It is difficult to find a reason to study hard. We all know the standard reason our parents give: “You must study hard so that you can find a good job next time that pays well.” I would like to challenge you to think deeper to the question of why do you want to study hard? Here are 5 reasons that might help you.

1. Having more options

Imagine going to a buffet and paying the full price just to be told that you can only eat from one specific section. It is the same for education. You potentially have a wide selection of choices and interesting courses that you may not know you want to enter yet. Studying hard right now provides you with the ability to enter these courses in the future; it gives you more options. Who doesn’t like to have options?

2. Repay your parents

Family is important. It is the center of our value system and where we draw our energy from. For some of you, studying hard for your parents is a strong motivation as you truly love them and want to make them proud of you. Remember, you are not doing this for yourself but for your parents.

3. Feel good about yourself

We all want to feel good about ourselves. By working hard and achieving good results, it satisfies this craving of wanting to feel good about ourselves. When we receive the reward for something we have put in hard work for, it boosts our confidence and helps us become more secure about ourselves.

4. Discover your passion

Ever wondered how some people seem so happy and pumped up going to work? That is because they are pursuing their passion. I am not saying that work is going to be like a fairy tale where everything is good and there are no tough times. There are definitely moments when you feel like quitting even when you are pursuing your passion, or sometimes especially when you are pursuing it because it is just so difficult.

My question is how do you know what you are passionate about when you have not been exposed to more experiences? Having good academics, in Singapore, grants you the opportunity to be exposed to more experiences. Talk about overseas attachment programs, internships or even participating in a certain CCA in school. They allow you to better discover your passion.

Most people figure out what they want to do while they are studying in University. That is the period when you are exposed to the more of the experiences I have mentioned above. How does one get into University? Having good academics. Study hard so that you may be exposed to more experiences that may help you discover your passion.

5. Expand your network

Let me put it this way, school becomes more fun the older you get. We often hear University students complaining about their lives but you should also know that most of them thoroughly enjoy their time. This is because you make life-long friends in University. To get into University, you have to most likely do well in JC or Poly. Working backwards, you should be able to see the reason why doing well in O levels is so important.

Conclusion

These are the 5 reasons that helped me work harder for my academics since Secondary school days. I hope they help you as much as they did for me.