Is studying engineering that bad? |
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It is no secret students are shunning engineering-related university courses in greater numbers due to the stereotypical perception of unglamorous work, punishing hours and less than satisfactory pay. It therefore does not come as a surprise that an impressionable youngster is observably unsettled by the trend amongst his seniors, which is that many of them refuse to pursue engineering in tertiary institutions. A netizen by the name of Eugene Thong advises him (in an online youth forum) to be level-headed when making a decision: |
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"Engineering is a very broad field. If you look at poly courses alone, there are various kinds of engineering courses. Engineering could be seen as "bad" as some courses have a fairly high cut-off point. A high cut-off point does give the impression (especially to those who know nothing about cut-off points) that the course is one which can be entered very easily, thus "bad". Engineering is the branch of science and technology with regard to the design, building and use of engines, machines and structures. It's no easy feat to be a master in any field, however, if you compare engineering with certain other courses, such as some business courses or perhaps other branches of science, it may seem that engineering is "easier" and the other courses/branches are "harder". Of course, the difficulty is all relative and no one have the right to judge it. I feel that more people tend to think engineering is "easier". Whether it is or it is not, is not what we are discussing today. Another thing I thought about is the need for engineers. Sure, we do need engineers. However, there is a large supply of engineers available throughout the world. Singapore needs engineers. There are Singaporean engineers. However, don't forget about foreign talents. I'm not trying to spark the debate again, but IF engineering is easy, there can easily be tons and tons of engineers produced by other countries. So, engineering could be seen as "bad" in that it'll be harder for you to find a job in the future. Job, referring to one with fairly decent pay. Of course, anyone can get a job which pays $0 per hour. I still think it's more of the mindset that everyone has. This is what happens when you live in a competitive country like Singapore. Just think about it. People tend to think differently. Lawyer? Doctor? Engineer? Businessman? Scientist? I'm sure there are stereotypes and generalisations popping into your brain. It's not that engineering is "bad", so to speak. People just find it more beneficial (for themselves) to study something else! If you are interested in a specific field of engineering, go for it! Don't avoid engineering just because your seniors didn't choose engineering!" |
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THANK YOU EUGENE THONG FOR ALLOWING US TO REPRODUCE YOUR THOUGHTS HERE. The Czar (Site Founder) Dated 22 March 2014 |
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