Good academic results = Good future ?

[Blobbi]

Good results = good life? Reading through vlim’s post, I think she means financial success in life. Personal happiness is something else, although it’s related.


Good results are meant to show a person’s motivation, resolve, problem solving capabilities, energy level, competitive spirit, confidence and ambitions. These are all the foundations of a successful career.

Can you have these factors without good results? It’s possible because these factors can start coming into play after the schooling years. Can you have good results without these factors? Yes too, especially at a young age when the parent is the driving force. But too much of parental drive can cause burnout for the child. I say with humility - managing ourselves is easier said than done.

I truly believe, let the child develop. The danger in only focusing on good results is that we communicate to our kid that that is the be-all-and-end-all. I’m trying hard at home to go beyond short-termism (very hard, but gotta do it). Excellence doesn’t always have an A* attached because life is much bigger than the few subjects taught in school. I want to encourage passion and interest, because this can sustain over a lifetime rather than over a school career. But there’s not much I can/should do because I want my son to get used to being responsible for his own life.

Beyond all this, like what auntieM and MMM says, it’s luck and opportunity. Luckily our ancestors landed here and not in Vietnam (well, the survivors are thriving, but not the few generation before) or we wouldn’t be what we are today.

[MMM]

vlim:

MMM, u have given a very good example of good results not= bright future + good income. As what u have mentioned earlier, that doesn't mean we can let our kids slack in their studies right...so...contradicting...so probably it still down to one's fate and luck and of course the working attitude..

Hi vlim,

Personally, I think I was lucky but I've also gone a long way. I had never imagine where I would be today. My mum used to tell me that she would be happy if I stay in a 5 room flat, drive a 1000 cc car and have 2 kids. That was like very good already. I know of another KSP from MBS too who is doing very well today and he too went through a unusual route. So both of us believe in fate and luck. But my route wasn't straight and smooth and some headhunters also commented on my unusual education route.

I shared this with the kids. Just last nite my ds was asking me: \"mummy, you are more hardworking than daddy. Why is it that daddy can go to NTU but you cannot ????\" I told him that that's precisely the issue. Mummy wasn't hardworking when I was younger that's why now I want you all to work hard and not be like mummy.

On the other hand, I might belong to a earlier era where there are still alot of opportunities available even though you don't graduate from local uni since Singapore is growing and we are talent hungry. But we can't say the same for our kids' era and I don't want them to go through the same route as me.

Recently, my nephew got his \"o\" levels results and he couldn't make it to JC. He is going to poly. I told him that don't think it's the end. He should continue to aim for uni be it local or distance learning,etc... there are many of such programs out there.

[KSP]

Let’s take a look what those with high position and well paid people have and work backward.


1. they have excellent presentation skill.
2. good management skill.
3. they can convince.
4. they are always hungry - majority switch job transfer internally every 3-5yrs to gain difference experience and explore difference things.
5. always stay relevant with the industry.
6. these people are always ready for opportunities to come by - always ready to be headhunted for higher position and better pay.

To me, luck will only go to those who are ready to grab it.

Having good result will probably prepare one to be ready with good general knowledge and management skill (from CCA). The others are probably born with it, hard work, gain through working experience and inspired by good mentor. But I’m not saying good result is not important but at least if luck didn’t come to one who is ready, he/she will still have a decent job with the paper qualification.

[toddles]

Well, overall, most times, agree that if you have good results, in Singapore especially, it’s an opening to more doors.


how you do after you pass through the door is another matter in itself.

I know someone who had triple-majors from a famous university. but when it came to work, he got yelled at so much it was painful to witness.

then there are others who had less than stellar results, went to so-so schools, but really shine at work.

personally i would say i had a far above average education, but now my income is probably average. And of course those with a lot of drive, determination and ambition but with fewer opportunities when they were younger, could have much higher incomes compared to me.

So good results are not a guarantee to anything. Guess I’ll just encourage my child to be the best she can be, and so long as she’s done her best, even if it means going to Poly, she doesn’t need to feel inferior.

[corneyAmber]

So why the kids still suffering so much just for one PSLE?

[KSP]

ks2me:

So why the kids still suffering so much just for one PSLE?

Blame the parents.

[vlim]

ks2me:

So why the kids still suffering so much just for one PSLE?

ya lo ... that is one of the pt to think about in this 'discussion'...what to do..that is our country education system and there are more and more educated parents who want their kids to be even more excellent in their education probably unintentionally like some of us...

[MMM]

ks2me:

So why the kids still suffering so much just for one PSLE?

But how.... can you just leave it ???? Accept if the child goes to normal stream or ITE, etc....?????

As parents, inorder to avoid such situation, that's why we are pushing the kids.

[corneyAmber]

MMM:

ks2me:

So why the kids still suffering so much just for one PSLE?

But how.... can you just leave it ???? Accept if the child goes to normal stream or ITE, etc....?????

As parents, inorder to avoid such situation, that's why we are pushing the kids.

I believe it is imperative to chart the normal course but I suppose most have gone into more than charting the course, building up alot of tension and stress in the system.....like what KSP said, \"Blame the parents\" and some like what vlim said unintentionally....

[KSP]

I was about to start another thread by asking "Will you show your report book to your children?" But since we are talking about result here I will just chip in.


I am one who got more red than blue in my whole 6yrs of primary school exam result. I must say my report book is "very colourful". I don’t know what will happen if I show it to my dd. Will she get the wrong message? I’m still keeping it in my drawer.

I still want to push her to get good result and really don’t want her to think like "hey, last time you also didn’t get good result what? Then why should I?"