Why I didn’t drop out of college and did NOC twice instead

Former Raffles Institution (RI) student Gabrielle Ong made The Straits Times headlines recently, praised for pursuing her passion in coding and her decision not to enter college.

Kudos to her for finding what she is passionate about! However, while her story is inspiring, it should be seen as an exception rather than the norm. I am not criticizing her choice — it is brave to break away from the normative system. Rather, what is more concerning is the media’s efforts to legitimize a life choice that makes for a great story but is hardly one that the general population can follow.

Society generally benefits from college students. They are more likely to make concise arguments, practice good citizenship, contribute more to economic growth, and make for less Trump supporters (arguably).

This is not to say non-college goers cannot achieve similar outcomes for the society or that a college degree is the path to definite success. Yet the media is greatly influential and has the potential to permanently alter our perspectives and life choices; we really should pay attention.

This article isn’t about whether college is good or bad or choosing to take coding as a career. It is simply me sharing my experience and may offer a middle ground between passion and stability. Between these two, the definitions of success, purpose, and reward are seemingly polarized. But what if in reality, things are not on the extreme ends of a scale?

UTown, National University of Singapore. Photo credit: Smuconlaw.

Surprised? Don’t be. Many things do not exist as extreme opposites. Yes, issues are easier to understand in binary terms, yet the reality is the middle ground thrives. I think my NUS Overseas College (NOC) experience would be an ideal middle ground.

How I started

It was in 2014 at a lunch with a couple of junior college friends at a sushi restaurant. I had just finished National Service and was waiting to enter college in August. The meal was normal and bland; the get together was one where you feel good meeting everyone two years on, yet you can’t remember much about it. However, it was memorable because Sue Ann had shared about her 1-year experience at the NOC Shanghai program.

Essentially, the program offers students of National University of Singapore (NUS) the opportunity to work in a startup for up to a year while taking classes at a partner university. The program is available in nine cities, including Silicon Valley, Shanghai, and Stockholm.

The nitty gritty details of her story have since been forgotten, but what I remember was someone who was clearer of her dreams, spoke more confidently, and was more knowledgeable than when I last met her. She even got to spend one year living overseas. To this 21 year old who had never lived anywhere else, that was a huge incentive. I made up my mind to go for the program.

How it’s changed me

Fast forward two years; I am doing it twice.

I did the program in Singapore first and viewed it as a way to navigate into the eco-system and understand what this whole new world had to offer. I was a total noob because Carousell was the only startup thing I knew. It was an enriching experience, constantly learning new things and gaining new understanding.

I got bitten by the startup bug after that.