Hello there.
If you stumbled upon this blog post, you are most likely
(a) a student who is weighing his/her options for a private education,
(b) trying to find out more about the student lift as a RMIT student
(c) trying to find certain justification that going RMIT is not that bad of a choice after all.
Regardless of whatever the reason is, i hope this post has the information which you are seeking out for.
So, why did i chose RMIT?
Simple - because i cant get into a local university. As much as i would wish to toss and turn and make it sound like its a planned route, it really isn't. For the first few months after i had graduated from Ngee Ann Poly, i started to go from worried to desperation.
I didn't know what i wanted to do - to work or to continue study, and i appealed to many local university. Yes, my GPA was only 3.3. It was not good enough for a local university. I did it, i ruined my life.
I remembered feeling very ... despondent, but mostly self-hating. I hated myself for not going through with the promise to my mum when i wanted to jump from CJC to poly - to make it into a local university regardless. All of my friends (secondary school clique) started receiving offer letters but my mailbox was still empty.
I felt empty, useless and just, desperate for a way out. Something to make everything right again
& then i talked to this senior.
To be honest, the reason i tried to procrastinate against going to SIM because come on, we all know what SIM stands for in Singapore. For the students who can't go anywhere. The ones who played too much in poly. The people who can't study.
The leftovers.
But then, she told me this. She asked me if its really that important for me to have my pride rather than thinking a way out. She told me that at the end of the day, it's really about how you are going to survive and find a decent job. Are you really going to let your pride be in your way?
& so i chose RMIT.
I chose RMIT not because its the "easiest degree in SIM" or "shortest time frame"
It's because out of so many other universities in Sim, it's the cheapest option as a private education. You see, i don't come from a rich family. We are probably middle class and all, not thatttt bad but yeah, we have to scrimp and save for rainy days. I received conditional offer from UNSW business program, but decided against it because it was too expensive.
Pride or logic?
It's your choice.
How's student life?
I think it really depends on how you engineer your social life. I was lucky enough to meet great people in school, people who treated me as a friend. I was also "lucky" enough to meet people who probably treated me like a a stepping stone to grades, or people who simply see me as "one of the people i met in school".
I think at the end of the day, it's about how you want your social life to be. I didn't join any CCA because i didn't want the extra commitment. I didn't participate in any extra stuff too - i just wanted to study hard and get the SIM-GE Scholarship to lessen the financial burden.
In my first semester, i've got straight Distinctions - but nope, my application was rejected. I did not even go through to the interview phase. I went on to HNMUN and got selected to be part of the training team, but later on was filtered out as the "weaker ones" and did not manage to head to Boston for the actual conference.
You see, i met countless of failures during RMIT. But i guess it's all experiences and lessons which taught me something about life.
Projects and assignments?
Honestly, i think its probably only 50% of what's in for the local university students. We have it much easier - i mean i have friends who did not attend any lectures at all eventually passing the module. There are always going to be project mates who comes up with excuses, MIA or give sub-standard work.
There will be lecturers who can't teach and ramble on, there will be people who are pretty fucked up, but most importantly - there will be people who treat you as a real friend.
You see the myriad of pictures i have down there? I probably kept in contact with >5 people, like we really talk and all.
Friends comes and goes in RMIT because you are always changing classes and sees different people for the different school projects, but then again, that's only for me.
It might be different for you, so really.
It's about how you want to make your life out to be.
OH AND REMEMBER - Even though RMIT doesn't offer honors program, there's degree with distinction if you get 3.0/4.0 GPA at the end of your 1.5 years. That means an average of Distinction and above for ALL your modules, and i missed it with 2 CR so FML.
AND ALSO, choose your electives wisely because depending on what you choose, you can end up with either a minor or simply a degree in XXX. I think it's not reflected on your certificate but seriously, you know you did those shit and you jolly well include that in your resume, you get me?
Did you regret it?
To say no-no would be an over-statement because if i have the chance to hop on to a local university, i would. I would jump at the chance of having a "real" student life. But no, i don't think i regretted going into RMIT. It's a very expensive piece of paper, but i learnt a lot from these 1.5 years. For one, i learnt the importance of education and i realized how knowledge is important and gives you an edge over the others.
I learnt that in RMIT, there are lecturers who gives genuine real-life examples which are both thought provoking and inspiring. I learnt that when it comes to reciprocation, not everyone thinks like you. When it comes to friendship, it's not always BFF FOREVER <3
But ultimately, i learnt that as much as a private education/school is not as respected as the other much more prestigious universities around Singapore, you get a very much different school experience and when you head out to the real world, it's really the working experiences that does the talking. It's the stuff that the lecturers discuss and talks about that you can relay to your future potential employees. It's the lessons and strategies you see big MNCs uses when you research for your projects that's gonna help you.
So yes, i hope you take your education seriously, even if it was "i just want a degree" kinda thought inside of you now. The paper is dead - it's almost like an invoice from RMIT for paying them those hefty school fees. You might as well try to learn as much as you can from the resources given to you and enjoy your (most likely) last lap of schooling time.
Trust me - working is so so so much harder, and the people you are gonna meet?
Lol.
But nevertheless, i have graduated! It's kinda pointless to start posting all the pictures from graduation given the fact that you have already read a long ass essay from "just another girl who hates life" LOL.
But ok, special shout out to my family, Sijun and friends for being there for me during the good and bad times. My mum for actually being proud of me even though its a private degree (aww), and my dad for buying me a helium balloon even though its a "waste of money" to him on a typical day.
Sijun for buying me a bouquet of flower because you know, i was whining a lot. Junli and Xinni for rushing down and giving me such a lovely card and a bear (awww) - Yingting and Cassia too!<3 , and all the other wonderful people i've met in SIM (regardless of our friendship status now, but thanks for being part of the whole experience)
Thank you and i guess, it's time to start worrying about my very much bleak future and convince potential employees that you know, i can work (i guess? LOL)
Happy graduation to myself!
Whee
*its all pictures, can just skip LOL.
** IF YOU DONT SEE YOUR PICS HERE, DOESNT MEAN I NO <3 YOU.
MEANS I LOOK </3 AND I NO TIME EDIT LOL
