CNA Article - The Big Read: Fuelled partly by youths' anxiety, the internship rat race has unintended effects
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I don’t want my child to build his or her self esteem primarily on internship portfolios, DSA portfolios or grades. I don’t want them to be driven by the fear of falling behind, or achieving less, or having less in life. At the same time, there is a time and place and season to work hard academically, and there is little excuse for perpetual sloth.
I guess that is where the art of parenting comes in. Given the (lack of) maturity and experience of kids, it is hard for them to see beyond their immediate fears or failures or obsessions. Kids can quickly spiral downwards mentally nowadays as a lot of their fears and anxiety are excerbated by social media. We should not label them as strawberries as their stresses are of a different magnitude and nature from what we went through.
Faith convictions aside, I don’t see how pushing to do one’s best is reachable, or sustainable. We sometimes have to advise when and what is enough, and what is a reasonable effort and attitude. -
Coolkidsrock2\" post_id=\"2135322\" time=\"1718877074\" user_id=\"48901:
Yes, of course !
For some, it actually begins at foetal stage - 胎教
Some kids will be at about grade 8 standard for music by around 9-10 years old and start travelling overseas for competitions.
At primary 2, only at 8 years old so young, some students inside
Raffles Girls primary school,
their parents, you know what they do ?
During the June school holiday at Primary 2,
their parents already started to send their young daughter, at 8 years old only, to Europe, to those far away musically inclined countries, to start performing violin solo, and start to win some medal home. Can you see that ?
And then,
when school Term re-open in July, RGPS school Principal invited this outstanding young student (pupil) to perform on stage, during school Assembly time to perform her violin talent, in front of the whole school cohort, from P1 to P6.
See ?
These parents don't wait so long until PSLE 12 years old, then come & start preparing their young dsughters' portfolio of musical talent. Oh No. That will be too late, got to wait until Primary 6, twelve years old. No. They do it fast. At Primary 2, eight years old, their parents already planned all these in mind.
Why ?
Because
At 4 years old, a toddler, they already start to train their daughter in violin.
Thus, by the time students like this young girl, reach Primary 6 (PSLE) at 12 years old, u think she just casually completed her grade 8 violin ?
No.
She already far exceeded that ! Already gone onto the next stage - in the midst of acquiring some Music \"Diploma\" stage.
So for her to DSA at P6 into any Top Secondary school, what do u think ?
Is it easy or difficult for her ?
Of course easy !
Already travelled overseas to Europe, and given solo performance and won some medal abroad !
Then, u project her time line, forward. Next time, if this student want a scholarship to study music overseas in a university abroad, is it difficult for her ? You know the answer already, dont u ? -
doodbug\" post_id=\"2135323\" time=\"1718877178\" user_id=\"13281:
doodbug,
I don't want my child to build his or her self esteem primarily on internship portfolios, DSA portfolios or grades. I don't want them to be driven by the fear of falling behind, or achieving less, or having less in life. At the same time, there is a time and place and season to work hard academically, and there is little excuse for perpetual sloth.
I guess that is where the art of parenting comes in. Given the (lack of) maturity and experience of kids, it is hard for them to see beyond their immediate fears or failures or obsessions. Kids can quickly spiral downwards mentally nowadays as a lot of their fears and anxiety are excerbated by social media. We should not label them as strawberries as their stresses are of a different magnitude and nature from what we went through.
Faith convictions aside, I don't see how pushing to do one's best is reachable, or sustainable. We sometimes have to advise when and what is enough, and what is a reasonable effort and attitude.
As a parent, u have given sound valuable, precious advice, to your children. That is, do not just blindly follow the crowd.
Example
=======
If the crowd were to take up 10 Internship, then u blindly also haphazardly join in the crowd. That is being foolish, being led on a wild goose chase. The blind, following a blind elephant.
However, on the opposite flip side of the coin, u also cannot do without any Internship opportunities. Many things and scenario have altered (changed), which we have no control over.
At 17 years old upwards, even for Polytechnic students, before they can even graduate with a Polytechnic Diploma, it is compulsory for all Poly students to go through an Internship. Otherwise, they can't graduate.
Thus, in our \"kiasu\" highly competitive rat race Singapore, even for under graduates, they are growing up in a different generation, very different from our time. This same Polytechnic Internship concept, has also trickled down, into the university undergraduate campus bachelor degree ground.
Our time : no need such thing.
Just focus on doing well in your studies, graduate with hopefully at least a 2nd upper honors degree, or better, will do. Those were the 1990s, 2000s university era old days golden period time.
But,
for the millennium kids born after year 2000 onwards,
and particularly for
Gen (Y and Z) kids :
they faced a very challenging different league, from our time.
You need to showcase some Internship cases, in order to support your job application. No need 10 Internship(s), so many. This one, need wisdom. Need to balance your time management plus your resources well.
Otherwise, end up neither here nor there. Can get burnt out, end up produced dismal, poor, lousy university graduation grades, even harder to find job. Become a viscious cycle, instead.
Be realistic.
Which one do u think employers look at, first? Look at your 10 Internship(s), or look at your academic what class of Honors degree, first ?
Ask yourself :-
Suppose you have 10 Internship, but gotten just a Pass degree, not even a 2nd Lower Honors degree, u think will receive phone call to attend interview?
If u are caught in this situation, what are u signalling to your future employer ?
Ya, I had done Total 10 Internships before i graduated, but all these came at the ... cost & expense of my academic quality degree. You want to sign this type of signal across, to your future potential interviewers? -
phtthp\" post_id=\"2135325\" time=\"1718878736\" user_id=\"35251:
It is not that uncommon. Even the parents overseas do the same.
Yes, of course !
At primary 2, only at 8 years old so young, some students inside
Raffles Girls primary school,
their parents, you know what they do ?
During the June school holiday at Primary 2,
their parents already started to send their young daughter, at 8 years old only, to Europe, to those far away musically inclined countries, to start performing violin solo, and start to win some medal home. Can you see that ?
And then,
when school Term re-open in July, RGPS school Principal invited this outstanding young student (pupil) to perform on stage, during school Assembly time to perform her violin talent, in front of the whole school cohort, from P1 to P6.
See ?
These parents don't wait so long until PSLE 12 years old, then come & start preparing their young dsughters' portfolio of musical talent. Oh No. That will be too late, got to wait until Primary 6, twelve years old. No. They do it fast. At Primary 2, eight years old, their parents already planned all these in mind.
Why ?
Because
At 4 years old, a toddler, they already start to train their daughter in violin.
Thus, by the time students like this young girl, reach Primary 6 (PSLE) at 12 years old, u think she just casually completed her grade 8 violin ?
No.
She already far exceeded that ! Already gone onto the next stage - in the midst of acquiring some Music \"Diploma\" stage.
So for her to DSA at P6 into any Top Secondary school, what do u think ?
Is it easy or difficult for her ?
Of course easy !
Already travelled overseas to Europe, and given solo performance and won some medal abroad !
Then, u project her time line, forward. Next time, if this student want a scholarship to study music overseas in a university abroad, is it difficult for her ? You know the answer already, dont u ?
Is almost like a templated process - just tweak to suit self. -
Government’s plan to redefine success, build a society that accepts slow downs, pauses, u turns, side steps, outliers.
https://youtu.be/AnyFWfW9lDo?si=5qXe_8MNyb_d2qgW -
CNA Video - Meritocracy In Singapore Schools: Can It Breed Inequality? | Measuring Meritocracy |
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8frwa5JdaQ
I think this CNA video may have been shared before as it was made a couple of years ago. It articulates why some of us may not fully embrace the IP system in the current form, or that perhaps we see some of the flaws / concerns the current system may lead to. -
Dynamic 360
Intern at US asset management firm says she was rated on a ‘microscopic’ level by a dot system
https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2024/06/25/intern-at-us-asset-management-firm-says-she-was-rated-on-a-microscopic-level-by-a-dot-system -
Coolkidsrock2\" post_id=\"2135612\" time=\"1719410279\" user_id=\"48901:
From the article:
Dynamic 360
Intern at US asset management firm says she was rated on a ‘microscopic’ level by a dot system
https://www.thestar.com.my/tech/tech-news/2024/06/25/intern-at-us-asset-management-firm-says-she-was-rated-on-a-microscopic-level-by-a-dot-system
\"Because we were constantly being evaluated on what we said, people were way more conscious when speaking,\" she explained. \"Instead of talking just to talk, people tried to make their points succinct and easily understandable, or they’d get a negative dot. This criticism wasn’t just limited to peers or supervisees. We were also encouraged to give dots to our bosses, managers, and even CEOs.\"
Wow! Great way to weed out incompetent folks and those who do not fit in the culture. Can such approach be suitable for companies in SG? -
Only companies with leaders who are confident in their competency will do this. Either that or they’re rich enough not to need the job.
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Enhanced 360 degree appraisal?
DH says he has been assessed via 360 degree appraisal method by his office. From the top management, immediate boss/supervisor, peers, to his subordinates all must appraise him in order and the holistic assessment to be considered for his annual appraisal.
I find 360 degree appraisal format good as it weeds out those who only know how to curry favour with the bosses but can’t work well with the rest to be surfaced early.
But there is one downside to this method, those who are brilliant/highly capable, may not have high EQ (or could have bad temper), so might have stepped on other people’s toes unwittingly. Office politics can be very dirty.
So 360 degree appraisal alone is not enough, still need to complement it with other assessment metrics.
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