SINGAPORE: A polytechnic graduate recently shared on social media that he has been rejected by every university he applied to, including private institutions.
Posting on the r/SGexams forum on Tuesday (Jun 24), the young man admitted he never imagined himself in this situation. “I’ve been rejected from every single university you can imagine (yes, even private universities..) and I’ve never been more lost and stressed,” he wrote.
He also explained that taking a gap year was never something he had considered. However, with no offers in hand, it now feels like the only option available.
“I’m having a very hard time coping with this setback and I cannot really think straight,” he said.
“If anyone out there has any advice on how to maximise my gap year and if there’s anything I should know about reapplying for university next year (I’m okay with hearing the hard truth), do let me know.”
“I think it’s helpful to start by evaluating why you might have been rejected.”
In the discussion thread, one Singaporean Reddit user suggested, “If you went to poly, I would heavily consider working straight away if I were you. Try to get a job in some field you like and reapply to uni again in 2 years if you still wanna go uni then.”
Another commented, “Hey, first of all, huge congrats on surviving and graduating from poly! That’s already a big milestone, so give yourself some credit for that. As for the rejections, don’t be too hard on yourself.
They added, “I think it’s helpful to start by evaluating why you might have been rejected. Was it due to GPA, portfolio strength, or missing prerequisites? Once you figure that out, you’ll have a clearer sense of what to work on.”
A third user advised, “I think it’s best to take a few steps back. You don’t have to die die get into university. Instead, take this gap year to explore your interests. I don’t know what course you are aiming for.”
“You can take up a contract job to gain valuable experience and skills during your gap year. I worked odd jobs until I got a job at a hospital so I could apply for a life science degree. Fyi, I have a diploma in engineering, it’s not relevant to the degree I am taking.”
In other news, a woman renting a dual-key studio apartment turned to Reddit to express her frustrations about a “weird and demanding” neighbour who, she says, has repeatedly overstepped boundaries and disrupted her peace at home.
Writing on r/askSingapore, she said the trouble started on the very day her neighbour, a middle-aged Chinese woman with a chihuahua, moved into the adjoining unit.
According to her, the neighbour left so many boxes and bags in their shared foyer on move-in day that she couldn’t even open her front door.
Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)