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.

Click through to continue reading about what influenced my decision to change course, and also my thoughts about Matriculation Day, an important step in my SMU journey!

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ChannelNewsAsia recently released a report on the job prospects of NUS business graduates. This comes a fortnight after a similar article on SMU graduates.

Click through to compare the figures from these reports

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A week ago at this exact time, a man committed suicide by jumping off the platform onto the MRT tracks at Choa Chu Kang station (more about it here). An incoming train pulling into the station ran over him and he was pinned down under its third carriage. Onlookers were shocked and horrified. Civil Defense personnel rushed to the scene and the man was pronounced dead at 8.30am.

What explains this recent spike in the number of ‘MRT suicides’?

Allow me to probe deeper into this worrying trend and explain the reasons and psychology behind the rise in the number of ‘MRT suicides’.

Click through to read the full article

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There was another MRT suicide this morning, this time at Choa Chu Kang MRT. In terms of time and space, it is the closest I’ve ever come to witnessing a successful suicide:
>> If I had arrived at Yew Tee station just 3 min earlier, I would have been on the train that killed the guy
>> Choa Chu Kang station is just the next stop after Yew Tee station

Thank God I arrived at Yew Tee station at my usual time of 8.06am to board the 8.08am train. If I had been earlier, by just 3 min, I would have boarded the 8.04am train that would crush the guy at Choa Chu Kang station, the next station, just 4 min away by train.

Click through to read more about my experience today

Also check out my follow-up article, MRT Suicides - Explaining the Phenomenon, in which I offer some explanations for the recent surge in suicide attempts

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Over the past decade, as technological advances have bloomed around the world, so too many universities have embraced the empowering effects of technology. The flowering of wireless connectivity and virtual learning environments is thus simply a natural off-shoot of technological growth. Indeed, wireless connectivity is now so rooted in our halls of learning that we rely upon it for module selections, essay submissions, internship applications and other critical functions.

But has the covering of our education landscape by the swath of technology come at a price? Many undergraduates are now required to submit essays and projects via the Internet on weekends, thus demolishing any semblance of a structured time for rest and relaxation.

The following article perfectly summarised in brief the main costs and benefits of this phenomenon:

FunkyGrad.com: MicroSerfdom by Natalie Tse, NUS

Is technology a boon or bane for students?

Share your opinion now!

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Playing in the 3rd round of the Asian Qualifiers for the World Cup 2010 in South Africa, our Singapore Lions put on a tenacious display of football in the Arabian plains, narrowly succumbing to the mighty Saudis by two goals of pure quality. The result was a fair one in the end, but Singapore certainly showed their rapid improvement under the tutelage of Raddy Avramovic, with our defense in particular stifling the Saudis for much of the match.

Click through to read a full recap and analysis of the match

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Finally! 6 months of tough training and perseverance have paid off. After 5 hours of pounding the roads and pavements of Singapore, I completed the gruelling 42.195km Full Marathon in the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007!

It was no easy feat. That is probably the under-statement of the year! For a first-timer such as myself, there were many challenges faced and conquered leading up to and during the marathon.

Click through to read all about these challenges and how I conquered them!

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Homosexuality has been the hot topic of discussion among Singaporeans for the past year. In particular, the debate has centered around Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code, which forbids men from having sex with one another in public or private.

Section 377A of the Singapore Penal Code
Any male person who, in public or private, commits, or abets the commission of, or procures or attempts to procure the commission by any male person of, any act of gross indecency with another male person, shall be punished with imprisonment for a term which may extend to 2 years.

Read on to learn the full range of the debate and peruse relevant links

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Less than 2 months to go to the Standard Chartered Singapore Marathon 2007! This will be my first full marathon. Dec 2 just can’t come soon enough!

Click through to read about my preparations thus far for the marathon

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The 20 Sep 2007 edition of URBAN highlighted the growing numbers of teenagers in Singapore undergoing plastic cosmetic surgery. Renowned cosmetic surgeon Woffles Wu reports that teenagers now form 35 percent of his patients. Other cosmetic surgeons in the island report that up to a third of their patients are teenagers.

Teenagers today face a whole swath of psychological issues even as their physiology is still evolving. Chief among these is insecurity. Many teenagers would openly admit to being dissatisfied with their physical features. This perception is further perpetuated by the media. Celebrities and models with flawless features are flashed prominently across the front pages of many magazines and newspapers. Picture-perfect singers grace the covers of their CDs. Everywhere, everytime, these growing youths are bombarded with the pressure to look good in an image-conscious society.

Click through to read the full commentary

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