Undergraduate / Essay for NTU SCHOLARSHIP - A value that I hold strongly to. [3]

QN: Describe, in less than 300 words, the values and beliefs you hold strongly to. Please provide examples of how you have demonstrated these in your actions.

dedication and devotion in whatever I do

A value that I hold strongly to is dedication. I think it is imperative to be devoted in whatever I do once I have made up my mind to do it. If not, I would not even start doing it and later give up halfway. Thus, I always give careful consideration before embarking on any huge endeavours, ensuring that I would remain dedicated while doing it. When I was in secondary one, I was recommended to take Higher Chinese language (HCL) by my teacher. Knowing that extra effort must be put in to tackle the language at a higher difficulty level, I decided to take it after promising myself that I'll do my best, although I could choose to drop it if I do not do well. During the start of secondary two, I was disheartened due to my relatively low marks for HCL as compared to what I usually get for normal Chinese. Thereafter, I tried improving my marks by doing extra readings and borrowing notes for what I've missed out for HCL in secondary one. Ultimately, I'm contented that my dedication has allowed me to achieve the Best in HCL award that year.

In addition, integrity and justice are also values that I hold dear to. They were the motivation to what I did during a test in secondary two. It was a test in home economics for CA1, where I've witnessed two of my classmates cheating by hiding the textbook under their desks. Although it was a small test, I was angered by their dishonesty and injustice they did to others who studied hard for the test. Thus, I mustered up my courage to inform my teacher of their wrongdoings. I hope that they learnt their lesson regarding the importance of integrity and justice through this incident.

Undergraduate / It started with an asthma attack. Personal statement for medicine course. [5]

Please give me some advice on areas of improvement. THANKS IN ADVANCE <3

vulnerable human body

It was about 12AM midnight when I was lying on the bed gasping for air, feeling exhausted, helpless and fearful.
I had an asthma attack. A doctor and nurses came rushing towards my bed and in an instant, I was given 10 puffs from an inhaler to help me breathe more easily. Until now, I still deeply appreciate and respect those who had cared for me during my hospitalisation 13 years ago. Due to my health condition, the number of healthcare workers who have rendered help to me is innumerable. Hence, I'm inspired to pass on their kindness by serving as part of the healthcare team. Furthermore, understanding at first-hand about how one cannot really do much with an unhealthy body has driven me to pursue medicine.

My interest in science started in secondary school and I was particularly intrigued by the workings of human body systems. A trip to the National Kidney Foundation centre gave me the opportunity to witness the hardships of kidney patients as they need to depend their lives on dialysis. That is when the importance of each and every organ to human health has struck me and improving human health became a goal of mine.

Being curious in the function of various first aid equipment, I was prompted to join Red Cross Humanitarian Network (RCHN) as a CCA in junior college. Joining RCHN has not only allowed me to acquire basic first aid skills, but also given me huge gratification from treating casualties. To enhance my first aid skills, I participated in the national First Aid Championships 2016 with my CCA teammates. This competition has provided me with valuable insights into the value of teamwork, resource allocation and quick decision-making in any emergencies.

My most heart-warming volunteering experience is during the First Aider on Wheels sessions at East Coast Park. There, I was able to work with other compassionate volunteers and I personally felt the joy of giving when casualties expressed gratitude for my help. Gradually, I have developed a strong desire to help those in need. This desire, coupled with my enthusiasm in better understanding the mechanism of human body systems, have shaped my aspiration of becoming a doctor, in order to do more than just basic first aid for people. As a RCHN member, I was able to develop my communication and cooperative skills, which I believe are the elements that make a good doctor.

Having a taste of how fulfilling it is feeling appreciated by others, I'm motivated to gain further knowledge about the human body and apply it to serve humanity. I also believe that I can persevere in the arduous journey of becoming a doctor using people's gratitude as my source of motivation and satisfaction. I hope that by studying medicine in ___, I can realise my dream of having a fulfilling career and contributing towards better human health as a doctor. I'm prepared to shoulder the responsibility as I gain the power to heal.

Undergraduate / Giving back to society and making a difference. Personal statement for university scholarship! [5]

Personal Statement (Describe an outstanding achievement or highlight something you are passionate about):

human intelligence advantage

I am passionate about giving back to society and making a difference. One of my principles in life is to make positive impacts in this world in my lifetime. I was inspired by an article about how life is like a candle that will ultimately burn to ashes, but the only difference between the candles is the legacy one leaves behind. Thus, I set my mind to live my life meaningfully by helping people whenever I can.

In Junior College, joining the Red-Cross-Humanitarian-Network has exposed me to many opportunities for volunteer and community work. I've volunteered as a first-aider in various school events and external events like First-Aider-On-Wheels. We were also involved in community work like visiting the elderly home.

Since then, I could better appreciate how helping others could be so enjoyable, as I realised that I also have the power to make a change. The fact that people can benefit from my help is not the only reason why I like volunteering. Helping those in need also serves as a reminder for myself to live with gratitude, which is important as it enables us to be optimistic and feel contented with life. Moreover, I believe that giving and receiving is an invisible cycle. As long as I have the ability, I wish be the one starting a cycle of kindness, helping many others along this cycle. Hence, knowing that helping people and giving back to the society is beneficial to both myself and others, it is something that I am very passionate about.

In addition, I am passionate about lifelong learning. I could identify closely with this quote by Michel Legrand, "The more I live, the more I learn. The more I learn, the more I realize, the less I know." Going through the school years, I realised that there are a lot of things that I didn't know beforehand and knowledge has no boundaries. With a rigid syllabus to follow and important examinations at stake, we, students, tend to forget about the presence of this huge sea of knowledge that is constantly expanding. However, we can actually find joy in exploring this knowledge. Personally, I enjoy learning beyond textbooks, so I'd research on certain topics online after classes. Although I am a science major, it's always interesting to learn more about this world, regardless of the branch of knowledge.

Besides, I think we are at an advantage compared to animals. With human intelligence, we have the cognitive abilities to learn, form concepts, and apply logic. So, it's a privilege to be able to understand the world better than animals, and I hope to make good use of this privilege. My goal in lifelong learning does not only apply to academic knowledge, but also other things, such as hobbies and skills. I find that as we pick up new skills, what we are learning is not just the skill itself, but we can also learn other values from it. For instance, when I learned how to play netball with my classmates, I understood that we need to cooperate as a team and support each other to play the game well.