EARTH is round, but the world is flat.
You can virtually see one end from the other end. You can get from north to south, east to west in a day. You know what's happening miles away without moving from where you are with a click of a button. You can say something that can be heard by millions around the world. You can hear the voices of billions around the world.
This may sound cliche but truth is, the world is shrinking. Not in terms of traveling time, not in terms of communication speed. But something else that is closer to home. Your job prospects.
China has a population of 1.3 billion people.
India has 1.1 billion people.
How many universities does China has?
More than 2000!
http://colleges.indiaedu.com/asia/china/colleges-universities/index.html
How many graduates do you think the universities in these countries churn out each year?
http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=7122_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC
http://www.chinatoday.com/edu/a.htm
17 million people graduate from university in China every year.
How about India?
http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/dec/19guest1.htm
A whooping 48.7million.
Now, how many people do you think Singapore has as her citizens?
4.8million?
Let's not forget the other Asian countries which are populous.
Do the math.
Singapore Graduates VS Foreign Graduates
University graduates in a prestigious foreign university has: the same level of skill; equal or higher level of intelligence; much much much much much much higher drive to improve their lifestyle; less less less less less less less expectations for reward. Grabbing at anything thrown at them and a determination to strive to excellence.
University graduates in Singapore University has: complacency; super duper high expectations in terms of pay, welfare, leave, benefits; lazy or lack of drive to improve lifestyle (comfortable existing lifestyle); broken language (rojak:eng-chi-kien).
The Ugly Truth
It is common sense to know what determines a thriving business. To every company in the world, getting the best talents who are also hard working at the lowest cost possible is what they all want.
Even diploma holders who proves themselves more capable than degree holders are highly preferred due partly to the lower pay expectations. Education qualification no longer play a major role in securing job.
While it is comforting to indulge in the fantasy that as long as you keep getting higher qualifications, you will have a better chance to get a better job and a better life, reality is cruel.
Cruel in the sense that it smacks you in the face only when it is too late.
Life
You are only born once, you only have 1 twenty-first birthday, you only become 40 years old once, and death is a once in a life time opportunity, you won't miss it. It is in one direction and so far, no one has defied that pattern.
Getting a job and maintain your lifestyle is important. At least it keeps you alive. But staying alive is not enough. You need a life.
Getting a life is not only about going party and drinking beer, it is not only about watching soccer with a group of friends and have a great deal of fun.
It is not about tolerating having to wake up at a fixed time early in the morning everyday, squeezing the public transport or the road with tonnes of people like you, getting to work and get told when to have lunch, when to do what to do and when to go home.
It is not about getting a measly sum of money at the end of every month and sighing to yourself thinking: how is this going to be enough?
Don't just live; have a life.
Life is about fulfilling dreams and helping others, life is about leaving behind a legacy, something people of the future will remember you for.
Life is about doing whatever you want whenever you want.
It is about not having to worry about your loans and bills, not having to worry about the money needed to buy your house and having a family, having the best wedding, having the best honeymoon, having the best bedroom for your children, having the best birthday party every year for your children.
It is about having the chance to eat breakfast with your children, be with them when they need you most, guide them along the path in life, play along with them, read them bed time stories and watch your children go to sleep.
It is about accomplishments you can feel proud of at the end of the day when death calls and you have to go.
It is the confidence to say: My life is so wonderful, I have no regrets even if I die tomorrow.
Now What?
It is always repeated again and again, plan for your future. Don't blindly follow what works. What is working for others may never work out for you. You need to be the one to decide if it works for you. Facts are meaningless words until you decided to give meaning to it, to utilize it to shape your decisions.
A golden rule I learnt was that: You can never change a person, only that person can change himself.
The final question I post to you is: Is what you choose to do really going to get you what you really want in life?
You can virtually see one end from the other end. You can get from north to south, east to west in a day. You know what's happening miles away without moving from where you are with a click of a button. You can say something that can be heard by millions around the world. You can hear the voices of billions around the world.
This may sound cliche but truth is, the world is shrinking. Not in terms of traveling time, not in terms of communication speed. But something else that is closer to home. Your job prospects.
China has a population of 1.3 billion people.
India has 1.1 billion people.
How many universities does China has?
More than 2000!
http://colleges.indiaedu.com/asia/china/colleges-universities/index.html
How many graduates do you think the universities in these countries churn out each year?
http://www.uis.unesco.org/ev.php?ID=7122_201&ID2=DO_TOPIC
http://www.chinatoday.com/edu/a.htm
17 million people graduate from university in China every year.
How about India?
http://www.rediff.com/money/2005/dec/19guest1.htm
A whooping 48.7million.
Now, how many people do you think Singapore has as her citizens?
4.8million?
Let's not forget the other Asian countries which are populous.
Do the math.
Singapore Graduates VS Foreign Graduates
University graduates in a prestigious foreign university has: the same level of skill; equal or higher level of intelligence; much much much much much much higher drive to improve their lifestyle; less less less less less less less expectations for reward. Grabbing at anything thrown at them and a determination to strive to excellence.
University graduates in Singapore University has: complacency; super duper high expectations in terms of pay, welfare, leave, benefits; lazy or lack of drive to improve lifestyle (comfortable existing lifestyle); broken language (rojak:eng-chi-kien).
The Ugly Truth
It is common sense to know what determines a thriving business. To every company in the world, getting the best talents who are also hard working at the lowest cost possible is what they all want.
Even diploma holders who proves themselves more capable than degree holders are highly preferred due partly to the lower pay expectations. Education qualification no longer play a major role in securing job.
While it is comforting to indulge in the fantasy that as long as you keep getting higher qualifications, you will have a better chance to get a better job and a better life, reality is cruel.
Cruel in the sense that it smacks you in the face only when it is too late.
Life
You are only born once, you only have 1 twenty-first birthday, you only become 40 years old once, and death is a once in a life time opportunity, you won't miss it. It is in one direction and so far, no one has defied that pattern.
Getting a job and maintain your lifestyle is important. At least it keeps you alive. But staying alive is not enough. You need a life.
Getting a life is not only about going party and drinking beer, it is not only about watching soccer with a group of friends and have a great deal of fun.
It is not about tolerating having to wake up at a fixed time early in the morning everyday, squeezing the public transport or the road with tonnes of people like you, getting to work and get told when to have lunch, when to do what to do and when to go home.
It is not about getting a measly sum of money at the end of every month and sighing to yourself thinking: how is this going to be enough?
Don't just live; have a life.
Life is about fulfilling dreams and helping others, life is about leaving behind a legacy, something people of the future will remember you for.
Life is about doing whatever you want whenever you want.
It is about not having to worry about your loans and bills, not having to worry about the money needed to buy your house and having a family, having the best wedding, having the best honeymoon, having the best bedroom for your children, having the best birthday party every year for your children.
It is about having the chance to eat breakfast with your children, be with them when they need you most, guide them along the path in life, play along with them, read them bed time stories and watch your children go to sleep.
It is about accomplishments you can feel proud of at the end of the day when death calls and you have to go.
It is the confidence to say: My life is so wonderful, I have no regrets even if I die tomorrow.
Now What?
It is always repeated again and again, plan for your future. Don't blindly follow what works. What is working for others may never work out for you. You need to be the one to decide if it works for you. Facts are meaningless words until you decided to give meaning to it, to utilize it to shape your decisions.
A golden rule I learnt was that: You can never change a person, only that person can change himself.
The final question I post to you is: Is what you choose to do really going to get you what you really want in life?
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