Romeo Tan, Who Has A Nitec & A Poly Diploma, Says He Used To Feel Embarrassed When His Friends Brought Up Their Academic Qualifications

In the wake of the recent release of the O-Level examination results, Romeo Tan took to his Instagram to share a message that's deeply personal to him,

The 36-year-old actor revealed that he did not sit for the O-Levels. Instead, he took the N-Levels when he was in Secondary Four, before going on to ITE, where he got his Nitec in Multimedia Technology with a 3.9 GPA.

After that, he went on to Nanyang Polytechnic, and graduated with a diploma in Digital Media Design.

“Although I got my diploma, after entering the workforce, every time my friends brought up their results back in school, I would still feel embarrassed, and would even avoid [the topic],” Romeo wrote.

A netizen shared that it's not easy to get a certificate of merit like Romeo did

He went on to reveal that he felt “even more insignificant” after becoming a celeb ‘cos there are "too many outstanding people in the industry”, and that it made him feel as if he wasn’t a good fit in showbiz.

However, he eventually managed to face up to his weaknesses, and become even stronger. Instead of feeling out of place, he managed to find a way to become confident again.

“You can say that I found my confidence from the entertainment industry,” he wrote.

Words of wisdom

“Now, as a public figure, I would like to emphasise once again, “Academic qualifications might be important, but it’s not everything”! Even now, I still constantly remind myself about this statement. Who doesn’t have a past of their own? What’s important is that right now, are you doing well? If you’re not doing well, it’s time to start working hard for yourself,” he wrote.

“Don't be held back by the academic qualifications you attained in your childhood ‘cos the results of your future is dependent on what steps you choose to take from now on,” Romeo added.

Many netizens have agreed with the actor’s wise words.

"Thank [you] for being such an inspiring motivation to the younger generation. As a celebrity with immense influence on the young, this helps them understand that though we cannot change our past, we certainly can change our future if we only put in effort,” one netizen wrote.

Photos: Romeo Tan/Instagram