When Mr Anil Raj first sat in a Republic Polytechnic classroom, a full-time engineering student at the age of 37, he was older than his lecturer. The students around him, many half his age, often asked, “How come you in poly so late ah?”
It wasn’t said with malice, Mr Anil said, just curiosity. The unspoken story behind the question, however, was years in the making.
“I was working 60 hours a week to get what a fresh graduate would get in 44 hours,” said Mr Anil, now 40 years old. “And that’s when it hit me that I had reached my ceiling.”
Mr Anil’s life has been anything but linear. After completing his GCE ‘O’ Levels at Kuo Chuan Presbyterian Secondary School, he enrolled in Ngee Ann Polytechnic and dropped out after a year. He then served his national service, after which, without the luxury of financial stability, he jumped straight into the workforce.
And so began a winding career that touched nearly every part of the service sector.
Predominantly, he worked in food and beverage – his first and enduring calling. Over two decades, he wore every hat: waiter, chef, dishwasher, bartender, manager. He also dabbled in credit card sales, worked as a travel agent in the sales department for inbound tourists, and did whatever odd jobs that would pay the bills.
“I’ve always worked with my hands,” he said. “I realised early on that I couldn’t do typical 9-to-5 jobs. I need that freedom. For me, it’s about delivering the product, not sitting behind a desk for hours.”
That practicality and craftsman’s mindset would eventually lead him to engineering. But getting there wasn’t easy.
“Starting school at 37? You question yourself all the time. Your intelligence, your stamina. The kids around me were so quick, and I wasn’t. I questioned my choices all the time,” Mr Anil admitted.
Still, he stayed the course. A pivotal moment came when he was selected for an internship at Anan National College of Technology in Japan, where he got his first taste of real-world engineering. His meticulous work stood out enough to earn him a spot as a contributing author on a research paper presented at the Society of Instrument and Control Engineers conference.
“I’m not trying to build the next SpaceX or Tesla. Honestly, I look at my age and the time it takes to specialise in engineering, and I think I’m past my prime already. But being competent matters to me.”
Today, Mr Anil is preparing to kickstart his undergraduate journey at the Singapore Institute of Technology in September, where he’ll continue his studies in mechanical engineering. He has applied for financial aid to help cover his tuition fee and is living with his mother.
As he awaits the start of school again, he keeps busy by working on engineering projects with his friends from polytechnic to keep his brain active.
While focusing on himself, the sacrifices he made have been real, he said.
“Hanging out with friends? That’s something I gave up. Sometimes you just don’t have the time or money. You realise your friends are moving into different phases of life – marriage, kids, careers – and you’re trying to pass your next exam,” he said with a laugh.
Mr Anil has learned what many professionals take decades to realise – that experience is valuable, yes, but formal education still opens doors that hard work alone often cannot.
“There’s still value in getting a degree,” he said. “It’s not just about experience, you need both especially if you’re starting late.” In a society that idolises early success, Mr Anil’s story is a reminder that life is not linear and sometimes, the second act is where the real story begins.
