I am currently a third year undergraduate in NUS and am proceeding to do my honors this coming semester. In NUS, my major of study is Life Science and I am concentrating in the field of Biomedical Science. Being part of the Life Science program has allowed me to gain valuable research techniques and hands-on experience in the laboratory. Besides that, laboratory work has also instilled a never-say-die attitude within me as it is important that I continue to persevere even when I do not get the expected experiment results.
In NUS, I do not restrict myself by taking science related modules only. As such, I challenged myself to learn a different language outside of my comfort zone and so I took up Vietnamese during my second year of study. Realizing that taking a language module for just one semester would not be good enough, I pushed myself to continue learning Vietnamese and I am now currently taking Vietnamese level 5 this semester. I also took the opportunity to go on an immersion program in Vietnam where I studied Vietnamese intensively at the Vietnamese National University in Ho Chi Minh for about a month. The period in Vietnam was truly an eye-opening experience for me as it not only let me have the chance to improve my Vietnamese but also allowed me to gain valuable insights on how to deal with intercultural differences.
Besides studying, I also took part in several co-curricular activities in the university to improve my soft skills which cannot be learned just by reading lecture notes or books. By participating in co-curricular activities, I would be able to expand my social network and also challenge myself to take on tasks and responsibilities as a leader or just a member of a club or society. Thus, I took up the secretary post of Science Computer-Based Learning Center where I gained valuable experience on how to successfully organize events such as meetings. As the secretary, I also had to liaise with the Science Dean's office over club matters and deal with important club documents. The experience gained from this secretary post enabled me to improve my communication skills which would essential in my working future.
Having a stint as a relief teacher also allowed me to gain the know-how to communicate effectively to a group of people. The experience obtained as a relief teacher has allowed me to control my temperament better in front of people so that I am more confident and would not be easily flustered when talking or presenting in public. Relief teaching has also improved my ability to work under pressure especially the pressure from my superiors.
To me, self belief is of utmost importance when doing anything. The battle is already half won by believing that I have the ability to do something right. It is my creed that "I can, therefore I will". By trusting myself and my capabilities, I believe that I can take on just about anything that comes my way.
Self belief is the key
This is an impressive bio, Wee Siong. Your achievements, in combination with your evolving skills, talents, and goals, make for a very bright future. I'm especially impressed by your character, as witnessed by your "never-say-die attitude," your ability to lead and your genuine affability. In fact, I think the photo of the cat seeing the lion in the mirror should be changed--for you have become the lion you see.
ReplyDeleteHi Wee Siong,
ReplyDeleteLike Brad said, this is definitely an impressive biodata! I have to give you kudos for the fact that you dared to pick up an entirely new language and even travelled all the way to Vietnam to learn more than just the language. I would have not been able to do that given the fact that I am already struggling with my mandarin.
I believe an overseas experience like yours, be it coming from Malaysia to Singapore or going over to Vietnam, is always valuable. People see you in a different light, as someone who's independent and someone who dares to take risks considering the fact that you are away from your family and friends and putting yourself "out there".
You mentioned in today's interview that being a perfectionist is a weakness, but I beg to differ. Moses is a perfectionist too and this semester, I actually had a taste of what it is like to work with one. Our projects really turned out close to perfect because of his persistence to ensure that the reports must be good. I actually admire this quality in him as it shows someone who truly takes pride in his work.
Too bad Brad did not comment on your post after seeing your Academy Awards performance today. I think the cat should be a lion and the mirror should be broken!!
Snll
Dear Wee Siong,
ReplyDeleteI must say this is an very informative biodata. You have mentioned in detail about the your valuable experiences which helps to develop who you are today. Yes, I have to agree with you that we did have similar experiences in terms of CCA and our part time job although I did not manage to join you in the Vietnam Immersion Program.
Having to work with you before in several group projects, indeed you are an perfectionist just like how you described in your 1st paragraph. As such, future employers might find this quality as a bonus as this shows that you are a person with high responsibility, ensuring the assignment/ task given to you is of high quality.
Dear all,
ReplyDeleteThanks for all the comments so far and I am really grateful for all the positive and inspiring posts (especially the ones about me being a lion and no longer a cat). :) I do hope that I can continue driving/pushing myself to be the very best in everything I do. After all, the sky is the limit right? Then again, there is the infinite outer space above the sky. :)
ws
Hello Wee siong!
ReplyDeleteFirstly on our mock interview, I am impressed by your fast critical thinking and excellent response to our difficult questions! I must admit all of us (especially me!) tried so hard to put you in a spot, but you managed to wriggled out of the mess with such grace, and it was indeed remarkable.
The skills you have learnt in your days in NUS are certainly extremely valuable, especially to your future employers! I really admire the fact that you have mastered another new language in such short spam of time, and these really accurately reflect your thirst and eagerness in learning and absorbing new knowledge. I can see that you are someone with so much confidence in yourself, yet still remain humble at the same time.
You will go a long way my friend=)
ShiHui
Hey Shi Hui,
ReplyDeleteThanks and I really appreciate your positive comments. I must admit that I was quite nervous during the beginning of the mock interview but I think I got a better handle of my nerves as the interview progressed. I felt that you all did a good job as interviewers too and it made me realize that it is never easy to sit in a chair and be bombarded by questions from your possible future employers. :) Besides that, I really admire you for handling your mock interview well when Evelia and me was interviewing you. You really controlled your emotions well and did a fantastic job under immense stress and pressure. So good job to you too!
ws
P.S. You definitely will go a long way too. So I will see you at the top okay? :)