“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

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“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

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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

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“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 

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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

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“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

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“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 

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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

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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