podeammature
I sometimes regret coming to poly.
It isn’t so much the work-load (which is monumental, thank you very much), but the whole atmosphere.
I’ve not been a very academically inclined person, but that didn’t stop me from working good and hard on it. I actually enjoyed pushing myself, seeing myself do the best I could. I still do.
The system in Singapore has been dissed so many times, it’s like flogging a dead horse. Sure, it may be too examination-centric, too concerned with grades, and not the finer things in life; problem is, bucko, you’re part of the system.
You may want to express your opinion, make your stand by enjoying life. By partying, by having intense fun. By spitting in the face of the system.
Pardon me, but it’s a bloody stupid way of doing it.
The system is all we have to make it. Make use of the system, disdaining it as much as I do.
I work, bloody hard. This is just a path for me, not the end. I need to do good here, if what I want is to come to fruition.
In a JC, slogging was it. The defined rigidity of the system was apparent; despite the catty whining, we knew what we were there for. We worked for it.
In a poly, freedom for learning is liberating. And it also is freedom for not learning. Faking it through, it’s perfectly possible to graduate.
Maturity is needed for the learning process, I’ve been told. That I posses the maturity to make full use of this course, I’ve also been told.
Problem is, mature people aren’t liked, they’re *employed. Not befriended. Fun happy people are liked. And here, my definition of fun happy doesn’t equate to the institutional definition of fun happy.
I was liked in college. I think. In college.
a digression.
i’m not the most well-travelled but in the extended time spent in thailand, philippines, malaysia and now, australia, i’ve seen that singapore really isn’t all that great a place. sure, we’re near perfect, safe and always efficient but that’s mostly it. it’s paradise amidst the nasty bits of Asia and we’ve come this far but we’re not vibrant (for lack of a better word). whether you’re liked or not, that i feel, isn’t important. i like your writing, i’ve just stumbled across this site but i’m liking it already, but that’s not the point. the point is, what can you do to make a difference, what matters to you and the people around you? jude | Aug 2, 08:43 PM | #
That’s pretty much why I’m in this course, really; to affect change in the system, in the people’s approach to the system (i feel that the system is the way it is because of people’s attitudes towards it; a dual-influential relationship, if you will) I would need a medium for the masses. The media.
My own ideals may not be perfect, they may not be for everyone; i would still like to be able to impress on people that we can, and do, have an influence on our society, because we are the society. Vicnan | Aug 2, 11:00 PM | #
The medium to the masses is really spelt “politics”. Remember that, like everywhere else, Singapore is run by an elite. The elite in the US aren’t necessarily in the ruling government but hold no less political power. There are many guises of elitism in the world; ours seems to specifically involve financial muscle. You need to have run a sufficiently big company to even run for the (largely ceremonial) presidency, so what do you think you’re going to need to reach a position of real political power (ie, a minister or a senior intelligence official)?
An education in the media isn’t exactly going to cement yourself a career in the media that actually fulfills the loftier goals of the media. But there’s one road to your destination. Experience in the civil service, in politics, can get you places. The only broadsheet newspaper in Singapore, the rather pathetic Straits Times, is run by editors with little to no journalism experience, and some with explicit connections with local intelligence.*
* http://www.pranaygupte.com/article.php?index=199 ian | Aug 3, 11:36 PM | #
Academia and theoratical studies of the socio-cultural implications of media happen only in uni level but again, in Singapore, who cares about ideals when you need money to survive?
I’m a product of a mass comm course in Singapore and while finding the media to be a most enjoyable industry to work in, was rather discouraged by the apparent stupidity/nonchalence of most media professionals.
But i’m biased so please forgive me. If you want to effect change in Singapore you can’t do it anywhere else except throught the government – MDA,NAC and the likes. Civil service doesn’t sound like a very nice word to someone (re: me) who doesn’t fully appreciate the government in Singapore but i guess it’ll do if i want something to happen. jude | Aug 5, 09:47 PM | #
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