Graduating From Polytechnic During COVID: What To Do Next?

CALEON KIMBERLEY, TAN EN TING and EUGENE CHUA speak to polytechnic students who have taken a gap year after graduating from polytechnic to find out more on what it entails.

After graduating from polytechnic, there are a variety of paths available to students. Among these include the dilemma between choosing to pursue further studies in a university versus directly joining the workforce. Photo: Caleon Kimberley.

“Going through school in Home-Based Learning (HBL) has affected learning in general. A lot of discipline and self-learning is required, and it’s really up to your own initiative to learn, so if you slack off then that’s it. Group work is also a lot harder because it’s much harder to discuss and meet up,” says Ms Joey Lee, 20, who was awarded a scholarship under the Ministry of Education (MOE), which will see her becoming a preschool teacher after graduating from Polytechnic with a Diploma in Early Childhood Education.

Gap years, where students take a year off from education, have risen in popularity over the past few years. Especially with the pandemic which has shaken the society, gap years have become an increasingly discussed topic among youths. Many graduates, like Ms Lee, have decided to take a gap year to work or take up internships.

While she did feel like she was missing out after seeing her friends enjoy life in university, and would likely not take a gap year if she had the chance to choose again, Ms Lee said that her choice to start working after polytechnic allowed her to realise that her current path was in fact not something she actually wanted to continue doing in the future. “On the bright side, you’re earning more money and earlier than the rest!” Ms Lee added.

Many polytechnic students, like Ms Lee, choose to work after graduation. Photo: Joey Lee.

Close to two years since the pandemic disrupted the lives of Singaporeans, Work From Home (WFH) and HBL arrangements have become the norm. Especially for graduating polytechnic students, whose final year consists of an internship to prepare them for the workplace, the road ahead may be even more unclear than before — with some having to quickly adapt to WFH arrangements, while others who did not apply to university face an unstable job market as industries are shaken up by COVID-19.

“It’s okay to feel lost or not do anything during this period of time especially when we’re in the middle of a pandemic. Just be open to learning new things and finding stuff that interests you,” says Rachel Tok, 21, who is currently working part-time as a Retail Associate. She also mentioned that, while going to university may give you an advantage, forcing yourself to do so just to get a degree is not worth it.

While Ms Tok faced pressure from the people around her, she stuck with her choice to take a gap year in order to obtain real life working experience, giving her time to discover the path she wished to continue on.

“No point having a successful career if you’re going to be unhappy about everything. Personally, as long as I’m living happily and honestly, I’m fine with anything,” Ms Tok added.

When it comes to topics such as future planning for education and career prospects, Education and Career Guidance (ECG) Counsellors are the people to turn to. Photo: Eugene Ang.

“A gap year is not for everyone, one needs to be extremely clear and precise on what it will be all about,” says Mr Eugene Ang, an Education Career Guidance (ECG) advisor at Ngee Ann Polytechnic. He feels that goal setting and having a detailed plan of what you wish to achieve with the extra time a gap year provides is important, to make the most out of it.

“Grades in this COVID world are not as important as one thinks it is. Ultimately, skills and passion will reign supreme,” Mr Ang added.

Those who have graduated but are unsure if they want to further their education can consider taking a gap year, to find an internship that is related to their field of study in polytechnic. The real-world experience will give them a better understanding of what a job in their respective sectors would entail, which will help them decide if it is the career for them.

“Do things at your own pace. Don’t compare yourself to others, take things easy and don’t be influenced by people who look like they have their life together,” says Ms Tok.