enjoying the process without finding it laborious at all. In fact, without the need for external "push", I actually took the initiative to consult my tutors and source for information myself. Independent studying became so easy, and may I add, natural, when I was so interested in what I was studying. And ultimately, I did consistently well in both subjects and even topped my class in these subjects during the prelims.
But doing well, or having interest, in any particular subject doesnt translate into a good career. I noticed that in the financial sector, there is a disproportionate amount of people with finance, law and accounting backgrounds. It's pretty undeniable that an arts degree plays second fiddle to professional degree when it comes to job search.
Law does seemed interestng but the thing is I would never know if it would turn out to be something I hate tremendously. It sucks to see myself dragging my feet through 4 years of school reading something I dread. 4 years is alot of time and I need to make sure that what I'm studying is at least of marginal interest to me so I can be motivated to study. Once studying becomes a chore, I would tend to do badly in physics, as was the case during my physics A levels [Physics was my hated subject in JC].
I'm really in a quandary and would appreciate if anyone could provide me with some wisdom, perspective or insight that have somehow eluded me one way or another.
For me i will go for economics because i will go for something that is my interest i like well of course must survive a least can eat can already slowly raise my standard. rather then choose thing that you don't like like law just because good career prosepct. well all this is up to you to decide.
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Originally posted by walesa:
Let me briefly address the part in red from your first post since I think that's what the geist of your concern stems from.I don't know which aspect of the "financial sector" you're interested in pursuing a career with; hence, there's no way I can address anything specific to your career preference.
However, as a general rule of thumb (if you've no plans to pursue a career in a markets-related role, take what I say with a pinch of salt), I would say the competition you'd face for a entry-level graduate position with any reputable financial institution for a lucrative position is far stiffer than the probability of you clinching a second-upper (or better) honours degree in either discipline.
On the basis of that, there really is no short-cut for you to secure a better degree and boost your chances of landing a top job by simply trying to work out which major will be easier to score and excel in. Regardless of your grades and discipline, do bear in mind that this is a cut-throat industry that pays top-dollar to the best brains out there and you're effectively competing with the top graduates worldwide for a limited number of positions.
Perhaps, to illustrate this more concisely, none of the entry-level hires on the trading floor of a bulge bracket bank I used to work for came from a university outside the creme de la creme(think the Ivy Leagues, Oxbridge, etc), but the background of those folks hired comprised of majors as diverse as history. Clearly, in view of that, evidence is aplenty that your chosen discipline of study will not, on its own, affect your chances of landing a job in the financial sector substantially.
Don't let me put you off pursuing your dreams, but it's important you get a dose of reality-check early on and realise it's not just the discipline of study and your grades that determine your chances of landing a well-paying job in finance.
More importantly, for the sake of ensuring you truly enjoy your varsity experience, I think it would make sense for you to pursue what you want to do. Certainly, you may also wish to note that there are plenty of courses in actuarial science/statistics/financial mathematics/financial engineering may suit both your interests and career objectives (assuming you'd like to pursue a quant role). Once again, these courses are by no means a passport to ensure you land a job in a meaningful, well-paying role in finance.
However, these are certainly disciplines of study you may wish to consider that would be relevant and applicable to your intended career. Good luck!
i agree wif wat walesa says, it's not what you study, it's whether u hav the aptitude and brains.
in fact TS u ar probably just an average dude who somehow, very fortunately, managed to get a law offer. seriously, an average dude like u will most prob juz end up as a mediocre/average lawyer, law degree or not, you won't earn much anyway. (not all lawyers earn alot, only the very best can get the 'cream')
if u are a truely UP THERE, no matter what you study you will also be highly sought after (and highly paid!), whether econs, law, anthro, history.. who cares, pro means pro, studying law won't make u any more pro.
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Thank you for every single one of your comments, peeps.
Walesa, that was a very prescient point you have made. Actually I know that most of the bulge bracket firms analyst-level hire is usually limited to Ivy-League graduates , top NTU/SMU accountancy graduates and top NUS law graduate [usually first class, nothing less]. I'm not really aiming for these.
I got one senior with first-class honours in economics from NUS. And you know what job offers he got? All stat boards. Some ministries turned him down, because all the scholars take up all the management trainee roles. And he went for interview at UBS, Citi and a couple others and what was he offered? Middle-Office banking, like Operations. Can you believe this?
My JC econs teacher is also a first-class econs graduate, and he's a teacher now. :S
The disparity between professional degrees like accountancy, finance or law and non professional ones like economics is HUGE, in SG at least. No matter if you are supersmart, because I have seen a fair share of supersmart, superhumble,superhardworking dudes who went to science or arts faculty and ends up with terrible job prospects. My cousin with 2nd upper in NUS chemistry [and 2ND upper is damn effing difficult, like top 20%] now working in AVA. Pay is not good, work is terrible. What can she do?
I yearn for a stable job and a pay that can accord me a comfortable lifestyle. I'm not talking about Ferraris or Porsches or Bungalows. Just enough to own a car for me and my wife, get a good education for my children [for example, able to hire a tutor without having to think what other areas of expenditure we need to scale down], and get a good home in a not-bad location.
After talking to so many people, and observing so many real-life examples, I realise that law really gives me a headstart when it comes to career prospects. In good times, lawyers are needed due to expanding financial sector. In bad time, lawyers are needed [as is the case of Lehman mini-bonds], when social unrest increases, when liquidation, mergers and acquisitons happen rapidly across the world which will require a team of M & A lawyers.
However, your last paragraph caught my attention.
"More importantly, for the sake of ensuring you truly enjoy your varsity experience, I think it would make sense for you to pursue what you want to do. Certainly, you may also wish to note that there are plenty of courses in actuarial science/statistics/financial mathematics/financial engineering may suit both your interests and career objectives (assuming you'd like to pursue a quant role). Once again, these courses are by no means a passport to ensure you land a job in a meaningful, well-paying role in finance:
Having been through 2 tedious years of national obligations, I have yearned to get back the kind of social life that I had in JC. In JC, I was happy, carefree, surrounded by a group of great, fun-loving friends and my studies was also smooth and quite enjoyable. I really led a life of satisfaction and this begets the question - Should happiness and satisfaction be given top priority when choosing a course? Should I bite the bullet and do something that I don't like but that is more lucrative, or do something that could provide me immense satisfaction [the satisfaction of getting an A in your modules, of beating your coursemates haha, of understanding what you are thought, of enjoying what you are doing]?
I so hope that an FASS econs student can come in and say that he's working in a good, stable, well paying job which he enjoys. Haha. oh wells.
Thanks for your advice anyway. Very helpful.
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rafTiger
It speaks volumes about your character when you so swiftly, and ignorantly may I add, judge my academic capability when you know virtually nothing about me. If my securing of a law offer is largely "fortuituos"
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rafTiger
It speaks volumes about your character when you so swiftly, and ignorantly may I add, judge my academic capability when you know virtually nothing about me. If my securing of a law offer is largely "fortuituos" as
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continued]..as you have implied, then the same can be said of all the straight distinction students who applied for the course as well. Geez, so in the end we are all just lucky fools. Oh, the horror!
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gosh don1988, pls stop trying to boast yr results etc etc, it's making me puke. anyway wat's the big deal abt getting straight distinction, many of us here do equally well in life n get that stable life w/o gd academic results.
just when i tot u ar interested in econs, then i see yr concern is with "FASS econs student in a good, stable, well paying job which he enjoys"... in the end, it's all $$$$, y not juz cut the crap and say u wan the $$$$$$$$
i TOTALLY DISAGREE that a law degree will giv u better prospects.
my uncle, a normal lawyer, lives in 5 room flat, drives a toyota corolla, 2 kids
my fren's dad, studied social science on PSC scholarship, was poached by a saudi company after his bond, did another MBA(sponsored by company), and moved back to s'pore and took up high lvl positions in several other companies. now he owns a condo, a bungalow, 1 BMW and 1 Lexus.
if u ar not even confident of a 2nd upper for econs(btw gals dun really like wish-washy insecure guys), i dun tink u ar a very bright student, most likely u'll juz end up as a mediocre lawyer like what rafTiger said, haha. hi-5 tiger, finally someone who speaks out against the so-called 'elites' like don
dun worry, at least u still hav yr 5 room flat and toyota, isn't dat wat u wanted anyway?? lol
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candiz: can your uncle afford tutors for his 2 kids too??? seems like that's also one of the things Don wanted you know....
and...can close and lock thread oredi rite?? seems like problem solved liao rite? do law lah do law lah. if your profs know that this is what your 'debate' is abt, i think a good lot of them won't want you as their student anyway. take econs for fuck when you look down on it.
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yup, he can, and 2 cute P5 going on P6 kids, haha
he leads a normal life la, not rich, but at least the basic needs of his family are met
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All this talk is easy as..
wait until u guys start studying it. lol
Question:
Why didnt u guys take law ?
Are u just thinking of the moolah ? Whats ur mission in life. What is ur plan man.. where what how u gonna see urself after u graduate. U gotta have a general idea. Sure things dun go as planned, but thats how it is, your goal, ur destination if u have one , detours and obstacles are nothing, they are mere inconveniences for u to overcome.
Anyways, Econs or Law, i just think whichever u got passion n can do real well u do it la. Unless.. u ... have a big plan. A very clear master plan on WHY u want the Law degree. Or ur years in law school.. is going to be hell... HELL.
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Let me give my 2 cents worth here and hope it can help you be more decisive.Background: I personally have been offered a law place in nus 2 years later (sorry I don't mean to boast, just trying to set out the parameters which I am coming from)
I believe, at the end of the day, a degree is just a degree. It's a good starting platform for you in the working world but most of the progess thereafter comes from your own apitude and other factors like luck.
When deciding between courses to study, the main thing to take note of is why you want to pursue it. Simple and clear. You must have a vision and mission for studying that course.
For example, if you wish to read law and be a financial adviser, by all means go ahead. Your vision can be "to be an accomplished financial adviser" and your mission will be "to be an accomplished financial adviser with my law degree value-adding it".
My main point is that you must have a clear vision of yourself. Not 5 years, not 10 years but 15 or 20 years down the road. What do you want to be in 20 years' time? Your course of study is your means to reach that end, not the end itself.
Now results-wise, pragmatically speaking, of course it is good that you can get good honours in the course. Passion for the course is an added bonus. That's something you have to consider. However, at the end of the day, you will realise that your course of study is merely part of your incremental steps to reach your vision. Learn to look further than just getting that first-class honours.
Frankly speaking, I am a science student through and through. I got into law unintentionally as I had to apply for it for the law and accountancy double deg (ironically I got rejected for the double deg). Pragmatically, I could have opted for science or engineering and do something which I have a somewhat good foundation in.
However, at the end of the day, I don't see myself being an engineer or a scientist or stuck in a lab wearing a labcoat the whole day (no offense intended paiseh). It was my desire to do something different which led me to my choice today.
All in all, you are the one who will have to make the choice. We can only give your advice from our less-than-ideal viewpoints. You may feel tempted by the scenery but remember that it's the destination that you want to reach. Have a vision and stay the course.
Well, if all else fails, just flip a coin. Choose what luck dictate you to do. Then, cut off all other backup options and tell yourself you are now left with no other choices. You will be amazed at how well you can fight with your back against the water.
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I thank everyone for your comments.
But I'm incredibly disappointed by a minority few who judge my character in such a reckless and ignorant manner.
My comments to Raftiger was meant to be a snide to his incredibly disrespectful and distasteful remarks, calling me "just an average dude who somehow, very fortunately, managed to get a law offer." These are unwarranted insults and doesnt deserve a place in a friendly discussion. It's incredibly denigrating to me too to say that my offer was largely fortuitous, when I actually worked my way through the gruelling admissions process [interview plus written test] just like any other deserving candidate.
I don't know which part of my thread has led people to mistakenly think that I'm an elitist who loves to boast about my results. My mention of "straight distinctions" was just a case-in-point to Raftiger to remind him that we [as in law applicants] worked our way into getting the law offer, and did not just secure it "by luck". It is derogatory to put down the hard work and effort of all the deserving students. That's all it means, nothing esle.
Other than this, I have never, not even tangentially, implied my academic achievements or the like. Some of you unfairly alleged that I'm a elitist person, when in fact I'm not. Just because I have a law offer, and just because I'm a straight distinction student, automatically makes me an "elitist" who loves to "boast" about my achievements? This is ridiculous. Get to know me first before making such a baseless and senseless remark. My friends would think very much otherwise.
I don't know why, but it seems to me that in certain instances, people tend to have a natural, knee-jerk reaction and a deep-seated prejudice wherever they see cases of achievements. Oh, prospective law student with a dilemma? Elitist, or worst still, hao lian. He purposely create this thread to hao lian to people one. Must be!! Oh, rich guy? Must be living in a bungalow and driving Mercedes. Oh, driving a ferrari at such a young age? Must be father buy for him one lar. Or esle, how to afford? Imagine the surprise when neither of them turns out to be the stereotype you have created.
So let's put an end to these incredibly disappointing insults.
Now, my point about economics. I apologize if my remarks on economics offend anyone in this thread, but as I have always believed, saying the right thing is the way to go as opposed to saying the popular things. I'm not criticizing the subject per se, as udontknowme has so mistakenly claimed. Economics is a beautiful subject which I enjoy tremendously. What I'm saying is that in Singapore's ultra-pragmatic society, a general degree like economics definitely pales in comparison to a professional degree when it comes to job search. Please note my emphasis.
This says nothing about the degree itself, but more about the culture and society we live in. This is an inevitable consequence. I have arrived at this conclusion after talking to ALOT of graduates, HR personnels, current students and industry players. Some of you can continue to think otherwise, whitewash the whole thing, take issue with this statement, but the truth remains. Like it or not, this is Singapore, this is the reality.
I also believe my concerns are legitimate. I really value the satisfaction of doing what I like, yet at the same time, I'm also worried that my passion cannot bring food to the table. I want a comfortable lifestyle. In singapore's rising cost environment, money is really important. Especially my family needs. I want my children to have access to tuition, extra classes, good textbooks, a good education, without us having to worry about our budget. Education is, for me, my top priority. All these, unfortunately, cost money. Then I want a good home in a not bad location, so my kids can squeeze into uber-competitive primary schools. I just want my family to have a good life in the future, when we can afford simple cars to ferry us around, education, and holiday travels once in a while.
That is why I said that "..FASS econs student in a good, stable, well paying job which he enjoys..". Happiness is important, but having an income that could sustain a good lifestyle for my family, even more so. It's about finding the right balance, so naturally I'm worried that interest doesnt bring me far enough in the income ladder.
I appreciate the examples you have given me. Just to let you know, that your social science graduate uncle is a scholar. And this fact automatically makes him extremely different from all the social science graduates out there. Scholars are assured of a comfortable, accelerated career path ahead of them, but farmers like us are not. And btw, most scholars go to top universities in the World, like Oxbridge, LSE, Yale, Princeton. Farmers like us go to NUS FASS. So using this example is kind of skewed.
"if u ar not even confident of a 2nd upper for econs(btw gals dun really like wish-washy insecure guys)," Thanks for the extra tip which I will keep in mind. Anyway, I AM confident of securing a good 2nd upper honours. Please, please read my previous post carefully. What I've said is that even though I'm confident, it is naive and foolhardy to assume that this is a given. In life there is no certainty in everything we do, and a natural level of cautiousness cannot be replaced by absolute confidence, which could lead to overconfidence and lull us into a deceptive level of comfort and security." This is basically what I've meant. It's funny, come to think of it. If I had said that I can definitely get 2nd uppers, there will definitely be people who will pounce on me like hungry wolves, saying that I'm so naive, so bu zhi liang li, so elitist, so haolian, so overconfident etc. Life is so difficult.
I appreciate all your concerns. But please don't be eager to criticize. It's easy to criticize, especially to do so blindly, but you are not doing anyone a favour here. I value everyone of you here, who are so kindly contributing your time to this thread. And I wish for discussions to remain constructive and amiable, instead of centering upon baseless accusations and critiques. Free ourselves of that please.
Just on a final note, this thead has not finished yet. Please don't try to act on my behalf and ask for this to be locked. I'm still looking out for more comments from anyone who could so kindly give their 2 cents. Every comment goes a long way.
This dilemma has plagued me far more than any one of you could have imagined. I have a real issue here and I hope people respect this, and give their most constructive advice. This decision is very important and means ALOT to me, and I want to make the most well-informed one as possible. Thnx for understanding.