Finally, I am an SMU undergraduate, majoring in Economics.

After 3 years of pre-school, 6 years of primary education, 4 years of secondary school, 2 years of junior college, and 1 year 10 months of serving my country in the National Service, I have arrived at this very important stage in my life: tertiary education.

Economics at SMU, Part 1 - Econs??? Never!!!
I did not once think throughout my secondary education and junior college days that I would be majoring in Economics.

In secondary school, at ACS(I), I had studied:

• English
• Chinese
• Elementary Mathematics
• Advanced Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Geography
• Literature
• Social Studies

In junior college, at ACJC, my subjects were:

• General Paper
• Chinese
• Mathematics
• Physics
• Chemistry
• Biology
• Project Work

So nopes, no Econs anywhere. In fact, I had not wanted to take Econs in JC, despite much advice to the contrary, for the following reasons:

• I felt I was a Science person
• Taking Econs would have meant dropping one of the three Sciences (dropping Mathematics, such a core subject, is a big no-no). I wanted to keep my options open with regards to choice of courses in university.
• Not taking Econs at JC level was not much of a disadvantage as an introductory economics course at tertiary level would cover all the JC content within a semester. Furthermore, tertiary economics, involving much more maths, was much different to that taught at JC level.

Instead, I opted, and was accepted, for a new course, Engineering Science, that was to be offered at NUS. I felt that Physics had always been my strongest suit and it was only natural for me to progress in that direction.

Economics at SMU, Part 2 - Second Thoughts
So, I entered army with my life direction firmly plotted out for me: Engineering Science at NUS, a job as a researcher in the private sector, perhaps a patent, and a business, in the not too distant future. Safe, secure, no worries, no second thoughts.

Or so I reckoned. But I reckoned wrong.

As I lived out my army days, I matured and came to a better understanding of what really drives me, what I would want to achieve in life, what I would not regret doing. And as I tossed and turned over my tertiary education choices in my mind for months on end, I eventually came to the conclusion that Engineering Science was not the way forward for me. Rather, I would definitely be doing Economics, preferably at SMU.

Here are some thoughts that influenced my decision:

1. Did I really want to live a life as a researcher? I had dismissed the worries of a dull, boring, unglamourous life in a laboratory as just a part of the job. But now I was not so sure. It no longer held the same allure as I wondered if I would be able to sustain the passion for such a monotonous job.
2. What is driving the economy, not just in Singapore, but in Asia? Definitely the financial sector. As any economy matures, it grows from one dependent upon exports to one in which the financial sector plays the most important part. The financial sector is also where the most money was to be made, if you’re willing to put in the work.
3. Would I succeed in Economics? I had come to understand that Economics at tertiary level would focus intensely upon mathematics. Since primary school, I had always excelled in mathematics, so I was sure that this would be a manageable challenge for me.

Processing all the above thoughts, I arrived at my final decision to take a bold step and apply to study Economics at SMU. I was naturally elated when I was informed of my acceptance into the course.

Matriculation Day
Matriculation is really important as it signals my official entrance into SMU as a student.

I am eager to finally put my army and working days behind me and re-embark upon my student life.

I completed all the official procedures, including fee payment, making of SMU student card, and a compulsory volunteerism talk. It was great to be part of the vibrancy that permeated the atmosphere, to feel a part of the student population, to walk around the campus as if it were my own.

I signed up for the following camps:

• SMUCF Freshmen Orientation Camp
• SMU Freshmen Team-Building Camp
• SOE Oikos!
• SMUX Camp

Totally looking forward to immersing myself in these camps before the hard grind of studies ahead.

Cya in 4 days, when my first camp, SMUCF camp concludes!

Back with stories and photos (hopefully)!

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