ive been so drained the past 3 years, repeated jc1 and now that im finally in j2 and As are soon, im so listless and unable to study and im constantly tired. i failed my mid years rly rly badly and prelims start in two days and im totally unprepared.
everyone around me is encouraging me to try harder and do my best for the final lap but honestly its really tough and i don’t think ill do well for As so my uni options will be really limited and i probably won’t be able to go to the uni/course of my choice.
some ppl have suggested taking a gap year to work and find out what i really want to do in life becos im q unsure but im also not sure whether taking a gap year is a good idea because im already one year behind my friends, if i take a gap year ill be another year behind. its kinda scary to think about but i guess i just need reassurance that taking a gap year could be helpful.
if there’s anyone that has taken a gap year or has any light to shed on this, could you please let me know your thoughts and experiences thank youu
hihi! so i dont have the experience of taking a gap year, but I’ve heard about some benefits of taking a gap year from my friends! Firstly is that you get more time to relax and recover from all the stress and fatigue from studying. From what you shared, it seems like you are really struggling with your studies and you are feeling very tired. So i think that having a break can help you recover mentally and emotionally, and bring back your energy so that you can study well again! Secondly you have extra time try new things that can help build your portfolio, for example doing a short term internship. This would be very useful especially for uni or for future jobs because a lot of jobs require people to have some working experience before hiring them. A friend also told me that taking gap years are becoming more common nowadays too, and people do that to gain some work experience before starting uni or entering the workforce. Basically as long as you spend your gap year meaningfully, then i think its totally worth it.
I know it can be abit scary because you will end up being another year behind your peers, but i think that’s totally ok too! after all everyone learns things differently and at differently paces. What works for someone might not work for another, so its important to keep and open mind and be kind to yourself. Its ok to take a different path, especially if it feels right to you. I hope this helped you somehow, and don’t stress out too much ok! I’m sure everything will turn out just fine
hey! i hear you. jc was really difficult for me too and i struggled a lot, and actually ended up not doing very well i think it is agreed by many that jc is a very tough part of our academic journey. i’d like to share a bit of my experience.
i went on to do a private degree in a course i was interested in as i could not get into the local unis. so really… i hear your concerns. i felt inferior for a while. however, not doing well in As is not the end of the world. i did well in uni, and i am now doing well in a job in a highly respectable sector that i really enjoy. which was definitely not what i was expecting when i see my grades in jc and As!
i see that you are leaning more towards doing a gap year, in which case i fully support you! you can truly learn a lot from being out of the school setting, and working is a very valuable experience that would give you skills that are highly sought after today. i understand that due to the singaporean societal expectations of having to stay on a certain path, meet certain checkpoints by a certain age etc. you have concerns about being left behind. but actually with what i’ve been seeing recently especially in university and in the working world, people’s lives and timelines are so varied! i meet people of different ages, but are doing the same things. i was surprised too. please don’t rush to get into things. you have time, and you are allowed to take the time to discover your passions, grow, gain experience etc. 1 year is short. even you do end up taking more time than that, that’s okay too. you’re not any less for making choices different from what you see in others.
i hope this has provided some insights for you to make your decision
Thank you for sharing how you’re feeling—it sounds like you’ve been through so much, and school can be incredibly stressful. I completely understand where you’re coming from. I actually retained in Secondary 4 in the Integrated Program stream, so I stayed in secondary school while all my friends moved on to JC. It was tough, and when I finally got into a “good” JC, I did very badly, scoring 70 RP when my peers were all getting straight As. I remember feeling really confused and lost during that time.
Life is a marathon, not a sprint. I took some time to step back, think about what went wrong, and reconsider my priorities—what was truly important to me and what wasn’t. It’s okay to deviate from the “normal” path, even though it might feel scary. And even if things don’t work out as you hope in JC or secondary school, know that life works out in mysterious ways. I can assure you that in a few years, things will look different. I’m doing very well in university now, and I’m confident that things will work out for you too, even if it’s hard to see that right now.
Continue trusting yourself and your abilities. Keep striving for what you believe is important, and don’t give up. I was so close to giving up myself and was even tempted to take MC for A Levels, but I’m glad I didn’t because I still managed to barely get into university. Just try your best, even if your “best” is just 10% of what others can do right now—that’s okay. If 10% is all you can manage for that day, then that is already the best you can do, and you can take pride in that. Success in life extends beyond grades.
Take time to destress and take care of your mental health. You’ve got this, and things will work out in their own time.
Hello, @manda1! Thank you for sharing how you’re feeling. I am not from JC, but I have personally (somewhat) had experience with taking a gap year or years before starting or planning to go to university.
After secondary school, I went to take a private diploma because I thought I wanted to settle down in the F&B field. However, after hustling in the F&B for a couple of years, I decided to change my career pathway. I decided to try out other jobs irrelevant to what I had studied before deciding what to study next (again). I have hustled in a couple of jobs to 1) gain experience and 2) figure out what I love. Personally, the gap was beneficial for me to understand myself better (in terms of what I like or am passionate about).
With regards to being behind or on a different pace from your peers, I understand how you’re feeling as I was working before my peers did and currently, my peers are working and I am studying. However, at the end of the day, all of you will be on the same page (working) again.
All the best for As ! Always here to listen if you need
Hello @manda1. Thanks for sharing how you’re feeling! I wasn’t from JC but I could share about my experience on taking a gap year before my university studies!
Taking a gap year was the best decision that I have made as I found myself and rested very well before studying again. I kind of figured out what I want to do in life by being involved in volunteering opportunities, internships and meeting new people from various backgrounds. Initially, I was quite stressed out when my friends are moving on with their next stage of life and I felt left behind. Reflecting on my gap year experience, if it wasn’t for that one year gap, I would still be lost and would not be the person I am today! Gap year could be the time to relax, discover yourself better, try out new things and explore different hobbies.
Thus with regards to missing behind, do not worry to much about this! Everyone has different pace and directions in life. You do what’s best for you! Wish you the best and everything will turn out okay in the end
thank youu
i think it is agreed by many that jc is a very tough part of our academic journey. i’d like to share a bit of my experience.
