The young and clueless

WHEN I was on the verge of submitting my application for scholarships, complete with photocopied certificates and essays, it dawned upon me that I should have questions about committing six of the best years of my life to an organisation I had scant knowledge of.

I was 18 then. The only thing I was very sure I wanted was to get the best university education possible - a top-notch Ivy League university - without straining my parents' savings.

Thus the only feasible route was the scholarship one.

Maybe I'll worry about the harsh reality of working life when the time comes? It didn't seem to matter that much there and then.

When we're so young, I believe we're not really clear what we want out of our lives.

Tying the best and the brightest down to government jobs through scholarships may not be utilising our precious human resources in the most efficient manner. This is because scholarships attract many who want that free overseas education. They may not possess that innate calling to serve their country. And many do not receive that calling until they are much older.

What we may end up with instead is a crowd of unmotivated and disillusioned scholars.

I did not want to end up as one, so I chose not to apply for any scholarship. I did not want to make a decision I could possibly regret for a lifetime.

Nicholas Lim, 20, has a place to read business at Nanyang Technological University.

Just take the plunge

MY TEACHER used to say: 'Take any overseas scholarship, even if it is with (insert boring organisation).'

I couldn't agree more.

Despite residual doubts about a government career, I took up an overseas scholarship because I could not afford to pay for my own passage.

It was the best decision of my life. My student days in London were nothing short of glorious. The new ideas and people I encountered provided mental stimulation and challenges. The unadulterated freedom to explore the new physical, social and academic landscape of my host country was, to use a cliche, truly liberating.

The six-year bond may seem intolerable - some have likened it to slavery - but it in fact offers one the luxury of career certainty, job security and unique opportunities granted only to scholars.

More importantly, the bond is only temporal; a mind that has seen the world is yours to keep forever. To any A-level students at the precipice: Take the plunge. It will be well worth your while.

Angela Xu, 24, recently graduated from University College London with a Master of Laws. She has five years to go on her scholarship bond.

Do your homework first

MOST scholarships in Singapore are not gifts but contracts.

The average person reads the clauses in such legal documents carefully before signing on the dotted line.

Similarly, students ought to find out first-hand what their scholarship provider - and future employer - asks of them.

Knowing what the job entails - what hours you'll keep, what career advancement opportunities are available, what company culture is like - helps you see if you're ready to sign the next four to 10 years of your life away.

And there is no excuse not to suss it out.

Take up internships after junior college or national service. Discuss scholarship options and your family's financial situation with your parents and relatives.

Make contact with organisations and don't be afraid to ask them questions at talks. Meet with your career adviser at school.

I did. After my A levels ended in November, I made a shortlist of careers I was interested in and cross-referenced these with scholarship boards that allowed me to fulfil my ambition.

One of these careers was journalism.

I sat in on the scholarship talks, asked questions, talked to parents, applied for an internship with Singapore Press Holdings, hated it initially, survived it, and finally grew to look forward to work over the next 41/2 months.

And while I personally found it miraculous the company offered me the scholarship among my capable fellow interns, I had experienced what it was like to be a journalist. I liked it - so it wasn't difficult to accept the offer.

The point is, you know you're probably ready to ink a contract if you're informed enough to envision a positive future in the company.

Sure, you'll hate the job sometimes - but isn't it the point to stick it out and eventually find joy in what you're doing? I certainly hope I won't have to eat my words in the years to come.

Rachel Au-Yong, 19, has a place to read international relations at the University of Pennsylvania this year.

Cast a wider net

I RECENTLY bumped into an old friend who had just completed his degree in the United States.

He was due to return to serve out his scholarship bond with a local statutory board. However, his time overseas had exposed him to a plethora of alternative career options he never knew existed. Too good to pass up, he found, was the rare opportunity to work in Tokyo as a computer science researcher.

He made the bold decision to terminate the scholarship and pay off the bond, heading instead to Tokyo for better pay and prospects. Not all scholars are able to afford that option though.

When I was 18, I thought that a civil service, policy-making job applying economic principles was the only thing you could do with an economics degree.

After doing my research and interacting with seniors, I realised there was so much more you could do with an economics degree even in the private sector and was ashamed at my naivete. Also, I found out in time how career prospects and competitive pay in the legal profession are more attractive.

My advice to those out there: Don't be too fixated on getting a scholarship. Cast a wider net to seriously consider all the options you have.

Chew Zhi Wen, 22, is a second-year double-degree law and economics student at the National University of Singapore.

Don't forget the polys

AROUND this time every year, newspapers are filled with advertisements from companies seeking talented applicants for their scholarships.

Look closer though, and one realises that most, if not all, of these scholarships are aimed at A-level graduates.

One sign of this is that applications for most of these scholarships close soon after the A-level results are released, sometime between March and April.

What about the polytechnic students who graduate only around May?

The polytechnics have been giving the junior colleges a run for their money in recent times, with increasing numbers of students choosing the polytechnic route.

Surely this shows that polytechnic students have something to offer these companies too?

Although polytechnics provide their own scholarships for their students, it would be nice to see companies extending their scholarship application periods, to let those from the polytechnics have a shot too.

Bryan Toh, 17, is a second-year mass communications student at Ngee Ann Polytechnic.

This article was first published in The Straits Times.