ICON+

Curious about your ICON+ peers’ academic background and goals? Read this feature to peek into the life of a university applicant.

Q: After you graduate from the Anglo-Chinese School in November 2010, what memories will you hold on to the most?

A: Definitely all the times I spent with my friends in school - not only the times when we ate lunch and just talked with each other, but also the times that we studied together. I’ll remember going through stressful times with my friends like going into the exam hall together. We were all really nervous, but we gave each other motivation and support. In short, I’ll remember the brotherly spirit we had.

Q: Any memories you wish you could just erase?

A: Yeah, definitely… I remember when I was in Secondary 1 and joined judo as an extracurricular activity. I hadn’t really realized it then, but I am not made for physical activity and sports. Memories of coaches tossing me around are ones that I basically just wish I could erase!

Q: Which universities have you selected to apply to and why?

A: I’ll be applying to Caltech, MIT, Stanford, UC-LA, UC-B, UC-SD, and UC-I. I am applying to these schools because some of them are among the best in the US and even in the world. I’ve got pretty high aspirations. I personally feel that Caltech and MIT have the strongest programs for what I want to study, which is mathematics.

I selected to study in the US because I am a US citizen. The US is where I call home, so I’ll be able to settle in better than if I were to go to school in a different country.

Q: Please explain to us non-math types why you are interested in studying mathematics or applied mathematics in university.

A: I am pretty different from many other students that I know in the sense that I am fascinated by math problems that come my way. I enjoy analyzing and solving problems, and I am especially fascinated by problems that have multiple alternative methods to solve them. Math has also been my best subject in school.

Q: Some say that the university-years are “the best time in life.” What do you want to accomplish by the time you graduate from university?

A: I definitely hope that my 4 years in university will make me a stronger person academically. I also hope to get some part time work experience. I’ll get some pocket money so I am not such a financial burden for my parents, and this experience will prepare me for when I work full-time.

I want to make a lot of new friends that I will always keep in contact with in the future, like some of the friends that I have here. In addition, I would hope to learn how to take care of myself. It will be the first time that my parents won’t be around to clean up after me, and I’ll need to learn to do all that myself. But this practice will prepare me for the future, when I’ll need to take care of not only myself but also my parents.

Q: What are your biggest fears about going off to university?

A: Going back to what I said before, I imagine looking around in my room and realizing I need to do a chore, and my mom is not around! I’ll have to do it myself! Incorporating this sort of thing into my academics, job, social life, etc. might become a bit much.

Q: If you were not going to university 2 years from now, what would you be doing?

A: Some of the gap year programs available sound pretty interesting. I’ve always wanted to go to Spain. But honestly, I haven’t really thought about not going to university and am hoping that won’t happen.