Saturday, November 30, 2013

The MetroDBITan student series : Issue #026 - Wyman Lee

Welcome to MetroDBITan issue #026! :)

Ok, it's the last day of Nov 2013, and I know many of you are busy studying for your MSTs next week as well.

But you can't be studying ALL THE TIME! So, take a little break from your studying and read on! :)

In this issue, we are delving deep into the life of Diploma in Business Information Technology (DBIT) Year 1 student, Wyman Lee and finding out more about what makes him tick! Enjoy!





What's your days in Primary School like?

The days spent in Nanyang Primary School will always be among my fonder childhood memories.

Catching insects and tadpoles at the school’s eco-pond, playing ‘freeze and melt’ in the school’s many long and winding hallways and bonding with my friends over a game of soccer at the school field during recess.

My favourite subjects in primary school were Science and English as I found them relatively easy to pick up. Chinese was (and still is) my weakest and hated subject as I find it very hard to master.

I played Badminton as a CCA in primary school and even though I wasn’t very good at the sport and constantly made up excuses to skip trainings,  I made many close friends; some of whom I am still in contact with to this day.


Which secondary school did you attend? How was life there?

My secondary school is Gan Eng School.  I enjoyed my studies at my secondary school which is also a place where I made many friends.

I have happy memories of my days there, especially those during my upper secondary school years, when my classmates and I really bonded with one another, and we participated in an endless stream of varied activities. For example, we would hang out after class at my school’s club to play air hockey and pool.

Having a ‘blast’ launching a rocket with my secondary school friends…

I was also a student leader and played a part in organizing my school’s Racial Harmony Day celebrations and camp for the lower secondary students. It was a very fun and enriching experience, but it came at a cost as it left me with little time to focus on my studies. However, it was via this experience that I learnt the importance of teamwork and friendship which has helped to shape me into the person I now am, for better or worse. My favourite subjects then were English and Biology.


Fooling around with my old CCA mates
In secondary school, I joined the Saint John Ambulance Brigade, a uniform group CCA, as I wanted to learn First Aid. Looking back now, I don’t regret doing so as I’ve thoroughly enjoyed the many outdoor activities and camps that were organized throughout my four year stay at the school.
 

Share some memorable moments of childhood with family or friends

One of my most memorable childhood moments would definitely have to be the time I learnt how to ride a horse.  It was exhilarating to get up a horse and make it gallop around the training enclosure as fast as possible with the wind blowing against my face! It was definitely a very cool experience for a nine year old me.

Another would have to be the time I and five other boys had head on to the school’s eco-garden to catch crickets. We would then compare our ‘catch of the day’ with one another to see who had caught the nicest looking, biggest or loudest one and run away in different directions when one of us spots a prefect coming as it was against the rules to catch anything from the school garden. Haha!

Share some memorable moments of your teenage years

One particularly memorable moment was when I won first place for my school’s indoor rowing championship.

Prior to the event, I had trained exceptionally hard, hitting the gym regularly with me friends. Even so, on the eve of the competition I knew that my fitness level was still not up to scratch and felt rather dejected.

But I ended up winning the first place! This is truly a pleasant surprise for me as I had not expected to win it at all! However, thanks to the encouragement of my friends and classmates, I managed to pull through and clinch the award.



Another memorable event was the time my friends threw me a birthday bash for my 16th birthday at JCube. We went there to ice-skate and play arcade games after school before heading out for dinner together and making a fool of ourselves. This was very special to me as soon after the celebration, the O levels had come and we had too little time to hang out together. The next time we were able to hang out as a whole group was during my school’s prom night at the end of the year due to our individual commitments after the national exams.



Why did you choose DBIT course? 

I believe that it is the perfect blend between business and IT. The chance to gain first-hand experience in starting and running a business in year 3 also played a part in attracting me to this course.



Share your likes and dislikes 

My hobbies include shooting, playing computer games and catching a movie with my friends.

I enjoy watching action movies like Jack Reacher, A good Day to Die Hard and Taken.

I like to listen to bands like Green Day, Maroon 5 and Gym Class Heroes.

I love to eat Japanese and Italian cuisine such as Sashimi and Aglio Olio as I find them delicious.


What do you plan to do after graduation from SP?

I intend to pursue a business degree after graduation and hopefully, masters at some prestigious university overseas.


What is your ambition in life? 

To take advantage of the business and IT skills taught to me by this course and become a successful entrepreneur.


Describe yourself with four different words

I am

  • Jovial
  • Helpful
  • Procrastinator
  • Careless

I am a serial procrastinator and tend to put things on the back burner until they pile up and are almost impossible to ignore!


Three things or people that inspire you!

Three people who have inspired me are:

Randy Pausch
I first heard about him in my iDiscover class when my teacher, Ms. Chee had shown us his famous speech entitled "The Last Lecture: Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams” which showed a list of Pausch’s childhood dreams, and explained how he achieved each of them such as being in zero gravity, playing in the National Football League and becoming a Disney Imagineer. I have found his passion for life and the want to live it to the fullest to be very inspiring.

Liz Murray
Her tumultuous life journey from being homeless to entering Harvard University has truly been very inspirational.  Born to poor, drug-addicted and HIV –Infected parents, she became homeless at the tender age of 15. Though Murray started high school later than most students, and remained without a stable home she was able to graduate in only two years and was awarded a New York Times scholarship for needy students whilst being accepted into Harvard University.

Rosa Parks
Best known for her refusal to vacate her colored-person’s seat for a white man and subsequent arrest, Park’s actions led to the widespread and massive protests by African-Americans for what they perceived to be systemic racial discrimination and segregation against colored people. Her courage to stand up and fight for what she believes is what I have found to be so inspiring.


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

Like birds on a migration trail, my family and I travel a lot and have almost covered all 7 continents in the world, except for the Antarctic and African plate.

Besides the culture rich and more accessible countries such as Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand and China; I have been to more exotic countries like India, Vietnam, Nepal and countries like Korea and Turkey.

Me and my sister in Nepal


However, most of the time, we travel through different parts of the United Kingdom and Europe. I have been to see the Queen’s Jewels in London, England; have been to Spain to see the Sagrada Familial; been to Austria and Germany to see their Christmas markets; been to Vienna to see Mozart’s home and France to see the Eiffel Tower.

Chilling with my family in Spain


Touring the Austrian-Germany border with my family
To have a change in landscape and experience a more cosmopolitan environment, I have also been to several different parts of the United States of America such as Las Vegas, Los Angeles, California and San Diego and also parts of Australia like Perth and Gold Coast.                                                                      


What are your favourite modules in SP? Why?

I currently don’t have any favourite modules. Though I find certain modules more challenging than others, I believe that they all serve a purpose in helping to develop me into a well-rounded person.


What are you hoping to learn in Year 2 and Year 3?

I hope to learn more in-depth on the process of starting up and running my own business.


In Year 1, I took a module called Social Media Marketing
that required us to approach a real company to work with them.
Me and my group-mates approached several companies together.
Here is a picture of us hanging out at the first company
we had successfully approached- Grin Affair.
Unfortunately things did not work out between us,
and we decided to stop collaborating with them.

Celebratory picture outside OK Tea (the company we eventually worked with)
after convincing the boss to work with us.
Do check out our company’s Facebook page ‘OkTea’!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Oktea/517631658297333


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

Keep an open mind and do not be afraid to explore options contrary to the norm. A lot of hard work is involved as well, and you have to keep constantly on your toes to ensure that you make deadlines. 


Do you have a CCA in SP?



I am currently in Shooting and Welfare! I have found my shooting trainings to be rather exhausting but fun as I get to bond with my friends. While my time spent at Welfare Club has been very meaningful to me as I am given a chance to give back to the community by tutoring underprivileged primary school kids in Mathematics.


Do you have best / good friends in SP?

Yeah, I guess you could say that. I’m actually quite close to my classmates.

Me and my current classmates


Do you work part-time while studying? If you do, share your experience

No, I do not. However, I did hold several jobs before my poly started to gain some ‘real-world’ experience. These included being a temporary clerk for a small law firm in Chinatown and as well as a waiter in a restaurant in Resorts World Sentosa, so I do understand the hardships and responsibilities of having one.

For example, during my short stint as a waiter, I had to learn how to cope with stressful situations such as handling the demands of difficult customers, which was especially acute during peak periods like lunch and dinner when there are even more of them.



Are you currently attached with a boyfriend / girlfriend? 

Nope.  Although I suppose I wouldn’t mind going out with someone who is smart, funny and just plain fun to be with.






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