‘Elite’ isn’t the only way to go

I ONCE thought I was being subversive by choosing a polytechnic over a junior college.
After all, I had attended a so-called elite secondary school where students aim for top junior colleges, go on to ace their A levels, land prestigious scholarships, an Ivy League education and soar through corporate ranks at lightning speed.
It is a [...]

Singapore youth among region’s most media-savvy

A SURVEY by market research company Synovate shows Singapore’s youth are voracious consumers of mass media.
They spend up to 13 hours a day watching television, reading newspapers and listening to music. Online, they listen to music, send e-mail and play games.
In the past 12 months, their consumption patterns have risen, compared to their peers across [...]

Striking a balance between work and play

Playing hard? Working harder
MANY of my peers spend most of their school holidays working temporary jobs, or participating in internships, or both. Some work part-time during the school term too, as tutors or research assistants.
Those who are graduating seem eager to start work, sending out applications long before their graduations. Given the recession, they have [...]

Recession gives shine to public sector jobs

Don’t just seek jobs, but opportunities
FOR someone who has always had a passion for entrepreneurship, the thrill of starting my own business appeals to me more than a predictable job in the public sector.
Unless the public sector undergoes an image overhaul, I will be less inclined to pursue a career there as I do not [...]

Short takes from a tall ‘alien’

Dear Mum,
Sleet, snow, pelts of icy rain – during our last phone call, Dad told me the family was experiencing the usual wintry mix back home in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Here in Singapore, winter has arrived, hot and humid. The day before Christmas, all through my friend’s flat, the air-conditioning whirred.
The only thing icy here is breath [...]