Life at SMU, a different U
A reflection of 4 years at SMU
My time at Singapore Management University (SMU) has passed by in a blink of an eye and here is a reflection of what I learnt and what I could have done better during the four years at SMU. Before I joined SMU, many personal blogs helped me in understanding the culture, and how to plan for my next steps. It wasn’t easy for me as I found that there was a lot of autonomy (which translates into prudent decision-making and taking responsibility for your decisions). The word growth best describes my SMU journey in one word and further below I share insights on what type of decisions I took throughout the four years and perhaps how you could navigate them.
Decision to join SMU
I still remember during my polytechnic days, I was contemplating between pursuing a local versus an overseas degree. After many conversations with lecturers, previous colleagues and seniors I decided on pursuing a local degree, however as I started my contract role in the shipping industry, the idea of delaying my studies sounded like an interesting opportunity.
Some of my friends used to mention that SMU was filled with extroverts and the admission interviews were tough as the candidates have to compete for airtime. This definitely made me research more on potential topics that were tested on. I recalled it was a case on ageing economy and how to upskill ageing employees and the discussion was moderated by the finance and psychology professors. The pleasant experience was nothing close to what my friends mentioned which made me want to join SMU.
In the first year it was about transitioning into the university environment, as there was a lot of freedom to make choices (CCAs to modules) and how you intend to maximise your time during your 4 year stay.
1st Year Highlights (2017 to 2018)
In my first semester, my friend and I made it a point to sign up for a couple of CCAs and events ranging from Wine appreciation, EYE investment, helping out for Arts Festival, SMU Rotaract, BONDUE etc. Here I did meet quite a few acquaintances – some who have become close friends.
Within my second month at university, I started working part-time and within two months it became a necessity to stay on in my part time work. I met some seniors who shared their experience on how they managed work / studies as a less than average GPA may narrow down options in the coming years.
>> They were right to an extent. GPA still matters in some of the industries and it is used as a ‘KPI’ to bench mark candidates’ potential. Although hiring decisions are changing to assess candidates on a more holistic approach. <<
As the second semester was coming to an end, I started planning the internships/ modules I wanted to take and how I wanted to carve the coming years. Although it was difficult to land an internship as a first year undergraduate and I started searching in April, thankfully I landed in customer success role in a startup where it was eye opening to see the end-to-end sales process.
Key learning: Speak to seniors, acquaintances from various majors and learn on how they navigated the first few years and what their are courses are like. Explore how the systems (BOSS, OASIS, features) work. Leverage them to carve out your modules (hint : what if and worksheet features helps to determine which courses you should take and how to double count your majors). You don’t want to spend time taking modules that will not be counted towards the important pillars.
Regrets I had : 1. Join sports CCAs to stretch myself 2. Should have spent more time on EYE Investment and learnt to invest in Vickers then. 3. Spend more time in the first semester understanding the ‘workload’ and prioritizing activities. 4. Sign up for things which you are scared of cos you never know if you don’t try out. 5. Don’t wait for a friend or a acquaintance to join modules or CCAs – don’t want to put your growth on hold because of the fear of being alone.
2nd Year Highlights (2018 – 2019)
It was evident that I was keen on operations however there were some questions on whether taking up a finance second major would be a better . Eventually after further exploring (and calculating the risks), I took up operations (analytics track) and strategy.
So I started enrolling into business core modules and ‘test’ out some operations and analytics courses before I decided I will enroll into the major. Simultaneously, planned the internship I wanted for the second summer and prepared applying for the roles in late 2018 and engaged with my career coach. I was intentional about how I was crafting my resume to ensure that each role I took showed my interests.
Since I had more bandwidth, I took on a part-time role as events associate within the SMU University Events department and joined SMU Career Champions.
Key learning : Its good to plan for the long-term but leave some breather so when other opportunities rise, you’re able to seize them. Do things (i.e. take courses) that you will enjoy. Class participation can be difficult if you don’t come prepared and it’s about connecting the dots between theory and the world events.
Regrets I had : 1. Cleared the major options a little too fast without thinking about potential for exchange programmes. 2. Analytics wasn’t that easy after all. 3. Perhaps I should better handle questions about my academic performance 3. It’s great to get yourself some leadership experience, but don’t be afraid to turn down opportunities that do not align with your interests / values.
3rd Year Highlights (2019 – 2020)
My modules became more enjoyable over time, and I started planning for a summer exchange and prepared for it. My time at SMU Career Champions broadened my horizons and learn about industries which I have never thought about (i.e. banks, consulting). After listening to a conversation about the bulge bracket, I decided to randomly apply for the roles (which I knew I would not get in) and secured an internship for 2020 – this can be a separate topic for another post .
Eventually COVID-19 came and it disrupted my summer exchange 2020, however there were alternatives provided by SMU for those who had been selected for summer exchange which I decided to give those options a try – local semester exchange at NTU or NUS and was placed on a waitlist. Again, this came by surprise when I received a call on the final day to enroll into the universities that I was selected to be part of NTU exchange.
Both of these instances became a blessing in disguise, COVID-19 narrowed a lot of opportunities but it gave access to other chances which I never thought I could get into. Overall in 2020, it was transformative as I learnt to become more comfortable on my own (always relying on my friends for bidding modules or workshops, I decided to go for certain modules on my own), manage my energy strategically.
Key learning : Always make the best out of the situation at hand and know when to look for opportunities Have varied interests so you can think of a plan B, C or a D. Sign up for career fairs, workshops, mentoring programmes you never know the type of people you meet and how they will inspire you. Have friends who come from varying backgrounds so they can open new doors for you.
Regrets : Not realising that you are worth more than your academic pursuits in this paper chase society. 2. Consider taking an extra module that is something you’re passionate about (i.e. language or dance). 3. Sign up for mentoring programmes in the earlier years so I could have gotten some guidance along the way. 4. Don’t compare yourself with others’ journey.
4th Year Highlights (2020 – 2021)
It was balancing exchange at NTU and online SMU courses. It was a real challenge learning python online but it gave a greater appreciation and interest towards taking more MOOCs (Massive Online Open Courses). In the last semester I took on additional tasks to be teaching assistants for corporate strategy and international business.
As the number of career fairs dwindled – Linkedin became my best friend – cold networking and attending multiple virtual events and meeting mentors online.
Key Learning : Seek genuine connections and always be interested in others’, you never know who you’d meet. Disrupt yourself before others do, in this digital age.
Final Thoughts
As the journey came to and end, it was learning about how to turn those regrets into learning lessons in life. I’m glad for all the people whom I’ve met and how they have inspired and supported me in one way or another to where I am today.