I have been working for a few years now and am thinking of pursuing further studies, both to slow down in life and to add new skills.

I am undecided on whether I should be studying something that I really like but may not make me more marketable than before, and studying something in line with the skills in demand, which I neither dislike or am passionate about.

Fees for masters or post-grad studies are really not cheap. Coupled with the income loss in the sabbatical year, its a decision that needs to be carefully deliberated.

Netizens’ comments

1. So have you decided on the career path yet or are you still discovering and learning about yourself? If is the former, I think the answer is obvious what you gonna do next. If it is the latter which I think you belong to that, I don’t think it is worth spending money and time on further studies until you understand yourself better on what you really want to do in your life.
   • I am still in the exploratory stage. But how long should this phase last? Entering into 30s soon, which is a time that I think is the phase of life to be in a industry to deep specialise. But I don’t seem to know enough of a world out of my current job (with the organisation since graduation).
     I am personally interested in psychology, particularly clinical psychology and mental health related issues. But I do not have a psychology background and I am not sure how much job opportunities are there in this field since it is quite a mature field.
2. I’m of the opinion that whatever you study if you have a few employable skills you’ll never have trouble making money. If anything it’s easier to find a high paying niche.
   I did a diploma in mass comm at a poly, then a degree in computer science at an Australian uni and now I’m doing a part-time MSc. in neuroscience at NTU out of interest. I’ve worked in ed-tech startups, private education institutions, and a corporate consultancy in mixed roles requiring a mix of technical and management expertise.
   I also recommend doing your masters part-time while having a job because the slower pace will not only allow you to consolidate what you learn better but you’ll have more time to think of applying it in your career. It’ll also be easier on finances.
   For example, I’m doing a module now on using neural networks to understand brain activity and because I’m only taking 1 module a semester I can take a udacity course on machine learning to implement neural networks on the side to supplement my learning and turn what I learn into a more employable skill.
   Lifelong learning and being able to guide your own learning to get the type of employment you want is going to an essential skill going forward so think about your interests, aptitudes and the kind of employment situation you want before selecting a path of learning for yourself. The local unis here are offering micro masters pathways now too so look into that and try out a course first if you’re not sure.

Growing old together or Growing up together

Is it common for me to have no more admiration towards my husband anymore?

i feel that i am constantly upgrading & improving myself in terms of knowledge and body physique but he is still behaving like the boy i met 15 years ago, playing games and earning 2k per month.

“Where is the nail clipper?”

“Where is the toilet paper?”

“Where is the laptop charger?”

He is lazy. All these things are kept at the same place since day one. He knows where but is just too lazy to move his ass to go get them himself.

“A good relationship is when both of you grow and improve together” Apparently i am the only one growing and improving, to a point that i think i can do almost everything myself.

I used to think that he is humorous but his jokes are no longer funny to me now. I used to think that he is self-motivated because he kept telling me about his dreams and aspirations when we were dating.. but now he tells me that a 2k salary is enough for a family of 3.

Usually the wife will look up to her husband like as if he is her universe right? Like a hero who protects the family… but he has nothing for me to look up to.

In fact, i am starting to despise him already. I used harsh words like “parasite” “stupid” and “useless” on him hoping that he can wake up but sad to say it does not affect him at all.

“Useless then useless loh. The most useful person in the world is you.” Thats what he said. He said that i have changed. Yes i admit, but it is definitely for the better.

Seeing him irks me so much.. i rejected all his sexual advances.

Need some advice on how to motivate a spouse who is delusional and lazy? Divorce is not an option now as we have a kid that is only 3 years old.

How common is to get scammed on tinder by men?

I have been talking to a guy for almost two weeks, he apparently is 32, he’s really handsome to be real. He told me, we will do many things in the future but has not asked me out yet. And he even thought I was fake.

Yeah he tells he works a lot, I don’t know if it’s customary in Singapore to talk for some time online and then meet in person?

I search for his pictures on google and didn’t find them and also I search by his name on Instagram and Facebook and nothing.

He told me the following once which came off as weird to me!

“My hobbies are sports and fitness, listening to music, reading, and occasionally cooking my favorite dishes. At the time that suits my vacation, I choose to travel and see the beautiful things in the world.

Now that I am busy with work every day, I will still take time to observe and analyze the trend of USDT, because my parents and I bought a freehold house here, and our savings are almost exhausted, and my parents are retired.

So the rest of the assets are given to my parents, and it is enough for them to live without worries in their later years.

I am now equal to a new beginning, so am studying USDT every day, and the return it brings me is considerable”

I mean who the hell talks about USDT to a girl?

Netizens’ comments

• Yeah it’s obviously a scam. Most likely a China individual google translating to English too
  • The person has a Singapore number; we communicate over WhatsApp
    • Yeah they have to use a Singapore number as part of the scam, otherwise it would be too obvious. Their preference is usually to speak in Chinese, but when I faced such a scammer before and forced them to communicate in English, they just google translate (it’s quite obvious with the sentence structuring
    • yeah kena also. the sg number is fake one

Currently working part time, and agent wants to change terms of contract and make me re-sign the contract.

Currently working for a contract freelancer job and last week, my agent informed me that the working hours were changed from a friday-wednesday work week to monday to friday one, but did not ask me to sign a new contract.

However, only today he informed me that a new contract has to be signed and OT pay is only applicable in this new contract after 44 hours are reached, whereas in the previous contract, it was after working hours that was paid OT pay.

Netizens’ comments

• Lol. Tell him no.
  • yea im planning to just not sign the new contract since it just fucks me over, just not sure of any repercussions
    • at most terminate u lor
    • oh thats fine its a temp job and im at the end of the contract anyway. just wondering if theres anything i can do if they dont pay the amt that im supposed to recieve
• O there are part time jobs that pays OT beyond regular hours? I’ve never seen that. All the ones I’ve done are after 44hours
  • that was what the original contract stated ah from the contract: In the event the Freelancer is required to provide additional service hours after official work hours, the additional service hours shall be paid at 1.5 X after official work hours per week. Work done on an off day is 1.5x and rest day is at 2.0 X.

I was unlucky to have an insurance agent as my hitch driver and she made me sign this Great Eastern Savings Plan where I have to save $10/day ($300/m) for 10 years.

And during that period, I will not be able to withdraw my money at all.

At that point of time, I was too tired and just signed it without thinking much. Before signing, I tried to tell her I wasn’t interested but she kept insisting.

I also asked if I could choose to cancel the plan after signing and shs said yes.

After I got back home, I realised that the plan isn’t worth it at all and I would like to cancel the plan. I messaged the insurance agent about it and she said that she will come by my area to help with the cancellation.

Should I just call the customer service to cancel the plan? Or do I wait for her to come by to help with the cancellation?

I regret not being firm enough to tell her that I do not want to sign the plan

Netizens’ comments

• Just call customer care and cancel
• Just call GE to cancel. Don’t need to meet the FA.
• There should be a free look period. Just call in and cancel. Or send in an email. In fact sending in an email would be better, since there’s a black and white digital trail at least.

We have been dating for about 3 years and this person is my first…

For the first time in 3 years, we are planning to go on a vacation trip soon within the next month or 2 since I have also just graduated. We agreed on going Dutch btw.

However, there is this one thing that stands between us.

I would like to book a specific seat on the plane so that we are assured to have a couple’s seat.

He refused, citing that we can still get couple seat so long as we “reach earlier” (Is this claim even true even if it means being the first passenger arrived for the flight? – My last trip on airplane was 5).

The cost for booking a specific seat is like less than $10. Btw, this trip involved transitting in another airport (Both Transitting and Destination Airports are within Malaysia border only).

In contrast, the opt-in travel insurance cost $20, which this other party willing to pay (I don’t and I refused to add this into my ticket).

I am quite confused now.

I would like to hear how would you feel and react if your boyfriend / girlfriend refused to pay a few more pennies in exchange of an assured couple seat in the (inarugural) couple trip.

Here are what netizens think:

• Buy travel insurance but never the one bundled with your air tickets. Buy it separately.

• Get the travel insurance. It’s no brainer. You’ll thank me later if something happens like cancelled flights or lost luggage. The seating thing is easy. Go to the damn check-in counter TOGETHER and as early as check in opens (usually 2hrs before flight departs depends on the airline) and do a group check-in. The counter person will for sure try to seat you together. You’ll usually get your boarding pass for all connecting flights at check-in so you shouldn’t worry about transit. Don’t ever bother paying for a specific seat unless you’re flying with infant.

• Travel insurance is a must. Please get a basic one at least. Your partner is right about checking-in earlier to ensure being assigned seats together, but even if you guys don’t, it is fine isn’t it?

“Gambling or investing? Here to seek some points of view. There’s a Chinese ‘investment’ app (cannot be found on the app/play store and only be downloaded through a link) that allows the user to put in a minimum sum of money to be used as a real time investment.

The ‘investing’ works by asking its users to make a bet on the number that would be generated in each 3 minute cycle. People would place their bets whether it’s a big/small and even/odd number and the cycle would close, and the results will be announced immediately. And how do you put in money in the app? You have to go through a broker who would ask its users to transfer the money into somewhat random bank accounts and the broker will put in the money into the app.

How did I came to know so much? Because a guy I recently met online (here’s my share of online dating stories) whom we hit it off quite well, and he was doing these ‘calculations’ every night. Wondering why, I asked and he said that he was counting the probability of numbers to predict for each cycle in the investment app and elaborated the above methods. He said that he doesn’t blindly make a guess but predicts based on calculating the most probable outcome. Just to highlight that I am Singaporean and the guy is a Chinese National but I am not discriminating anything about people from this country (if not we would’ve matched) but the mention of it is to bring all to know that the investment platform is a Chinese one and locals like me definitely would not have heard or be familiar of it.

He then said that he wanted to teach me how this works (back then I didn’t know anything that he’s trying to say) and I agreed. The red flag was raised only when I realised that he started telling me that it involves me putting money (and then more money) to make the investment more worth it. Of course I did not agree to it.

So now, what do you all think. Is this some kind of ploy by the guy to get me hooked on to this ‘investment’? Or is this sort of gambling instead?”

Here are what netizens think:

• Sounds like a scam where by the system decides small/big based on whichever has higher total bets. This allows the owner to earn the differences between the imbalance of the amount. Quite elegant actually, cause to a bystander it might seem like 50-50. Any attempts to predict the system is mute if the outcome is based on the input. Investing is only when you know where your money is going, and how it generates more money. Aka owning a piece of a company, used to loan to another company etc etc

• Scamming lah

• No it not investing Nor gambling. You just a carrot head ready for harvesting.

• There are thousands of “China/Taiwan/HK” guys and girls on dating apps running these scams. They will spend time to talk to you nicely about normal stuff, and slide investment/trading/forex in after awhile with legit looking earnings.

“When you hear the term “Financial Consulting” or “Finance Consultant”, as Singaporeans,

the first few impressions that come to our mind are the persistent agents that stops you in shopping center when you are having dinner at Jurong Point or when you simply taking the MRT from Boon Lay Station.

Our instincts when we see a red banner/stand is naturally to take a longer detour to get to the next point or brave through the “Hi, can you help us do a quick survey?”, the “Have you started working?” and yada yada.

We all thought that there was no way which they could intrude our personal life in the comforts of our home, as the saying goes “when there’s a will, there’s a way”. As the world undergoes a digital transformation, the insurance industry, not one to be left in the dust, has formulated innovative means to “help us get rich” or guilt-tripping us into thinking we are not doing enough for ourselves or our family.

Let’s be honest here, our social media are flooded nowadays by those very same agents and the content is pretty typical; either them flaunting their successes and wealth or the up-and-coming “advisers” trying to flex their investment knowledge and bombarding your newsfeed with market news and interactions with clients.

Having a curious mind in investment/finance, I actually do not mind the “financial consultants” as they are actually a good source of market news if you do your fact check.

But oh boy, did my views change drastically after my interaction with this particular financial advisor from NBS, he is persistently posting “advice” or “101 tutorials” on his IG/LinkedIn, they are basically investment nuggets and tips.

Initially, he shared some really interesting topics online and I found them engaging as I do have a strong interest in the field of finance/investment. I tried to google certain topics that he has shared for my own learning purpose. Hell no, the financial advisor must have wished that I wasn’t that much of a “busybody” (but I prefer the term curious).

I discovered that this particular financial advisor has been very kindly providing his finance/investment advice from other sources online, without referencing or paraphrasing them. It is a literal copy and paste. ALL of his LinkedIn posts are copied. I always thought that NTU is a top-rate educational institution, which really made me think about how he has managed to pass his modules in NBS given that students are not encouraged to copy works of others due to plagiarism.

What really takes the cake is the fact that he passes off this “advice” as his own and heck, he even have clients/followers thanking him for the advice!

Personally, I used to have nothing against these agents as I always believe that everyone in one way or another is just trying to survive, you got to do what you got to do.

Being a student, we definitely have peers or classmates who are “financial consultants”, and we should not fault them for calling themselves consultants as not everyone is good enough to be a BlackRock Banker or join a top and legitimate consulting firm.

It takes courage to pretend to be something else you are not.”

A man posted a story on Facebook seeking for finance advise after he his parents refuse to pay their outstanding loans and plans to run away.

The parents who are over $100,000 in debt often spend money on investment gurus and useless items.

Here is the story:

“Hi I would like to seek some advice and i hope the admins can put this up cause I really need it.

A and B just graduated and managed to secure jobs with $3XXX salaries.

A is from a low income family. A’s household debt crosses 100000. His parents aren’t well educated, cannot read english, and have a bit of mental issues like schizo/OCD/anger issues so they don’t take advice from him and are unwilling to change/pick up new skills. They are nearing 60 and have not paid their housing loan, and they demand that A should give all his salary to them. However, A’s parents often waste the money by gambling/buying useless things/getting cheated by insurance/investment gurus. A’s parents have many credit cards and do not even know how much they owe the banks.

A attended university on a scholarship. A has a younger sibling who is going to start university soon. A wants to save money for the younger sibling to attend university but does not know how to deal with the debt. A asked his friend B to lend him money ($10k), but B is hesitant to lend to A. A says he wants to abandon his family and move out and leave his parents to deal with their own debt. A studied engineering and has tried to learn about debt/finance/insurance but is afraid his knowledge is not enough. B also does not have such knowledge but wants to help. Is A left to deal with his parent’s debt for the rest of his life? Does debt from parents pass on to the children?

-What schemes are there to help people like A?

-Are there non government schemes to help A? Like from a mosque/church/charity group? Where can A find financial advice (for free) from trusted people who are not trying to sell anything?

-Should B lend money to A?

-Should B get involved at all?

thank you very much”