As we delve deeper into Ying Xuan’s scholarship rationale and her internship experiences with the National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS), she discusses her thoughts about the fight against climate change and reflects on her key takeaways from this pre-university transition period.

Podcast Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:25 Rationale behind choosing scholarships (PSC & Public Service)

07:00 Internship with National Climate Change Secretariat (NCCS)

11:10 Does individual efforts on climate change come to fruition?

13:35 Discussion on activism

15:20 Opinions on applying for internships

17:40 Relaxation period before university

18:45 Takeaways during this transition phase

22:00 Final words on mindset towards uncertainty 

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UniBridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore

In this UniTea episode, we explore the 8-month transition period between the end of A-Levels and the start of university with our guest Ying Xuan, a sophomore at UCLA. She gives us an in-depth look into her internship experience at HDB and her rationale for taking up the PSC scholarship, while also sharing light-hearted insights about travel, driving and working part-time.

Podcast Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:15 Journey after A Levels

02:55 Planning for life after A Levels

04:25 Trip with family to Europe and Scandinavian countries 

05:05 Overseas Uni Applications

09:30 Internship with HDB 

12:55 Role & contribution during internship

15:15 Learning driving & working part time

19:10 Applying for PSC scholarship 

22:25 Rationale for the scholarship

UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main

UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/

UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore

In this episode, we dive further into Barnett’s overseas university application experience, as well as how he explored his interests in computer science and found related internships during his gap year. 

Interested in some of the opportunities mentioned? Here’s a collated list of opportunities mentioned by Barnett during the podcast:  

Resources Mentioned

Couchsurfing: www.couchsurfing.com

Teach Yourself CS: www.teachyourselfcs.com

FreeCodeCamp: www.freecodecamp.org/

CITREP+ IMDA courses: ww.imda.gov.sg/imtalent/programmes/citrep-plus

Github: https://github.com/

Podcast Timestamps

00:00 Intro

00:27 Continuation of Essay Writing

03:50 Interview with Imperial College London and Visiting School Campus

05:30 Couch-surfing Experience in Finland

06:30 Visit to Supercell (Game development company that made Clash of Clans, Brawl Stars etc.)

07:50 Tech Internships During Gap Year

10:00 Internships vs Other Jobs That Pay More (Industry Experience vs Higher Salary)

12:00 Plans on Preparing for Transition to Uni and Self-study 

13:50 How to Prepare For a Tech Major/Degree Without Prior Tech Background 

17:30 Final Advice on NS and Uni Applications

What are some ways to maximise your NS experience? How does one balance NS and overseas uni applications? UniBridge kicks off the Podcast series - UniTea - with Barnett Lee, an incoming Computer Engineering Freshman at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC), who is currently taking a gap year. He will share with us his experiences on how he explored his interests during NS while applying for overseas universities.

Podcast Timestamps

00:00 Intro

01:35 Experience in NS 

13:35 Preparing for University Application

20:00 ORD (operational-ready date) and Essay Writing

UniBridge Telegram Community: https://t.me/uni_bridge_main

UniBridge Instagram Page: https://www.instagram.com/unibridge_sg/ 

UniBridge LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/unibridge-singapore