Tan Kin Lian: Our Young Should Consider an Alternative to a University Degree

<Pic Credit: NTU>

I advocate our students to have an open mind and consider an alternative to a university degree. I wish to share my personal experience.

MY PERSONAL EXPERIENCE

I was one of the top students from Raffles Institution in secondary four. In the School Cambridge Examination (i.e. the equiavalent of GCE O level), I was among the top 10 students in Singapore. 

After the results came out, I decided to leave school and start to work. My principal, Mr E W Jesudason, was surprised at my decision. He called me to his office and asked my reason for this unusual decision. He said that if I had financial difficulty, the school could give me a bursary.

I told him that I had to work to get an income to support the family. I would study part time to qualify as an actuary. He helped me to find a job in a local insurance company, as he knew the top man there. 

I worked in the insurance company for three years as a clerk. Later I moved to another company to work as a computer programmer. 

I passed the actuarial examinations over a period of ten years. I was not in a hurry to qualify as an actuary because I took some time off to study and qualify as an accountant as well.

WHAT I REALLY LEARNED

I did not learned only to be an actuary. There were other lessons that I had learned as well, during the period of ten years. 

1. I learned to be self reliant. I studied on my own from the prescribed text books. I did not attend any class or have any teacher or tutor. I did not enrol for the tuition course provided by the actuarial body - because they were too expensive.

2. I learned that I could pass the examination by understanding 70% of the subject. That was enough. Although I do not understand 30%, it did not matter. I managed to get a pass, which was good enough for me. I did not bother whether it was a pass or a distinction.

3. I learned that it is more important to understand the question, than to know the answer. For many subjects, I probably did not give the right answers, but the examiners could see that I understood the questions. (I did not bother to study and remember the model answers for the past years' papers!)

4. I enjoyed the subjects because I found them to be useful and practical. After passing the subject, I could apply the principles and concepts for a long time. It became a part of my knowledge. They are not forgotten.