Doctors and Lawyers. Yep, most Singaporean parents aspire for the children to grow up and be a member of either one of these professions that command respect and status. Unfortunately, admission into local medicine schools such as NUS YLLSoM and NTU LKCSoM is extremely difficult due to the stringent academic requirements and selection criteria. Hence, many aspiring medical students will have at least contemplated about studying medicine abroad, especially in the UK.

So here’s everything you need to know about studying medicine in the UK.

Schools

Assuming that you have read the first installment in this series on applying to the UK, then you should have a good idea of what’s going on right now. So the first thing you need to decide on or rather consider is which school to apply to.

Firstly, if you are intending to return to Singapore to practice medicine upon graduation. You have to ensure that your school of choice is recognised by the Singaporean government. You can check for a list of approved medical schools here.

Once you have done so, you might then think about which school should you look at. Checking out the university league tables will give you a good gauge on the quality of education in each university in terms of employment prospects and education style. Depending on whether you are an academic bookworm or someone who prefers more hands on experience, the choices you put in your UCAS may differ from your friends.

Here are some of the criterias you want to consider specifically for Medicine in the UK:

1. Cost
   1. Medicine in the UK is expensive. Each clinical year cost around £33,000 (71,000 SGD). Medicine in the UK is a 5 year course with the exception of universities like University College of London (UCL) which is a 6 year course and hence significantly more expensive.
2. Ranking
   1. In general, as long as your medical degree is recognised by Singapore, where you get your degree from isn’t going to matter too much unless you are intending to pursue a career in medical research. Your performance as a doctor in a hospital is most likely going to be the main factor influencing your career path and progression.
   2. That being said, if school reputation and most definitely, quality of education matters to you, these are a couple of universities that are most well-known for training great medical students.
      1. Oxford, Cambridge, University College London, Imperial College London, Queen Mary University of London, Edinburgh etc.
      2. These also tend to be the schools that have a higher school fee
3. City
   1. Choosing your school also depends alot on school culture, whether you like living in a campus city like Cambridge, which is pretty much a university town, or a bustling city like London where you get to see all kinds of sights and sounds.
   2. The type of college life you lead can be drastically different too. Would you like to spend the bulk of your time involved in university life, or would you like to have social life outside of school?
4. The Singaporean Population
   1. Singaporeans tend to choose certain UK universities and cities over others. So if you think you will feel homesick and need a local community of Singaporeans to remind you of home and keep you company, you might want to choose a city with a large Singaporean population. Without a doubt, London is one of the most popular spots for Singaporeans abroad. Universities such as the University of Sheffield, Glasgow and even Oxford and Cambridge do have a decent number of Singaporean students so you will probably get to meet some locals over there.

Entrance Examinations

Most UK schools require additional exams outside your A level results to be considered for admission. These are the ones most commonly needed.

1. BMAT

Most UK medical schools require the BMAT exam which consists of 3 parts.

• Section 1: Skills and Aptitude – This section is mainly testing your logical reasoning skills, with ”comprehension passages” and some quantitative reasoning(Math) questions. You can’t really study for this section of the paper, so all you can do is practice.
• Section 2: Scientific Knowledge and Applications – This section tests your content knowledge of Biology, Math, Chemistry and Physics up till the O Level standard. You can study for this section, so it would most definitely help to grab your old textbooks and start reading at least 1 month before your examinations. For A level students taking 3 sciences, content knowledge shouldn’t be an issue, howevever, if you are a Biology, Chemistry and Math student, like me, your Physics might be a little rusty. So reading early certainly won’t hurt.
• Section 3: Writing – This is where you write a mini-essay, something like a GP essay, except much shorter since it has to be written within the time limit. However, most questions will be related to medicine or healthcare in some way, so keeping up to date with current affairs and medical news will be useful.

Do you need to take a course to excel in the BMAT? Not really, I have known many students who have excelled at the BMAT through self study and some who have done well after taking courses as well, so ultimately it’s a personal choice you have to make.

Furthermore,  do bear in mind that the BMAT is usually at the start of November, when your A levels begins (if you are a JC student), so study ahead and manage your revision time.

Schools that need BMAT:

• University of Cambridge
• Imperial College London
• University of Oxford
• Royal Veterinary College
• University College London
• Lee Kong Chian School of Medicine (SG)
• Brighton and Sussex Medical School
• University of Leeds

You can find out more and apply for the BMAT here:

British Council Site

BMAT Details (Preparation)

2. UKCAT

Some medical schools require the UKCAT as well. However, the UKCAT is needed by most schools for dentistry. The UKCAT is primary based on skills and aptitude, so there isn’t much content knowledge involved.

There are 5 sections

• Verbal Reasoning (Logic – “Comprehension”)
• Quantitative Reasoning (Math and calculation questions)
• Abstract Reasoning (Identifying shapes and patterns)
• Decision Analysis (Deciphering symbols and codes to form sentences etc)
• Situational Judgement

A good score for the UKCAT will be a 700 in each section and Band 1 for Situational Judgement.

Once again, courses for the UkCAT are not necessary, although they most definitely won’t hurt (actually it might hurt your wallet). However, buying or borrowing some UKCAT practice books will definitely help you get acquainted with the question style and requirements which is important.

Try practicing with the materials found on the UKCAT website and do it under timed conditions because you will most likely not have enough time during the exam. Hence time management is crucial.

Singaporean can register to take the UKCAT at Pearson Vue here.

Work Attachment

Unknown to most, medical schools in the UK require you to have at least some sort of work experience in the medical field, usually for 2 weeks or more. So if you are keen on studying in medicine, you should start finding attachment opportunities quickly.

An attachment will also expose you to more of the medical work that doctors do and give you a good insight on the day to day work of a medical professional. This will help you decide whether medicine is really for you or not. In addition, insightful learning experiences during these attachments can prove to be useful discussion points in your personal statement and interviews. These attachments can be either formal ones applied to public hospitals or attachments to private hospitals through contacts. Medical research attachments are also great. It would be ideal to have a good mix of both private and public attachment experiences, but if time is a limiting factor, I believe either would suffice. It is not the number or length of duration that matters but ultimately what you have gained from it.

The Personal Statement

Considering that most applicants have either perfect or near perfect A level scores, what’s going to separate you from the rest? It’s the personal statement and the interview.

Ideally, your personal statement should include

• What you understand about the study of medicine
• Your personal qualities and achievements
• What makes you a suitable medical student

Usually, a good personal statement will start of with an anecdote or an introduction about the study of medicine and follows up with paragraphs on why you are the candidate the schools should pick over the rest. Including some scientific knowledge either from your own reading or attachments could go a long way in proving your interest and love for the subject.

Good personal statements can be found on The Student Room forum and you can also get doctors to vet through your personal statement before submitting. However, never copy another person’s personal statement because this piece of writing should be about YOU. If you are that desperate in trying to find what to write and feel blank whilst writing this statement, reconsider your motivation for studying medicine and ask yourself if that’s really what you want for yourself.

The Interview

All universities require that you sit for an interview for admission, hence getting shortlisted for one is a small win for you! Now, depending on which university you apply to, you may or may not need to fly abroad for an interview. A majority of UK universities do require you to hop on a plane over to the UK for the interview, which may incur a relatively large cost and yet at the same time, no guarantee of a placing in the university. Hence, many Singaporean students will choose the universities that conduct interviews locally or in Malaysia. The policies of universities may vary from year to year, so it is best for you to email the medical department and enquirement if you need to travel abroad for the interview.

Considering that most students will be applying for universities that conduct their interviews locally, this would also mean that these universities will have more applicants and are hence more competitive. As a result, it is recommended to at least choose 1 or 2 universities that are less competitive and at the same time, conduct their interview in the UK.

Misc. & Conclusion

Study in the UK or Singapore (assuming you made it into both)

• Many medical students claim NUS will provide you with a better education, but I doubt anyone can give an accurate judgement on that since they wouldn’t have attended universities at both countries. However, if you intend to practice in Singapore, it will always be beneficial to have some roots here and understand the needs of the local population such as conversing in dialect and mother tongues which you might not learn overseas
• However, there is also the benefit of greater exposure to other cultures and medical practices abroad which can also be of value to the healthcare system here
• Ultimately, it is your choice. Medicine is a lifelong commitment, not just for 5 years but it is a lifetime of learning and training. Hence, don’t just pick medicine because your parents said so or because you somehow scored all As. Do it out of passion and the kindness in your heart to serve the world.

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What is your dream school, what is your dream job? For most students looking at tertiary education, it would be entering the world’s most pretigious universities such as Oxford and Cambridge in the UK or Harvard, MIT and other Ivys in the US. As just another Raffles Junior College graduate, I would say those were my first thoughts as well.

Medicine, Law, Engineering, are probably the most popular choices amongst Singaporeans due to their reputation for job security and material benefits. Whilst these factors are no doubt important, do consider that they aren’t the be all and end all of studying. Finding your passion and your calling, could go a long way to contributing to your success.

So here are just some of the more interesting university choices abroad that some of my seniors have dared to venture.

University of Tokyo, Japan

Liberal Arts Degree

Liberal Arts…and Japan. This is no doubt an unconventional choice of study. Singapore isn’t exactly very well-known for its liberal arts programme. We are a society of “Engineers, Doctors, Lawyers and Scientist”. Studying liberal arts is without a doubt, taking a big step forward. Furthermore, studying liberal arts in Japan, a non-english speaking country, can be intimidating. Yet here’s why you should consider it.

Scholarship & Education

A lot of people don’t know this, but the government actually hands out scholarships for students to study Liberal Arts in Japan for free…and furthermore it’s bond-free. So you get to study abroad in an awesome country, no strings attached. Check out the MEXT Scholarship here.

The University of Tokyo is also the best university in Tokyo. However, you should note that the University Tokyo is known for churning out bureaucrats more than businessmen. So if bureaucracy is your thing, then the University of Tokyo is right for you. In addition, if you are a foreigner in the University of Tokyo, you are going to be one special kid in a homogenous society. Your Japanese classmates will be not just curious, but fascinated when you utter the words “I’m from Singapore”.

Livin’ in Tokyo

Tokyo is the capital of Japan so living costs there might be higher than you would prefer. If you are a big spender, then you might want to consider learning how to be prudent. However, living in Tokyo isn’t all that expensive if you live in a dormitory, learn how to cook, and cut down on your booze. A large part of living expenses in fact come from dining out and the heavy drinking culture in Japan

Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Germany

Medicine

Can’t make it into NUS YLL SoM or NTU LKC SoM? Or simply wish to have an overseas study experience, try the Ruprecht-Karls-Universität in Heidelberg, Germany.

Die Universität (The University)

The Ruprecht-Karls-Universität, Heidelberg is the oldest university in Germany, most well-known for its rigorous Medicine Degree. The university ranks 29th globally for Sciences and Medicine. If you are worried about being able to practice back here at home, fret not. The medical degree awarded by the university is recognised by MOH Singapore.

Studying in Heidelberg

If there is one word to describe Heidelberg, it’s beautiful. This isn’t your buzzing city and urban metropolis. It’s a quiet, beautiful and warm little town with a population of only 150,000. Living in Heidelberg is pretty chill. Even studying a rigorous course like Medicine usually have great hours like 8-2 which gives you a decent amount of time to spend hiking across the beautiful countrysides, retrace the steps of famous German philosophers and truly enjoy your experience abroad.

Furthermore, the Germans in countrysides are well known for their hospitality, so be prepared to make some overly warm friends. Of course, that means that you need to have a good command of English to study this course. In order to study medicine in Heidelberg, you have to pass the C1 level German Proficiency Test at the Goethe Intitut Singapore, or alternatively study German for a year at a Student College in Germany

School Fees

Studying abroad does incur costs, and a subject such as medicine can turn out really costly in countries such as the UK. However, this doesn’t hold true in Germany. Education here is free, even for international students. Most universitites only require you to pay a 50 Euros admission fees and voila, welcome to Germany. If you are prudent in your expenses, studying medicine in Heidelberg might even be cheaper than studying locally.

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne, Switzerland

Hospitality Management

Interested in doing business but specialising in Hotel Management? A major in hospitality management from Switzerland might just be for you. Singapore has currently yet to offer a business management course with a specialisation in Hotel Management so locals don’t have the option to study this interesting subject. But hotel management is a lucrative industry and Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, is world-renowned for it.

Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne

EHL, founded in 1893 is the first Hotel Management school ever set up. It is recognised as the best Hotel Management Bachelor’s degree in the world. The school prides itself on being a university with the EHL spirit, One University, One Major. One Dream. Students of diverse backgrounds are gathered all across the world, to study their one passion, to live and breathe in the culture of hospitality.

Chocolates and Snow Mountains

On campus, all communication is in English and French, so communication shouldn’t be an issue for Singaporeans. Living in Switzerland is fun. Studying is free and easy unlike in Singapore, which is relatively more competitive. Especially in EHL, most clubs and activities are student initiated so campus life in the snow mountains should be a load of fun.

Considering that Universities are largely publicly funded, accommodation shouldn’t be expensive, even though foreigners might have to pay a small sum more than locals. However, food and other living expenses may surmount to a large amount considering the Swiss’ egalitarian society and high cost of living.  A student’s estimated expenditure is around 1800 SFC which is about 2600 SGD. So if you don’t have a scholarship, cost might be a factor if you wish to study here.

Conclusion

Most of us only get to experience University life once. The choices we make regarding our tertiary education pretty much sets us for life. As tempting as it might be to choose a conventional path to be safe, it is worth thinking and exploring alternative options that might enrich your life or change the very course of your future. Think hard and think long, because the best investment you can make, is in yourself. Don’t base one of your biggest life decisions on the opinions of others.

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Zookal is an education company that started in Australia over four years ago. It was started by university students out of a Nandos store in Sydney, who wanted to build a company that would help make the life of university students easier. Zookal started off by introducing the idea of textbook rental to Australia, whereby instead of buying a brand new textbook, students now have the option to rent a textbook and therefore saving up to 70% off the normal cost. The founders of Zookal have always wanted to make a large impact on the lives of students, which is the reason why two of the founders have recently relocated to Singapore to build a new video platform that leverages technology to spread easily from campus to campus and country to country, allowing Zookal to impact millions more students in the greater Asia-Pacific region.

“But we can’t start a business? We don’t have any experience, networks or money?”..
Ever had these thoughts running through your head whilst studying? This is exactly what I was thinking as I was eating dinner with my co-founder of www.zookal.com.sg over 4 years ago. Fortunately, today we are living proof that you don’t need any of those things to start and build a something from just an idea to a company that employs ten full-time staff in Australia and Singapore that has raised money from Silicon Valley, Australia, Israel and Singapore.

Just start
Ever had an essay or assignment to do, but hours later you find yourself cleaning your room with your word count still on zero? We have a common saying at Zookal which is, ‘Progress not Perfection’. The best way to progress on an essay or your business idea or your gym workout is just to start and have confidence in your abilities to find your way as you go. Too many times do I see people getting frozen in procrastination with their fear of doing something perfect overriding their momentum. Just like each person has their unique fingerprint, each entrepreneur has their own start and it is up to the individual to take the lead. For us, we thought about solving problems that students face. Maybe if we solved a problem that students faced, we could turn it into a business.

Solving a problem
Being recent graduates and current students ourselves, we personally experienced the pain of expensive textbooks. We thought to ourselves, there must be a better way to do things, so a few late nights and coffees later, we toyed with the idea of introducing the concept of textbook rental into Australia. We knew there would be demand for something that could save students money, so we thought lets build a company around this demand (rather than creating something and hoping someone, somewhere in the world would want your product). 4 years and hundreds of thousands of customers later, I still stand by this principle.

Get used to hearing no
The first few ‘no’s’ hurt the most, because you take them personally. This is something you need to anticipate and try to build a shield against. When we first started our business, we organised coffees with a lot of people who we thought were really ‘smart’. We heard a lot of negative feedback and just overall pessimism, which made us have some second thoughts. But our ambition and determination pushed through and looking back I now realise how important it is to be careful who to listen to. Listen to your customers and users as the first principle. Secondly, when seeking advice, I often think about who I am seeking the advice from. Have they walked down the path I want to walk down, or at the very least are they a few steps ahead of me in the journey? This is the kind of thinking that drove us as we built the new university student video platform (www.zookal.com.sg). We thought that in order to create a more successful generation of students, who better to teach new students than A+ seniors?

Continuing to evolve
Just as important it is to start and not give up, it is also important to continue to innovate and evolve (both personally and also as a company). Although we started as a textbook rental company in Australia over four years ago, our ambitions and desires to continue to make an impact across broader Asia still lives. This desire led to my cofounder and I picking up our bags and leaving our team behind in Australia to work on a new and innovative platform built for Asia that we think will let us make an even bigger impact on the lives of students. You should think about making each semester and each year better, more productive and more fruitful than the previous semester. Soon enough, your momentum will be hard to stop!

To sum up, if you are looking to start a business whilst at university, keep these things in mind:
1. Just start.
2. Solve a problem.
3. Be resilient
4. Listen to users and customers; not naysayers.
5. Continue to evolve

To reach out to jon, please email jon@zookal.com

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Law school isn’t easy to get into, with only 2 schools in Singapore offering it (NUS & SMU). If you are dead set on becoming a lawyer, the UK is certainly a good choice. Here’s what you need to know to apply for UK law.

There you go! Now you know how to apply for law in UK universities.
Don’t forget to check out our other guides in the UK bound series: UK general application guide and UK medicine application guide.

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A transition from pre-university to freshmen life is daunting, no doubts about that. I speak from my experience in transiting from junior college (JC) to SMU. I still remember the feelings from a little more than 2 years ago. I was definitely excited to be intellectually stimulated, meet new people, and join new CCAs. Basically, I was looking forward to having a flexible student life after being in a structured environment for so many years! Finally, I can experience an education in the truest sense of the word. No more memorising formulae that I’d never use, no more standard answers to memorise for examiners to mark an A upon, and best of all, no more boring lectures, yay!

Weeks into freshmen year, I was experiencing a crazy rollercoaster ride of emotions. To be honest, I am afraid of rollercoasters. Never rode a big one like the Battlestar Galactica before, and not planning to any time soon. In this transitional period, I was stressed, lonely, uncertain, etc. etc. Independent learning! Projects! Class participation! Career talks and workshops! Join this! Join that! One can only take so many things yelling at me, and not go crazy.

Source: http://www.vitamin-ha.com/crazy-roller-coasters-16-pics/crazy-roller-coasters-07/
This was how I felt. Going about at high speed, with many loops, uphill climbs and downhill falls. There was so much excitement, but too much nausea.

In JC, we took more than a year to complete Project Work; here, I had more than FIVE projects and reports of comparable scale cramped in 13 weeks or less. In JC, I could hang out with classmates during breaks; in Uni, I spend so much time eating or studying alone because schedules clash, or I am too tired of rejection to find lunch buddies. The pattern of highs and lows repeated each semester. The first few weeks of school would be great, I’d look for friends to hang out together, chill, and have a life. Then after mid-semester comes crunch time when deadlines loomed, and stress levels peak. I stop making the effort to take care of my emotional health, suppressing all kinds of feelings to remain efficient and productive. It did not feel good at all. Plus, school is not the only thing that can stress a person out. Besides being a student, you are a daughter, a friend, a colleague, and so much more where stress can come from.

One day, I chanced upon this TED Talk by Guy Winch. He was speaking about the case for practicing emotional hygiene. Take some time to watch it. TED Talks always leave you with more ideas and some could be life changing, I’m not even kidding. His talk made me realise this very important thing. That is, I am responsible for my own emotional well-being as much as I am for my own physical safety. I am a paranoid person, and my fear of things going awry stops me in my tracks when I see danger looming. The way I suppressed emotions was dangerous, and it might lead to real chronic depression some day if I continued what I did.

Source: http://pixar.wikia.com/wiki/Fear?file=Io_Fear_standard2.jpg
“That’s Fear. He’s really good at keeping [Alana] safe.”

I’ll briefly talk about the essence of Guy Winch’s talk, if you have not already watched it. How many of us pay attention to wounds we suffer on our minds, as much as we pay attention to physical wounds? We are taught to keep cuts clean, to prevent infection; to see the doctor when we are ill, to prevent illnesses from escalating. But we were not taught to address emotional wounds. What do we do when we feel lonely, anxious, or even distressed? We think about it over and over again, telling ourselves that we are lonely, we are anxious, we are sad. Why do we not do something about it?

There are several reasons:

1) Fear of being judged as weak
This fear may be present in many, if not some, of us. The crippling fear that if we reach out for help from friends or family, they may brush it off, telling you, “Man up, bro!” or “It’s okay, it will get better eventually.” If you have encountered these responses before, you may find that they make you feel weak, dismissed, or that your unhappiness is unwarranted for. That is not the case. We have the right to feel down, and it does not signify weakness. It just means we are going through a rough patch. What we really need is for someone to empathise with us. Empathy, or placing yourself in someone else’s shoe, is something powerful that connects people; create bonds, and a way to express care. There are people who can empathise more so than others. That’s why we have to reach out to the right people as well. Reaching out to someone who cannot even attempt to empathise with you might make you feel worse, and more withdrawn.

Also, if someone wishes to share their feelings with you, do try to understand what they are going through. Open your mind, and create a safe, non-judgmental environment for them to begin healing. As you practice this more often, it gets easier. Because we are reciprocal beings, you would also have forged a friendship where you can go to this person for help when you feel down too.

2) Perception of not having close friends who are available
Ever had those moments when you want to talk to someone, but don’t know who to call, or text? I have. It’s not that I don’t have friends; I have really great friends I can count on all the time. That was proven when I had broken down my mental barriers to seek help from them. But in the moment of feeling lonely, I would tend to think, ‘What if they are busy? I shouldn’t bother them. I’m such a burden. I should get through this on my own.’ Loneliness makes us feel disconnected from others. It distorts our perception that no one is there for us. When we prevent ourselves from seeking the connection we crave so badly, that feeling of loneliness is amplified. We might end up withdrawing ourselves further from social interactions if we do not break this pattern.

3) Unaware of resources within ourselves
As we are so caught up with studying, working, and having a social life (online, or offline), we tend to forget to take time off for ourselves. We don’t always have to rely on others to keep ourselves sane and healthy. How can we do it on our own? Many thought leaders have spoken up about slowing down pace of life, and the benefits of taking just 10 minutes each day to be mindful. During this me-time, we can reflect, look inwards, and think about our present self. What is it that we like about life now? Let’s continue to do that. What is it that we don’t feel too good about? Is there anything we can do to change that? If there is, how are we going to put the changes into action? Ask yourselves difficult questions. While some may lead to answers, others may not. Initially, we may feel helpless. Admittedly, the process of soul-searching is tough. Not to worry if you end up with more questions than answers, because there are so many possibilities to be creative about how we work around tight constraints.

Recently, I attended a talk by an innovation consultant, Charles Leadbeater. A key takeaway from his talk was that innovation comes from ordinary people who make use of constraints to work for them. We have that ability to make life work better for ourselves. (Of course, many other factors like high aspirations and collaboration contribute to great innovation. But that’s another topic altogether.) Applying it to our own lives, we have the resources to improve our overall psychological health.

With some of these mental blockages debunked, you may want to know: what can I do to start taking care of my emotional health? Besides reading on Dr. Winch’s article on 5 ways to practice emotional hygiene, the following short suggestions are some things that worked for me. I hope they give you a starting point to think about what works for you. These were helpful for me in improving my self-awareness and they definitely helped in the process of healing.

1) Be vulnerable
Being vulnerable means to let someone else into your emotional space and share your experiences while you are at your weakest point. I say ‘point’, because being vulnerable does not mean you are weak. Trust me, it is temporary. While it may be daunting at first, this is how relationships can be built based on trust. Being vulnerable in front of someone makes that person feel that you trust them enough to be willing to show this side of yourself to them.

2) Maintain good friendships/ relationships
Be there for others when they need you. In times of adversity, you will know that these friends are there for you as well. True friends got each other’s back, no matter how busy they are, or even if they have their own issues at hand. Everyone has his or her own set of problems, but we can always make time to help another feel better.

3) Seek help if needed
Seeking help from friends may provide some relief. However, if you still are unable to solve the root of the problem, and gets serious, maybe it’s time to seek professional help. Fortunately, there are helplines and counseling services in our institutions. These counselors are trained to provide neutral and safe spaces for us to talk about our problems, and help us to figure out blinds spots that we may have missed. Blind spots are perspectives that we may not have considered in our state of distress. They can be leveraged upon so that we are not as helpless, or hopeless as we think we are.

If you are from, or going to SMU, there is also a group of students called Peer Helpers you can turn to for help. As the name suggests, they are your peers, students just like you. They are trained with counseling skills to be avenues of support for the student body, as not everyone may be comfortable with seeking help from counselors. I am currently taking a module called Peer Mentoring and Facilitation, a pre-requisite to join the CCA as a Peer Helper! Even though they are not professionals, they are definitely equipped with skills to help. 

After reading this post, I hope that you are more equipped to handle emotional stressors that you may encounter throughout your school life and beyond. Just remember: you are not alone, and you have ability to heal “emotional wounds”. If you need someone to chat with, or have any questions about this article, feel free to email me! I will try my best to answer you, and lend a listening ear, if needed.

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Having been a speaker and trainer for about 2 years now, I had the opportunity to make friends with some of the most successful people in Singapore, from top CEOs, best-selling authors to multi-millionaires.

These are the same people who were once in your position now. Mugging every day and wondering how your life would be like after graduating. Whether you will make it big one day.

I decided to find out what they did differently in university that made them so successful today. And surprisingly, grades isn’t part of the equation.
Yes. You heard me.

GRADES HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Before you start throwing away your books. What I’m saying here is that if even if you do not have good grades, it does not matter as much as you or others think it does.

Because at the end of the day, if you display the traits that these elite performers had when they were in university, you have a high chance of making it big.

1. You don’t give a care about what others think of you

Seen those resume and personal branding workshops in your mailbox? There’s just so much hype about “standing out from the crowd” isn’t it?

But how many of us actually have the real guts to really make ourselves stand out? Like REALLY stand out!

The truth is, most people prefer to play small and safe in life just to fit in than to stand out.

It’s so easy to change ourselves just to become part of the crowd, become the teacher’s pet or to impress our parents.

Most people are so self-conscious of what others think of them that they are in a never-ending race trying to change themselves just so that they can be liked (even if it means forgoing their happiness).

These people are the ones who change the way they talk and dress even if it feels so uncomfortable to them.

These are the people who study like mad every hour of every day on a course that they hate just to have their parents say “I’m proud of you!”

Have you ever seen an everybody-pleaser who is also a massively successful person? If you do, please connect me with him or her because that is just a never-seen-before miracle.

Steve Jobs, Michael Phelps, Donald Trump, Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey are independent thinkers who created a massive vision for themselves, a vision so out-of-the-world that it has never been seen ever in the history of mankind.

They are the rare breed who will keep on hustling day and night and deliver world-class results despite having tons of haters rooting for them to fall badly.

What if the whole world thinks that they are crazy? Well, they don’t care.

If you want to be really successful, you would have to learn to stand your ground even if it feels lonely and that the pain of isolation become so overwhelming because you are the only person left who believes in your dreams.

2. You study because you WANTED to, not because you HAD to

Good paycheck, secure job, bright prospects, lucrative….

Admit it. If you are in your current course for one of the above reasons, then you are here because you HAD to study not because you WANTED to.

If money is no object, would you still be in your course now?

If the answer is NO, then you might want to reevaluate your life choice because life is just too short to wake up every morning doing something because you HAVE to!

Because to me, that is torture.

There was once a classmate of mine who asked me, “Why did you choose to study finance?”

I said, “Just for fun!” She probably thought that I went nuts. And she probably still does now.

But the truth is, I went through years of depression because I did not like what I was studying back then. I went from engineering in polytechnic to architecture in NUS and finally to Banking & Finance in Nanyang Business School.

If you wake up every morning doing something that you do not love, you are not living. You are merely surviving and getting by.

Life if too short to do something that you do not love.

Most importantly, if you aren’t doing something that you love, there is not a chance you are going to be able to compete with those who absolutely love what they are doing. Because to them, it feels like PLAY and not like work.

And if they can outwork (or outplay) you doing what they love, you bet that they can also outperform you.

3. You will never ever let your GPA define your worth

I met a senior 2 years ago whom graduated with a 1st class honors from Nanyang Business School. He quitted his 9-5 corporate job just a few years into his high-paying career. Guess where he is now?

He is now one of Singapore’s most well-known investor and an international public speaker. So successful that he shared the stage with Richard Branson, Brian Tracy and Robert Kiyosaki.

I asked him this, “What did you do in university that made you so successful today?”

His reply was surprising, “Just love what you do and don’t let your grades define you”.

Doesn’t sound like the conventional advice does it? I know you are told to study hard and get a good job but the truth is, that advice just doesn’t work in this century anymore.

Nowadays, “C-” students are the ones who run companies and hiring “A+” students to work for them.

In fact, some of my most successful entrepreneurs and traders of Singapore I know only had an “O” level certificate and they are now earning in one month what degree holders earn in 1 year.

There’s another friend of mine. He did not graduate with honors from NUS like his peers did. Guess where he is now?

He is travelling around the world teaching PHDs, masters and degree holders how to trade for a living.

Sounds unfair isn’t it?

It is not unfair. It is the truth. It is the world that we are living in now.

And I can give you many more of such examples.

You know it. More than half of what is inside that textbook of yours cannot be applied into the real world. Even if it works out for you, it will be outdated by the time you’ve graduated.

The real knowledge comes from practical street-smarts. Getting an “A” only shows others that you have a good ability to memorize your textbook and have good exam-taking skills. That’s it.

If being a doctor, lawyer or specialized professional is your dream job, then by all means work hard on your studies because society needs you.

But if making it big as a CEO, investor or buying your dream house is what you really want, never ever feel that you should decrease your worth just because you aren’t in the honors list. That is too much of an exaggeration!

Because in the real world, the bottom-line isn’t straight As’. Your customers, clients and bankers won’t come into office one day and ask you for your GPA. And you’ll wonder why you were even so concerned about your GPA to begin with.

I suggest you consider reading Robert Kiyosaki’s book “Why A students work for C students and B students work for the government”

Your worth isn’t going to be determined by your GPA or your level of income.

Only you have the power to determine your worth and only you can define it. Period.

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Psychology has always been a fascinating subject to many. How can one possibly resist the urge to delve into the minds of people? What is it that makes us tick, why emotions affect our behaviour, and why on earth is it when people tell you not think of a pink elephant, you think of a pink elephant. Pursuit of such knowledge has been seeing a steady increase within recent years, and if you’re one of these people, you have found the right article. *claps*

Various institutions offers Psychology as either a full time or part time programme. NUS does so within FASS (Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences), NTU in HSS (Humanities & Social Sciences), SIM-GE with multiple overseas universities, and most recently, Yale-NUS. The options are varied, and if you ever want to enrol yourselves in this discipline, you would definitely want to know what you’re setting yourself up for, in terms of academic content and job prospects. To meet this end, aside from troweling the depths of the interwebz for relevant information, I enlisted the help of two of my friends who have intensely studied the subject of Psychology.

Denise recently completed her BSc. (Psychology) with the University of Wollongong at SIM-GE and prior to that, she graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Psychology & Community Services. Jade is in her final year at NTU’s HSS, BA. in Psychology.

Hold on, Joseph. Sooooo is it an Arts subject or a Science subject? Either way, how similar is the content of their courses? And what job would I ever be qualified for?

Well, it’s a little more complicated than just assigning labels. Read on, and all your questions will be answered!

So what does the study of Psychology actually encompass?

Jade: Psychology is multidisciplinary. It’s the study of humans. Very theoretical and it always requires evidence-based empirical findings. Cognitively, it focuses on the mind and behaviour. If it’s health, it focuses on bio-psycho-social well-being of humans. If it’s social, it’s about how humans behave in social setting. If developmental, it studies your life experiences since birth & applies developmental theories to explain your adaptive or maladaptive growth. If motivational, it studies how you set goals, like certain incentives, processes you engage in to fulfil your needs. It studies holistically about you as a person.

Denise: It encompasses the study of the brain, thought processes, memory, and a lot of looking into different research done and by being aware of the limitations previously encountered, you can perform new research that would improve the lives of others.

There you go, there are several divisions of Psychology, all of which are the make up of our daily lives.

What are the biggest misconceptions you have encountered about Psychology?

Jade: The greatest one is that we can read people’s mind, people don’t mean it in a literal sense but they just think that we can predict their innate abilities, deep thoughts and intentions from their actions and physical behaviours. That’s not true but we can make some inferences if we know a person well enough. Another misconception is that when you major in psychology, you will definitely be a psychiatrist or psychologist although, psychology =/= psychiatry. The worst misconception of all is people who study psychology will grow to be a more empathetic and caring person.

Denise: It would be that psychology enables us to read minds. I think people pick psychology so they can completely predict or read a person and I must say it is a very attractive reason because who wouldn’t want to know?

Surprise, surprise, there are such misconceptions, no matter how silly they may sound at first like.. reading people’s minds. And as it turns out, Psychiatry and Psychology although similar in knowledge and some professional practices both possess very stark differences from one another. A Psychiatrist is a practicing medical doctor, able to diagnose and treat mental disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Depression. A Psychologist on the other hand, performs research and seeks to predict and improve behaviour and performance of people on different levels, ranging from the child, to the middle aged, to the senior citizen.

What are the advantages to majoring in Psychology?

Jade: You understand people. You can basically work anywhere you desire that involves human interaction & of course, research. You are able to monitor your own words and actions to prevent further misconceptions. One great example that’s easy for you to understand is the term OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). If a psychology major still says a meticulous person is OCD, that’s a total misuse of the term OCD. It has a great impact on people’s perceptions of an actual OCD person and can actually harm relationships if you think about it. This labelling is a no-no, it’s unethical to some extent. It’s just like we shouldn’t go around using the word retarded because there are people with actual mental retardation might be standing next to you. (I can’t phrase properly haha stuck on train).

On personal levels, People feel more assured and intrigued when you can predict one’s future health, future behaviours & development because you always sound like you are erudite in this. Besides, psychology knowledge is often backed up with empirical findings, everything you say, as long as it’s accurate, is beneficial.

Denise: That almost anywhere would accept a psychology degree. From offices to social work sectors. Because of the better understanding of humans, anywhere can hire psychologists to make the office, school or anywhere actually, a better place to be in. I feel that I am more aware of how people would react in situations. It raises my EQ.

Fresh insights into people would certainly on any level improve relationships and work performance. It is interesting to note that while pursuing higher level education, it is not just the practical skills nor theoretical knowledge we receive but also the inter/intra personal skills we form and exercise that can contribute to the building of one’s career.

Do you think this field of study lack practical applications compared to other disciplines like Engineering, Accountancy, or Design?

Jade: Not true? Design is a great example to illustrate my point. Interior design is a great example. Industrial & Organisational psychologists are sometimes in charge of how to design a conducive work environment. For example, a child’s seat should be elevated with a pillow, all humans must sit with perfect posture, chairs must be designed to attain a 90* sitting posture. A designer must also have psychological knowledge and empathy to understand how colours, lighting affect one’s attention span, concentration, memory (biological psychology). Psychology is multidisciplinary, it’s so dangerous to not know enough about humans because you can bring about things that may not help a human, but damage a human.

Denise:Yes, I would have to agree. It’s not very specific. You would have to get until a masters to be able to specialise in a part of psychology while the others, with a diploma or degree in accountancy, you could land a job as an accountant.

Differing views on this point. On one hand, you may have to pursue further studies before stepping into the Psychology field to work or carry out research. On the flip side, because of how one understands humans and their operations, a contributing or supporting role in other sectors such as design, corporate, or even education. It seems you would have to know what appeals to you first before you decide on what to do with your Psychology Degree.

Do I necessarily have to work within the social sector when I graduate?

Jade: No you not have to work in the social sector when you graduate because people have different life purposes and it is just hoped that psychology directs them to the right paths and paths they desire, as with any other major ethical dilemmas will arise in every workplace and psychology majors should have in depth knowledge of ethics in research as well as in life.

Denise: Nope. Like I said, you can go to offices or schools.

What if I want to be a practicing psychiatrist or counsellor?

Jade: If you want to be a practicing psychiatrist, you need a medicinal degree & PHD, qualifications are very different from psychology. If you want to be a professional psychologist, you need a minimum PhD or masters too. If you want to be a counsellor, a degree is definitely required but I think it also requires substantial experience.

Denise: For a psychiatrist, you would have to be awarded a Bachelors and Masters in Medicine before you can be a psychiatrist. If not, you would just be a psychologist. Were you to take a Masters in Psychology, it usually requires Honours or Grad Diploma. For Counselling, Honours in your degree are not needed but a Masters in Counselling is essential.

If your end goal is to be able to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental illnesses, you would be looking to complete a degree in Medicine before moving on to the further qualifications required.

Counselling can be performed at different levels, for basic qualifications to work in the government sector, you can refer to the National Council of Social Services website here. Post Graduate Courses in either Psychology or Counselling can be found at NIE’s website.

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What does it take to get into the world-renowned University of Oxford? Do you think you have what it takes? Well, let’s hear from 2 graduates from Raffles Institution, Class of 2014 who have survived the rigorous selection process and made the cut.

Hi, so give us a little background on yourselves. Who are you, which school were you from and what was your CCA?

JY:
I’m Kuek Jia Yao, 19 this year and just had A Levels last year. I was from Raffles Institution (Sec) and then Raffles Institution (JC) through IP programme. I applied to both US, UK universities for tertiary education. I was also in the NCC, RECAS (Raffles Economics & Current Affairs Society) and Students Council! I am now a SAFOS (Singapore Armed Forces Overseas) Scholar under the PSC Scheme. I applied to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Oxford.

GO:
I’m Gaius Ong, and I was from Raffles Institution (Sec) and Raffles Institution (JC) through the IP programme as well. My CCAs in Year 5-6 were the Students’ Council, on which I served as the Secretary, and Raffles Press. I applied to Oxford for Law and am also under the PSC Scholar programme.

So why did you decide to apply to Oxford for your particular course of interest?

JY:
I loved PPE because I believe in the importance of being inquisitive. I wanted to pursue a course of study that made me versatile and analytical. PPE is famous for its flexibility; journalists, politicians, businessmen have all studied it. I wanted to study PPE too; plus it would have been useful in my chosen career as a soldier and civil servant. I would argue that the current Liberal Arts education system I’m in now, does provide similar flexibility in my education. PPE is the only college major in the UK system that I felt rivals Lib Arts in its breadth and flexibility

GO:
I applied for Oxford primarily because of the tutorial system here. Unlike most universities, tutorials here are conducted in classes of 1-3 students, with one of your tutors. I felt that I would benefit greatly from this system, where I could receive direct feedback from my tutors about my work and discuss problems in the law with them on a more personal basis. You get much more personalised attention from your tutors, as opposed to tutorials in JC for example, but it’s also more challenging in the sense that you have to constantly be on your toes, ready to engage with the problems, ask and answer questions, and defend your views. Plus, you get to learn directly from the people who wrote your textbooks – how cool is that?

What were some of the difficulties you faced when applying for Oxford? (Besides having to score all As)

JY:
Honestly, I was extremely busy during that time as I had to study for my A levels. The Oxford application deadline was in September/October so I has to complete my common application with my personal statement really quickly. Only Cambridge had an earlier deadline.
Since I applied for PPE, I had to take another test, the Thinking Skills Assessment which i had to prepare for in order to be considered for admission.

GO:
In terms of grades, it depends on your offer – most Oxford offers require 3 H2 As for A levels, as did mine.

For Law I understand that you need the LNAT, what is it and any advice on how to prepare?

GO:
For Oxford law, and many of the law programmes in the UK, we have to take the LNAT. It comprises of 42 multiple-choice questions (much like the comprehension passages you used to do in primary school, you’re given 12 passages and asked 3-4 questions on each) as well as an essay question, which is really just like a GP essay.
I just did the 2 practice papers that were provided on the LNAT website!

I understand that for PPE you need the TSA. What is the TSA about and can you prepare for it?
JY:
If I may allay any applicant’s fears I believe that this test is not meant to measure preparation or knowledge. It’s meant to serve as an indicator of your thought process. That being said, you CAN prepare for it. To prepare for it, you can google TSA questions. I also bought a book to prepare for it. There are lots of books out there that you can buy.
One of the sections for the TSA is an essay component which you have to write within 30 minutes, so you won’t have the time to write a full length piece. To do well, I had to:
1. Paint a full picture of how my points interact with each other to form a cogent argument
2. Show how I could think out of the box in explaining an issue.

What about the interview?

JY:
First, when I went to Oxford the first thing that the Admissions tutor said was that “All of us had already made the cut, whether we passed the interview or not was not a measure of whether we were good enough to be in Oxford, because there were so many factors in play.” This can definitely apply to the whole Oxford application process.
There is a level of arbitrariness that exists in any application, and it is in no way a measure of anything whether you succeed or not.
Anyways, the second thing they mentioned which really stood out for me was this:
So please, don’t fret. I’m guilty of oversharing this story, but during one of my two interviews, the professor asked me “So what is marginal income?” I didn’t utter a word, eventually had to succumb and say I didn’t know.
Now one might say that I can be let off because I didn’t take econs in high school… but an applicant to PPE doesn’t know basic econs? HAHA needless to say I didn’t expect that I’d get in after that incident.
Apparently for the econs interview there are questions of increasing difficulty (a total of 9 I believe) and I failed the first one! So don’t let your impressions of how you did cloud your judgement, especially if it’s after your first interview. There are two interviews for PPE (at least for my college). My first interview was the International Relations and Politics one, while the second was the Philosophy and Econs one. Needless to say I enjoyed the former much more than the latter XD

GO:
I did a Skype interview from Singapore after my A Levels (and for those who are wondering, my suggestion is to do a Skype interview to save money. If you have the spare cash and want to go on a holiday in the UK anyway, by all means; but it makes no difference whether you do a Skype interview or not).
Before the interview, I was given 20 minutes to read a hypothetical legal situation given to me, as well as the relevant statutes. The interview was really more like a tutorial: the tutor and I discussed the case together and we talked about the various legal issues that arose. The tutors aren’t there to intimidate you or question you on your knowledge on law: they’re quite aware that you know next to nothing about study law at university level. Instead, always keep in mind that they’re scouting for potential students: students who can best function in that sort of intimate discussion environment, and learn the best with whatever time they have with their tutors.

What advice do you have for those who wish to study in Oxford?

JY:
Two attributes I’d encourage you to keep close when doing either the TSA or interviews:
1) Always keep an open mind, and consider any and all ideas that pop into your head
2) Try to be as sharp and clear as possible.
I’d relate the first to the concept of creativity and the second to logic. Last but not least, I encourage students to always stay inquisitive!

GO:
Talk to seniors! Make sure you understand just what you’re signing up for – different people learn in different ways, and the tutorial system isn’t for everyone. In Oxford there’s a lot of independent thinking and learning involved, and while the tutors definitely give you guidance along the way, you need to be very disciplined in the way you manage your time and learning. The terms are short and very intense, but if you put in lots of effort into your work, the learning will be very, very rewarding.

Conclusion:
The University of Oxford is ranked 2nd in by Times Higher Education. It is one of the best universities in the world for a reason. Getting in, is no easy feat, but that should not stop you from trying. Aiming to be the best that you can be, to invest in your education and ultimately yourself, is the best investment you can make. The university is also housed in a beautiful scenic city that will let you experience what living in a campus city is like, much unlike Singapore. So if you can, going abroad for a quality education isn’t just about getting a great cert. It’s about learning and developing yourself, to be the best that you can be.

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Have you ever thought about starting a business?

Have you ever heard about raising capital from investors?

This was a pretty scary idea for the founders of www.zookal.com.sg. We were still studying and like a lot of students, we didn’t have any networks, money or corporate experience to start a business off the back of. The particular business idea that we were looking to create and introduce to Australian university students was textbook rental – whereby we would offer students the option to be able to rent their textbook for their semester (much cheaper than buying brand new and simpler than trying to scab a second hand textbook somewhere). However, for the record we currently offer all of these options now on our website back in Australia – www.zookal.com.au.

However, this business model required money. A lot of it. (You can watch a quick video here on what a business model is – this is a pretty important concept if you are a budding entrepreneur – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QoAOzMTLP5s). Having a capital-intensive business model like textbook rental where we have costs like inventory, storage, shipping, rent (and the list goes on) – we needed money, and fast.

The start

The bank laughed at us when we asked them for a loan. Our friends and family offered us a small amount, but we really needed a lot more than this to give our business a real go. The only thing left was to pitch investors our business and hope that someone would believe in us, our team and our vision enough to back us with cash. When we were creating our pitch deck (powerpoint slides) that we would use when meeting and pitching investors, we became quite anxious as we realised how small we were in such a big world. We did not have any significant working experience or large, global networks that could give us the edge in business. All we had in fact, was ourselves.

The student advantage

We had to make to do this, and so we brainstormed ideas about what we had within us that could inspire and compel investors to believe in our vision and our ability to execute on our vision. We probably pitched 100 times in our first year, and I quickly realised that ‘the only thing we had’ was actually the most important thing; not experience or networks. Our team was comprised of four people – all were university students at the time who had also personally experienced the pain of purchasing expensive textbooks semester after semester. If we distill this fact down into two principles, you can begin to understand why an investor would have confidence in us to execute our vision to become the largest educational platform in the Asia-Pacific. Leveraging these principles, in our first year we were able to raise $1.5M USD from venture capitalists, and have since raised over $5M USD in total – from Australia, Israel, Silicon Valley and more recently from Singapore. This has allowed us to generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue this year and also have a paying customer database of over 40,000 customers. I will now talk about these two principles which you can use going forward.

Two key principles

Firstly, the team were all students at university, which meant that we understood students. We were living, breathing students who understood what students liked, what they did not like, where they hung out, how they studied, how they partied. Our closeness to the target market meant that we could use our ‘inside knowledge’ to create strong business tactics that we know would work much better on the student demographic. This is something that ‘adults’ or ‘non-students’ would have much more of a hard time coming to terms with. This was our first key strength.

Our next key strength was personally experiencing the problem that we were trying to solve. We knew from our first day at university that textbooks were heavy and expensive. There were no lockers to store them in and being a student I was not working and did not have a lot of money – so spending over $100 on a single textbook really caused a lot of pain for me. Wouldn’t it be great if someone could send the books to me? Wouldn’t it be great if instead of shelling out $100 for a new textbook, I could access the exact same textbook for half the price? Personally experiencing the current problem provided us with a lot of motivation and understanding of how to solve it; much more so than anyone who had not personally experienced this problem before.

Combining these two factors made for a compelling pitch, and fortunately we were able to start a relationship with some amazing investors (who have also become good friends and mentors). Now, in saying this, just because you have personally experienced the problem and you are close to your target market will not guarantee a successful capital raise or building a successful business. You may also be successful building a business where you have not personally experienced the problem you are solving or you are not close to the target market demographic. There are no guarantees in business. It is a slow, daily grind with many ups and downs – the most important thing is you do not give up. We have pitched hundreds of times over the years and even to this day we still hear no’s. But we keep moving forward and never give up.

Next steps

Remember, Mark Zuckerberg was a student when he started Facebook. Larry Page and Sergei Brin were working on Google out of their classrooms at Stanford. There has been no better time to be a student and future global entrepreneur than now. There are some really exciting businesses being built by students at the moment, such as Aimazing or Experience Ace from students at NTU. I am very inspired by their courage and vision to start building something and working hard to hit big goals.

Following start-up, technology and investment updates

If you are interested in following news related to start-ups or technology, I would recommend Tech in Asia (www.techinasia.com). Vanessa Tan, Michael Tegos and the rest of the team over at Tech in Asia are young and energetic people who provide a lot of useful content for student entrepreneurs and the latest updates / investments in the region. I just attended their amazing annual conference in Jakarta where there were hundreds of students from universities and high schools just like you there. Will hopefully see you at the Singaporean conference next April.

What areas would you like me focus on for future articles? Let me know here jon@zookal.com – I welcome all suggestions and will get back to all of you

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Everybody around you is getting an MBA (Masters of Business Administration). Whether it’s a business graduate or an engineering graduate, everyone seems to want an MBA nowadays, and for a good reason. However, it is good to reflect why you want to get an MBA. Your motivations for getting an MBA may stem from a desire to get promoted, earn a pay increase, or turn yourself into a more valuable employer or employee. No matter what your ambitions are, MBAs will without doubt, offer you:

1. Real-World Management Skills
   a. It’s not just about crunching numbers in the financial world. Being good with numbers and analysis is one thing. True business leadership lies in understanding organizational behavior and learning useful interpersonal skills that will turn your team into a productive machine to be reckoned with.
2. Proof of Ability
   a. Let’s face it. The certificate you get at the end of your course isn’t just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of your worth, a credential that shows that you aren’t just another ordinary suit. Furthermore, a specialized MBA may appeal to some employers more than others, depending on your field of specialization.
3. Larger Social Network
   a. Going to university is not simply about the knowledge you inherit. For business students, it is the contacts that you gain that will ultimately be your most valuable asset. Large MBA organisations can give you access to a pool of like-minded peers and even an alumni network that will be useful in the future.

The Best MBAs in Singapore

Disclaimer: It is difficult to rank the various MBAs in Singapore, because they vary in teaching style, curriculum and specialization. To make an informed choice, you would have to read their website and even enquire more to make a good decision. Nevertheless, here is a guide on what are the top 10 MBAs in Singapore to look out for. The QS WU Ranking system used here is the most comprehensive ranking system because it consists of the most universities and it uses graduate and employer surveys to determine 1) Academic Reputation 2) Employee Reputation 3) Faculty Student Ratio 4) International Indicators 5) Citations per Faculty 6) Web Impact 7) Staff with PhD to give you a good overview of the university strength.

1. INSEAD (QS WU 3rd Globally)

This French Business School is ranked 3rd by QS World Universities ranking for Business Management. It is one of the leading and largest graduate business schools. Currently, there are two comprehensive and fully connected campuses in Asia (Singapore) and Europe (France), 143 renowned faculty members from 31 countries and more than 880 MBA participants, 55 executive MBAs, over 7000 executives and 64 PhD candidates. What’s more? They collaborate with Wharton and have a joint EMBA program formed in conjunction with Tsinghua University. Of coursw, they have an international reputation backed with accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. The INSEAD Asia campus is located near one-north MRT station.

Duration: 10 month

Cost: 65800 Euros – $100,135.60 SGD

2. National University of Singapore (QS WU 11th Globally)

NUS MBA’s programme is great. Of course, it’s NUS, arguably the best university in Singapore. There is no worries about recognition considering it’s backed by both EQUIS and AACSB. NUS has a great global reach and is partners with the Columbia Business School, Duke Fuqua and Copenhagen Business School which students can spend a semester abroad to gain an international experience.

Duration: 2 Semesters (1 Year) – Full-Time, 4 Semesters (2 Years) – Part-Time

Cost: SGD 62,000

3. Nanyang Business School – NTU (QS WU 31st Globally)

A school that gains strength from its strong roots in research and prides itself in its deep Asian roots, NTU’s Nanyang Business School isn’t to be taken lightly. If you want to gain global perspective on management issues, applied in the Asian context, NTU is for you. With live business consulting projects and international study trips, your time at NBS will be an enriching one. If you are into some new MBA programmes, NBA also offers Nanyang-Waseda Double MBA Full Time, Nanyang-ESSEC Double Masters and Nanyang-St Gallen Double Masters which are for different durations and costs. They are accredited bt AACSB and EQUIS in addition to being a GMAC school.

Duration: 12 month (Full-Time), 29 Months (Part-Time)

Cost: S$ 55,000 (excludes GST)

4. Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), Singapore Management University

LKCSB is a young superstar, founded only in 2000. However, it has been on a rapid ascenscion to gain a solid reputation in the Asia-Pacific region. We all know SMU loves to show off its solid graduate employment survey for undergraduates and we all know businesses love SMU student’s outspoken attitude. If you want to be great at your presentation and interpersonal skills, LKCSB should most definitely be a university to look at. It also showcases dual accreditation from AACSB and EQUIS. LKCSB aims to prepare emerging business leaders for current and future challenges. Its faculty has an international feel, many of its staff holding credentials fromHarvard, Oxford, Stanford, INSEAD, and Yale.

Duration: 12 Months (Full-Time), 18 Months (Part-Time)

Cost: S$62,209.80 (Full-Time), S$64,392.60 (Part-Time)

5. Manchester Business School (QS WU 30th Globally)

Offered by the University of Manchester, this program is a part-time only course. This international programme includes a live project to give you the practical experience necessary to set you apart from your competitors in the industry. The Manchester Business School is well-known for its Business Programme so I highly doubt accreditation will be an issue. An interesting feature of this MBA is the availability of a Global Careers Service that lets you accelerate your current career path with MBS’s help or find career opportunities worldwide. The 5 specialisations they offer are 1. General 2.Finance 3. Finance Accelerated 4. Engineering 5. Project Management. They are triple accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA as well.

Duration: Two years plus a six month live company project

Cost: S$63,708.50

6. ESSEC Business School MBA (QS WU 51-100 Globally)

Well-known in Europe as a leading business school, ESSEC offers a comprehensive MBA with a huge variety of specializations. This niche French institution is famous for its health and food business specialisations. The MBA course is available in Paris and in Singapore and the part-time course last 2-3 years which is a little long to be honest, but most certainly recognized being ranked 3rd in Masters of Management by the Financial Times. It is also accredited by AACSB and EQUIS.

Duration: 2-3 years

Cost: 38,000 Euros = $57,859.45 SGD

7. SP JAIN Global School Of Management Singapore – Global MBA

Having campuses in Dubai, Sydney and of course Singapore, SP Jain Global School Of Management is a school worth taking a look. It focuses on the development of attributes like global intelligence, creativity and innovation, teamwork, decision-making and communication skills. It is accredited by TEQSA and ABEST21. It was ranked #10 by Forbes in the “The Best International Business School” for its Global MBA programme, which is pretty decent by all measures.

Duration: 1 year Full-Time

Cost: 47,215 USD = 67002.81 SGD

8. The Strathclyde MBA

Strathclyde Business School is one of the few schools in the world with triple accreditation from 3 international bodies of AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS. This school is most famous for its research strength having won the 2014 Research Excellence Framework and is one of the top 10 schools in the UK for its research. They have achieved the highest possible rating for their research environment. They are ranked the 80th in the world by the Financial Times for the Global MBA programme and 37th for their executive MBA programme. Strathclyde’s MBA is known as the best Scottish MBA in Europe. The course is offered at YMCA Education Center in Singapore.

Cost: $38,961.00

Duration: Minimum 2 years, Maximum 6 Years (Part-Time)

9. Lancaster Global MBA (LUMS)

Lancaster Unviversity of Management is ranked the 10th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide and is well-known in the UK for its 1-year MBA programme. The University is also strong in research being recognized as the 1st for ‘research power’, 1st for number of faculty submitted during the 2014 Research Excellence Framework assessment. It is also recognsed by AACSB and EQUIS so there should not be any worries about global recognition of its MBA certificate. LUMS has also strong network ties with many businesses in the UK public and private sector including AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Bass, British Airways, as well as the NHS and The UK Cabinet Office just to mention a few.

10. University of Bradford, UK MBA

Bradford University School of Management has partnered with Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit institution, Management Development Institute of Singapore, to bring a great MBA locally. It is one of the top 50 schools in the UK for business and has triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. The Bradford MBA currently ranks as one of the World’s Top 10 MBA programmes, 1st in the world for alumni career development (for networking purposes) and 2nd in the world for value for money, due to the fact that is a really economical option for an MBA

Cost: $30,626 Full-Time, $28,461 Part-Time
Duration:15 months (Full-Time), 24 months (Part-Time)

Conclusion

Making the decision to get an MBA isn’t a difficult one, MBAs are great. However, making the decision on which MBA to get, can get tough. I highly encourage prospective students to do their due diligence and research as much as they can to understand about the MBA they are choosing. If you wish to work in Singapore, then obviously NUS, NTU and SMU are great choices, but if you are looking at working overseas, then considering some of the private universities can be a good alternative as well. Of course, do look at their accreditation and costs which are a huge factor when it comes to education too. No matter where you choose to study, one thing should remain constant, that is to work hard for whatever it is that you want and to do whatever it takes, to get where you want to go. All the best, until next time.

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The Great Debaters

— a biopic based on the America of the 1930s -features a scene where THE two protagonists — Melvin Tolson (played by Denzel Washington) and Henry Lowe (Nate Parker) discuss Lowe’s decision to come back to university post his leave of absence. On asked why he chose to come back, Lowe replies, “School is the only place you can read all day…except prison.” I graduated from NUS in July, 2014, and not a day goes by without some reflection on Lowe’s deep thought.

University gave me time to think, reflect on where I was and what footprint I might want to leave on the sands of time. It gave me the space and solitude to craft my dreams and ask incisive questions. Those were 4 years where the sole focal point was ‘me’ and there was little need for alignment between my aspirations and dreams, and those of the university’s. I got to choose my major as well as the electives within the broad sphere of that major. But no sooner had I entered the cliched working world than the focus shifted from ‘me’ to ‘the firm’ or any other synonym for that impersonal institution that will be home for the greater part of our lives.

How can you contribute to our firm? Why should we hire you? What skills do you offer that other candidates do not have? Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years? These are questions any recent graduate will be familiar with. In one fell swoop, the day the graduand receives his scroll and leaves the four walls of university; his goals, aspirations, and dreams – while still alive  – now have  to live alongside the firm’s  goals, aspirations and dreams. And maintaining this balance is not easy; all too often the goals of the firm supercede those of the individual.

The Narcotic

What is more striking is that this near-Faustian compromise is never apparent. Full-time employment is a potent narcotic. It lulls you into a false sense of security.  It is only much later, maybe in a wistful moment of nostalgia that one wonders what happened to those young dreams now ageing away into oblivion.

The near guarantee of a monthly paycheque draws you into a state of lethargy and in the absence of any incentive, knowledge that transcends the limits of one’s domain is seldom embraced. Stay too long in the same space and if you do not establish yourself as a subject-matter-expert, you risk becoming redundant. Conversations at the workplace tend to shift from the deep, controversial themes of politics and religion to shallower waters. Generally they dwell on on the weather, the latest news story and plans for the weekend. Reading becomes a pastime; deep introspection makes way for shallow execution.

Responsibilities also take on a new hue. Family considerations which seemed a foggy reality when joining university are now crystallised and beg attention.Some of these considerations may well compel you to make seemingly irreversible sacrifices. Leaving the crucible marks a coming of age; yet the child is often not ready to bear the mantle of an adult.

The graduand may well believe that the world is his oyster by birthright. The graduate would be wise to aggressively guard that thought. It is seldom that one has an opportunity to learn for the sole purpose of watering one’s curiosity. And while university affords that opportunity albeit in a limited form, others are not so generous.

It has been over a year in the workplace…and in the course of my daily activities of meeting target metrics and designing process flows; I, like Lowe, miss being able to read all day.

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With a world-class education, internationally-renowned qualifications and a potential eye-opening experience abroad, it is no wonder why the UK is the first destination that most Singaporean students look to for an education abroad.

However, studying overseas can be an intimidating adventure, and it begins with the befuddling application. Just like you, when I was looking at an education abroad, I was overwhelmed by the astounding amount of information out there. Terms like “Foundation Year”, “UCAS”, “LNAT”, “UKCAT” and other strange acronyms were just popping out all over forums and websites. I simply didn’t know what to make of it. If that’s what you are feeling right now, don’t fret. I took over a year to understand the different facets of applying to UK universities and here’s a concise guide on what you need to know, and do to get into your dream university.

1. The UCAS Application

Unlike Singaporean, US and Australian Universities, the UK Universities have a central online platform that consolidates your application to the various universities throughout the UK. This is the UCAS (Universities & Colleges Admission Service) – www.ucas.com.

In order to apply to the UK, you need to create a UCAS account the year before your year of matriculation. Meaning if you are intending to commence your study term in 2017, you should be creating your account in early 2016 (preferably before June). If you are a Singaporean male who needs to go green for 2 years, then start applying 2 years before your year of study unless you are gunning for a PSC Scholarship or Oxbridge(under deferred entry, only Cambridge and Oxford allows for 2 year deferments, the rest only offer 1 year).

Make sure you fill in your personal particulars correctly and enter your educational qualifications correctly. Most importantly, remember to put in your ‘O’ Levels English Results or your IP English Results as it will be used as a measure of your English language capabilities, which is extremely important for an education in the UK.

2. Choosing Your Course

After you have created your account and filled in all the relevant personal particulars (which takes a really long time, I know), you have to decide what you want to study, and where you want to study.

Now, this is going to be difficult. Your subject choice has to be based on considerations such as your interest, dream job, cost of education and of course your results. I don’t think I can offer much guidance here, but once you have decided on your course of study, you need to make sure you take the necessary exams (if necessary) to get into your course of choice at your ideal university.

Not all courses will require you to take an exam, but here’s a list of examinations you might need:

For Medicine, Dentistry and Vet Science:

BioMedical Admissions Test (BMAT)
http://www.admissionstests.cambridge…rg.uk/adt/bmat

UK Clinical Aptitude Test (UKCAT)
For entry to medical and dental schools.
http://www.ukcat.ac.uk/

Graduate Medical School Admissions Test (GAMSAT)
For graduate entry into medicine and dentistry courses.
http://www.gamsatuk.org/

Health Professions Admissions Test (HPAT)
For entry to certain medical courses at the University of Ulster.
http://www.hpat.org.uk/

For Law:

The National Admissions Test for Law (LNAT)
For entry to law.
http://www.lnat.ac.uk/

For Oxbridge:

History Aptitude Test (HAT)
For entry to all degrees involving history at the University of Oxford.
http://www.history.ox.ac.uk/prosunde…troduction.htm

Mathematics Aptitude Test (MAT)
For entry to mathematics or computer science, or a joint honours degree involving mathematics at the University of Oxford.
http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/prospectiv…specimen-tests

Modern and Medieval Languages Test (MML)
For entry to modern and medieval languages at the University of Cambridge.
http://www.maths.ox.ac.uk/prospectiv…specimen-tests

Physics Aptitude Test (PAT)
For entry to physics, or a joint degree involving physics at the University of Oxford.
http://www.physics.ox.ac.uk/admissio…e/apptests.htm

Sixth Term Examination Papers (STEP)
For entry to mathematics at the University of Cambridge.
http://www.admissionstests.cambridge…rg.uk/adt/step

Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA Cambridge)
For entry to computer science, natural sciences, engineering and economics at the University of Cambridge.
http://www.admissionstests.cambridge…t/tsacambridge

Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA Oxford), formerly known as the PPE Admissions Test
For entry to politics & economics (PPE), economics and management (E&M), experimental psychology (EP) or psychology and philosophy at the University of Oxford.
http://www.admissionstests.cambridge…/adt/tsaoxford

Thinking Skills Assessment (TSA) UCL
For entry to European social and political studies at University College London (UCL).
http://www.admissionstests.cambridge….uk/adt/tsaucl

English Literature Admissions Test (ELAT)
For entry to English courses at the University of Oxford.
http://www.admissionstests.cambridge…rg.uk/adt/elat

Please check the registration dates of all the examinations and ensure you do not miss them. For example, the UKCAT has to be taken before 6 Oct and the BMAT Registration period is 28th September. Hence, the advice on starting preparing for your UK applications in the early half of the year.

Furthermore, you should study for most of your entry exams. They won’t need extensive preparation like the A levels, however, tests like BMAT require some content knowledge whereas exams like UKCAT are almost purely based on IQ and Aptitude so there isn’t much to do other than practice. There are some courses you can take (which is really expensive), some say they work, some say it doesn’t matter, but my personal opinion is that the edge it gives you might not be too significant.

3. Your Dream School

When you apply to the UK, there are several factors you should consider, some of them might seem ridiculous, but trust me, they matter.

A. University Ranking
a. Do not just look at the university ranking in the league tables, look out for how each university fares in each particular course. That will give you a better gauge on the quality of education in the university.
B. Style of Teaching
a. There is no hard and fast way to figure out the teaching style of each university other than to visit each website manually and read up. Alternatively, you can also get on the ground feedback from forums such we www.brightsparks.com/forum or http://www.thestudentroom.co.uk/forum.php
C. Costs
a. To be honest, most universities have around the same costs for studying. For non-clinical subjects (Medicine, Dentistry, Vet Science), they cost around £16,000($34,000) a year. Clinical subjects on the other hand are a whopping £33,000($70,000) a year on average. So depending on the length of your course (3/4/5/6 years), your cost might vary.

D. The City
a. This is a consideration that not many think about but here’s why it is important.
b. The cost of living directly influences the amount of money you spend overseas, which might be an issue for some.
c. In addition, the culture might vary from one area to the next. Do you prefer the city life in London? Or the beautiful scenery at Cambridge?
d. Lastly, the accent. You most definitely do not want to end up studying in a university with lecturers to whom you don’t understand and end up flunking all your subjects. This is especially pertinent for Scotland universities, so make sure you understand the accent before enrolling.
E. The Admission Rate
a. Be honest with yourself and ask yourself whether you meet the academic requirements needed to enter a prestigious school such as Cambridge, Oxford, King’s or London School of Economics. Don’t just think about the minimum AAA/A, think about whether you will have a hard time struggling to keep up? Of course, you also only have 5 choices so you might want to put some universities that you know you stand a better chance getting admitted into should you not be able to make it into those extremely competitive ones.

4. Personal Statement

a. Your personal statement should be about your motivation with regards to the course you want to study and what makes you uniquely qualified for it. Do note that you only submit one personal statement to all 5 schools on your 5 UCAS choices, so ideally, you should apply the same courses, just at different schools. However for clinical subjects, you can only put them as 4 of your choices and the last choice has to be a non-medicine/dentistry/veterinary science course.

5. Important Deadlines (Deadlines are roughly the same each year, but exact dates may vary)

a. 20 Sept:
i. Cambridge deadlines for Cambridge applicants choosing to be interviewed in Singapore:
1. 1) COPA, 2) UCAS, and 3) Transcript Upload Submission. All 3parts + SAQ have to arrive for a complete application.
b. 22 Oct for most colleges:
i. Cambridge applicants need to submit their Supplementary Application Questionnaire (SAQ) to complete their Cambridge application.
c. 15 Oct: UCAS deadline for all Oxford, Medicine / Dentistry / Veterinary Science applications
d. 3 Jan: Deadline for all UCAS applications

6. Apply as an individual or part of a school

Some Junior Colleges such as Raffles Institution have dedicated college counsellors to see your application through, so if you have no idea what was going on like I did, then you should go with a school. However, if you know what you are doing and have a firm grasp on your college choices, then go ahead and apply as an individual. Just make sure you hit the deadlines on time.

7. Farewell

Before you leave, make sure you apply for a student visa. UK is pretty strict with its immigration laws. A comprehensive guide on how to get your student visa, how long its valid for can be found here,
http://www.educationuk.org/singapore/articles/student-visas/
However, in general, most students need not worry about getting a student visa. The university that you are admitted into will source for all the relevant information for you and all you have to do is to follow their instructions. Nevertheless, do contact your university for information at least a few month before beginning your studies to make sure everything is in order and you do not have to do any last minute preparations.

Well, I hope I’ve helped clarify some of the confusion that surrounds UK university applications but if you want to get more specific advice on how to write a personal statement, ace external exams needed to get into popular courses such as medicine, stay tuned to the next part of this series. Until then, cheers

In the next part of this series, I will discuss some of the more specific details such as how to write a good personal statement based on seniors who have made it into their dream school, be it medicine, law or other courses. I will also explore the more popular course options such as Medicine

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The Deal:

Everyone knows someone who ALWAYS takes photos of their food. Maybe you even know someone who absolutely MUST take a group selfie when the squad meets. It could also be YOU, the guilty party who insists every single photo on your Instagram feed must match the rest of your “theme”.

Taking photos is common place whether to commemorate an event, remember that special holiday you planned so long for, or even if you’re feeling particularly fabulous that day. With so many social media platforms nowadays relying mostly if not entirely on photos such as LookBook, Pinterest, Snapchat, Tumblr, and who can forget, Instagram, it’s no wonder mobile and even digital photography has seen such a boom in the recent decade. Honourable mention to handphone cameras too; they’re getting bigger and better. Digital cameras getting cheaper too, the former sometimes being able to match up to the latter even in terms of user friendliness.

So What’s Up?

Lately however, photography has gone a lot beyond simple pointing and shooting. Food should look as if it were just in front of you, every guy and girl’s skin has to look flawless and every place in a photo sometimes turns out looking even better than the actual place, a wonderland from some otherworldly region. People get obsessed with editing, cropping and tilt-shifting their photos into perfection. Some people term it “art”, and others wail “I want it to look nice what!”

It can be incredible what people have done in the name of art. Foods of places and makes I’ve never even heard of, floating shoes, and the most amazingly coloured outfits and landscapes decorate my social media daily. Don’t believe me? Go hashtag #sneakerfreaker, #makeportraits, and #foodstagram, you will be impressed by what you find.

This doesn’t stop at just editing our own photos though, a curious phenomenon of our time, photography somehow finds it’s way into many activities any 20-30 something might partake in. Going for that run? Photo. Cafe Hopping with the BFF? Photo. And lots of waffles and coffee. Getting turnt at Attica? Photo. Documentation of our everyday lives sometimes seems just right to complete the day, and it may be okay because we’re all humans, and we all love looking back on memories.

One must admit, we’ve all become shutterbugs in one way or another and it may not just be a generational eccentricity. From the time we receive our first phone, create our first social media account up until now it’s common for the average Singaporean to be bombarded with things to do. We’ve somehow managed to squeeze Studies, CCAs, Social Life, Family Time, Eating, Sleeping and even our own downtime into a span of 24 hours. A photo may be a mark of accomplishment, by very nature we desire to reach self actualization. We feel productive, that we have actually done something to better our lives through this simple means of documentation.

And So..

Do all these observations reveal a side of the people we have become? Or is it an idiosyncrasy of millennials where on a daily basis, we strive to present our lives in a way that transcend everyday aesthetic? In the end it all still drives back to the question; Why do you press the shutter? To look back, or for others to look on us? Once again, it’s only human nature to judge on first impressions, how someone’s Facebook profile looks or how full their snapchat stories are. Are you dissatisfied with how you appear to live your life? Do you follow the crowd, or prefer to relish that moment immortalised in your phone?

When we watch the crowd, they impress us. No, not that blogger you follow for beauty advice or that site with the latest travel destination and food deals. I’m talking about images, images that pervade our everyday lives. They’re on billboards, next to that YouTube video you’re watching, and in the latest issue of 8 Days. From Kylie Jenner or the iPhone 6S, these images are meant more to just show you what is popular, or being sold. They are intended to imprint a picturesque ideal of what things should look like, and what you can expect to be.

While the embellishment of one’s life is in itself a grey area with differing opinions surrounding a seemingly common practice, it is not entirely wrong. The motives behind such actions however, are definitely questionable. When we are driven to maybe impress someone, to feel good about ourselves, it borderlines unhealthy behaviour that may distract you from work or activities that may be otherwise more beneficial towards us in the long term.

That’s one side of the extreme. Actually, it may be the only extreme. No one comments about people who take the occasional picture of a pretty building or their dinner at Swensens. Garnering attention based on what we produce or a facade of what we may appear to do is more than just unhealthy, it may be dangerous. I had the opportunity of chatting with two 18-somethings recently; “And our friend, she is just so annoying sometimes! ‘Take again!’ She always tells her friends!” A trivial matter really, but what’s to say five, ten years down the road, the aesthetic of life’s essence becomes more important than life itself?

Myself, I’m an avid photographer, always snapping whatever is appealing to my eye, and the occasional wefie for the books, always making an effort to go on a photowalk alone or with friends. When I think about it, there really is something magical about how a replica of a moment past can conjure up so many feelings, and how our generation is able to appreciate that, is something we should be grateful for.

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You’ve tried joining multiple ccas to find new friends.

You’ve tried to ask your project group mates out for lunch.

You’ve even tried talking to a random stranger, hoping that they’ll be your new best friend.

You’ve done all of that and everybody ended up going back to their own clique!

You thought to yourself, “maybe I’m just too weird, abnormal or boring for anybody to want to hang out with me.” Sounds familiar?

Why do we get so upset when nobody wants to hang out with us? Why do we feel so depressed when we have no real friends in university but only HI-BYE friends? Why do we even get so jealous of the popular people in school?

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not saying that having friends isn’t important. In fact, if you have more connections, you are more likely to get ahead. But there’s a huge difference between having good connections and being the popular one in school.

Trust me, I’ve been an outcast since the tender age of 6 and bullied almost everyday. But I have managed to work my way to find a group that I finally can fit in (even if it took me more than 10 grueling and lonely years).

And it’s completely alright if it seemed that nobody wants to hang out with you in university. Here’s why:

1. All world-class performers have been an outcast and outright weirdo

Face it. We are now living in a world where being normal and part of the crowd will not get you far, whether it is in business, arts, music, sports etc. Just because society tells you that you should be normal and part of the crowd, doesn’t mean that you have to. The world doesn’t reward normality anymore. Normality is overrated.

Take at look at these names: Donald Trump, Steve Jobs, Mark Zuckerberg, Bill Gates. What do they have in common?

You’ve probablty guessed it: Massive success and tons of money.

But what a lot of people don’t know is that these are the same people who can’t fit in to their peers and cliques when they were your age.

When Mark Zuckerberg was in college, he was not only a brilliant hacker, he was also a social outcast. But he did not resign himself to being a social leper or organize a pity party for himself. Instead, he leveraged on the rejections and used the motivation to build his own business empire. In short, if he wasn’t an outcast, there would be no Facebook!

Steve Jobs paid his dues for becoming world-class when he personified Apple’s legendary ‘90s campaign Think Different. He knew that being different will bring him to world-class status.

Some of the greatest human beings that walked the surface of this earth are often misunderstood and have been an outcast.

They get called “weirdo” and “not cool”. They have very little friends because they were just so driven to the point that it is abnormal. As a result, they were also hated by a lot of people! (just for being different)

But do you think they were even concerned about changing themselves just so that they can fit in and try to be the cool kid back then? Of course not. If they did, there won’t be no Facebook or a Macbook on your desk.

But this doesn’t mean that you should go around and piss off everybody around you. What I’m saying is that you should never care too much about whether people like you or not.

Because the problem is this: too many of us feel that being an outcast means that we are inferior or that it is some form of weakness, which is why so many of the teenagers and young adults get so depressed nowadays.

They are so busy about caring about what others think of them than what they think of themselves. They never could have thought that being an outcast is actually an admirable trait.

Put it this way. If you are an outcast, it is also a sign that you will become a massive success in the future because it shows that you will be able to handle the loneliness associated with being different and being at the top! You’re aren’t concerned about fitting in to your friends who live the YOLO lifestyle.

Being an outcast allows you to form your individual opinion about the things around you.

Being an outcast allows you to envision things that nobody would have thought possible.

Being an outcast allows you to speak your own mind without being clouded by other peoples’ opinion.

Being an outcast allows you to produce never seen before world-class results and achieve rare air success.

Most importantly, being an outcast makes you a one-of-a-kind. And that is hard to get.

2. No matter how hard you try, you can’t please all your friends

You’ve probably changed your hairstyle, changed your fashion sense or wore a branded gear just to please another person at some point in your life.

And then your other friend comes over and tell you how ugly your hair colour is, how your shoes don’t match your shirt or how much of a showoff you are for wearing that (even if you wore it because it was comfortable). In your attempt to fit in, you went and change yourself to make that person happy.

This goes on in a never-ending cycle and you end up becoming a people pleaser. Why do we care so much about the opinions of other people? Isn’t this your life and not theirs?

For most people, the pain of being an outcast is more than the pain of standing up for themselves. They just can’t handle it.

Isn’t your happiness more important than other peoples’ opinion about you?

Because the truth is, no matter how out-of-the-world perfect you are, there is still going to be somebody (i.e. a jerk) who is going to point out the slightest fault in you. In fact, the more successful you become, the more haters you will get.

If you have perfect looks, people are going to criticize the work you do.

If you have perfect grades, people are going to say that you have no life and x-factor.

Even if you decide to sit completely still and do absolutely nothing, people are going to say you are lazy.

So the next time you want to change yourself just to impress others or just to look a little bit more perfect because you don’t like what you see in the mirror, take a look at some of the wealthiest, most good looking, famous, successful, charitable and seemingly flawless people in the world.

They are the ones who seem to have it all. They are the ones who also have the most haters.

Reason for so many haters? None.

They are hated because they are just too perfect and some folks just can’t handle it!

My point here is this: Either way you are going to piss off somebody. Then you might as well live the life you want.

Wear the clothes that you are comfortable in. Talk about nerdy topics that most people won’t understand. Cut your hair the way you want it. Date whoever you like (just make sure that they aren’t attached). Life is too short to live for others. Period.

3. Your clique probably isn’t in university

Have you ever considered the possibility that the clique that you will eventually fit in to probably lies outside the school campus?

I never thought of it when I first started university but it was an aha moment when I realized that.

Just because you are a university student and in your 20s, doesn’t mean that you should hang out with university students in their 20s. If you take the “student” label off of you, it is amazing what connections you can build out there.

Personally, I love taking risks and doing presentations, something which most of my friends hate. They just wanted a safe and secure job. And presentations? Who enjoys it anyway?!

So I started to hang out with real-life entrepreneurs, public speakers and investors at least once a month. I’ll travel to town just to be with them. This also means that most of my friends are in their 40s and 50s. Because of that, I’m now able to trade profitably in the currency markets, speak regularly in Singapore and Malaysia as well as grow my business, despite not having gotten my business degree yet!

We’ll discuss business ideas, the currency markets, marketing plans and lots of life hacks. Things that my friends won’t talk about. They have very different life goals, most preferring the conservative route. And I’m fine with that.

Do my university friends understand why I’m doing this? Not at all.

Do I feel alone at times and different? You bet.

Am I satisfied with my life now? Yes. It was the best decision I’ve made.

In fact, if I am to go back in time, I won’t change a single thing. To end it off, I’d like to leave you with a quote by one of the independent thinkers I admire:

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Let me be straight with you. In my opinion, income isn’t everything you should look at when choosing your degree course or even a job. Paving your future ahead of you based on money is most certainly not the way to go. Passion and interest should play a crucial role in your decision on what to study in university. Finding a job with meaning will fuel you so much more than finding one that earns you the most money.

However, to say that income doesn’t matter at all is an outright lie. Employability and income is most definitely important to the average Singaporean who wishes to survive in this urban metropolis amidst rising living costs. So if you are curious as to which degrees will get you from rags to riches, here’s the top degrees with the highest mean incomes and employability.

*All data shown is derived from the MOE Graduate Employment Survey 2014 (Published in 2015).

It would be wise to bear in mind that these numbers do not reflect pay-per-hour, so it would be wise to note that some jobs which may pay a lot of money, require you to work extraordinarily hard and devote countless hours into studying and working in order to perfect your craft. To put it simply, you reap what you sow. There isn’t a way to success and riches without hard work.

It is worthwhile to note that most of these top-earning degrees require extremely good A level grades. So I hope the greatest takeaway from this article isn’t the $$$ but the notion to work hard for your future.

Last but not least, I have to reiterate that choosing your profession should be influenced, but not determined by your pay grade. Most definitely, don’t choose to become a doctor just to get rich, please save the few limited spots of this noble profession to those who truly want to do good.

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Having been a speaker and trainer for about 2 years now, I had the opportunity to make friends with some of the most successful people in Singapore, from top CEOs, best-selling authors to multi-millionaires.

These are the same people who were once in your position now. Mugging every day and wondering how your life would be like after graduating. Whether you will make it big one day.

I decided to find out what they did differently in university that made them so successful today. And surprisingly, grades isn’t part of the equation.

Yes. You heard me.

GRADES HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH IT.

Before you start throwing away your books. What I’m saying here is that if even if you do not have good grades, it does not matter as much as you or others think it does.

Because at the end of the day, if you display the traits that these elite performers had when they were in university, you have a high chance of making it big.

1. You don’t give a care about what others think of you

Seen those resume and personal branding workshops in your mailbox? There’s just so much hype about “standing out from the crowd” isn’t it?

But how many of us actually have the real guts to really make ourselves stand out? Like REALLY stand out!

The truth is, most people prefer to play small and safe in life just to fit in than to stand out.

It’s so easy to change ourselves just to become part of the crowd, become the teacher’s pet or to impress our parents.

Most people are so self-conscious of what others think of them that they are in a never-ending race trying to change themselves just so that they can be liked (even if it means forgoing their happiness).

These people are the ones who change the way they talk and dress even if it feels so uncomfortable to them.

These are the people who study like mad every hour of every day on a course that they hate just to have their parents say “I’m proud of you!”

Have you ever seen an everybody-pleaser who is also a massively successful person? If you do, please connect me with him or her because that is just a never-seen-before miracle.

Steve Jobs, Michael Phelps, Donald Trump, Ellen Degeneres and Oprah Winfrey are independent thinkers who created a massive vision for themselves, a vision so out-of-the-world that it has never been seen ever in the history of mankind.

They are the rare breed who will keep on hustling day and night and deliver world-class results despite having tons of haters rooting for them to fall badly.

What if the whole world thinks that they are crazy? Well, they don’t care.

If you want to be really successful, you would have to learn to stand your ground even if it feels lonely and that the pain of isolation become so overwhelming because you are the only person left who believes in your dreams.

2. You study because you WANTED to, not because you HAD to

Good paycheck, secure job, bright prospects, lucrative….

Admit it. If you are in your current course for one of the above reasons, then you are here because you HAD to study not because you WANTED to.

If money is no object, would you still be in your course now?

If the answer is NO, then you might want to reevaluate your life choice because life is just too short to wake up every morning doing something because you HAVE to!

Because to me, that is torture.

There was once a classmate of mine who asked me, “Why did you choose to study finance?”

I said, “Just for fun!” She probably thought that I went nuts. And she probably still does now.

But the truth is, I went through years of depression because I did not like what I was studying back then. I went from engineering in polytechnic to architecture in NUS and finally to Banking & Finance in Nanyang Business School.

If you wake up every morning doing something that you do not love, you are not living. You are merely surviving and getting by.

Life if too short to do something that you do not love.

Most importantly, if you aren’t doing something that you love, there is not a chance you are going to be able to compete with those who absolutely love what they are doing. Because to them, it feels like PLAY and not like work.

And if they can outwork (or outplay) you doing what they love, you bet that they can also outperform you.

3. You will never ever let your GPA define your worth

I met a senior 2 years ago whom graduated with a 1st class honors from Nanyang Business School. He quitted his 9-5 corporate job just a few years into his high-paying career. Guess where he is now?

He is now one of Singapore’s most well-known investor and an international public speaker. So successful that he shared the stage with Richard Branson, Brian Tracy and Robert Kiyosaki.

I asked him this, “What did you do in university that made you so successful today?”

His reply was surprising, “Just love what you do and don’t let your grades define you”.

Doesn’t sound like the conventional advice does it? I know you are told to study hard and get a good job but the truth is, that advice just doesn’t work in this century anymore.
Nowadays, “C-” students are the ones who run companies and hiring “A+” students to work for them.

In fact, some of my most successful entrepreneurs and traders of Singapore I know only had an “O” level certificate and they are now earning in one month what degree holders earn in 1 year.
There’s another friend of mine. He did not graduate with honors from NUS like his peers did. Guess where he is now?

He is travelling around the world teaching PHDs, masters and degree holders how to trade for a living.

Sounds unfair isn’t it?

It is not unfair. It is the truth. It is the world that we are living in now.
And I can give you many more of such examples.

You know it. More than half of what is inside that textbook of yours cannot be applied into the real world. Even if it works out for you, it will be outdated by the time you’ve graduated.

The real knowledge comes from practical street-smarts. Getting an “A” only shows others that you have a good ability to memorize your textbook and have good exam-taking skills. That’s it.

If being a doctor, lawyer or specialized professional is your dream job, then by all means work hard on your studies because society needs you.

But if making it big as a CEO, investor or buying your dream house is what you really want, never ever feel that you should decrease your worth just because you aren’t in the honors list. That is too much of an exaggeration!

Because in the real world, the bottom-line isn’t straight As’. Your customers, clients and bankers won’t come into office one day and ask you for your GPA. And you’ll wonder why you were even so concerned about your GPA to begin with.

I suggest you consider reading Robert Kiyosaki’s book “Why A students work for C students and B students work for the government”

Your worth isn’t going to be determined by your GPA or your level of income.

Only you have the power to determine your worth and only you can define it. Period.

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Psychology has always been a fascinating subject to many. How can one possibly resist the urge to delve into the minds of people? What is it that makes us tick, why emotions affect our behaviour, and why on earth is it when people tell you not think of a pink elephant, you think of a pink elephant. Pursuit of such knowledge has been seeing a steady increase within recent years, and if you’re one of these people, you have found the right article. *claps*

Various institutions offers Psychology as either a full time or part time programme. NUS does so within FASS (Faculty of Arts & Social Sciences), NTU in HSS (Humanities & Social Sciences), SIM-GE with multiple overseas universities, and most recently, Yale-NUS. The options are varied, and if you ever want to enrol yourselves in this discipline, you would definitely want to know what you’re setting yourself up for, in terms of academic content and job prospects. To meet this end, aside from troweling the depths of the interwebz for relevant information, I enlisted the help of two of my friends who have intensely studied the subject of Psychology.

Denise recently completed her BSc. (Psychology) with the University of Wollongong at SIM-GE and prior to that, she graduated from Ngee Ann Polytechnic with a Diploma in Psychology & Community Services. Jade is in her final year at NTU’s HSS, BA. in Psychology.

Hold on, Joseph. Sooooo is it an Arts subject or a Science subject? Either way, how similar is the content of their courses? And what job would I ever be qualified for?

Well, it’s a little more complicated than just assigning labels. Read on, and all your questions will be answered!

So what does the study of Psychology actually encompass?

Jade: Psychology is multidisciplinary. It’s the study of humans. Very theoretical and it always requires evidence-based empirical findings. Cognitively, it focuses on the mind and behaviour. If it’s health, it focuses on bio-psycho-social well-being of humans. If it’s social, it’s about how humans behave in social setting. If developmental, it studies your life experiences since birth & applies developmental theories to explain your adaptive or maladaptive growth. If motivational, it studies how you set goals, like certain incentives, processes you engage in to fulfil your needs. It studies holistically about you as a person.

Denise: It encompasses the study of the brain, thought processes, memory, and a lot of looking into different research done and by being aware of the limitations previously encountered, you can perform new research that would improve the lives of others.

There you go, there are several divisions of Psychology, all of which are the make up of our daily lives.

What are the biggest misconceptions you have encountered about Psychology?

Jade: The greatest one is that we can read people’s mind, people don’t mean it in a literal sense but they just think that we can predict their innate abilities, deep thoughts and intentions from their actions and physical behaviours. That’s not true but we can make some inferences if we know a person well enough. Another misconception is that when you major in psychology, you will definitely be a psychiatrist or psychologist although, psychology =/= psychiatry. The worst misconception of all is people who study psychology will grow to be a more empathetic and caring person.

Denise: It would be that psychology enables us to read minds. I think people pick psychology so they can completely predict or read a person and I must say it is a very attractive reason because who wouldn’t want to know?

Surprise, surprise, there are such misconceptions, no matter how silly they may sound at first like.. reading people’s minds. And as it turns out, Psychiatry and Psychology although similar in knowledge and some professional practices both possess very stark differences from one another. A Psychiatrist is a practicing medical doctor, able to diagnose and treat mental disorders such as Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) or Depression. A Psychologist on the other hand, performs research and seeks to predict and improve behaviour and performance of people on different levels, ranging from the child, to the middle aged, to the senior citizen.

What are the advantages to majoring in Psychology?

Jade: You understand people. You can basically work anywhere you desire that involves human interaction & of course, research. You are able to monitor your own words and actions to prevent further misconceptions. One great example that’s easy for you to understand is the term OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). If a psychology major still says a meticulous person is OCD, that’s a total misuse of the term OCD. It has a great impact on people’s perceptions of an actual OCD person and can actually harm relationships if you think about it. This labelling is a no-no, it’s unethical to some extent. It’s just like we shouldn’t go around using the word retarded because there are people with actual mental retardation might be standing next to you. (I can’t phrase properly haha stuck on train).

On personal levels, People feel more assured and intrigued when you can predict one’s future health, future behaviours & development because you always sound like you are erudite in this. Besides, psychology knowledge is often backed up with empirical findings, everything you say, as long as it’s accurate, is beneficial.

Denise: That almost anywhere would accept a psychology degree. From offices to social work sectors. Because of the better understanding of humans, anywhere can hire psychologists to make the office, school or anywhere actually, a better place to be in. I feel that I am more aware of how people would react in situations. It raises my EQ.

Fresh insights into people would certainly on any level improve relationships and work performance. It is interesting to note that while pursuing higher level education, it is not just the practical skills nor theoretical knowledge we receive but also the inter/intra personal skills we form and exercise that can contribute to the building of one’s career.

Do you think this field of study lack practical applications compared to other disciplines like Engineering, Accountancy, or Design?

Jade: Not true? Design is a great example to illustrate my point. Interior design is a great example. Industrial & Organisational psychologists are sometimes in charge of how to design a conducive work environment. For example, a child’s seat should be elevated with a pillow, all humans must sit with perfect posture, chairs must be designed to attain a 90* sitting posture. A designer must also have psychological knowledge and empathy to understand how colours, lighting affect one’s attention span, concentration, memory (biological psychology). Psychology is multidisciplinary, it’s so dangerous to not know enough about humans because you can bring about things that may not help a human, but damage a human.

Denise: Yes, I would have to agree. It’s not very specific. You would have to get until a masters to be able to specialise in a part of psychology while the others, with a diploma or degree in accountancy, you could land a job as an accountant.

Differing views on this point. On one hand, you may have to pursue further studies before stepping into the Psychology field to work or carry out research. On the flip side, because of how one understands humans and their operations, a contributing or supporting role in other sectors such as design, corporate, or even education. It seems you would have to know what appeals to you first before you decide on what to do with your Psychology Degree.

Do I necessarily have to work within the social sector when I graduate?

Jade: No you not have to work in the social sector when you graduate because people have different life purposes and it is just hoped that psychology directs them to the right paths and paths they desire, as with any other major ethical dilemmas will arise in every workplace and psychology majors should have in depth knowledge of ethics in research as well as in life.

Denise: Nope. Like I said, you can go to offices or schools.

What if I want to be a practicing psychiatrist or counsellor?

Jade: If you want to be a practicing psychiatrist, you need a medicinal degree & PHD, qualifications are very different from psychology. If you want to be a professional psychologist, you need a minimum PhD or masters too. If you want to be a counsellor, a degree is definitely required but I think it also requires substantial experience.

Denise: For a psychiatrist, you would have to be awarded a Bachelors and Masters in Medicine before you can be a psychiatrist. If not, you would just be a psychologist. Were you to take a Masters in Psychology, it usually requires Honours or Grad Diploma. For Counselling, Honours in your degree are not needed but a Masters in Counselling is essential.

If your end goal is to be able to diagnose, treat, and prevent mental illnesses, you would be looking to complete a degree in Medicine before moving on to the further qualifications required.

Counselling can be performed at different levels, for basic qualifications to work in the government sector, you can refer to the National Council of Social Services website here. Post Graduate Courses in either Psychology or Counselling can be found at NIE’s website.

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What does it take to get into the world-renowned University of Oxford? Do you think you have what it takes? Well, let’s hear from 2 graduates from Raffles Institution, Class of 2014 who have survived the rigorous selection process and made the cut.

Hi, so give us a little background on yourselves. Who are you, which school were you from and what was your CCA?

JY:
I’m Kuek Jia Yao, 19 this year and just had A Levels last year. I was from Raffles Institution (Sec) and then Raffles Institution (JC) through IP programme. I applied to both US, UK universities for tertiary education. I was also in the NCC, RECAS (Raffles Economics & Current Affairs Society) and Students Council! I am now a SAFOS (Singapore Armed Forces Overseas) Scholar under the PSC Scheme. I applied to study Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) at Oxford.

GO:
I’m Gaius Ong, and I was from Raffles Institution (Sec) and Raffles Institution (JC) through the IP programme as well. My CCAs in Year 5-6 were the Students’ Council, on which I served as the Secretary, and Raffles Press. I applied to Oxford for Law and am also under the PSC Scholar programme.

So why did you decide to apply to Oxford for your particular course of interest?

JY:
I loved PPE because I believe in the importance of being inquisitive. I wanted to pursue a course of study that made me versatile and analytical. PPE is famous for its flexibility; journalists, politicians, businessmen have all studied it. I wanted to study PPE too; plus it would have been useful in my chosen career as a soldier and civil servant. I would argue that the current Liberal Arts education system I’m in now, does provide similar flexibility in my education. PPE is the only college major in the UK system that I felt rivals Lib Arts in its breadth and flexibility

GO:
I applied for Oxford primarily because of the tutorial system here. Unlike most universities, tutorials here are conducted in classes of 1-3 students, with one of your tutors. I felt that I would benefit greatly from this system, where I could receive direct feedback from my tutors about my work and discuss problems in the law with them on a more personal basis. You get much more personalised attention from your tutors, as opposed to tutorials in JC for example, but it’s also more challenging in the sense that you have to constantly be on your toes, ready to engage with the problems, ask and answer questions, and defend your views. Plus, you get to learn directly from the people who wrote your textbooks – how cool is that?

What were some of the difficulties you faced when applying for Oxford? (Besides having to score all As)

JY:
Honestly, I was extremely busy during that time as I had to study for my A levels. The Oxford application deadline was in September/October so I has to complete my common application with my personal statement really quickly. Only Cambridge had an earlier deadline.
Since I applied for PPE, I had to take another test, the Thinking Skills Assessment which i had to prepare for in order to be considered for admission.

GO:
In terms of grades, it depends on your offer – most Oxford offers require 3 H2 As for A levels, as did mine.

For Law I understand that you need the LNAT, what is it and any advice on how to prepare?

GO:
For Oxford law, and many of the law programmes in the UK, we have to take the LNAT. It comprises of 42 multiple-choice questions (much like the comprehension passages you used to do in primary school, you’re given 12 passages and asked 3-4 questions on each) as well as an essay question, which is really just like a GP essay.
I just did the 2 practice papers that were provided on the LNAT website!

I understand that for PPE you need the TSA. What is the TSA about and can you prepare for it?
JY:
If I may allay any applicant’s fears I believe that this test is not meant to measure preparation or knowledge. It’s meant to serve as an indicator of your thought process. That being said, you CAN prepare for it. To prepare for it, you can google TSA questions. I also bought a book to prepare for it. There are lots of books out there that you can buy.
One of the sections for the TSA is an essay component which you have to write within 30 minutes, so you won’t have the time to write a full length piece. To do well, I had to:
1. Paint a full picture of how my points interact with each other to form a cogent argument
2. Show how I could think out of the box in explaining an issue.

What about the interview?

JY:
First, when I went to Oxford the first thing that the Admissions tutor said was that “All of us had already made the cut, whether we passed the interview or not was not a measure of whether we were good enough to be in Oxford, because there were so many factors in play.” This can definitely apply to the whole Oxford application process.
There is a level of arbitrariness that exists in any application, and it is in no way a measure of anything whether you succeed or not.
Anyways, the second thing they mentioned which really stood out for me was this:
So please, don’t fret. I’m guilty of oversharing this story, but during one of my two interviews, the professor asked me “So what is marginal income?” I didn’t utter a word, eventually had to succumb and say I didn’t know.
Now one might say that I can be let off because I didn’t take econs in high school… but an applicant to PPE doesn’t know basic econs? HAHA needless to say I didn’t expect that I’d get in after that incident.
Apparently for the econs interview there are questions of increasing difficulty (a total of 9 I believe) and I failed the first one! So don’t let your impressions of how you did cloud your judgement, especially if it’s after your first interview. There are two interviews for PPE (at least for my college). My first interview was the International Relations and Politics one, while the second was the Philosophy and Econs one. Needless to say I enjoyed the former much more than the latter XD

GO:
I did a Skype interview from Singapore after my A Levels (and for those who are wondering, my suggestion is to do a Skype interview to save money. If you have the spare cash and want to go on a holiday in the UK anyway, by all means; but it makes no difference whether you do a Skype interview or not).
Before the interview, I was given 20 minutes to read a hypothetical legal situation given to me, as well as the relevant statutes. The interview was really more like a tutorial: the tutor and I discussed the case together and we talked about the various legal issues that arose. The tutors aren’t there to intimidate you or question you on your knowledge on law: they’re quite aware that you know next to nothing about study law at university level. Instead, always keep in mind that they’re scouting for potential students: students who can best function in that sort of intimate discussion environment, and learn the best with whatever time they have with their tutors.

What advice do you have for those who wish to study in Oxford?

JY:
Two attributes I’d encourage you to keep close when doing either the TSA or interviews:
1) Always keep an open mind, and consider any and all ideas that pop into your head
2) Try to be as sharp and clear as possible.
I’d relate the first to the concept of creativity and the second to logic. Last but not least, I encourage students to always stay inquisitive!

GO:
Talk to seniors! Make sure you understand just what you’re signing up for – different people learn in different ways, and the tutorial system isn’t for everyone. In Oxford there’s a lot of independent thinking and learning involved, and while the tutors definitely give you guidance along the way, you need to be very disciplined in the way you manage your time and learning. The terms are short and very intense, but if you put in lots of effort into your work, the learning will be very, very rewarding.

Conclusion:
The University of Oxford is ranked 2nd in by Times Higher Education. It is one of the best universities in the world for a reason. Getting in, is no easy feat, but that should not stop you from trying. Aiming to be the best that you can be, to invest in your education and ultimately yourself, is the best investment you can make. The university is also housed in a beautiful scenic city that will let you experience what living in a campus city is like, much unlike Singapore. So if you can, going abroad for a quality education isn’t just about getting a great cert. It’s about learning and developing yourself, to be the best that you can be.

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Everybody around you is getting an MBA (Masters of Business Administration). Whether it’s a business graduate or an engineering graduate, everyone seems to want an MBA nowadays, and for a good reason. However, it is good to reflect why you want to get an MBA. Your motivations for getting an MBA may stem from a desire to get promoted, earn a pay increase, or turn yourself into a more valuable employer or employee. No matter what your ambitions are, MBAs will without doubt, offer you:

1. Real-World Management Skills

a. It’s not just about crunching numbers in the financial world. Being good with numbers and analysis is one thing. True business leadership lies in understanding organizational behavior and learning useful interpersonal skills that will turn your team into a productive machine to be reckoned with.

2. Proof of Ability

a. Let’s face it. The certificate you get at the end of your course isn’t just a piece of paper. It is a symbol of your worth, a credential that shows that you aren’t just another ordinary suit. Furthermore, a specialized MBA may appeal to some employers more than others, depending on your field of specialization.

3. A Larger Social Network

a. Going to university is not simply about the knowledge you inherit. For business students, it is the contacts that you gain that will ultimately be your most valuable asset. Large MBA organisations can give you access to a pool of like-minded peers and even an alumni network that will be useful in the future.

The Best MBAs in Singapore

Disclaimer: It is difficult to rank the various MBAs in Singapore, because they vary in teaching style, curriculum and specialization. To make an informed choice, you would have to read their website and even enquire more to make a good decision. Nevertheless, here is a guide on what are the top 10 MBAs in Singapore to look out for. The QS WU Ranking system used here is the most comprehensive ranking system because it consists of the most universities and it uses graduate and employer surveys to determine 1) Academic Reputation 2) Employee Reputation 3) Faculty Student Ratio 4) International Indicators 5) Citations per Faculty 6) Web Impact 7) Staff with PhD to give you a good overview of the university strength.

1. INSEAD (QS WU 3rd Globally)

This French Business School is ranked 3rd by QS World Universities ranking for Business Management. It is one of the leading and largest graduate business schools. Currently, there are two comprehensive and fully connected campuses in Asia (Singapore) and Europe (France), 143 renowned faculty members from 31 countries and more than 880 MBA participants, 55 executive MBAs, over 7000 executives and 64 PhD candidates. What’s more? They collaborate with Wharton and have a joint EMBA program formed in conjunction with Tsinghua University. Of coursw, they have an international reputation backed with accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. The INSEAD Asia campus is located near one-north MRT station.

Duration: 10 month

Cost: 65800 Euros – $100,135.60 SGD

2. National University of Singapore (QS WU 11th Globally)

NUS MBA’s programme is great. Of course, it’s NUS, arguably the best university in Singapore. There is no worries about recognition considering it’s backed by both EQUIS and AACSB. NUS has a great global reach and is partners with the Columbia Business School, Duke Fuqua and Copenhagen Business School which students can spend a semester abroad to gain an international experience.

Duration: 2 Semesters (1 Year) – Full-Time, 4 Semesters (2 Years) – Part-Time

Cost: SGD 62,000

3. Nanyang Business School – NTU (QS WU 31st Globally)

A school that gains strength from its strong roots in research and prides itself in its deep Asian roots, NTU’s Nanyang Business School isn’t to be taken lightly. If you want to gain global perspective on management issues, applied in the Asian context, NTU is for you. With live business consulting projects and international study trips, your time at NBS will be an enriching one. If you are into some new MBA programmes, NBA also offers Nanyang-Waseda Double MBA Full Time, Nanyang-ESSEC Double Masters and Nanyang-St Gallen Double Masters which are for different durations and costs. They are accredited bt AACSB and EQUIS in addition to being a GMAC school.

Duration: 12 month (Full-Time), 29 Months (Part-Time)

Cost: S$ 55,000 (excludes GST)

4. Lee Kong Chian School of Business (LKCSB), Singapore Management University

LKCSB is a young superstar, founded only in 2000. However, it has been on a rapid ascenscion to gain a solid reputation in the Asia-Pacific region. We all know SMU loves to show off its solid graduate employment survey for undergraduates and we all know businesses love SMU student’s outspoken attitude. If you want to be great at your presentation and interpersonal skills, LKCSB should most definitely be a university to look at. It also showcases dual accreditation from AACSB and EQUIS. LKCSB aims to prepare emerging business leaders for current and future challenges. Its faculty has an international feel, many of its staff holding credentials fromHarvard, Oxford, Stanford, INSEAD, and Yale.

Duration: 12 Months (Full-Time), 18 Months (Part-Time)

Cost: S$62,209.80 (Full-Time), S$64,392.60 (Part-Time)

5. Manchester Business School (QS WU 30th Globally)

Offered by the University of Manchester, this program is a part-time only course. This international programme includes a live project to give you the practical experience necessary to set you apart from your competitors in the industry. The Manchester Business School is well-known for its Business Programme so I highly doubt accreditation will be an issue. An interesting feature of this MBA is the availability of a Global Careers Service that lets you accelerate your current career path with MBS’s help or find career opportunities worldwide. The 5 specialisations they offer are 1. General 2.Finance 3. Finance Accelerated 4. Engineering 5. Project Management. They are triple accredited by AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA as well.

Duration: Two years plus a six month live company project

Cost: S$63,708.50

6. ESSEC Business School MBA (QS WU 51-100 Globally)

Well-known in Europe as a leading business school, ESSEC offers a comprehensive MBA with a huge variety of specializations. This niche French institution is famous for its health and food business specialisations. The MBA course is available in Paris and in Singapore and the part-time course last 2-3 years which is a little long to be honest, but most certainly recognized being ranked 3rd in Masters of Management by the Financial Times. It is also accredited by AACSB and EQUIS.

Duration: 2-3 years

Cost: 38,000 Euros = $57,859.45 SGD

7. SP JAIN Global School Of Management Singapore – Global MBA

Having campuses in Dubai, Sydney and of course Singapore, SP Jain Global School Of Management is a school worth taking a look. It focuses on the development of attributes like global intelligence, creativity and innovation, teamwork, decision-making and communication skills. It is accredited by TEQSA and ABEST21. It was ranked #10 by Forbes in the “The Best International Business School” for its Global MBA programme, which is pretty decent by all measures.

Duration: 1 year Full-Time

Cost: 47,215 USD = 67002.81 SGD

8. The Strathclyde MBA

Strathclyde Business School is one of the few schools in the world with triple accreditation from 3 international bodies of AMBA, AACSB, and EQUIS. This school is most famous for its research strength having won the 2014 Research Excellence Framework and is one of the top 10 schools in the UK for its research. They have achieved the highest possible rating for their research environment. They are ranked the 80th in the world by the Financial Times for the Global MBA programme and 37th for their executive MBA programme. Strathclyde’s MBA is known as the best Scottish MBA in Europe. The course is offered at YMCA Education Center in Singapore.

Cost: $38,961.00

Duration: Minimum 2 years, Maximum 6 Years (Part-Time)

9. Lancaster Global MBA (LUMS)

Lancaster Unviversity of Management is ranked the 10th in the UK by The Guardian University Guide and is well-known in the UK for its 1-year MBA programme. The University is also strong in research being recognized as the 1st for ‘research power’, 1st for number of faculty submitted during the 2014 Research Excellence Framework assessment. It is also recognsed by AACSB and EQUIS so there should not be any worries about global recognition of its MBA certificate. LUMS has also strong network ties with many businesses in the UK public and private sector including AstraZeneca, BAE Systems, Bass, British Airways, as well as the NHS and The UK Cabinet Office just to mention a few.

10. University of Bradford, UK MBA

Bradford University School of Management has partnered with Singapore’s oldest not-for-profit institution, Management Development Institute of Singapore, to bring a great MBA locally. It is one of the top 50 schools in the UK for business and has triple accreditation from AACSB, EQUIS and AMBA. The Bradford MBA currently ranks as one of the World’s Top 10 MBA programmes, 1st in the world for alumni career development (for networking purposes) and 2nd in the world for value for money, due to the fact that is a really economical option for an MBA

Cost: $30,626 Full-Time, $28,461 Part-Time

Duration:15 months (Full-Time), 24 months (Part-Time)

Conclusion

Making the decision to get an MBA isn’t a difficult one, MBAs are great. However, making the decision on which MBA to get, can get tough. I highly encourage prospective students to do their due diligence and research as much as they can to understand about the MBA they are choosing. If you wish to work in Singapore, then obviously NUS, NTU and SMU are great choices, but if you are looking at working overseas, then considering some of the private universities can be a good alternative as well. Of course, do look at their accreditation and costs which are a huge factor when it comes to education too. No matter where you choose to study, one thing should remain constant, that is to work hard for whatever it is that you want and to do whatever it takes, to get where you want to go. All the best, until next time.

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This was a pretty scary idea for us back then, when we were still studying and, like a lot of students, we didn’t have any networks, money or corporate experience to start a business right off the bat. The particular business idea that we were looking to create and introduce to Australian university students was textbook rental.

This business model required money, however, and a lot of it at that. Here is a quick video on what a business model is, which is a pretty important concept if you are a budding entrepreneur. With a capital-intensive business model like textbook rental where we have costs like inventory, storage, shipping, rent, and so on … we needed money, and fast.

The start

The bank laughed at us when we asked them for a loan. Our friends and family offered us a small amount, but we really needed a lot more than this to give our business a real go. The only thing left was to pitch investors our business and hope that someone would believe in us, our team and our vision enough to back us with cash.

When we were creating our pitch deck using powerpoint slides, we became quite anxious as we realised how small we were in such a big world. We did not have any significant working experience or large, global networks that could give us the edge in business. All we had in fact, was ourselves.

The student advantage

We had to make do with this, and so we brainstormed ideas about what we had within us that could inspire and compel investors to believe in our vision and our ability to execute on our vision. We probably pitched 100 times in our first year, and I quickly realised that the only thing we had was actually the most important thing; not experience or networks.

Our team was comprised of four people – all university students at that time who had also personally experienced the pain of purchasing expensive textbooks semester after semester. If we distill this fact down into two principles, you can begin to understand why an investor would have confidence in us to execute our vision to become the largest educational platform in the Asia-Pacific.

Leveraging on these principles, in our first year we were able to raise US$1.5 million from venture capitalists, and have since raised over US$5 million in total – from Australia, Israel, Silicon Valley and more recently, from Singapore.

This has allowed us to generate tens of millions of dollars in revenue this year and also have a paying customer database of over 40,000 customers. I will now talk about these two principles which you can use going forward.

Two key principles

Firstly, the team were all students at university, which meant that we understood students. We were living, breathing students who understood what students liked, what they did not like, where they hung out, how they studied, and how they partied.

Our closeness to the target market meant that we could use our inside knowledge to create strong business tactics that we know would work much better on the student demographic. This is something that adults or non-students would have much more of a hard time coming to terms with. This was our first key strength.

Our next key strength was personally experiencing the problem that we were trying to solve. We knew from our first day at university that textbooks were heavy and expensive. There were no lockers to store them in and, being a student, I was not earning money – so spending over US$100 on a single textbook caused a lot of pain for me.

Wouldn’t it be great if someone could send the books to me? Wouldn’t it be great if instead of shelling out $100 for a new textbook, I could access the exact same textbook for half the price? Personally experiencing the current problem provided us with a lot of motivation and understanding of how to solve it; much more so than anyone who had not personally experienced this problem before.

Combining these two factors made for a compelling pitch, and fortunately we were able to start a relationship with some amazing investors, who have also become good friends and mentors. Now, in saying this, just because you have personally experienced the problem and you are close to your target market will not guarantee a successful capital raise or a successful business.

You may also be successful building a business in which you have not personally experienced the problem you are solving or you are not close to the target market demographic. There are no guarantees in business.

It is a slow, daily grind with many ups and downs – the most important thing is you do not give up. We have pitched hundreds of times over the years and even to this day we still hear no’s. But we keep moving forward and never give up.

Next steps

Remember, Mark Zuckerberg was a student when he started Facebook. Larry Page and Sergey Brin were working on Google out of their classrooms at Stanford. There has been no better time to be a student and future global entrepreneur than now.

There are some really exciting businesses being built by students at the moment, such as Aimazing or Experience Ace from students at Nanyang Technological University (NTU). I am very inspired by their courage and vision to start building something and working hard to hit big goals.

Following start-up, technology and investment updates

If you are interested in following news related to start-ups or technology, I would recommend Tech in Asia – the team over at Tech in Asia are young and energetic people who provide a lot of useful content for student entrepreneurs and the latest updates or investments in the region.

I just attended their amazing annual conference in Jakarta where there were hundreds of students from universities and high schools just like you there. I’ll hopefully see you at the Singaporean conference next April.

Which areas would you like me focus on for future articles? Let me know here in the comments below. I welcome all suggestions and will get back to all of you

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