The question burning on every freshman's lips, "Where to after the A Levels?" Well, four young men who were Cambridge GCE A level students from the School of Pre-University Studies (SPUS) were invited to share their thoughts, opinions & experiences whilst venturing into the world of tertiary education both overseas and locally, as part of the Orientation programme for the new January 2013 intake students.
Tan Zhai Gen is currently reading Cell & Mollecular Biology at the University of Oxford. Tan Cheng Kiat had just completed his BioTech Degree at University College Sedaya International, Tan Pang Hoon, his Pharmacy Degree at Monash University Malaysia and Bryan See Tho had just graduated with a Degree in Psychology at University of Auckland, New Zealand. All of them unanimously agreed that the Cambridge GCE A level programme had provided them with a solid foundation and had paved the way to a brighter future.
The much awaited sharing session was preceded by a very insightful presentation on 'An Introduction to Tertiary Education' by Ms Jeswynna Roy, Lecturer for General Paper and MUET. Issues close to the hearts of students such as, managing change, the importance of English, learning styles, tips for better time management, coping with stress, among other things were addressed.
Tan Zhai Gen shared that the Cambridge GCE A Levels at SPUS had given him a very strong foundation for his studies at Oxford. When certain topics pop up in class, he clearly remembers having done them at SPUS. He also commended that SPUS lecturers are very passionate about their subjects and are kind in helping their students. "For instance, I always asked questions which were out of the syllabus but my lecturers were still very patient and tried to answer my questions. They always gave extra knowledge to us which cannot be found in the textbooks."
Bryan enthused that he had found his learning style when he was studying the Cambridge GCE A level programme at TAR College. He mentioned that no two persons have the same learning style, one has to discover what suits him or her best and that’s the secret of success.
It was certainly an enlightening session for the 'juniors', the A level students, as they got it straight from their seniors who have actually "done that" and "been there", so to speak.
Photo Captions:
Photo 1: The four young men (from left): Bryan See Tho, Tan Pang Hoon, Tan Cheng Kiat and Tan Zhai Gen taking turns to share their experiences.
Photo 2: The juniors (from second row to the back row) and the seniors at the front row, together with Ms Looi Li Chin (fourth from right), Head of School of Pre-University Studies, and Heads of Divisions & Ms. Jeswynna from SPUS.
