Two-time failure and a detour: How a man found his path to academic excellence, life purpose
The TL;DR: After repeating his second year at Millennia Institute without success, Mr Radin Andika Radin Kamaruzaman defied societal expectations and embarked on a journey of self-discovery and growth.
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Mr Radin graduating with a diploma with merit in mechanical engineering from Ngee Ann Polytechnic.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RADIN ANDIKA
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SINGAPORE – At 19 years old, Mr Radin Andika Radin Kamaruzaman felt like his world was collapsing.
He had failed most of his subjects in his second year at Millennia Institute (MI) – for the second time – despite cutting back on his Student Council responsibilities and co-curricular activities (CCA).
Since that low point seven years ago, Mr Radin has turned his life around. Now 26, he recently graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic (NP) with a diploma with merit in mechanical engineering, and began his career as a police officer.
These achievements come after a period of self-discovery and acceptance, with unwavering support from his family and others around him.
Feeling lost after his setback at MI, Mr Radin turned to an education and career guidance (ECG) counsellor who helped him identify his strengths, particularly in physics, and different pathways such as studying for a diploma in a private school or sitting the A-level examination as a private candidate.
To explore his options further, Mr Radin consulted ECG counsellors from different polytechnics on which courses suited him. He eventually decided that mechanical engineering was the right fit for him, after the counsellor at NP walked him through his personality test results.
The next challenge was telling his parents that he had decided to quit MI for NP. He feared letting them down by deviating from the preferred A levels-to-university path that his elder sister had taken.
“It was one of the darkest times in my life, as I faced a lot of self-doubt and was worried about disappointing my parents.”
After hearing how the polytechnic route would better align with his strengths than MI, his parents eventually supported him – but on the condition that he complete this two years of national service first.
They felt that NS would help him “mature” and “refocus on what is important”.
During his two years of national service, Mr Radin (fourth from right) found a passion to serve the country.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RADIN ANDIKA
NS was transformative in his journey, helping him to mature and gain a deeper sense of self-acceptance.
Meeting people of different backgrounds made him realise that “everyone’s path is different, and I need not be ashamed of mine just because I took a detour”.
He was particularly inspired by his Officer Commanding, who often used the phrase “If not you, then who?” to get recruits to step up and take initiative.
Said Mr Radin: “I wanted to do something which would make my life more meaningful and fulfilling. That was when I thought of joining the police force.”
Beyond life lessons, some of his army mates who had studied in polytechnics also shared tips on managing the workload.
Armed with a renewed sense of purpose and practical advice, Mr Radin was ready to embark on his new journey at NP.
During his course, he took the advice of his army mates, such as prioritising school work over CCAs and aiming to do well in all assignments. He kept track of workload-heavy weeks and project deadlines.
He also formed study groups with different friends, where they cross-checked one another’s work and shared suggestions to improve their grades – a system that kept everyone accountable.
In his second year, Mr Radin received the Home Team Diploma Sponsorship. It supports driven and resilient students from the five polytechnics who share the Singapore Police Force‘s mission to keep the country safe and secure.
The sponsorship covered most of his tuition fees in exchange for a four-year bond as a police officer after graduation.
Mr Radin (right) studied with friends to ensure accountability in their studies.
PHOTO: COURTESY OF RADIN ANDIKA
Getting the sponsorship was a relief for Mr Radin, whose father had suffered a stroke before he entered polytechnic and was unable to work for a period of time.
In his first year at NP, Mr Radin worked part-time at Decathlon to contribute to the family’s finances.
“Even though my sister is working, I did not want her to fully shoulder the burden of providing for the family,” he said.
The part-time job helped improve his conversational skills and taught him how to maintain professionalism regardless of his emotions.
Despite the challenges, Mr Radin maintained a near-perfect grade point average throughout his three-year course.
On what pushed him to persevere, he said: “My family is my motivation. If they did not give up on me, how can I give up on myself?”
He now aspires to become an outstanding police officer, a far cry from the lost and hopeless 19-year-old he once was.
