Cho Jun Ming failed his N-Levels on his first try at age 16, which meant he was left with extremely limited options for higher education. We asked him how he picked himself up and found out he found inspiration and support in the most unexpected places.
“I locked myself in my room and I skipped going out. I just cried.”Q: Hi Jun Ming, thank you for coming back on to share your story. Can you tell us what it felt like when you first found out that you had failed your N-Levels? What did you do that very day and in the weeks after?
A: When I first received my N-Level results, I fainted. My best friend helped me up. And what did I do next? I locked myself in my room and I skipped going out. I just cried.
Why do you think you failed your N-Level exams? Was it simply lack of preparation for the examination or something else much bigger?
It was because I didn’t really study. I hated studying and I mixed with a company of friends who also didn’t study. Every day we would just hang outside and create troubles.
How then did you figure out your next steps after failing the exam? How long did it take you to figure that out and who or what helped you get over it?
My teacher proposed, after I failed, that I either go to ITE [Institute of Technical Education] or, since I don’t like to study, I just don’t study. I chose ITE. And ITE [which has some stigma for having the worst students in Singapore and was said to stand for “It’s The End” in a local film] is actually not the end. Around 1 year into ITE, it was my supportive classmates who helped me achieve my dreams in film-making.
What was your routine like when you were trying to get back on your feet again? What did you do on weekdays and what did you do on weekends?
I started watching film tutorials on YouTube and on my free days I would go do some part-time acting and when even more free, I would go to the gym and build my physical body to be a person with a healthy lifestyle.
Did you have any further setbacks during that period? If so, how did you move past those?
Yes. Because I don’t come from a film school, not many people wanted to support me in terms of lending me their equipment or giving me funding. I just used my own pocket money and didn’t eat and used it to pay my cast. For equipment, I just borrowed it from ITE.
Which 3 objects or people were most useful to you during the above time period, when you were trying to get back on your feet?
It’s more people. 1) My classmates. 2) My lecturers. 3) My dad—my dad often talked to me during that time.
What did you learn from failing your N-Levels that you didn’t know before? How have you changed as a person?
I think learning how to be like my friends and studying hard, because academics is very important. Because I never studied and I failed, this is the thing I didn’t know. Or rather I knew but didn’t care. How did I change as a person? I understood I wasn’t good in academics, so right now I am pursuing my passion.
If you could go back and replay your time with the N-Levels all over again, what would you do differently?
Definitely study in the library with classmates who will not hang out with friends and create troubles outside.
What advice do you have for those who are presently coping with the failure to pass their N-Levels too?
Yes, academics are very important and you should be sad, you should be depressed, because all these emotions will make you learn and make you become a stronger person in the future. So you cannot avoid that. Move on and be positive, find the thing that you love and do the thing that you love. And one day, people will eventually give you their support.
What’s the worst advice you’ve been given, or have heard people giving? And what’s the best?
Worst advice was when I wanted to make a film and was told to face the reality and go home, and I was told that making films doesn’t earn much and that I have no talent. Best are any of the responses I’ve gotten from my films, positive ones that tell me it’s shaped their lives and changed their children’s lives, asking me to carry on and chase for my dreams and create positive change.
Lastly, what are your present goals now and who can we interview to help you achieve those?
My goals right now are to represent Singapore in international film festivals. And who you can interview I think would be those industry professional movie directors, Boo Junfeng, Anthony Chen, Jack Neo, people like them because they’ve been through it and have more experience and they can advise.
Jun Ming is presently working on a film about Chinese Fengshui and hopes to be able to send it to international film festivals eventually. You can find out about his films at his Facebook page or ask him about failing N-Levels using the comment box below.
Other interviews with Jun Ming:
What It’s Like Being Older Than 20
What It’s Like Losing A Father Before Age 20
More interviews with those who have triumphed over adversity here.
Photographs courtesy and copyright of Cho Jun Ming. Interviewer: Sy
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Life is hard. It is harder if you are stupid.
Wasting an opportunity to have an education is not a good way to begin a successful career in any field of endeavor. Be smart and take advantage of educational opportunities. Many children would love to go to school but cannot, usually due to family poverty.
If you are going to be dumb, you better be strong!
Cool interview! Thanks for dropping by @coffeecassio!
The flip side is that even a good education doesn’t guarantee a successful career these days, unfortunately. It’s complicated.
Thanks for dropping by too, Clare! 🙂