9years ago....

Assalammu'alaikum family and friends,

Alhamdulillah, many friends and readers have come across my blog to read about the outstanding amount of debts I accumulutated and went on to read about how I cleared it. Thank you for reading them, I hope you find it helpful, and may you be debt free always.

Now, everyone is dying to know how I went on to get my degree. I graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Civil & Environmental Engineering in 2005. My life is Poly is not that smooth nor was it always filled with great GPAs. It was always fluctuating to be honest.

I graduated with a GPA of somewhere around 3. (I am not in the mood to dig into my transcript for the exact figure - not that it is anywhere near me now). I applied for a placing in NUS, sadly, they replied saying all seats were taken and that I am a tad late.

So I decided to just get a job first and take up a part time degree while working someday. So I got my first job pretty quickly, but it didnt last that long because I was young and someone was endlessly reporting me to my mom (God knows how she got my home number) spreading unsound rumours.

It wasn't long that I got my second job. I was working for a year and then decide it is time to get that degree. I went on a search. There were quite a number of choices. I went for distant learning via Auston Institute of Management. I chose to take up a course in Engineering Business Management from Coventry University, after noting that it was a recognized university and is valid.

So I went home with all these brochures, indicating the deposit I need to make to get a seat, and the cost of my degree and all that stuff, the bank loan applications. I shared with my parents about upgrading myself.

Shocking as can be, (and I can understand them now), they refused to accept that I am "wasting" so much money on a piece of cert only to end up in the kitchen raising children.

You see, my parents are illiterate, very conservation and traditional. At that moment when I revealed I am going to invest $12K+ on a degree and 12hours a week, it shocked them. They don't see why I need this. Afterall, I already have a good stable job.

But I was too determined, I went again to Auston to find out about the bank loan. They recommended me Citibank, and the difference if I were to have someone as a guarantor and if I don't have any. It was at that point a lot of money. I tried asking my sisters, which they politely decline reciting family priorities. So as hard as steel, I went ahead without a guarantor. I paid the deposit, which much plea, from my dad (that too after I promised I will pay him monthly and won't ask him for anymore money)

And so I did. I applied, got registered with everyone telling me in my face, behind my back, in my ears and in my head, that I am just "wasting" money. That this cert will do me no good, that I wont excel. I won't succeed.

Guess what? These negative words, they are really just motivating me more than they hurt me. Maybe because I grew up that way. I mean, when I was in Primary School, I scored 214 aggregate for PSLE, and was given no choice but to an express class for Secondary School. That too was filled with "oh she won't cope!", "express class will be too advanced for her", "she wont make it", "she will fall back to normal academic sooner or later".

Guess what? That made me score an awesome 16 points for my L1R4. I went to Poly. And everyone went like, "oh she is just lucky", "my son was just a few points shy", "ITE is better", "Poly is full of influential people", etc.

Guess what? I graduated - although a year late. I graduated. So what's these? I can surely graduate and be a degree holder.

And yes, I heard "Auston not good", "fake university", etc.

After registration, schedule is out, I had classes every Monday, Wednesday, Thursday or something like that, from 6-10pm. That first semester, I was given 4 modules. Made a couple new friends, who came from various backgrounds.

My degree was 1 year long. You can call that crash course. Guess what, so much determination, so much hardwork, it pays off. I graduated with a 2nd Upper Class Honours. I made it!

I am a graduate - BSc 2nd Upper Class Honours in Engineering Business Management from Coventry University.

I was often over-qualified when I applied for jobs after my retrenchment, but it pays off now that I have a business running.

Today, my mother often tells me, "I am so glad you went ahead to take up your degree despite not having much support from us. It serves your nieces, nephews and your children a ray of hope, that such education is not determined by financial status or family background, but by their own determination."

I am glad I didn't and never succumb to negative feeds from people around me. I am not here to look down on anyone, in fact, not many of my friends know I am a graduate. I mix well with people even when they don't have any certs, I give them support and words of encouragement to go grab that cert they want, to upgrade no matter how small a step it is.

That is my purpose.

I hope this entry finds you more driven and motivated to upgrade yourself. In fact, I am currently considering to take up another diploma or chase that Masters. Let time tell.

Wassalam,
Jun