Poly VS JC: Which is right for me?

"Hmm... I don't know which is better for me- Poly or JC?" 

If you're currently pondering about this question, you've come to the right place! Today, I'll be addressing this because during secondary four, many of my friends thought really hard about their choices, as this would ultimately affect their future. 

As a current Polytechnic second-year student, I do not regret my choice of entering poly. (Although I've thought about how it'll be like if I entered a JC instead of Poly. Should I have chosen JC instead?) 

Why do I say this? While I was secondary four, I did pretty well academically and set my mind on entering a media-related course, be it in Singapore Polytechnic or Ngee Ann Polytechnic. However, many of my teachers dissuaded me from entering poly. Back then, I even questioned myself, am I making the right choice? What should I do? 

Well, these were what some of my teachers, friends and parents said:

"You can go to JC for 2 years and enter university and take a media-related course. That would be a faster route." 

"You are more suited for JC because you can study well. Your brother(who entered poly) is different because he is more hands-on."

"You shouldn't waste your results." 

Hence, I pondered hard about my decision. To a 16 or 17-year-old, that was an important life decision. It could affect our future and where we're headed to. 

Having spoken to friends etc, this is how you weigh the factors and decide where to go:

1. Do you know what area/ sector/ kind of job/ industry you want to head towards?

If yes, poly is a more viable choice. However, do note that if you're aiming to become a doctor or lawyer, you should go to JC instead and head on to university thereafter. Aside from Republic Poly, all the other JCs do not offer courses related to law. Poly allows you to focus on the sector you're interested in. When you graduate, you're equipped with the relevant skills you need in whichever industry you're in. 

If no, most of my friends who answered no headed to JC. They were still undecided on what industry or what kind of job they want to do in the future. Hence, they needed more time to explore their interests and do something more general first instead of diving into poly and specialising in a certain industry like engineering or life sciences. 

2. Do you want to enter university after tertiary education? 

If yes, JC may be more suitable for you. Of course, there are people who enter university after their poly education. In fact, the number has been increasing over the past few years. However, comparing the numbers, the percentage of students entering university from JC is a lot higher than from Poly. If you take the poly route and want to enter university, it's still possible. It's just that you have to work hard and work smart consistently over six semesters and three years to maintain a top-notch GPA of at least 3.7. For more competitive courses, it can even be 3.8.  JC is also not a 100% guarantee that you will enter university, just to bear in mind. It also requires your hard work and a lot of mugging (from what I hear from my friends.) 

If yes but you want to enter poly, do not fret it too! If you don't mind an additional year since poly education is three years, do well and score well and build up a good portfolio in poly and aim for university. It's a slightly longer path but it's also okay. 

If no, it means that you do not mind entering the workforce right after graduation right? Many poly students land a job after graduation as the diploma makes them work-ready. Moreover, a diploma is more valued by employers than an A-level certification. This is another route you can take. Some employers even value the work experience more than certification so it's okay. 

3. Do you prefer a more hands-on or theory-based learning approach? 

If hands-on, consider Poly. In poly, our lessons are NOT all hands-on. Sometimes, it can be a mixture of hands-on and more theoretical lessons and slides. It ultimately depends on which course you enter. For example, Mass Communication in Ngee Ann Polytechnic is more hands-on. In Year 1, we also had modules such as Media in Society and Social Psychology, which are a bit more theory-based as you learn about more facts and what are the reasons and logic behind how people behave and think. However, majority of the modules consist of practical content. We get to do hands-on stuff like Radio Production, TV Production, Advertising and many more, where we used industry-standard equipment to give us a realistic view of the media industry. Just this year, all exams in our course were scrapped, which means less mugging. There are still mini-quizzes and tests of up to 30% for some modules you can study for. 

If theory-based, consider JC. According to my friends studying in JCs, JC life is more similar to secondary life. I think it involves more mugging if you're taking content-heavy subjects. But a good thing is that you can apply and pick up where you've left off in secondary school. For example, A-Math, E-Math, Geography, Literature and many more. Hence, adapting to JC life would probably be easier than adapting to poly life. It took me a while to get used to poly life at first as it is more independent and the lecturer would not really "chase" you for work even if you don't hand it in. Some say poly life is similar to university life so poly students can adapt well to university life if they enter uni. Attendance as well. Just make sure you attend at least 75% or 80% of lessons, otherwise, you may fail the module or even be debarred from school. 

Addressing Misconception: Poly= No Stress? 

I've heard friends in JC saying that their friends say that they should have chosen poly instead of JC because it seems very relaxing and not stressful. It seems as though the poly students are enjoying themselves and not really studying. However, this is NOT TRUE!

While I think that JC students definitely experience more stress than poly students as they have to cram everything in their brains in two years to prep for A-levels, I feel that poly students also experience a considerable amount of stress, with project deadlines, assignment deadlines, CCAs and other commitments to manage. The time management game is strong in Poly. There can be up to four deadlines in one week, which can be demanding and mean countless sleepless nights. (Even though my school only allows for three in a week.) Furthermore, the projects and assignments require time and effort to do. If you don't start early or have group mates that start very last-minute, this adds on to your stress as you burn the midnight oil and worry if you can hand in that 40% project on time and pass the module. 

In poly, it is very important to keep your grades consistent every semester. That means no slacking otherwise even one semester's grades can pull your GPA down. This definitely means that there IS stress, although not as high intensity as JC students. 

Lastly, sharing my personal experience, I did think about these factors. Although my father told me I aced at secondary school work like memorising and mugging for the content and that I was more suitable for JC, he changed his mindset and supported my decision to enter poly after I told him why I wanted to enter poly. 

My mother, on the other hand, thought that since I already knew that I wanted a career in the media industry in the future, a more hands-on and practical approach would be better. This is because I can see how the media industry is like and learn hands-on hard skills that JC wouldn't teach me, such as how a radio station operates, how to create a film, how to produce a TV interview or demonstration show etc. Furthermore, knowing that I want to enter the media industry would mean that if I take the JC route, the knowledge I acquire from JC like Math, Science etc would be useless/ not be applicable for my future occupation. And I would not want to study those in JC again even though I excelled in them in secondary school. Moreover, if I wanted to enter university after Polytechnic in case the media industry isn't suited for me, it would still not be too late to change routes and take another course. 

Although I wanted to enter university, I still chose polytechnic because it may take longer but it is still possible as long as I do well. Furthermore, if I suddenly choose that I am fine without a degree and can start working, I can also do that if I take the poly route. Hence, I am here today as a second-year student studying Mass Communication at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. 

If you have any questions about poly life or which route you should choose, please feel free to leave a comment below!

Cheers,

Glissie