Senior's Sharing: The Grand Slam I was "persuaded" to Achieve: I Thought I Wouldn't Get a single offer from My Dream School...

Date：2023-12-20   Author：admin

�� Z senior

Undergraduate institutions: Sino-foreign cooperative institutions

Major: Mechanical Design, Manufacturing and Automation

Average score: 86.2/100

Ielts: 6.0

Admitted universities: The University of Hong Kong, National University of Singapore, University College London, etc


ONE

"Exactly. The New National University is the dream school we chose in the subway milk tea shop."

During the very hot months of 2022, the entire city began to implement power rationing, and many office buildings also started to restrict the use of air conditioners. Despite being extremely hesitant about choosing a school, I still decided to have an interview. I still remember very clearly that on that day, the entire office building of Dongyuan Center had no air conditioning, and almost all the teachers had left work.

So, my advisor and I found an air-conditioned milk tea shop inside the subway station and started communicating about the school with our computers in hand.

I said, "I don't dare to apply for the new national university. Why don't we just choose Nanyang Technological University for Singapore?"

Sister Mei (who is also my advisor teacher) was quite straightforward: No, I think you can. Even if it's a sprint, you still need to give it a try!

I said, "UCL is a bit tough too. Shall we look for some marginal majors?"

Sister Mei: No, the admission rate for your major is quite good. You can choose the major you want to study.

I said, "I dare not even think about the University of Hong Kong..."

Sister Mei: Report!

After repeated self-negations and objective evaluations from Sister Mei, my decision on the school came to an end. Now that I think about it, it's fortunate that I applied to so many prestigious universities that I wanted to go to but was too scared to. Otherwise, the entire application outcome might not have been so dreamy. Thank you, Sister Mei.

I always have a lot of ingenious ideas. Every time I call out "Sister Mei", there is always an anti-human question that leaves people scratching their heads. After asking so many questions in front of her classmates, the students around her all started to call Teacher Zeng "Sister Mei". Hahaha.

Image source: Chat records with the advisor teacher provided by a senior


It can be said that I am my advisor teacher as the first student of "Sister Mei".

The reason why I was so unconfident about choosing a school at the beginning was that I was already a junior when I decided to go abroad. I was one of the students who planned relatively late, and there were also a lot of tasks at the school at that time. So I struggled to survive among various deadlines and application preparations.

At that time, I was applying jointly from the UK, Singapore and Hong Kong, China, so the process of choosing a school and applying was much more complicated than that of other students. My background: a Sino-foreign cooperative undergraduate program at a 211 university, an average GPA that still needs improvement, an IELTS test I took once but was still far from it, a GRE test I gave up because I had no time to prepare for, and my limited research and internship experience.

With almost no preparation for either hardware or software, I can only be described as "anxious".

TWO

That year was the application season when even taking the IELTS test once was not easy.

After the school was decided, the preparations for the application began in a rush. When I was at my loss, the teachers of the application team picked up their water guns and started to put out the fire.

I still remember when I was having a brainstorming session with my document teacher, he came to help me sort out the general idea for my subsequent application documents. So, I began to recall my journey from my childhood, when I was naked, to college. We talked about passionate love affairs, the major I studied in college, school applications, and future visions. All I can remember is a few hours of thorough conversations with my essay teacher.

Then the planning teacher helped me arrange the vacation plan, the IELTS stage, and sort out the daily psychological depression. There is also the copywriting teacher who only exists in the virtual world to help me apply. We have never met in person, but we have still become familiar strangers.

I have no idea what exactly is in the chat records with several teachers that takes up so much space on my phone. Maybe it's the mountain of files and the intermittent popular science lectures.

Image source: Chat records with the advisor teacher provided by a senior

For me, the most difficult hurdle in the application process might be preparing for the IELTS, a lifelong enemy. I'm in science and engineering. Besides, my English grades are not good. I have to take the exam five, six, seven or eight times in total.

At that time, it was still the pandemic period, and every IELTS test I signed up for might be cancelled. When you were full of confidence and ready to go on stage, you were told that the "executioner" had tested positive. At first, I was preparing for IELTS because I wanted to take it but couldn't. Later, the more I prepared, the less I dared to take it. Coupled with the school's major assignment, a terrifying monster, this battle line was stretched out by me infinitely, all the way to the end of the application season.

During the last vacation of college, that is, the winter vacation of my senior year, since my friends came from all over the country, everyone went back home for the vacation. I'm the only one staying in Chengdu, still preparing for the IELTS exam.

At that time, seeing my classmates around me getting offers one by one, while I still hadn't taken the IELTS test, that sense of panic... For the subsequent exams, I registered for three IELTS tests in three different cities within five days. One reason was that I was afraid of cancellation, and the other was that I was worried that I wouldn't pass.

Back then, every morning when I got up, I just did exercises and practiced listening. There was no one I could talk to. Every day, apart from practicing speaking, I didn't open my mouth. I got home the day before New Year's Eve. A few days after the Spring Festival, I received good news that it was finally over.

After that, I rushed to submit my applications to the limit a few days before the application deadlines of each university. Finally, on a certain day in March during the graduation season, I received an offer from my dream school, the new National University. Finally, I managed to catch the last train and didn't let my studies fall behind this year. I entered the same school hand in hand with my girlfriend. I also received offers from the University of Hong Kong, UCL, the University of Manchester and the University of Edinburgh. I can't remember the other offers.

Image source: Yisibole Pre-trip Conference Return


Although the application season was full of thrills and excitement, fortunately, the outcome was good later on. Looking back now, it's really important to start preparing for studying abroad earlier. Don't pile everything up and solve them one by one.

THREE

"From machinery to robots, customizable courses

Unlike the nerve-racking life in my senior year, my postgraduate life at the new National University was particularly relaxed. I'm currently planning to graduate in one and a half years, so I don't have to start thinking about finding a job right at the beginning of the term.

Moreover, the majority of the postgraduate classes at the new national university are held from six to nine in the evening, so there will be plenty of time during the day to do what they want. For instance, self-study or wild play. Here, you can choose the postgraduate life you want.

Image source: Provided by a senior. Please do not reproduce


In terms of study and projects, our graduation requirement is to complete ten courses. Each semester, you can choose the courses that interest you. No matter what you choose, you can graduate upon completion. The mechanical engineering I am studying is also divided into three branches: advanced manufacturing branch, computer modeling branch and general branch.

Each branch can be reflected on the graduation certificate. One can choose to specialize in one direction or study multiple directions simultaneously. Among them, the mechanical branch of computer modeling is more inclined towards robots, and the curriculum setting is also very similar to that of the robotics major.

So if you are not confident of directly applying for the robotics program at NUS, you can also choose to apply for the mechanical engineering program at NUS first. Then, through the courses, you can also learn about robot-related professional knowledge, which will be reflected on your graduation certificate.

The difficulty of the mechanical engineering major is still moderate. There are ways to swing and ways to roll. If you don't want to live such a tiring life, you can play while rolling around. Moreover, according to the curriculum in Singapore, one can even play during the day and study at school at night. The main semester tasks are still in the form of major assignments and exams. For me, whose undergraduate program is a Sino-foreign joint venture, this process is quite friendly.

Moreover, many major assignments here are released in groups, and you can also take these opportunities to enhance communication with your classmates. As for language barriers, since foreign faces are rarely seen in a class, and in some classes, the proportion of Chinese students can even reach a terrifying 90%, there is no need to worry about communication problems at all.

Meanwhile, the school will also offer a large number of research and practical opportunities. You can also choose to undertake a project to meet the credit requirements of two courses. This project is somewhat similar to the graduation design in college. You need to conduct research together with your supervisor and present your own research achievements later on. There are over a hundred options regarding the project.


Like myself, I chose a soft robot project, where I could study the design concept and implementation possibilities of the robot together with my seniors based on my own ideas. Moreover, the school also has many laboratories, which can allow your ideas to be fully developed.


During our studies, we often encounter activities such as enterprises holding promotional meetings at our school. NUS will also offer some internship and job opportunities. You can obtain resources from the channels provided by the relevant departments of the school.

Image source: Provided by a senior. Please do not reproduce


I'm currently planning to return to China to work right after graduation, so I have half a year to look for another internship to enrich my resume and then participate in the autumn recruitment.

I think job hunting and employment planning must be considered in advance. Thanks to the pre-departure guidance from Yisi Boluo before, I had some plans before going to Singapore. Combined with the subsequent information, this time I wasn't as hasty as when I applied for studying abroad before.

FOUR

"Singapore has met all my expectations.

Then let's talk about something light-hearted, about extracurricular life. Singapore's culture is particularly inclusive. You can see people from all over the world and experience different customs. It's very interesting to make friends with them. Before enrolling, we even need to take a course that teaches us how to respect others. In conclusion, life in the new state still fulfilled my initial imagination.

If we talk about a drawback, Singapore is really extremely hot. So students who come to study in Singapore do not need to bring any thick clothes. Moreover, the rain here falls at any moment. The sky is clear in the morning, but by noon, there is an extremely heavy downpour. But fortunately, the rain usually doesn't last long. The weather in Singapore always surprises you.

The public transportation here is also very developed, and the air conditioning on every bus is set to full power. Basically, any place on Shangpo Island can be reached by bus.

Image source: Provided by a senior. Please do not reproduce


The cost of living in Singapore is still relatively high. The prices are about twice as high as those in China, especially the delivery fee for takeout food, which can be so high that you question your life.

But here, you can taste delicious food from all over the world. But if you ask me which country's taste I prefer, I would say: It's still Chinese cuisine, which is more suitable for the constitution of Chinese babies. Every student who returns from overseas must take away a set of cooking skills!

Image source: Provided by a senior. Please do not reproduce


There's another thing I'd like to talk about. In Singapore, it's not allowed to drink alcohol in public places after 10 p.m., nor is it permitted to sell alcohol. As a die-hard fan of wheat juice, this place is simply a living hell.

At this point, Malaysia has to be mentioned. In fact, it is separated from Singapore by a bridge. The bus goes directly to Malaysia, a paradise for prices. It's quite nice for a regular trip.

And Malaysia is really fun! The cost of living is also very low. The tiger prawns are particularly large and the free-range chickens are especially tender. The main thing is that it's really very close to us! It was very convenient to play in the past! I remember once when I was traveling in Malaysia, in a Bar, I heard many Chinese songs and a strong sense of homesickness welled up inside me.

Image source: Provided by a senior. Please do not reproduce


All the friends were drinking and staggering, supporting each other as they walked back to the hotel. Laughter never stopped. It was truly a beautiful scene of youth.

�� seniors' advice to juniors

For those younger students who haven't applied yet, it's important to prepare your language and software in advance. Don't be in your junior or even senior year, always feeling down and anxious. This feeling is just too hard to bear. And those students who are already applying but haven't received an offer yet, don't panic. Believe that your four years of hard work will eventually pay off.

Wouldn't it be wonderful if, like me, you applied later than most people but received the offer earlier than most? Even I, a half-baked person, can do it. Of course you can too. ��

Now I have completed one semester of study and am on the plane back to China. I hope everyone can also break through the clouds and achieve good results! I'm waiting for you at the National University of Singapore, which is next to the fun Malaysia

This year, many students have received admissions from Singaporean institutions, and quite a few have chosen to study in Singapore. Some of the senior students who previously studied for a master's degree in Singapore have already found jobs and are now working in Singapore smoothly

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