In case you are still undecided on whether to choose the JC or poly route, here are some pointers that might help you make up your mind.
JC: Advanced curriculum
You will take fewer subjects than in secondary school, but that's only because the syllabus for each subject will be more in-depth. Some subjects will seem familiar (but harder!) e.g. physics, maths, geography, english (which takes on a new name called General Paper). Some subjects will be entirely new e.g. economics, biology (if you've never taken it in sec sch)
Poly: Totally different curriculum
Depending on the type of diploma you pursue, most probably, the subjects (they are called modules now) you will be taking are totally new. The modules will definitely be related to your diploma so it can be anything from accounting (if you're in business) to thermodynamics (if you pursue engineering). With such a wide variety of courses, chances are, you will probably find a course that you like, or at least something that interests you. Be prepared for a lot of project works.
JC: Secondary life all over again
It's like an advanced secondary school. Needless to say you still have to wear school uniform, wake-up early every morning and go to school five days a week. You sing the national anthem every morning. The change of classes will be signalled by a school bell (or some variation of a school bell e.g. 5 seconds of melodious music) and if you misbehave (or tuck out your shirt, or dye hair, or skip classes...) you deal with this person called a discipline master.
Poly: Life as a tertiary student
In poly, you are treated as a tertiary student and this means that you are given a lot more independence. You can wear (almost!) anything you like to school or style your hair or hair colour (almost!) anyway you like. Depending on your timetable, you may or may not have to wake up early and come for class. You decide when's the best time to eat your recess. Your education lies a lot in your hands. You are treated as an adult now. Oh and of course, you will pay adult fare for bus and train rides!
JC: The more direct route to university
Someone once told me "If you go into JC, you MUST make it into the university". That's what the JC route exists for, it is an almost mandatory path to the university. If you harbour hopes of studying in the university, then the JC route is a more direct route that gets you there. Majority of JC students usually have no problem qualifying for studies in the local universities. The same however (and unfortunately), cannot be said for the polytechnic graduates. What's more, A-level students usually have a wide variety of options in choosing to study their various degrees.
Poly: Top 5%-10% to qualify for university
As a diploma holder, entry into the local universities will require you to graduate as the top 5% or 10% in your cohort. For the case of my brother Gabriel, he was born in the year of the dragon, and application for university entrance is very competitive. He's still looking for a place in the local universities. Sometimes (depending on what you studied in poly) your choice of degree programs can be limited. For some disciplines like engineering, you will be allowed to gain entry into the 2nd year of study, and if you calculate correctly, this allows you to graduate at the same time with your peers who took the JC route.
Not forgetting: Centralised Institutions
There is a third option which I omitted to comment on and that is the centralised institutions i.e. Millenia Institute. These are institutions who offer 3-year A Level courses. It exists for students who want to take the A Levels but may not have qualified to enter a Junior College. You learn all the A Level syllabus in a span of 3 years. Other than the duration, it operates much the same as a Junior College.
In conclusion
I cannot give a right or wrong answer as to which route is the best route. I know of some friends who went to JC and transferred to poly after one year because they could not handle the academic rigor. I also know of friends whose O Level results qualified them for the best junior colleges, but they chose the polytechnic route instead. You have to decide what is best for yourself. Imagine yourself 5 years or 10 years down the road. What do you aspire to be? What career do you want to pursue? Go and visit the JC and Polytechnic open houses (if they're not over yet). Check out the respective curriculums. Talk to friends or relatives who have been through it before. Remember that it is your short-term decisions that lead you to achieve your long-term ambitions.
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3 comments:
for your information, besides the three year A'level coursr, MI(millennia institute) also offers the dual track programme to the students. whereby students not only graduate with an A'level cert but with a diploma cert too. on top of that, they are the only government school which offers the A'level. commerce stream.
Thanks for your comment! My apologies if my blog entry didn't do MI any justice!
I think the most important thing to consider is this: do you already have an occupation in mind which you want to pursue? If yes, then sign up for a polytechnic course that fits and allows you to get into the job of your choice.
If you do not and want to keep your options open, take the 'A' Level route.
The 'A' Level route is the faster route to university. But that does not mean that it is a guaranteed route - I have seen people fail 'A' Levels or not do well enough to qualify for university. They end up in a longer route by joining the polytechinc after their 'A's.
That said, I have also seen people who do well in polytechnics. They also make it to university. Some universities also allow polytechnic students exemptions when in university (engineering courses especially).
Then, it does not make a difference in time taken - polytechnic or university.
One advice for people going to polytechnics: know what modules are required, you must have interest in the diploma. Don't enter for the sake of entering because that will make you end up in a course you don't like and may not do as well as you can. Worse still, people have dropped out of courses after losing interest. Then all that effort is wasted.
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