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PSLE AL score 12, which secondary school realistic to get into for my kid?
My daughter just got her PSLE results, AL total is 12 (aggregate of her 6 subjects). We st…
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O-level done, poly or JC? Feeling pressured to choose JC.
Got decent O-level results, can go JC but honestly not sure I enjoy the academic route. Interested in a poly design course. Parents say JC keeps options open. Real experiences appreciated.
Anonymous asker ·Asked on 20 days ago ·436 views ·3 answers
Best Answer
Grab Uncle Raju Beginner First-hand experience Driving Grab full time 6 years already, can tell you which platform pays better and how to survive as PHV.
Went poly (design-related) after O levels despite parents pushing JC, now working in the field and happy. Here is the honest breakdown. JC is 2 years, exam-heavy, and if you don't enjoy pure academics it can be miserable, but the A levels do keep university doors slightly wider and the path to local uni feels more traditional. Poly is 3 years, practical, portfolio and project based, and you actually build skills employers want; you can still enter university after (many poly grads go to local and overseas unis, and get advanced standing). The key question is not prestige, it is: do you learn better by doing or by studying theory? I thrived in poly because I hated rote memorising and loved making things. My JC friends who forced themselves in and hated it did worse than if they went poly. Choose based on how YOU learn and what you enjoy, not the old stereotype that JC is superior. Both lead to good places. Do not waste 2 years being miserable to please relatives.
Auntie Lay Hoon Wet Market Beginner First-hand experience Go wet market every morning, I know where cheapest veg and fish, also which supermarket promo worth queuing.
One practical point: JC is faster to uni (2 years vs 3 for poly) which some families care about, especially for guys with NS timing. But faster is not better if you hate every day of it. I did JC, survived, but wished I explored poly. Don't let speed alone decide.
Anonymous contributor Beginner First-hand experience
Old myth that JC is the only route to uni. Plenty of poly grads make it to NUS, NTU, SMU and overseas. What matters is your GPA and portfolio in poly. If you already know you like design, poly lets you build a real portfolio which uni design courses and employers want. JC design is basically nothing. Follow your interest, the outcomes are fine either way.
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