 |
| Photo from weheartit |
But here it is people. Here it is.
School fees and loans.
My degree costed a total of approximately SGD $16 000 inclusive of administrative fees. If I remembered correctly, this was one of the cheapest institutions with others ranging up to SGD $20 000. If you were a disciplined spender who could afford it, then you'd probably have no problems at all. But if you're a big spender like me? It would be nearly impossible.
I decided to take up a loan from Mendaki because I felt like they could be a bit more forgiving than banks when it comes to repayments. The remaining were paid by myself (thank goodness that the fees were due on my bonus months) and also with the help of my dad.
Many people had this misconception that working adults are supposed to be able to afford a lot but you'd be surprise to know that working adults get broke very, very fast. We splurge on loans and bills. And groceries and transport (goodbye student concession) etc etc. So, no, we're not rich.
After the completion of the program, I finally realized that the student loans took a toll on me. At 23 years old, I was paying two student loans - diploma and degree - and not to mention other payments (damn you, taxes). It was still a heavy burden to bear and it's something I wished I could've planned in advance. Nonetheless, seeing the balance decrease every month felt like a little bit of weight has been lifted off my shoulders.
Institution and location.
If there was anything I was proud of, it was choosing to settle with Curtin Singapore.
Since I was a nursing student, I've always heard about how prestigious the nursing course is in Curtin University. It started out as a goal to migrate and study there but I decided to settle for a more realistic (and affordable) option.
Majority of the offshore campuses in Singapore that provide bachelors in nursing are recognized worldwide (last I check). But every institution have a different study approach. Some are more research based while others are more concentrated on assignments and exams. You'd have to do a bit of research to find out which school is more suitable to your learning strengths. A good source would be from an alumni of that particular school.
Also, since you'd be working full-time and studying part-time, location is another important factor. I end work at 4.30pm and my class starts at 6pm and since most of the time I can't anticipate what time I end or how the traffic is going to be like, I'd tend to book a grabhitch or an uber (which reminds me oh please bring back those days when I had more travel options) which in turn, burns a hole in my wallet. It helps if your workplace or your home is near your school so you won't waste a lot of your energy and money travelling.
And trust me, school after a long 9 hour shift with no meals (at times) is really, really exhausting. (Ask my coursemates how often I sleep in class).
Which brings me to my next point!
Time Management
Working three shifts and studying part-time has got to be one of the hardest things to do because you're so tired all the time.
Again, if you're like me, you'd struggle really badly with this.
A lot of my dates with Aziz back then involved going to his school (because it has everything) and completing my assignments and doing as much studying as I can. Most of the time I can't last more than two hours (lol kidding, I netflix after one hour of studying) without feeling like my brain was going to explode because my body was already so lethargic from work and other things.
I shall spare you the agony of sharing my experiences on how most of my assignments were completed merely hours before the deadline because it has happened too many times but if there was anything I've learned is to complete your assignment as soon as it's been given to you.
Having good time management is a skill you'd desperately need (yes I said desperate because it's so important) to have while studying part-time.
I know how deadlines may seem very far away but the longer you delay, the more work you accumulate. And don't even get me started on having to spare at least 24 hours to check on plagiarism.
Is it recognized at the place you work at?
If your degree came from a local university like NUS or SIT, you're most likely to be employed with an SN 1 rank as opposed to diploma holders who'll come in as an SN 2.
However, some work places (like mine unfortunately) don't recognize degrees from offshore campuses so you'd pretty much feel like you've wasted your time because you won't be promoted based on the particular degree.
So, if your goal to take a degree is for promotion purposes, I'd recommend to settle for a local university just to be safe.
Or just work your butt off and get promoted based on the quality of your work - which is better in my opinion.
Lastly, are you willing to sacrifice leisure for mugging?
If there was anything I regret while I was a student (-ish), it was not being fully committed and not giving it my all till my last semester.
Whether you strive to do well or do barely enough to scrape through, you'd definitely need to be disciplined and hardworking to pull through till the end.
Since majority of your classmates are also working shifts and probably living xyz miles away from you, it will be a bit of a challenge to get together for group meetings.
I cannot help but realize how much of my time going for classes can actually be used to rest or spend time with my loved ones. Other than the fees, taking the course itself was mentally and physically exhausting.
Needless to say, I wasn't prepared.
Right now, seeing that I'm finally done, I won't say that I regret it, but I'm sure as hell glad that it's over. There are some things in life that I wouldn't mind experiencing again (like poly), but I definitely wouldn't want to go through those 16 months again.
Before you think that I'm scarring you into not pursuing a part-time degree (because let's face it, unless you're all brains, there's no way you can get into a full-time local uni at your first try at least), I am just stating facts based on my experience.
Of course, I'm not saying that you'd have to kiss your social life goodbye because like I said, time management and self-discipline is key.
My journey may not have been fruitful (and I dare say that it is not because of the people I meet but because juggling work and school is just so goddamn tiring), but since it earned me a degree at the end, I must say that it's worth it. After all, just because it's hard, it doesn't make it impossible.
My last piece of advice is to endure, endure and endure and just stay positive. You've got this!
Post a Comment