Welcome to UniTea, a podcast by UniBridge, where we hear the stories of past, present and future Singaporean seniors who have chosen to embark on a university education overseas.
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By UniBridge
Welcome to UniTea, a podcast by UniBridge, where we hear the stories of past, present and future Singaporean seniors who have chosen to embark on a university education overseas.
The podcast currently has 24 episodes available.
“The first secret of getting what you want, is knowing what you want.” - Arthur D. Hlavaty
In this episode, we discuss more about university admissions and contemplate an alternative approach and mindset towards gap years. Zhen Yuan also shares some tips and advice for juniors to consider when applying for universities overseas.
Resources Mentioned:
Smoking Advertising Campaign - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Torches_of_Freedom
Podcast Timestamps:
00:00 Tips For Juniors Going Through The IB System
02:10 University Admissions Preparations
04:31 Building Portfolio During Gap Year
07:48 Taking Up Internships? (And Where To Find Them)
14:43 Final Tips & Advice For Pre-U Internships
16:25 Summary And Attitude Towards Gap Year
20:04 CV
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
“There are times when delaying a decision has benefit. Often, allowing a set period of time to mull something over so your brain can work it through generates a thoughtful and effective decision.” - Nancy Morris
Join us to learn more about keeping your options open with Zhen Yuan, a freshman at Oxford University who is currently studying Politics and History. In this episode, Zhen Yuan shares her reflections after facing a rejection from Oxford, what she did during her gap year, how she reapplied and was eventually accepted into Oxford.
Resources mentioned:
Zhen Yuan’s TODAY commentary piece - https://www.todayonline.com/commentary/winding-path-oxford-university-gap-year-growing
Podcast Timestamps:
00:00 Intro
00:42 How Did You Decide On Your Current Disciplines?
02:12 How Did You Realise Your Decision Was Based On Peer Pressure?
04:56 What Would You Have Done Differently?
07:54 After Getting Rejected, Did You Think Of Applying To Another University?
10:03 What Was Your Attitude And Mentality During The Initial Rejection?
11:57 Advice For Juniors
15:16 Choosing Universities
17:56 Tips For Juniors Going Through The IB System
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
In Part 2 of this UniTea Episode, Alvin zones in on some of the key differences between US and UK universities. Often find yourself confused between the application processes for these top destinations? Fret not, as Alvin breaks them down and offers us valuable insight into how we can approach them confidently and efficiently!
Podcast Timestamps
00:00 Resources Curated For Overseas Uni Applicants & Undergrads
01:47 Differences Between US & UK Universities
06:42 Rough Schedule For UCast Education
10:15 For US Applications, How Many Schools Should I Apply For?
13:16 Differences Between Type Of Interview Prep (UK & US)
17:02 Life Hacks & Ways To Stretch That Dollar Overseas
19:56 Summary
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
“If we all did the things we are capable of doing, we would literally astound ourselves.” - Thomas Edison
Join us in this conversation with Alvin from Project Access, a non-profit organization that connects bright Singaporean pre-university students from underprivileged and underrepresented backgrounds with Singaporean student mentors at top universities.
In this special edition, Alvin tackles some of our frequently asked questions on pursuing an overseas education. As he touches on some of our common worries for the application process and challenges the many myths that surround it, we are reminded of the importance of keeping our options open and having the courage to rise up to the challenge.
Podcast Timestamps
00:00 Intro
00:52 About Project Access
02:25 Interview Outline
03:03 If I'm Not Exceptional, Should I Still Apply Overseas?
06:11 What If I Don't Know What Course To Apply For Yet?
08:19 Importance Of Grades In Uni Applications
11:59 Pandemic & Racism: Big Concern?
14:02 Funding For Overseas Universities
17:25 Exploring Internships vs Studying For Exams
21:09 How To Decide Which College To Apply For?
25:38 Why Oxford?
28:46 Resources Curated For Overseas Uni Applicants & Undergrads
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
“I’m always trying new things and learning new things.” - Morgan Freeman
With US universities, Serena notes a newfound sense of personal agency over one’s academic learning in contrast to that of Singapore’s and shares with us what it is like balancing her academic responsibilities with that of her extracurricular activities. Aside from that, she also details the founding of the WUSTL China Forum and discusses how her internships influenced her future career inclinations.
Podcast Timestamps:
00:00 Academic Rigor
03:23 Student Organisations At Washington University
08:08 Starting A Club In Washington University
13:01 Internships And Career Choices
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
“Broaden your horizons. They’re the only ones you’ll ever have so make them as wide as possible.” - Jennifer Cruise
In this episode, Serena shares about her internships and how her experiences have shaped her perceptions of the respective industries. Apart from discussing her application for a Juris Doctor, she also offers valuable advice to potential university applicants looking to apply for US universities. So sit back, relax and have some tea while you listen to this Podcast!
Podcast timestamps:
00:00 Internships And Career Choices
06:13 Research Assistant Experiences
08:31 Studying Law In The US
14:48 Advice For Past Self While Applying For University
16:31 Final Advice
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
“People who repeatedly find career success leave to broaden their perspective and understand that there are always several roads to getting where you want to go.” - Carla Harris
Join us in this conversation with Serena, a junior at Washington University. As she shares about changing majors from history and archaeology to history and computer science, we learn what it means to remain open-minded and to be willing to challenge preconceived notions in order to find where our interests truly lie. She also shares useful tips regarding framing one’s university application and what studying in the US can be like!
Podcast Timestamps
00:00 Intro
01:00 Changing Majors
06:17 Framing Uni Applications
08:15 Application Essay Tips
10:55 Exploring One’s Interests In University
13:40 Student Life At Washington University
17:04 Academic Rigor
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
In part 2 of this UniTea episode, Hazel gives us a glimpse into the student life, hall experience and the Singaporean & International community at UCL. Given that a degree in Psychology allows her to enter into many fields, Hazel further shares how she explores the different career pathways that are related to her major.
Podcast Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
00:29 Student Life in UCL
03:55 Hall Life in the UK and UCL
05:45 The Singaporean and International Student Community at UCL
09:22 Professional Plans & Diverse Career Choices With Psychology (Applied Psych, Psych in Tech, Management Consulting Etc.)
17:38 Final Advice for Deciding to Study Overseas
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
In this episode of UniTea, Hazel shares with us why she chose to study Psychology at the University College London and the unique aspects of the experience. She also gives us a rundown of what makes UCL different from other UK universities and her own experience applying for it during the A-Level period.
Podcast Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction
02:50 Why Study Overseas and Specifically the UK?
06:30 Experience Living in London
08:15 Reasons for Pursuing Psychology
11:26 Defining Aspects of a UK Psychology Education
16:15 How UCL Differs From The Other London Universities
18:52 The Seminar System In UCL
21:58 Application Process for Psychology to the UK
24:12 Student Life in UCL
UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main
UniBridge Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/
UniBridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore
In this episode of UniTea, the West meets the East as we welcome Kai Wen, a Master’s in Advanced Computing student at Tsinghua University, who previously studied Electrical and Electronics Engineering during her undergraduate days at Imperial College London. Stay tuned as she shares her experience studying in both the UK and China, her degree and scholarship choices, as well as her internship experiences.
Podcast Timestamps:
00:11 Introduction
01:05 Thoughts On Studying Overseas
03:43 Applying for Scholarships (DSTA, PSC, SAF) and going through army BMT
05:41 Choosing DSTA Scholarship
06:17 Reasons For Studying Electrical Engineering
10:12 Applying For Overseas Universities And Reasons For Choosing Imperial College London (ICL)
11:03 Application Interview Process
12:22 How Is ICL Different From Other UK Universities
14:07 Campus Life And Experiences As An ICL Student
15:03 Travelling Experiences and Weekend Trips
17:46 Reasons For Choosing Tsinghua University
18:57 Potential Difficulties Studying At Tsinghua University
19:49 Experiences Studying At Tsinghua University - Expectations vs Reality
26:16 Transitioning From Electrical Engineering To Advanced Computing
28:34 Differences Between ICL And Tsinghua University
31:11 Internships And Work Experiences
32:49 Experiences As A Teaching Assistant
33:32 Advice You Would Give To Your Past Self
The podcast currently has 24 episodes available.