The Best of Both Worlds

Marcus Lee Mun Seng, 18, is a Hybrid stream student in Catholic Junior College. He is currently studying History, Economics, and Mathematics at H2 level, with Physics as his H1 subject.

Under the GCE A-level curriculum, students are offered subjects examined at Higher 1 (H1), Higher 2 (H2) and Higher 3 (H3) levels.

“I knew very early on that my strengths and interests lay in humanities, but my family was insistent that I shouldn’t take the Arts [stream] as they thought it would limit my job options in the future, so I opted for the Hybrid [stream],” said Marcus.

According to data by the Ministry of Education, the enrollment number of Science stream students in JC has always been higher than that of Arts over the years.

In 2017, the enrollment numbers of Science and Arts stream students were 12,411 and 2,427 respectively.

Based on a survey conducted by TheUrbanWire, 58 out of 100 Hybrid stream students enrolled in the Science stream while 42 enrolled in the Arts stream at their point of entry in JC.

For Hybrid stream students, they are required to take an equal number of two Arts and Science subjects each.

Marcus has a clear path in mind and recognizes the importance of taking H2 Mathematics. “I want to build a strong foundation before continuing Economics in university,” he said.

After his A-level examination, he plans to further his studies in the United Kingdom to major in Political Science and Economics in university.

Ng Xinxuan, 18, also has a goal in mind when choosing the Hybrid stream. She is currently a student in Jurong Pioneer Junior College with Geography, Economics, and Mathematics as her H2, and Chemistry as her H1.

“I was contemplating between taking Science and Arts,” Xinxuan said. Hence, she took the Hybrid stream to “find a balance between the two streams”.

She managed to grasp “knowledge on both analytical and writing skills” which would allow her to “excel in the workforce”.

When she enters university, she intends on pursuing a major related to Social Sciences or Business Management in hopes of becoming an events manager in the future.

Christina Lee, 18, is a Hybrid stream student with Chemistry, Economics, and Math as her H2, with History as her H1. She is currently studying at Tampines Meridian Junior College.

“I’m still unsure of what I want my career to be so I chose to take the Hybrid stream to have more choices when I head to university,” she said.

Although she does not have a clear goal on what she wants to major in university yet, she is keeping her options open by taking the Hybrid stream.

“If you know what to pursue in the future, then go for it. But for those who are unsure, then Hybrid would be a good choice as there is a good balance of both,” she advised.