SIM

From top girls' schools, but they say: JC? No thanks

Singapore Institute of Management

WITH SEVEN A1s for her O levels, Tan Siang Ting had a place in a top junior college.

But she left after four months, unwilling to do subjects she was not interested in.

This self-professed numbers person instead joined the Singapore Institute of Management to do a degree in business administration, awarded by the University at Buffalo (UB), The State University of New York.

The 18-year-old, who was from Singapore Chinese Girls' School, has a grade-point average of 3.9 out of 4.

Now in her second year at SIM, she enjoys doing elective subjects like nutrition and sociology.

Said Siang Ting: "Unlike JCs, where everyone has similar experiences and are about the same age, SIM-UB... gives me the chance to interact with people from other regions and also gain insight into the perspectives of those of other ages."

Taking the same route is former Nanyang Girls' School pupil Felicia Song (main head picture), who had made up her mind, even before going to JC, that she wanted to do a degree in communication by UB.

The editor of the school's online newsletter, who scored 11 points in her O levels, said: "I like to read and write. I was sure of what I wanted to do and the fact that I could skip two years made it all the better."

She was initially worried she would not be able to keep up with her course mates, but she said: "I found that if I worked hard enough, I could."

With a grade-point average of more than 3.8, the third-year student is on the school's Dean's List.

Felicia said that she has the benefit of learning from lecturers from around the world.

She said: "What I like about this programme is that I'm taught to speak up for myself.

"Also, there's no model answer to memorise. We're expected to come up with our own answers. This makes me think, and I feel that I've come away learning something."