Shared by Diyls Chua , SMU Business year 2

 SMU – The place to be

Each semester passes by swiftly and before I know it, 4 years in SMU would have flashed by me. University would be the last phase of attending ‘school’ for many alike. Before entering the workforce, I constantly remind myself that I should not spend my time in SMU focusing solely on academics. Everyone has different focuses in their lives. For myself, I believe that a SMU life would involve forging deep friendships and spending time with my friends. After my time in SMU, I hope to obtain the paper certificate and true friends for a lifetime.

Despite the typical hectic SMU life, I believe this is the place to be! Many opportunities lie ahead, awaiting our discovery! To future students of SMU, your SMU journey can be as enriching, fun and unforgettable. Join camps and immerse yourself in school events SMU has to offer! Your fate lies in your own hands and is yours to create!

 First Passion, Second Team

Life in SMU would have been really dull without my CCAs. In SMU, there is a wide range of CCAs to join.  Personally, joining a CCA is about meeting like-minded people. Since my first year in SMU, I have been in search of a CCA that could be home to my ideas. I am truly thankful for an event in 2014 that led me into SMU Roots. Although I did not set foot into NDP (Roots’ signature event) Organizing committee 2014 thinking that I would pursue a dream in the CCA, I am glad I made this fateful decision. SMU Roots is a CCA I can truly call my family. This is one of the best decisions I have made in my 2 years in SMU, one I would never regret.

The satisfaction and pure happiness I experience with my team after the successes of our events are irreplaceable. I cannot deny that deliberate effort is required to balance CCA commitments and academic work. However, the motivation from my team as well as the passion in our hearts to strive on will see us through even the toughest weeks of school. I have found some of my closest friends in my CCAs, and these are my valuable takeaways after I graduate. I am truly honored to be a part of the Student Council of Discipline as well as SMU Roots.

Lessons outside the classroom

SMU encourages global exposure and there are many opportunities up for grabs!! With all honesty, I entered SMU with the desire to go on an exchange in year 3. When I was a freshman, listening to seniors talking about their own experiences inspired me to create my own global experience.

Going global is taking a step out of my comfort zone where I had learnt to be independent. My first step was an OCSP with SMU – Project Shining Lights 3. It is common for a SMU student to be part of an OCSP and each OCSP is constructed serving a common purpose. I personally feel that the OCSPs serve as a great reminder of how fortunate I am to be a Singaporean and for me to cherish what I already have. We often focus on what we lack, but we forgot what we have more than others. I then embarked on a second OCSP, which gave me the opportunity to experience how tedious it was to build a house from scratch. I believe that each SMU student would have their own exciting stories to tell from their OCSP experiences that would be none to the other.

Other than OCSP, my SMU life has been enriched through a miniature 2-week exchange to Hanoi with a team of friendly NTU students. It was truly a good break for me after another rigorous semester in school. What could be a better remedy to relieve the stress that had built up after 15 weeks of academic rigor then to travel to a place where I can appreciate the quiet nature? I feel recharged after each global learning excursion to ‘chiong’ for what awaits me in the next academic semester.

 There is always room for smiles

It may always seem that the amount of work is never ending – reports to submit and presentations to prepare for. However, I feel that maintaining a healthy emotional well-being is important. I try my best to set aside personal time to indulge in my hobbies. Playing badminton with my buddy is a hobby close to my heart. Even though our badminton session lasts for a short hour, it significantly rejuvenates me to tackle the negativity built up in the week. (Hope it’s the same for her). Concentrating on the game and enjoying the company of my friend makes this short break nothing less than enjoyable.

I can focus better when my mind is refreshed after a good swim or badminton game and that helps me when I need to study. However, I remind myself that small pleasures as such should never be taken for granted. We all have limited time, but how meaningful you want your life to be, is entirely up to your our own time management. Time will never find us and we got to be the one to look for time.

4 years in SMU is too short, leaving no time for hesitation. At the end of my SMU journey, I want to look back with no regrets. I actively involved myself in school events when I was in year 1. However, it took a great deal of impulse to gear me in the direction I was heading. Many of times, I joined various organizing committees due to a sudden calling which gave me the privilege to meet many friends. In life, we won’t be able to find an answer for everything. So, if my heart urges me to do something, I did just do it if it is within my means because there is no time for regrets! If your heart is set on it, set your heart on it!