The Tembusu Tuesdays interview series aims to reconnect Tembusu with its alumni by learning about their current endeavours and having them share their wealth of experience with current Tembusians.

How did you find your experiences living here in Tembusu?

Tembusu was one of the more memorable experiences in my university life. I had the opportunity to interact and connect with a diverse variety of individuals many of whom I have the honour of calling my friends today. From orientation to the various master’s teas, Tembusu was a hotbed of experiential learning, and provided a very nice complement to the academic pursuits I had in my university days.

 

What are you doing now?

I am a teacher at Punggol Secondary School where I teach secondary school children English and Art.

 

How has Tembusu life/education helped in your university life or career?

My time at Tembusu gave me the opportunity to not only hone my communication skills, but to also organise and execute events and initiatives, many of which have given me sufficient experience to do similar things in my career today. Tembusu’s environment also advocated learning and having new experiences, which fed my love for education, and this has partially shaped the way I approach my teaching today. I realised that learning does not only need to come from books, but can also come from interaction and experiences.

 

What do you think are some things that undergraduates in Tembusu should do in order to have a balanced university life, or to help them prepare for their future career?

They should never be afraid to try things. Approach everything with an open mind and even when you falter, take it positively and learn from it. Embrace change, and it in turn will embrace you.

 

Would you have any advice for current students in Tembusu?

Try to give everything a try, and release some of your inhibitions. We are often held back by our comfort zones, and Tembusu does give you the opportunity to do just that.

 

What do you miss most about Tembusu?

Just being able to hang out at areas like the Common Lounge, dining hall or lobby and chatting with different people.

 

If you could do everything again, what would you change?

I would have tried to do more Tembusu modules. Having been from the pioneer batch, it was difficult to map additional modules onto my curriculum then. Some of the current modules sound fascinating!

 

–

About the Author

An initiative by the Tembusu Tuesdays Working Group — A part of the Tembusu Ambassadors — Bringing Tembusu to the world one Tuesday at a time.