ITE & GCE 'A' Level H2 EL & LING/ Possible?

• SP2012

  18 Jul 11, 19:38

  Hi Netizens, I'm an ITE Student and I'm on an Industrial Attachment (IA) as part of the final semester assessment before i graduate for further studies. Well, every now and then i studied english by memorising as many vacabulary words whenever i run across any of those 'moniker' words on "IToDay" IPhone Application. TODAY newspaper never fail to astound me with its multimodal figures of speech indirectly prompting readers to think and mull over the mataphorical and jargon of language being used for each of its reports. It's understood that some of which are extracted say from AFP and other sources which most of them are thought-provocative. Well, i've also started to realised that i've been noting down lots of vocabulary words and possibly bust one's chops as i've at least 1000 vocabulary words all of which are hard-pressed in thirty-page strong worded relative. Therein, Dictionary application on my IPhone comes handy with unrelenting sheer of determination, i shrugged it off by drafting down the meanings which at one, after interjectory in between interims before drawing to a close to form the strong thirty-page worded as mentioned. I wasn't compelled to do this and neither my family nor my friends encouraged me to do something which i never thought if it is even possible for a stance. The 'impasse', says the interlocutor, need to be broken at once to prevent 'cynic' impression on you - it was a style which proved worthy for a cause after many mythological figures of the world such as Ghandi and probably Mother Teresa have inherited from past customs. I became wary of where my foothold lies in this country if i don't make an attempt to do something which i've regarded as my hobby as part of lifelong learning. My parents was supportive to whichever path of life i choose to go as long as my well-being is well taken care of. I was apalled to hear them saying that and so, everyday now and then i mull pensively over a long period of time as to whether or not i should ring down the curtain on my prospect as an engineer since i began faithfully to that line obligingly until i started to gain intellect and eventually became independent with freedom of speech and thoughts about the cruel world that we dwell in ever since i picked up that 'hobby'. Having ringing down the curtain on this perennial foothalf of all lies which i've picked the moment i failed to sustain a cut-off point of 19 or < (EMB3), i've started to dream about ringing the curtains up on sitting for the GCE 'A' Level under English & Linguistic (H2) Subject which i'm totally caught off guard with. At a glance, i could randomly guess by the words headed on the subject that core lies within your might in English for both writing and speaking components. I've decided to toss my hat into the ring after some trials and tribulations which i've gone through after having it as my everyday custom before and after school to read newspaper. Well, that's just part of it, the bigger picture for me to do such things is because of my ever desire to be a lawyer because of my interest in debates ever since i was in secondary school but it is just that i was virtually coveted as a victim to media and probably bad peer influence at that point of time whereby i was expected to complete my secondary life and probably as a gaeity teenager spending my years wistfully without any upsets in between times but now, if i'm looking back at it, it would be utterly absurd for me to say "Oh, that's my fate" I'm 18 years old this year, i'm following up to the recent GE 2011 made known on a big spectacle as a 'watershed' election but my cause is 'watershed' - turning point of my life. I've never resisted to this but i've follow what my heart says. I've to be blatantly honest with you users, I've absolutely zero interest in the engineering field and what's more for the course which i am - utterly distasteful. i was all crestfallen as i trudge up the hailstorm of having to compete with others in practical adroity. I wasn't upped to it either, it was all in the dark. My question to you, users, now would be, do you think i should do the following: A) Take GCE A Level as a private candidate and pursue on your realm. B) Stop dreaming and be realistic in life. C) I'm not sure of any word or a piece of advice to give you for the subjected matter. You may not follow the alphabatical option, feel free to express your views on the hard-pressed issue of what's believed to be a 'watershed' option. Thanks
• Dejomel

  18 Jul 11, 22:49

  With regards to English Language and Linguistics as a subject...
  
  Personally, I qualified to take H2 ELL at numerous, or practically all the Junior Colleges offering the subject (double distinctions for English and Pure English Literature for my O' Levels) - but frankly, I just didn't have the passion or patience for what I found to be a rather "dry" subject.

  As for your choices at this current juncture of your life...

  I can't give you any "professional advice", but just my honest opinion.

  I'd say that your command of the English language is clearly quite superb- and if you were an A' Level student (private or otherwise), you'd have a clear advantage over others in Arts subjects such as History, General Paper and Literature.

  However, as to whether you ought to take the A' Levels as a private candidate or not, that is something you should really think hard about. Your parents are right- what matters is that your well-being and future livelihood is taken care of. Some may say that since you're already on the path to getting an engineering diploma/degree, it'd be silly to alter course now, while others may say otherwise.
  
  You *could* go by the
  
  A' Levels --> NUS Political Science (something that may interest you?)
  or
  A' Levels --> NUS Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences
  
  route if you choose to- but know that it is ridiculously competitive to get into the university via any medium, be it a diploma or A' level certificate. And especially for private candidates- without the benefit of peer tutoring, teachers' aid and school resources, it is even more difficult for you.

  Passion alone doesn't get you too far, and neither does innate talent. You need a combination of hardwork, aptitude and attitude to achieve stellar results academically.

  But also- you're my age right now. We're young, and since you have supportive parents- talk it out with them. I'd personally be inclined to follow my dreams, if i were you. But discussing with people more mature than ourselves is usually a good idea to gain more perspective before making a decision.

  All the best!