The grass is always greener on the other side.
Having graduated from an obscure private institution with an obscure degree, I’ve always looked up to the kids who went to the local public universities or travelled abroad to further their studies. It was easy to feel like a misfit when I compared schedules and find a week chock-full of lectures, tutorials and co-curricular activities on theirs, while mine was few and far between. It also called into question the price tagged to my education: am I really paying $30,000 just to see myself through one day of lecture per week, and four days of independent learning?
Up until today, perhaps due to a slight tinge of regret that I’d wasted my younger years on subpar education, I still wonder about the path that I could have taken. What if I had gone to NUS/NTU? Imagine the vibrant social life that I could have had staying in one of the halls. What if I had moved on to SMU? Maybe I will be earning a lot more than I am now. What if I had been more studious to secure an overseas study scholarship? Oh, the eye-opening, culturally-enriching adventures that I could have set foot on.
However, when struck with the jolting reality that my friends from these institutions had the same struggles in securing a job as I had upon graduation, I wonder if everything was as hunky-dory as I’d idealised it to be. 12 millennials, who had either attended a local public university or an overseas institution, addressed my inquisition below.
Falihah Anisah, Senior Executive
Falihah graduated from National University of Singapore in 2015 with a degree in Global Studies.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending a local public university?
I can’t say that I exactly regret attending a local public university because I had the privilege to be under the guidance of great professors, as well as access state-of-the-art facilities. However, on multiple accounts, I have second guessed the skill sets that I’ve gained from a local public university.
For example, I’ve given a lot of thought about how different my employment would be if I studied to become a biochemical engineer, or if I had chosen a more pragmatic track in my studies such as economics.
Being a Global Studies graduate whose key strength is having “multi-disciplinary perspective” is helpful in finding your sense of purpose, but at the end of the day, you will still need to prove that you have the hard skills to be employed. This isn’t so much a regret, but some sort of introspection I had after stepping into the workforce.
Elysia Koh, Manufacturing Associate
Elysia graduated from National University of Singapore in 2015 with a degree in Chemical Engineering.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending a local public university?
Due to the educational culture in Singapore, I felt that the learning that took place was somewhat superficial—we focus way too much on grades instead of the learning process itself. The situation would probably be reversed if I did my degree in a non-local university instead, where a different culture and educational mindset would help me focus on developing skills that a numerical grade cannot define.
Alice Li, Account Manager & Business Analyst
Alice graduated from National University of Singapore in 2013 with a degree in Finance.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending a local public university?
One of my biggest regret is, of course, not going to an overseas university. My grades could have easily gotten me into one of the most respectable American or British institutions, but I made the conscious to stay behind and complete my studies in Singapore for financial reasons.
As such, I believe I had missed out on a precious opportunity to step out of my comfort zone and expose myself to a foreign culture, sheltering myself in a familiar environment instead.
However, intrinsically, I also felt that I could have made use of my local education better; NUS is, after all, a world-class university. I regret not pushing myself hard enough to fully maximise the learning opportunities and exposure that the institution has put in place for its students.
Deborah Teo, Executive Secretariat
Deborah graduated from National University of Singapore in 2016 with a degree in Social Sciences.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending a local public university?
As I majored in Geography, a study of the world, learning it in Singapore may have been rather insular. This is because we have little natural landscapes and phenomena, and being a small nation-state/city doesn’t permit the observation of certain trends such as urban sprawl. Granted, we do have overseas field trips, but the durations are often too short for profound learning to be done. Therefore, I wish I had pursue my interest in geography overseas instead.
I’ve heard that some universities abroad place more emphasis on holistic learning through the eschewing of bell-curve systems as well, which is something I would have preferred because I stayed far away from the campus and that deterred me from joining a co-curricular activity/interest group.
Joey Tham, Special Education Teacher
Joey graduated from Nanyang Technological University in 2016 with a degree in Psychology.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending a local public university?
To be honest, I have little to no regrets. Despite the mediocre results of my ‘A’ Levels, I was fortunate enough to still be able to get into the course of my interest. I made a point to appreciate this surprising opportunity and never take it for granted.
Till today (one year upon graduation), I am still very grateful for all the things that I have learnt from university. It wasn’t always rainbows and butterflies; there were tough times grinding through readings, attempting to work with uncooperative group mates who you never signed up for, and trudging through the day despite an intense lack of sleep.
But in the end, the things that I’ve picked up in university have not only been applicable and useful, they have also helped to ignite a drive to learn within me.
Ajriani Asrul, Self-employed
AJ graduated from Nanyang Technological University in 2016 with a degree in Sociology.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending a local public university?
There is a tendency for students at local universities to be cut from the same mold. Many times, I felt like I was living in a bubble.
The biggest difference between studying local and abroad is the diversity that being in a foreign environment accords. Especially in my areas of interest (sociology and politics), it’s important and crucial to have opinions, open discussions and a diversity of views. Based on me experience, this was sorely lacking in my local university education.
Jayme Chan, Finance Analyst
Jayme graduated from Singapore Management University in 2016 with a degree in Business Management.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending a local public university?
Attending a local public university essentially just means “welcome to the rat race.” Undergraduates undergo a rigorous and structured curriculum that is accompanied by a merciless bell-curve grading system—if you ever fall into the tail (getting a B- and below) you will know that there is almost no way to pull your grades up and will assume the worst of what the future holds for you. This breeds competitiveness on the grounds of public universities.
I also came to realise that being caught up in the rat race impeded students from pursuing their interests because a) in some cases, local universities only open classes to cater to the majority because of cost effectiveness, and b) one can be so engrossed in academics standing that they neglect life outside school.
Honestly, after stepping into the workforce, I greatly appreciate how it has carved me into a tougher person (and I can’t deny that Singaporean universities provide high-quality education) but I do feel that the stress I’d faced in university then was unnecessary, and more can be done to improve the view of education and life balance.
Grace Chan, Project Manager
Grace graduated from the University of Exeter in 2016 with a degree in Geography.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending an overseas university?
I don’t regret setting down this path. I acknowledge that my life would’ve been incredibly different had I chosen to stay enrolled in NUS, but I’m also happy with the experiences that I’ve had from studying overseas! This has allowed me to slowly make my name in the world of large-scale wind and renewable energy development, an industry that is very much in its infancy in Singapore. I’m grateful for the opportunity to develop my skills in this sector, in a much more mature market, which would never have come about without taking that first step in accepting my Exeter offer. I’ve learnt so much from being thrown into the unknown, and wouldn’t change a thing.
Chan Yan Lin, Marketing Executive
Yan Lin graduated from the University of Ulster (Northern Ireland) in 2016 with a degree in Geography.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending an overseas university?
Firstly, it would be the lack of a prominent social circle. By the time you return to Singapore, your pre-uni friends would have drifted away from you since you’ve been away for a number of years. I’m not saying that it’s impossible to maintain close, long-distance friendships, but I find them rather uncommon. Personally, I believe it is always good to have a strong social circle for various reasons.
Leading on from that, you also tend to miss out on the current affairs and trends that are happening locally. During the course of your study, that may not matter. But once you’ve graduated and returned to Singapore, you will find that you have a lot of catching up to do, which was something that I struggled with.
Studying overseas obviously has its perks, such as pushing your own limits and training your independence, but ultimately, I think the local students have a more enriching curriculum. Furthermore, you will be exposed to the Singaporean work culture (gathered from internship experiences) before you actually land a post-graduate job. The exposure overseas students get from interning is limited to the specific country, but most of us do return home after studying, so it feels like we have to start from square one again despite our experience.
Toh Wen Jing, Recruiter
Wen Jing graduated from the University of California, Los Angeles in 2016 with a degree in economics.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending an overseas university?
I feel that local universities better prepare their students before they enter the workforce. For example, most undergraduates are required to go through mandatory internship programmes during their course of study. This helps them to gather work experiences before they set about their job hunts.
That’s very important because a lot of employers are always looking for prior experiences and internships give you that competitive edge. Studying in an American university was really more about figuring yourself out. There was too much freedom and I took advantage of it, neglecting my studies more than I should without a care for my post-graduate predicament. Now, I’m struggling to look for a job that I love.
Amanda Lim, Merchant Acquisition Manager
Amanda graduated from Nottingham Trent University in 2015 with a degree in fashion marketing and branding.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending an overseas university?
When you are from a lesser known overseas university, the degree does not look as good on your resume as one from the local public universities. It also comes with the stereotype that we might be slightly less capable since excellent grades are required for local entry, but you can “pay” your way through overseas universities.
In addition, local universities have strong ties with multi-national corporations in Singapore. As such, it would be much easier to get an internship or a job interview at these companies. When you’re overseas, even if there were career services offered to graduating students, it’s not always relevant since they’re for overseas jobs and work visas are always a tricky issue.
Ng Yu Rong, Social Media & Marketing Executive
Yu Rong graduated from Monash University in 2017 with a degree in communications.
Q: What is/are some regrets you have for attending an overseas university?
A regret that I have for not attending a local university was the lost of potential job prospects in Singapore. As I’m less studious, I thought I could attend an overseas university and get my degree in a year or two to enter the workforce quicker.
However, upon graduating, job hunting was a difficult process for me. Even if I was offered a position, the salary is lower than the market rate. I guess I thought that work experience would help to make up for a quality Singaporean university education—but, without a piece of paper to prove your academic qualifications, how will you get the chance to pitch the skills that you’ve honed through real-life training?
In most situations, it appears that the grass is always greener on the other side. Those who’ve been to a local public university questioned the relevancy of their degree, as well as the curriculum that they were put through. Some, due to the nature of their degree, also regretted not pursuing their degree abroad to broaden their learning horizon.
On the other hand, Singaporean millennials who pursued their degrees overseas, felt that they’d missed out on local internship and networking opportunities that would have gotten them off the ground and propel them into better career opportunities.
So it seems, I may not be the misfit I thought l was after all.
