(JC) Junior College VS Polytechnic

(JC) Junior College VS Polytechnic

After O Level, most secondary school students will either choose to enter a polytechnic or a junior college (JC). This article will discuss in-depth on the two different routes students can take after secondary school, and their respective pros and cons.

Some commonly known points to take note of may be that polytechnics are designed for students to adapt and enter the workforce after graduation while JCs are more for preparation of students for the university. As a result, when choosing which route to take, parents and students need to be very aware of whether the student wants to continue his or her tertiary education to get a university degree or just wants to start working straight after.  

First thing to take note of is the different number of years of study needed for JC and poly. Only two years are needed for JC, students will take the final A Level Examination at the end of their second year. However, polytechnic students will need to study for 3 years before obtaining their diploma in their final third year. One more extra academic year is needed for students who chose to enter a polytechnic as compared to those who chose to enrol in a JC.

Next, JC students also have a higher chance of getting into popular courses such as Medicine or Law in top universities. The purpose of the institutions is important. The purpose of a polytechnic is to equip students to be workforce ready and they are not expected to go to university. JC, on the other hand, equips students with the knowledge and skills to enter a university straight after the A Levels.

This is also why most local universities’ admissions consist of a majority of JC students and much fewer polytechnic students. JC students have to be aware that they MUST go to university, otherwise with only their A Level certificate, it would not be sufficient to land them a good job and career prospects.

The costs, such as the school fees, only differ largely between polytechnics and JCs. For JCs, mostly, school fees would not exceed $10 per month, unless you are from an autonomous or independent school such as Raffles Institution (RI) or Hwa Chong Institution (HCI), where the school fees will then be determined by the school itself. On the other hand, for polytechnic students, the school fees per month can range from $250 to $300, depending on your course of study.

Food expenses for JC students are also less than that for polytechnic students as for JC, students eat at the school canteen, similar to in secondary school, where food is relatively cheaper than the outside. However, in polytechnic, the food courts and eateries inside the school are more from external, for example, Singapore Polytechnic has Koufu and even Subway and KFC within the school campus. As a result, prices of food are more expensive and similar to outside.

Moving on to the study environment, JC is still similar to the normal school environment like in secondary school, but polytechnic is vastly different. JC students need to wear school uniforms every day, but poly students can wear whatever clothes they want, which means there is a greater sense of freedom for those who chose to enter a polytechnic. Life in JC is more focused around the academic areas, while most polytechnic students value social life and interactions. This can also be aggregated to the more rigorous JC academic curriculum as compared to polytechnic.

JC students will learn more in-depth content and knowledge as compared to polytechnic students, as the JC curriculum is more demanding. This is because JC is designed as a stepping stone into university while polytechnics focus more on vocational training. On the other hand, polytechnic students will have opportunities to go for industrial internships for them to learn more about practical skills and apply them in real-life situations.

JC students can also do this, but it is not as common. JC students need to prepare for their final A Level examinations in just 2 years, or strictly less than one and a half year, after subtracting off the holidays. Thus, the heavy academic workload would be what most JC students would be focusing on throughout their 2 years in school.

It is important for polytechnic students to recognize that they have to be the ones to motivate themselves to work hard as with greater freedom in polytechnics, no one will be there to chase after their assignments or force them to score well in tests. JC students may have more pressure from their teachers and parents, but this is not a bad thing, as JC students would be more driven to study hard and do well in school.

The greater leniency in polytechnics may not be a good thing in long run, should one not have the self-discipline to motivate themselves to learn. Hence, JC provides a more conducive environment for students to focus on studies and develop good academic habits that will be useful for them in university.

To conclude, JC and polytechnic both have their own advantages and disadvantages, which students should be aware of before making their decision on whether to enrol in JC or polytechnic. It is important to weigh the pros and cons of each option before making a decision on which route to take.

JC may be seen as the more academic route, while polytechnic may be seen as the more vocational route. Both options have their own benefits, and it is up to the student to decide which is the better option for him or her. It is recommended that the students first think of what job they would want to have in the future, and then decide what academic route to take to achieve their end goal.

For JC students who need extra guidance in their academic subjects, look no further than Sophia Education! 

With our tuition classes at Sophia Education, students are able to receive ample time for consultations to work through their doubts and misconceptions. The small class sizes for our group tuition also ensure that our tutors with many years of experience can devote more attention to each student, a feat that might not be possible for regular school teachers who are focusing on up to 40 students at a time.

Customized lesson plans according to the student’s individual strengths and weaknesses are especially important for significant improvements, which is what we can achieve given our small class sizes.

In addition, detailed notes are given for every lesson, and these notes are concise and exam-oriented. Past year questions and papers are also covered comprehensively in our classes so that students will have a much better understanding of the A Level examination requirements.

If you are interested in finding out more about our personalized JC tuition classes, do not hesitate to contact us or visit our website for more information! 

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