Im a 18 year old jc2 student (a foreigner).
Currently I am facing a lot of pressure from myself and others, especially my parents, regarding my future path and grades.
Recently I received my WA2 results back and I was really really disappointed with it myself. When I got back home and told my mom about my grades, she said her same exact words “Do you even study? You stay back in school to study till 7+, you come back home and “study” till 2am and nothing is improving. I seriously can’t trust you anymore that you are studying when I am not there. Are there even any Universities you can go with your current grades?” blahblah
Well, I do feel really bad and sorry for disappointing her, I really do… but at this current situation where I cannot even reassure myself that I can survive through this and everything will be find if I try my best, them asking me for reassurance whether the path I am going is the right and correct one for my future just makes me more anxious and demotivated to continue.
They weren’t grown in Singapore and there aren’t really anyone who can share their own experience in JC or their child’s experience to them so they are really unaware of how JC works in general and how stressed students can be…
This kind of upsets me because I am here trying my best to adapt to all these different things happening and they just keep on wanting me to reassure them that I can do this when they are not even going to believe me when I say I am going to be fine if I try hard enough…
What can I do to survive through this stress and motivate myself to study when everything just seems meaningless to me right now..?
Hi @user8589 thank you for sharing with us about your experience.
As a Singaporean familiar with the JC system, I just wanted to affirm how you feel. JC is one of the toughest 2 years of education in the Singaporean education system. I think many JC students, past and present will resonate with what you’re experiencing.
But it sounds like the stress isn’t just from school, but from your parents as well. You’re trying really hard to study well and do your best in school, but when the grades aren’t expected (which is a really normal experience in JC), your parents make these negative remarks.
I can see how you’re someone who cares about your parents – you took their perspective and understand that they are not familiar with the JC system and you worry about disappointing them. While they are asking you for reassurance, I’m wondering, what would be a source of reassurance for you then? We all need reassurance and positive messaging to keep us going in the face of anxiety. I wonder if you have a source close to you, like friends, teachers, or even a counsellor if you’re open to seeing one.
In the meantime, I’d like to provide some reassurance for you too! JC is so tough, and it is scary. But you’re not alone and you will be okay. You are trying really hard, and in fact, whatever the outcome, that is enough. It is scary because of these expectations your parents have, that you may have of yourself as well. But you are more than your results, and your best should and always be enough
If u cant enter local universities w ur jc grades then u can try the ones in ur original country. Cuz the school fees r crazy without pr or sgrean subsidies n it makes more financial sense to study in ur home country
All parents want their children to succeed and stand out in life.
Your parents may be going through a lot themselves too, especially as foreigners working in a competitive environment in Singapore. They’re doing their best to give you every opportunity they can. While their disappointment at times may be hard to face, it often comes from a place of love and deep care.
Everyone moves at their own pace, what feels fast for someone else may feel different for you, and that’s perfectly okay. Not doing well in one exam, or even repeating a year, doesn’t define your future. Sometimes, taking a different path like enrolling in a polytechnic and choosing a course you truly enjoy might actually be the better fit.
It’s not the end of the world it’s just a detour. And sometimes, detours lead us to even better places. Exploring university options overseas might also be a great idea. It could open up new experiences, perspectives, and opportunities that align more closely with your strengths and passions.
Remember, it’s your future—not anyone else’s.
You’re the one who will walk this path, so make choices that feel right for you, not just to meet others’ expectations. Once you have a clearer mind, talk to your parents.
It’s not easy, I get it but hey, you’re a young adult now! Figuring out how to handle your parents is practically a rite of passage. Learning to communicate and handle things with your parents is part of growing up, and it’s nothing to shy away from.
I rmb struggling through my Jc days too…. I was juggling cca and life and studying - feeling overwhelmed, chasing after results, not knowing what I’m studying for. I almost got retained in J1, and panicked for the rest of J2. When I was deep in the neck of all these, I couldn’t see the big picture and what helped was sharing my thoughts with ppl arnd me, realising I’m not alone in the struggles. I realise many of my friends shared similar thoughts and that I wasn’t the odd one out >< the fear of disappointing parents, the worry over whether or not can get into uni, all the uncertainties and unknowns. I guess it is part of the journey what we could do, was to take the revision paper one at a time, one topic at a time, one subject at a time, to rest when I was tired and to try again when I feel capable to do so. And day by day, you’ll get there!! Beyond alevels, while it feels like the biggest and the ultimate challenge now, it will not make or break your life, so doing our best will be all that we can do you sound like you are trying your best, and that would feel tiring, but it also means you’re doing what you can, and that’s good enough “baby steps baby steps” was what got me through my Jc and life thereafter too, so maybe it will help you too!!
what we could do, was to take the revision paper one at a time, one topic at a time, one subject at a time, to rest when I was tired and to try again when I feel capable to do so. And day by day, you’ll get there!! Beyond alevels, while it feels like the biggest and the ultimate challenge now, it will not make or break your life, so doing our best will be all that we can do 
“baby steps baby steps” was what got me through my Jc and life thereafter too, so maybe it will help you too!! 