Tuesday, June 18, 2013

The MetroDBITan student series : Issue #023 - Cedric Ng

In this issue of MetroDBITan, we are going to get to know DBIT Year 2 student, Cedric Ng who is one of the Directors Roll recipients for his excellent results in Academic Year 2012/2013!

Cedric describes himself as AAIP.  What is AAIP?  Read on this entry and I will reveal the answer later ;)

Cedric receiving his Directors Roll certificate
from DMIT Deputy Director Mr Kenny Seah


Cedric,  please tell us more about the schools you have been studying in

I began my educational journey in Presbyterian Primary School before being enrolled in Assumption English Secondary. Next, I studied in the ITE College Central and successfully secured a place in Singapore Polytechnic where I am now studying in the Diploma in Business and Information Technology (DBIT) course.

During primary school, it was noted by my teacher that I was a relatively quiet child with the potential to improve. It is true that I preferred to be in solitude over socializing with my peers.  Also, I had never truly taken an interest in studies which attributed to my sub-par results over the years. It was by the skin of my teeth that I managed to advance to Secondary School in the Express Stream.

It was during my time in Secondary that I began to peel away the layers of self-doubt that had accumulated during my youth. I learned that no man can express his ideas without being a little daring and outspoken. In my final year, I had finally broken out of the shell of my past-self.  During June, I sent out an application for the Direct Polytechnic Admission to NYP-Digital Entertainment Technology (Games). After going through hours of examination and interview structured by their facilitators, I finally got accepted by them.

For anyone interested in applying DPA, this was what I wrote for my application,

“I've been pursuing the field of game development for several years, due to my interest in the creation of games. I try to constantly improve myself through inputs obtained from players who’ve tried my productions. I believe that I have the necessary commitment and passion for this field and hope to get a chance to further myself by entering the following course. A link is provided below to exhibit my works such as games, level designs and 2D&3D illustrations.

CedriCreation.Carbonmade.com”



It is with deep regret that I lacked the determination and discipline at that junction of my life which resulted in less than satisfactory results. It was there that I came to a conclusion that theory-based studies were not my forte. It was hard to maintain a positive outlook on life and I could not have made it through without the support of my fellow friends and beloved family.

Things took a turn for the better once I entered tertiary studies. I was enrolled into Higher Nitec in Games Design & Development for two years. I was thoroughly fascinated by what was being taught during the course which in turn spurred me on to great heights. During my second year, I was commended by my teacher pertaining to my previous assignment which had been done particularly well. I was exhilarated by the recognition that my teacher and friends showered me with for the first time.   I received multiple Director’s List for being in the top 10% in academic performance, along with Edusave certificates. The acknowledgements gave me the defining push that propagated me to go the extra mile in my educational goals.


Other than core modules, we also had Life-Skills. In this module our team decided to spread the joy among the children for Chen Su Lan Methodist Children’s Home. It warmed my heart to see such elation amongst these kids and made the day worthwhile.
 

I’ve also learned a lot of social and leadership skills through my CCA in ITE, Student Council. During my time in the council I was nominated a chairman of well-being. Being a member of the executive comittee, I played a crucial role in multiple events which include organization and participation in many events such as orientations, leadership camps and etc. These are memories and experiences that will linger even as the years flow by.




Share some memorable moments of childhood with family or friends
There is nothing dramatic about my childhood memories. Although I can’t remember what exactly happened at the time I remember it was filled with joy and laughter with my friends that I have had the honor of sharing within my lifetime. My family would take the time out of their weekend to share quality time with me and my brothers to eat a meal together.

Share some memorable moments of your teenage years 
My closest friends were founded while I was still within Secondary School. No words can describe the bond we have tailored over the years. The kind of friendship is one of a kind and no amount of distance can lessen it.



In ITE, I’ve made many new friends from many different ages. Although not all of us stayed throughout the course, it has done nothing to dampen our friendship.


Why did you choose DBIT course? 

While I have a varied scope of interests as seen above, my main area of interest would be Information Technology in Business. I always aspire to be an entrepreneur and I strongly believed that IT will be an integral/compulsory core of the business now and in the future. This course has given me an opportunity to test out my ideas and hone my skills further in various areas of software.

Share your likes and dislikes
When I have free time, I like to indulge in a variety of video games and test out mechanisms for game/software/application development. Right now I’m collaborating with my friends to develop a horror pc-game and phone-apps. I enjoy several television-series ranging from horror to comedy (ex: The Walking Dead). Once in a while, I’ll pick up books on self-improvement for casual reading.

I also love playing with my pet dog called Kiwi whom I have had for more than 3 years.

Kiwi’s puppy eyes!

Although I’m quite a homebody, I still take on activities that aren’t extremely taxing such as bowling, swimming and pool.

Lastly for my food preferences, I savor the fine taste of raw salmon sashimi. Also, nothing is comparable to a good plate of medium-rare steak from Astons/Botak Jones, fine-dining or home-grilled.





Describe yourself with four different words – two which are your strengths, two which are your weaknesses. e.g. cheerful, helpful vs procrastinator,  timid etc.

I’m Analytical, Ambitious, Introverted and Passive (AAIP)


What do you plan to do after graduation from SP? What is your ambition in life?

My ambition is to become a Business-IT consultant providing unique solutions for commercial enterprises through a strong grasp in IT knowledge and personal design. My primary goal is to also set up my own local business and be a business entrepreneur.

Name three things that inspire you

Things / people who inspire me:
  • My parents
  • Nick Vujicic
  • Famous failures
  • Thomas Edison

My parents

My parents have been sole-proprietors since they are young.

Although my parents did not have an easy beginning and lacked a secondary-education certificate, they managed through pure hard-work and dedication to start their life-long dream of opening their very own business. My mom owns a hair salon which was adjacent to my father’s photography lab. When I was a child, I would help out my parents and observe how they managed things. My ambitions were built up based on their legacy and I strive to achieve similar results.

Their current shop-front


Nick Vujicic

"Nick" Vujicic is a Serbian Australian evangelist and motivational speaker born with tetra-amelia syndrome, a rare disorder characterized by the absence of all four limbs.

It struck us all when we were shown this video by the teachers about Nick Vujicic. Sometimes I might complain with my peers about how life might be mundane or difficult. However, when I heard about Nick’s story, about how he can live his life to the fullest and am so optimistic despite having such defects; it really makes me and other audiences reflect on ourselves and change our view on life.

Nick Vujicic with his wife

Famous Failures

Another thing that inspires me greatly is the array of famous people that encountered several dramatic failures and still hold their ground.



Thomas Edison

Another famous person I would like to include is Thomas Edison. When he was a boy, his teacher told him he was too stupid to learn anything. When he set out on his own, he tried more than 9,000 experiments before he created the first successful light bulb.



There’s just something about reading over the failures of famous people that gives me a real boost. Not because they failed, but because they kept going. In order to succeed in life, I came to realize that sometimes failure is just the first step towards success.

Have you travelled anywhere before? If so, which countries have you been? Which country do you like most? And why?

In my short-life so far, I have had the pleasure of exploring many Asian countries which have included Korea, Thailand, China and Malaysia. My trip to Korea is the most exciting one as I had always wanted to experience winter and touch snow with my bare hands.


Taken in Korea


What are your favourite modules in SP?  What are you hoping to learn in Year 2 and Year 3?

My favorite module is Java Programming. The lessons were easy to follow and the projects was quite fun to do (most people disagree!).



Another module I enjoyed would be Social Media Marketing (SMM)! I got to work with the Johnson Duck company in helping them boost their fame. I learned a lot of hands-on and technical skills related to marketing that would be useful in real-life applications.



I’m hoping to learn fundamentals for business entrepreneurship in my second and third year.

Share your experience and tips about transiting from secondary school to poly

The way projects are given in polytechnic differs a lot from secondary school. Usually projects starts after you’re thought the basics of what you’re learning. You will find that all the projects surge in around the same time and the deadlines are all pretty close. Prepare yourself to grind on projects and assignments during that period of time, and don’t fall sick!

Do you have a CCA in SP?
Although I currently have no CCA in SP, I would love to join one if one manages to entice me.

However, I do take part in certain events under DMIT STARS and other SP activities from time to time. For example, I’m currently undergoing through the 4iCARE Mentoring to help our International Students (IS) Freshmen settle and integrate into life in SP and in Singapore.

Do you have good friends in SP?
I’ve made good friends in SP; they are my classmates Jordan and Edmund! They’re both very helpful and friendly. Other than hanging out together, we always tend to look out for each other.  We are currently attending the 4iCARE Mentor activity together too.

Do you work part-time while studying?
Nothing concrete at the moment, but I take up event-based jobs on some occasions.

Please share 3 pictures of your past projects / assignments


My WCD assignment, http://ced.thefatbasket.com/

My Java assignment

A Game Map assignment (before SP)

Are you currently attached with a boyfriend / girlfriend? Share with us the qualities of the boy/ girl you would like to partner with ☺

I’m currently single.
I believe having common interests and ideas are the more important traits. (:

Please share some photos of yourself!



 


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