Wong Shi Ting, Calista (18A07)

With education and career guidance, Wong Shi Ting, Calista (18A07) found her direction.

Calista Wong got into the polytechnic and course of her choice through the Early Admissions Exercise. After attending her first 2 lessons in polytechnic, she realized she made the wrong decision. She considered switching courses but realized that she would have to wait till the next semester before starting afresh. Confused, she approached an education counsellor in the polytechnic who advised her to try the JC route. Her mother then mooted the idea of leaving the polytechnic and taking a gap-year before applying for a JC in 2018.

In the meantime, Calista prepared herself in the subjects of Mother Tongue and Mathematics to try to get herself ready prepare for JC curriculum as she saw these as the subjects she would struggle with. Despite being able to qualify for better JCs, she decided to join JPJC for the practical reason that it was near home. While she entered JC in trepidation, she shared that she “had heard a lot of good things about both PJC and JJC from friends who were former students.”

Having lost an academic year compared to peers of the same age, she decided to make the most of her time in the JC. She meticulously planned and chartered her progress in school to ensure that it would provide opportunities to help her grow as a person. She was in the college’s Scholars’ Programme that provided exposure to jobs in the Public Service. She appreciated opportunities to mentor or teach students as well. As one who always encourages others, it was no surprise that she was elected to be the Class Manager as well as the College’s Ambassadors’ President. Besides her personal traits, she attributed her more active involvement and greater motivation in learning to the fact that the JC was a better fit for her. Looking back, deciding to meet the counsellor at Poly to determine what might be a more suitable path for her had been instrumental.

While being in a JC and being so involved in school activities did seem overwhelming at times, since Calista had to juggle her academics with planning activities for her class and CCA, or looking after the welfare of her classmates and CCA members. But she is thankful for the opportunities offered to her as she took on more responsibilities. She also learnt how to take into consideration others’ schedules, ideas and feelings when working in groups through doing Project Work.

When asked about what she would like to tell people about her ‘A’ level journey, she said “it’s not about how you start and about going to a well-known school, but making the best out of the opportunities presented to you”. Currently, a teaching intern, she expressed that her teachers in JC have inspired her greatly and she hopes to pursue a degree in NUS and eventually join NIE to become a teacher.