Hi teraexa
Thanks for your wonderful comments. Really thought-provoking.
And
"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"
No thanks heh. I'm not brave enough to do this haha.
Don,
Don't pigeon hole yourself into the little red dot.
Think far..there's the whole world out there.. if you are really good.
Choose something you can be happy with the rest of your life....it's a sad case if you have regrets.
no. Dont flip a coin. You are going to keep blaming the coin as the grass is always greener on the other side.
Instead, decide carefully what you want and follow it through. That's the only way to achieve big things.
I've just written a long comment meant for a select few in this thread. Im reposting it here because the comment is at the bottom of the 2nd page, making it extremely inconspicuous and easily missed.
Here goes. And hopefully with this comment, the thread can now finally focus on the core issues instead of the senseless attacks.
" 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."
jojobeach.
Thanks for your comments, was quite insightful.
firepig
do u think big things can be achieved at a state of financial destituteness? Can you not be well off but successful nonetheless?