In high school, I never had any desire to become a business student. My schedule was cluttered with biology, chemistry, and the odd math class here and there, but never business. Up until I needed to fill my mandatory “Individuals and Societies” course, for which I chose to enroll in Economics. That’s when everything changed.
This filler class soon took up all my time. The professor captured our attention with daily news briefings, amusing stories from his youth in tandem with economic theory, and taught me through application of knowledge rather than mindless recitation of facts. And in no time at all, my interest had shifted from science labs to business cases. At this point, I was starting to think more deeply about what my future at university would look like…
Having moved from elementary school in Canada, to high school in Singapore, I was entirely drowning in work for the first few months. I was unused to writing essays and long-answer exams, which were few and far in between when I was younger. Even with practice papers, homework questions, and study groups, I found the transition very hard to overcome. I came to discover that the most helpful tool for ensuring my competitive GPA was finding a tutor. Having someone who could identify where my thought process erred was vital to understanding difficult concepts. My tutor could explain concepts differently than my professors, which allowed me to relearn topics in a new, customized way. I would strongly advise anyone to find someone who can place concepts in a different light so you can see if your brain responds better to a different teaching style.
The best preparation for my university applications was by far completing the IB diploma, no matter how mind-numbing the work was or how many tears of frustration were shed. The curriculum required significant volunteering and leadership experiences, which made writing my AEO application natural. In it, I spoke about my position as both the leader of my school’s Habitats for Humanity Club, which cleaned up our community during the pandemic, as well as my job as the co-president of the school’s service committee, which researched and partnered with local charities to provide volunteering opportunities to high school students. To balance it out, I poured my dedication to my school’s track and field team – waking up at the crack of dawn to run aimlessly around the tennis courts in the Singaporean sun is no easy task!
When it came time to submit university applications, I started to think about what studying business might look like. After years of fixating on the sciences, having my thought process so shaken before applications was very jarring. I hadn’t done research on business programs in the past as I was so certain about my future career in medicine, and my counsellors hadn’t much clue where to start. That’s when I got to researching. After learning about the 2+2 Ivey framework, as well as their case method of learning, my interest peaked. Holding AEO status allows you to explore your other interests for the first two years of your university education before committing to business: an enticing offer for someone who was as indecisive as me. Additionally, by having the chance to learn with real world cases, I felt that Ivey would best prepare, and challenge me to think critically for my future career. To top it all off, the HBA alumni network and job recruitment process is extremely strong, which limited my fears about life after university.
After drafting my supplementary applications to a dozen schools for both health sciences and business, my decision truly came down to the wire. At 4am on the day of my decision, I was still up, contemplating which major I should choose, and at which school. I spent hours fighting sleep to draft pros and cons lists, but at the end of the day, I decided to be spontaneous and accept my offer to the BMOS program in junction with AEO offer over health sciences. I figured that if this new business path had caused me to become so uncertain in something I was dead set on pursuing for so many years, I should take the time to explore it more thoroughly.
Currently, I am still settling into my life as a Western student. Between homework and lectures, I have also taken the time to join several extracurriculars to expand my network. As a BMOS and AEO student, it would be very easy to remain in a business bubble until graduation, so I decided to seek out opportunities to meet other students with different aspirations from mine, but with common interests. In this manner, I have joined Purple Hands and the Fashion and Lifestyle Society, both as an internal events executive. While many people get involved in career-oriented clubs right away, I wanted to take the first year to explore my interests. I know that I am not solely defined by my academic life, and I believe we should remember our identities outside of university, so that we don’t place all our value on grades. In my case, I can see myself studying in law school, writing for a magazine, or working in consultancy. Nobody, including myself, knows what the future holds for me, and that’s okay! A sign of maturity and confidence is embracing uncertainty, especially when life throws curveballs.
While I am only getting started on my post-secondary journey, I have already learned many tips about education as an AEO student. Firstly, don’t go bragging about your status, being overconfident has never made anyone many friends. Secondly, networking begins now! Your friends from O-Week, your classes, and your floor, are the ones that can give you an edge when applying for club or internship positions. Thirdly, don’t see maintaining AEO as a rigorous task, see it as a set of helpful guidelines. While it can seem stressful to maintain an 80% average and get involved in leadership opportunities, this is setting you up for success! You’ll thank yourself for your hard work when your extracurriculars and stellar transcripts land you that future job.
My final piece of advice for every high school senior applying for AEO status is: stay authentic to your experiences and let the hard work you put in for the last 4 years speak for itself. Enjoy your final months of high school and look forward to your future opportunities, there is no use in stressing over things outside your control. You put in the work, now you get to reap its rewards!