#26 | Getting into Uni & My SMU Interview Experience.

Hey guys! How are you doing? Sorry for the month long absence, just didn't have fresh content that was ready for upload and I have been saving this post till I had my thoughts organised and finish attending to other stuff in life.

An update in life, my holidays are finally ending as I would soon (or have already started to) embark on a new chapter in life. I have chosen to complete a business degree at SMU for the next 4 years and so far I am not regretting a single bit. Arriving at this decision was not easy as I was constantly torn between the thought of having a hall life or being able to check back into my own bed every night. (You can tell what my priorities are)

Today's post is really a concise breakdown about how I arrived to my decision, tips for future University-goers, and more importantly help out people/juniors who are intending to apply for SMU. Thought that doing up a post like this would be helpful as before my interview, I tried so hard to find relevant tips and experiences shared online, but there were too few detailed posts to make me feel prepared and assured. I'll try to give less stats, this ain't a report right?

T H I N G S   T O   C O N S I D E R   F O R   U N I V E R I S T Y

1. Costs 

With all honesty, my family is not exactly rich but I would not consider myself to fall in the low-income range. Just your very average Singaporean family. Regardless, no matter what my family's financial standing is, money is something that you would not be upset about if you had more than less. To get my typical business degree in a local university, there were just that few choices - NUS, NTU, SMU, uniSIM (Arranged according to their course costs from lowest to the highest) 

As from 2015 for business degrees, NUS is charging SGD$7,600, NTU charges SGD$9,150, SMU charges SGD$11,200, whereas uniSIM charges about $14,400. (All inclusive of government subsidies. Prices might vary for different year and types of business course you take up)

Other than school fees, if I intend to stay in the Halls of NUS or NTU, that would be additional cost of between $200 to $500 monthly. As I live in the East side, travelling to NTU and NUS is really not convenient and would lead to higher transportation costs. These are just some of the many monetary issues to consider.

2. Time and Convenience

Time and distance issues was one of the crux of my decision. Travelling to and fro from one end of Singapore to another is no fun. I take into consideration about the morning classes that I might have and how I would need to jump into the sardine-tin cabins in the morning riles me. I'm a very time-conscious person, and knowing how I would need to spend about 3 hours a day just travelling to school and back seems like something too out of the way for me. And there were many what ifs moment like, what if I only had one lesson on that day? What if I just needed to return school for a meeting? What if I just needed to meet the prof just for a consultation? It seems too much of an inconvenience for me. 

Another factor is the flexibility of the timetable. All university practice this bidding-system thing where you get to arrange your own timetable to fit your schedule. Which I, at first, did not really like the idea of it. After actually bidding for my courses, I have learn to loved it as it meant that I get to spend my time more efficiently in school and not have huge unwanted breaks and get longer rest days! From many of the advice that I have received, SMU was the school that provided more flexibility to their students to really plan their time out, considering how we have one 3 hours class per subject instead of breaking them down into a lecture and another tutorial class. I appreciate that as it meant lesser time in school, more time for me to work (part-time), join CCAs / groups or even travel in between, sounds like a lot of freedom.

3. Reputation and School Culture

Here comes a very controversial topic, that I will try my best to be very objective about. Supposedly, NUS is considered to be the best university in Singapore followed by NTU and SMU. However, that is only the case if we are looking the school in general and not course-rankings. Numbers are just numbers, sometimes it is best to hear from the actual people going through the real deal right? 

So I did ask around, I did not have that many friends in NUS but from what I hear, other than it being difficult to enter the courses, you will have a hard time surviving there as NUS is home to many local and foreign scholars. NUS, undoubtedly the best university in Singapore, is not only the oldest, the biggest and also have the largest student body. They have been placed 22nd in the world and 1st in Asia. Its business school is AACBS and EQUIS (An accreditation system for business school around the world) accreditied. (Means that they are recognised as a good school) The forte of NUS seems more to be on their medical and engineering courses.

As for NTU, they do seem like they have lesser scholars, school life seems to be more exciting here than NUS, however Hall activities here seem to be really draining. NTU is ranked 39th globally and 4th best in Asia, particularly for Nanyang Business School, it is 66th in the world and 1st in Singapore. The catch about NTU business degree is that it only requires 3 years of your time instead of the usual 4 and the really attractive part is that you WILL graduate with direct honors. (Which means to say.. no matter what grade you get, as long as you pass, you will get an honors degree. Suddenly don't feel so special. Lol) Both of the universities, from what I hear and read, are very theory based and place more emphasis on your final exams. 

SMU on the other hand is almost like NUS but with lots more fun. Unlike the education system that NUS and NTU follows, SMU models after an American style system that supports a more flexible and hands-on education - very much similar to poly. SMU is also one of the youngest university to be accredited by the oldest global accrediting body, AACBS International. Lee Kong Chian School (aka School of Business in SMU) is also one of the youngest to be accredited for 5 years running by EQUIS. I mean for a school that young (celebrating our 15th this year) and already recognised that fast is quite a feat right? There must be something they are doing right and good for them to gain such a title and fame in such a short span of time huh. 

I've also started asking people around me, random sets of people which included my dentists, for their opinions. I was really expecting to hear NUS and NTU business more than SMU, but out of 10, 7 recommended SMU saying how they have friend's kids there and are enjoying themselves. Even my Mum's friends' daughters are in SMU and seem to enjoy studying there. Hmph. 

4. Exchange Programmes

Unfortunately, I did not choose to do an overseas internship nor did I do any overseas activities in my Poly days. However, even before I have entered university, I was all about their exchange programmes (summer exchange, term exchange, OCIP etc) that allow students to study abroad in whichever countries that they want to. The common ones are Europes, USA, and as silly as it sounds, I really want to try South Korea. But who knows, I might just change my mind in the future.

I looked up their respective sites and tried to do as much research as possible. All schools seems to give equal opportunities to their students, however it would really depend on your on merits and school record to earn that chance.

5. Which school do you think you'll gain the most from?

This question refers to many aspects, and it really depends on your goals, priorities and overall experience you want to get out of your university choice. Some people would want to have the full campus experience and tryout living away from home (to get more freedom from strict parents, convenience, being able to sleep in, gain independence etc.) Some might just want to choose the fastest way to get a degree, or the easiest way to get a degree - which there really is not many a way to do so. And let's be real, some are about the pride they get from attending top universities. To some, whichever university is fine because they just want to meet as many new friends as possible (*cough* single NS guys, haha kid), while to others who are more studious, they might want to have as much relevant experiences and knowledge as possible to equip themselves for the workforce. 

I know of people who are still rather lost in life (including myself), unsure of what exactly they want to do after graduating. My close ones advised me to just go with the flow and take my time in school to figure out my passions and interests and just figure out at my own pace along the way. There are no rules that states you have to stick to the industry you have studied for - although it is recommended to, so don't feel restricted your choice, its not your final one in life ;)

M Y  S M U  I N T E R V I E W  E X P E R I E N C E

I applied for all schools anyways and the SMU interview would definitely be one of the most nerve-wrecking interview experience for me. As I was previously from poly, we did not have any English related module to attest our language abilities. It was a requirement for us to take upon an English test before the group interview.

I received the notice of my interview date pretty late as I was not in town, and was scheduled for the last day for all interviews - around end April. Then came the day where we were supposed to report at 8.30am, which you can actually don't really need to be on time on, but don't be late as well. All the applicants started to register with their NRIC and were given a slip of paper to know which interview group we are in. We were led to holding rooms and shortly after, at about 9am, we had to take the English tests.

The components for the English test includes a comprehension section that was the standards of a GP paper which we have to complete in 30 minutes, yikes. The passage was about 2 pages long, and my topic was something along the lines of how social media is evolving and that makes people feel more insecure and scared to step out in the real world. Following of which we had to sit for a composition paper where we were given topics/discussion questions and tasked to pick one and write on for 45 minutes. Both papers were back to back with only about 5-10 minutes break in between. I feel that you honestly cannot prepare much for the test as language is not really something that you can work on at the very last minute. We were also informed that the grades of the test does not really affect your overall application results, the interview is the main component.

When you are all done with your papers, you would be given an article to read and then discuss among your interview group mates. The article was on how technology is advancing so much that machines and robots are taking over jobs. The interview would go along the lines of the article. Groups were given about 15-20 minutes to discuss on possible questions that the interviewer might ask or just be awkward.. Which is how most of the groups were because everyone is just vying for that spot.

When the time is up, you will be escorted to your interview room and everyone will sit in the first row with a name placement card in front of you. There will be an interviewer and an assistant in the room to note down who have contributed to the discussion and how often etc. My interviewer was a Caucasian, whom I cannot remember who. He asked many questions relating to the article that we have read and everyone would just voice out their thoughts or lead the group discussions in directions that answers the professor's. The killer question that the professor asked was,"If technology is taking over our jobs, what kind of jobs that are not yet created are there left for us in 10 years time?" The room was for once dead silent. 

The overall experience in short was that everyone was literally biting each other's heads off. It might just be the case for my group, my raising hands to answer questions was just useless, my group mates just shouts the answers out. It just felt like hungry wolfs kept in an enclosure and everyone just fighting for that one piece of chicken when its thrown into our grounds. (Its a tough world out there)

Tip would be to just say whatever that is on your mind and make contribution to the discussion, that's what SMU is looking for - they are after all known for having more outspoken students. Also, you do not really need to wear full formal for the interview, just look smart and neat. Good luck!

But all was well after being nervous about it for 2 weeks, the results were out and I was accepted! Which I was really pleased about because SMU was my first choice. (So my post might be more SMU biased)

Other than the frustrating BOSS bidding system which freshmen need to chill with their e$ and stop inflating the module prices.. Those e$ need to last you till year 4, so SMU students if you are reading this, please don't spoil the market. 

I was very reluctant to go for my FTB (Freshmen Teambuilding Camp), but it turned out great and I was slightly regretful of being unable to make it for the other camps. So if you ever get a chance to go for camps, go for it! It was so much fun and it was great to be able to meet new people before school starts. Other than networking reasons, it just makes you feel more prepared for school and just have better head start for a new chapter in life. 

I shall end off here before I get more philosophical. I guess I have learnt to not take life too seriously, it's okay to not do as well as you thought you would - despite giving your best. Life have a mysterious method of always working out for you. Just believe in yourself, love yourself and others. 

x Sharleen.

#14 | Don't Do Regrets

Hey lovelies, today I would be sharing on some life tips that I have learnt over time, advices from people and also from reading around. Hope it helps and inspires you.

So they say that by 50 you might have hindsight of what decisions are the best for you. But why wait till 50 when you can do start making right decisions and living life to the fullest right now?

Not that I am saying I live the best or "right" life. There is really no clear black and white in life sometimes. It is mostly grey as much as I wished for it to be more clear cut. But we make do with what we can, that's how we are taught. :)

Tip 1: Knowing when to walk away and saying "No!"

Going in strong with this post on being firm with others. In life, many of us are soft hearted and do not wish to offend or leave a bad impression. We allow others to "use us" even if we are all exhausted of good will and mental strength to keep our lives together. A method that I have cultivated on my own to learning when I should walk away from something or someone is to ask myself these 3 questions: 

1) Am I capable to help this person?

2) Am I willing to help this person?

3) Is this person worthy to help?

As much as everyone stresses how life is short, not everyone actually realise that we are all going to die some day, which we do not know when. To cut the chase, time is precious, decide wisely before being a "yes man". You might be able to please someone now, but are you happy at the end of the day from helping? If you are not and your answer is "no" for the above 3 questions, then reject helping that person. But at least have the courtesy to let the person know that you wished you could help but you have too much on your plate to handle. 

Don't be afraid to stand up for yourself and to speak your mind. You can be your own hero, drink some courage potion and save yourself from making up for lost time where you could have used to do more things that you love.

Tip 2: Spend and save wisely

We all need to buy food and necessary household items almost on a daily basis. Sometimes we need to spend on presents for other people and paying bills here and there. As much as we spend, we need to learn how to save. Saving and being thrifty is a virtue. My dad has been trying to instil in me. Successfully or not, I guess I caught his thriftiness bug in a way or another. 

We need to realise that although we "Only Live Once", We cannot splurge on everything that we want in life and then live in debts. We should live within our own means (Something my parents always say). I seldom borrow money from my friends because I do not like to owe people things, it haunts me until I remember to return the money. 

Since we are on this point, there are also the temptations of using credit cards. No matter what they say, it is not free money and no matter how high the limit. Think in a way that if you use it now, you need to work even harder to repay those debts, would you be more willing to swipe that devil in disguise? Living in debt sucks, and I do not wish to carry one as long as I live. I will feel like I am living in fear that the interest rates and deadlines will eventually drown me and I lose control of my finances and life. That would be such a nightmare.

1. So think long and hard on whether it is a need or a want?

2. And if you really really really want it. are there more valuable and cheaper alternatives?

(What my parents always ask me when I want to buy things as a kid)

Think about your retirement, and funds that you might need in the near future. It is hard for me to save a lot as there are always so many things that I want. (cough irony cough). But I will always set aside how much money from my allowance/salary I can spend and the rest I would leave it untouched unless needed to. Don't wait till retirement age then regretting on not saving up earlier. Pre-empt that you might need to pay hospital bills and insurance coverages, household bills and rents etc. 

Though I am no where near a millionaire, I believe that every penny saved, is a penny earned $$$$$$$$! But of course, don't be such a miser as well. Strike a balance! ;)

Tip 3: Travel and fill up your pages

As there is once a quote that goes along the line of "You have never really lived until you have travelled the world." and I cannot agree more with it.

As far as you only live once, you are only young once. So I managed to convince my parents that before the "adult-responsibilities" hit me, allow me to be wilful and explore the world as much as I can. Also another thing that I do when I travel is to keep a travel log book (Which I started not too long ago). I note down the places that I have been to and a short sentence on my feelings and thoughts at that place. I tend to take excessive photos at a location because I wish hard to bring the whole place back with me and to remember each and every corner when I return from my trip. 

The best way to save some money when travelling would be to wait for good deals or make travelling your job. With that being said, I really hope to be able to do an overseas exchange programme, maybe Europe or the US! Either that or maybe get travelling as part of my job. But of course I will not do something long term as I am pretty sure I would miss home and my fam fam and friends a lot. 

The world is indeed your oyster., So go somewhere and experience the food and culture, talk to the people, know how is life over there. Travel and look around instead of looking at other people's pictures from your smart phone. Trust me on this, nothing beats going down to the place and experience it all, returning with stories to share and getting excited over. 

Tip 4: Start living healthily

You do not want to be bed ridden and then regret how you wish you wore a knee guard or took better precautions. You will not want to eat all the junk food without thinking and then to regret when you start having breathing difficulties and been diagnose with heart problems. Hahaha just drawing some worse case scenarios, but this is no laughing matter. (*clears throat and acts serious*)

Not that we should totally cut from all unhealthy things, we can eat them, but maybe not regularly. Before reaching out for that instant food, consider if it is for convenience or an excuse for laziness? Look into the nutritional facts of your food labels and get to know what exactly you are consuming and getting out from the food that you are eating. Do your own cooking if you can, so as to exercise portion control and amount of sugars/salt/msg etc that goes into your food.

And if you are planing to lose weight, it is so true to say that it is all about 20% exercise and 80% diet. Other than eating healthier, exercising is an important component that should not be neglected. If you're not able to commit to a full 2 hour gym session like me, try starting slow with 20-40 minutes mini workout sessions at home or jogging around the neighbourhood.

Activities such as swimming and jogging works best to lose weight in more than one part of your body as they use different muscles. Also, try out some weight lifting or anti-gravity exercises to work on your core. Your core, back and abdominal muscles, is important to help you in everyday tasks.

v

On one last note, I wish you all the best in living a purposeful life.
With high hopes that I will not disappoint my future self as well.
Here's to the future, here's to us.

Love yourself and others,
X Sharleen

#8 | Grateful // Concentration Camps and More

HEY! How are you doing? Its been so so long since I have posted. I know I have missed out October's updates, I'll do that together with November.

Today.. I wanna talk about something that I feel strongly about. Being grateful.

It is easy to say that you are grateful for something, however the act of actually feeling grateful is usually not shown by many. (Before you think I am going to bitch about someone here, ah-ah not today)

So I was reading my morning news, and I came upon " C O N C E N T R A T I O N   C A M P S". And my thought to myself was like.. this still exists? Like I know about the holocaust thing and how it happened during the WW2, but I mean in today's world? Where there are modern societies everywhere and so much medical advancements etc? (I am a very curious kid)

So I did my small scale research to satisfy this thirst to know more, and H O L Y. There are still so many out there, and the worst part was the ways they torture and treat their prisoners. I would call these places, hell on earth.

So let me share some of these new found knowledge with you:
(Also I do not want to include any image as I feel that we should still respect these people in the camps)

1. What is a concentration camp?

- It is a place which large number of people (Especially political prisoners, members of minorities etc) deliberately imprisoned in a relatively small area with inadequate facilities. They are sometimes forced to labour or to await mass execution.

2. When was the first concentration camp built?

- It is believed that the first concentration camp is the Dachau camp built in 1933. It was established by the National Socialist (Nazi) government, built for political prisoners.

(Read more here)