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[she_ruiqi]

Conversation:

: What do you want to be when you grow up?
- I don't know, I haven't really thought about it. [of course I've thought about it - but not enough. Thinking of doing linguistics, but there's always -] Maybe a teacher?
: Why?! It's such a waste!
- Why waste?
: Waste! Waste!!

And the guy I was talking to wants to be a neurosurgeon, so maybe you

Comments

[xue_lee]

I've been looking through scholarship applications for the past few days and honestly, reading the BrightSparks forum can be bloody depressing. Mostly because people define 'success' so narrowly. It's like so many are concerned about which jobs pay the most, which US universities are the best in terms of getting job opportunities in Singapore. So I know what you mean.

At the end of the day, which do you think is a bigger waste? That you seem to waste your talent by going for a job that doesn't seem to match up to that, or you go for a 'successful' job that isn't what you really want?

[she_ruiqi]

I think I will find some way to use my talents (if existent), even outside a job, so the first may not happen. The second would be something I'd like to avoid completely. :P

I've been wanting to go to Harvard because I can join my brother there and because I think it'll be fun (I looked through the courses offered and the canteen menus). I never knew anything about the job opportunity thing O_O You mean people push themselves to go to certain places so they can get higher-paying jobs?! Ouch.

[xue_lee]

I think it's more of them avoiding certain places because they're afraid they can't get a job. It makes practical sense, of course. I mean, the top liberal arts colleges in the US offer programmes that can seriously rival places like Harvard, Princeton and Yale. But a lot of employers have never heard of Amherst and Williams before, so people are afraid they won't be able to get jobs. On the other hand, Berkeley and Cornell aren't really that good. Berkeley's still not so bad, considering that they offer the bargain of being a public university with Ivy League standard education. But Singaporean employers have heard of Cornell and Berkeley

[she_ruiqi]

Thanks. I personally don't mind if I don't get to Harvard, I'd be fine with NUS, except that the campus is so far away. @_@ I sent my SAT I scores to Harvard, Yale and Amherst though. I wonder if they wonder what this kid is doing, sending her scores a year early.

[nyw]

I used to be like that guy - I used to think smart, intelligent, lively people with leadership potential who want to be teachers are wasting their talent and potential. Now, though, I realise that that's exactly the sort of people we need in the education system to teach the next generation the skills to push Singapore forward. There is no point in applying all the smart people to all the other areas because it's all short-term only, and unsustainable

[interpunct]

Well, you would be a teacher I would respect.

I remember there was once Ms Chooi said it was a lie that studying hard and getting good results would expand your options in the future since you'd presumably be able to pursue any desired job opportunities - contrarily, one would end up in a situation similar to that which you described, i.e. being expected to achieve success as defined by society.

[forochel]

you'd be a really interesting teacher!

[noreeny]

i'm thinking of becoming a teacher too... but am worried about the mundaneness and the paperwork. and i wanna set up a business too! perhaps by the side, though civil servants aren't supposed to moonlight... ><

and the reason why i'm even thinking of teaching is because i really respect some teachers and i think i can do a better job than quite a few teachers. :/

i say teaching is definitely not a waste of your talent, like what gwen said :D