Page 22 - Scholarship Guide Aug 2020

20 SCHOLAR’S PROFILE

Engineering Her

Route To Success

Jolyn Tan reveals sound advice to make the most out of a scholarship.

Why did you choose the Would you advise others to What made you decide to
scholarship? take up a scholarship? choose your course in your
I participated in the National Environment and A scholarship defi nitely provides many ben- university?
Water (NEW) Internship in Jan 2015, after com- efi ts, such as job security upon graduation as I have always been interested in physics and
pletion of my A Level Examinations. During that well as fi nancial support. The internships I took mathematics, so the engineering path was
internship, I was attached to the Catchment part in during my undergrad days have also quite clear. I chose Mechanical Engineering in
and Waterways Department, in particular aided me in making a more informed decision particular due to its generality, because I felt
the division that manages the Active, Beau- when opting for which department to join af- other engineering courses had too specifi c a
tiful, Clean (ABC) Waters Programme. This ter graduation. I would defi nitely encourage focus for my preference.
internship gave me the chance to learn more everyone who is passionate and keen to try
about the work PUB does, and gain a deeper applying and not be daunted by the applica- I chose to study at the National University of
appreciation for Singapore’s water loop. The tion process. Ask questions as well during the Singapore (NUS) as I was offered a place in
complexity of our water system, along with its selection interviews, as it can help affi rm one’s the University Scholar’s Programme (USP), an
dependency on climate change, made me real- decision to take up a scholarship with that par- undergraduate academic programme. I was
ize how dynamic this sector was, and the many ticular company, or otherwise. drawn to the programme’s multidisciplinary
engineering challenges that would arise in the curriculum, along with a focus on developing
near future in the water scene. Ensuring Singa- However, I would not advice everyone to take critical thinking and writing skills. Indeed, being
pore’s water sustainability is a noble task, and I up a scholarship. As I have seen from my peers in the USP made me explore beyond the math
believed that this was the purpose and mean- in university, there are some who are still ex- and science which I was very comfortable with.
ing I wanted in my career as an engineer. So I ploring where their passions lie, and university Instead, for instance, I learned math in the con-
took a chance and applied for the NEW Schol- is a great time to venture into many different text of philosophy, as well as how linguistics
arship upon completion of the NEW Internship, things to fi nd out more. Everyone has a unique and culture are related.
and have not looked back since. path to take, there is no one path for all, At the
same time, one should not take up a scholar-
ship simply for the prestige or monetary value.