When time waits for no man, and many feel pressured to commit to a future path, NUS Merit Scholar Wang Ziyou chose to chart his own course, using every opportunity to discover what truly inspired him.
Journey with Ziyou as he navigates his first year in NUS’s School of Business, builds his experiences in and out of the campus, and eventually figures out his career path.
The Degree that Opens Doors
As I was not completely sure what I wanted to pursue in the future, I wanted more space and time to explore my options. I chose to pursue business administration as it opens doors to varied career paths, from finance to operations management, and entrepreneurship.
The NUS Business programme was an obvious choice given the School’s focus on academic rigour and equipping students with career-focused skills and experiences. I was extremely fortunate to be able to tap into the School’s wide offerings of relevant student clubs, mentorship networks, and other extracurricular programmes to develop myself.
Upon entering university, I eventually figured out my interests in a finance and investments-related career.
NUS Merit Scholarship – The Perfect Business Sense
The NUS Merit Scholarship offers me the support and confidence to pursue my studies and career ambitions without constraints. With siblings currently pursuing their university education, the Scholarship has given me peace of mind and timely financial support for my family.
It includes tangible benefits like tuition coverage and housing subsidies, allowing me to settle down in university without hassle and with more time and flexibility to focus on what matters to me. Intangibly, it also connects me to an extensive community of equally driven individuals who pushed me to grow and excel further.
The Winning Pitch
I believe I was awarded the Scholarship for demonstrating my genuine curiosity for learning and exposing myself to new environments. It also helped that I was able to communicate to the panel in a manner that aligned with my personal story, covering my past experiences, present goals, and future aspirations.
This was evident in my application, where I discussed my academic achievements, a broad range of extracurricular interests, including arts, sports, and entrepreneurship, and community service projects, including being an English teacher with a Ukraine-based NGO.
I believe that a scholar should be a curious optimist who finds genuine value in learning, failing, and improving. While exciting, university life also poses its fair share of challenges. What defines you as a scholar and person is your ability to navigate these troughs and stay optimistic and curious through these moments. If you have this ability, it will serve you well in your application and life ahead!
New Perspectives, Deep Friendships, and Hands-on Experiences
I had the privilege to participate in a stock pitch competition at the University of Oxford, where we pitched our investment idea to judges from established investment firms while meeting students from top UK and USA universities.
In addition, I have been active in exploring my career interests through the NUS Investment Society and NUS Management Consulting Club. Even though these are student clubs, many career-related extracurricular activities are well-managed, with experienced seniors to learn from and a wide alumni network to tap into.
On the community service front, I was fortunate to represent NUS in McKinsey & Co’s Young Leaders programme, assisting local Social Service Agencies (SSAs) with organisational optimisation needs.
Overall, my time in NUS has been meaningful and rewarding. I value the deep friendships I have built with students from all walks of life. They have taught me so much in school and outside, offering me new perspectives and help when I needed it. I was also very fortunate to have met amazing lecturers whose passion for teaching motivated me to do well. I highly recommend students to take intentional steps to apply for the scholarship to experience it for themselves.
WANG ZIYOU
NUS Merit Scholarship
Bachelor of Business Administration, National University of Singapore, Year 1