毕业生巡礼——丁秋瀚

丁秋瀚 新加坡管理学院 中美班 2020年毕业生

新加坡管理学院——英国伯明翰大学课程

Study in Singapore

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, I unexpectedly ended up studying in Singapore instead of my original study abroad plans. However, the decision proved to be a good one for the following reasons:

1) Excellent location: Singapore's central location in Southeast Asia allows for easy travel to any place within two hours by plane. It is also possible to fly to China, India, and Australia within five hours. Singapore is a gateway to emerging markets such as ASEAN countries and India, making it convenient to explore more opportunities in these countries. Additionally, it is not too far from my hometown of Quanzhou, and I can return home to enjoy a long weekend anytime.

2)Business environment: Singapore boasts one of the best business environments in the world due to its developed infrastructure, strict laws, and prime location. Many multinational corporations set up their Asia-Pacific or global headquarters in Singapore. As a business major student, I can network with people from different MNCs and get the latest industry information from them. These networks will be useful when I look for a job in Singapore or start my own business.

3) Multiculturalism: Singapore is a multiracial country that offers exposure to different cultures. The dominant culture in Singapore is Chinese culture, mainly originating from Hokkien, Cantonese, Teochew, and Hakka groups. Although I had never been to Singapore before my studies, I adapted quickly to the culture and even became fluent in Singlish in a few weeks. In addition to Chinese culture, Singapore also promotes Indian and Malay cultures. We celebrate their new years with a day-off and try their cuisines. I was pleasantly surprised by how good Indian food can be, and it's no wonder the British invaded for spices

由于新冠疫情的影响，我最终在新加坡进行了留学，而非最初的留美计划。但是，这个决定证明是新加坡是好的选择，原因如下：

1. 优越的地理位置：新加坡位于东南亚中心位置，可以轻松地乘飞机前往两小时内的任何地方。也可以在五小时内飞往中国、印度和澳大利亚。新加坡是通往东盟国家和印度等新兴市场的门户，使得在这些国家探索更多机会变得更加方便。此外，离我的家乡泉州也不太远，我可以随时回家享受长周末的时光。

2. 商业环境：新加坡由于其发达的基础设施、严格的法律、以及地理位置优越，被誉为世界上最好的商业环境之一。许多跨国公司在新加坡设立他们的亚太或全球总部。作为商业专业的学生，我可以与来自不同跨国公司的人们建立联系，并从他们那里获得最新的行业信息。这些人脉将在我寻找在新加坡的工作或开创自己的业务时非常有用。

3. 多元文化：新加坡是一个多种族国家，提供了接触不同文化的机会。新加坡的主流文化是华人文化，主要起源于福建、广东、潮汕和客家群体。虽然我之前从未去过新加坡，但我很快就适应了这里的文化，甚至在几周内就能流利地说新加坡式英语了。除了华人文化，新加坡还推广印度文化和马来文化。我们会庆祝他们的新年，并尝试他们的美食。我惊讶地发现印度食物有多好吃，难怪英国人为了香料入侵了印度。

My Experience Studying at Singapore Institute of Management新加坡管理学院（SIM）的学习经历

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, my original study abroad plans were cancelled, and I unexpectedly found myself studying in Singapore. Despite this unexpected change, I quickly discovered that studying at the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM) was an excellent decision for several reasons.

SIM is a prestigious private tertiary institution in Singapore that has been providing quality education for decades. I chose to pursue a Diploma in Management Studies (DMS) which offered a broad range of business-related topics such as Business Communication, Business Mathematics, English for Business, Business Finance, Business Law, Business Statistics, Financial Accounting, Information Systems for Business, Macroeconomics, Managerial Accounting, Managing Human Resources, Managing People & Organisations, Microeconomics, Operations Management, and Principles of Marketing.

The modules provided a solid foundation for pursuing a degree in business, and the teachers were mainly from NUS, NTU, or other top universities in the world with a MBA degree. The assessments were strict, requiring students to conduct surveys, research, write reports and present their work. Fortunately, I had experience with these assessment styles from high school, and I was able to earn the Bronze Award for being one of the top students in my batch.

Overall, I am grateful for the opportunity to study at SIM. The experience provided me with a valuable education and the chance to build a professional network in Singapore.

由于新冠疫情的影响，我最初的留学计划被取消了，我意外地发现在新加坡管理学院（SIM）学习是一个非常好的决定，原因如下。

新加坡管理学院是新加坡的一所著名私立高等教育机构，已经提供了几十年的优质教育。我选择了攻读管理学文凭（DMS），该课程涵盖了广泛的商业相关课题，如商业沟通、商业数学、商务英语、商业金融、商业法律、商业统计、财务会计、商务信息系统、宏观经济学、管理会计、人力资源管理、管理人员和组织、微观经济学、运营管理和市场营销原理。

这些模块为攻读商业学位奠定了坚实的基础，而且教师主要来自新加坡国立大学、南洋理工大学或其他世界顶级大学，具有MBA学位。考核标准非常严格，要求学生进行调查、研究、撰写报告和展示他们的工作。幸运的是，我在高中就有这些经验，所以我能够成为我那届中的优秀学生之一，获得了铜奖。

总的来说，我非常感激有机会在新加坡管理学院学习。这次经历为我提供了有价值的教育和建立在新加坡的专业人脉的机会。

Student life at SIM

At the Singapore Institute of Management (SIM), students can enjoy a vibrant student life. With over 100 clubs available, there is something for everyone. I have had the pleasure of attending events hosted by the board game society, the Investment & Networking Club, the International Relations Studies Society, the fencing club, the tchoukball club, and the ultimate frisbee club. The cost of exploring new interests is very low, as SIM generously covers the cost of coaches, equipment, and venues for various clubs. For example, I was pleasantly surprised to find that fencing, which is often considered an expensive sport, was made accessible to students through SIM's support. All I needed to bring was my water bottle and sporty attire.

Beyond sports, SIM also invites experts from relevant industries to come and speak with students. These experts share their insights and expertise on a variety of topics and offer networking opportunities for students. Many of these experts come from multinational corporations with offices in Singapore, providing valuable connections for students interested in pursuing a career in this field. Some of these seminars even offer upskilling opportunities to increase students' employability. Overall, SIM offers a well-rounded student experience that goes beyond just academics.

在新加坡管理学院（SIM），学生可以享受充满活力的学生生活。有超过100个俱乐部可供选择，每个人都能找到自己感兴趣的。我有幸参加了由棋盘游戏协会、投资与联网俱乐部、国际关系研究协会、击剑俱乐部、巧固球俱乐部和极限飞盘俱乐部主办的活动。尝试新兴趣的成本非常低，因为SIM慷慨地为各种俱乐部的教练、设备和场地提供资助。例如，我惊喜地发现，击剑，这种通常被认为是昂贵的运动，通过SIM的支持，为学生提供了参与的机会。我只需要带上我的水瓶和运动服。

除了体育活动，新加坡管理学院还邀请相关行业的专家来与学生交流。这些专家分享他们的见解和专业知识，为学生提供了建立人脉的机会。其中许多专家来自在新加坡设有办事处的跨国公司，为对在这个领域寻求职业的学生提供有价值的联系。其中一些研讨会甚至提供了增加学生就业能力的机会。总的来说，新加坡管理学院提供了一个超越学术的全面学生体验。

My study at the University of Birmingham

I enrolled in the University of Birmingham's Year 2 program directly after completing my diploma. Pursuing a degree is vastly different from a diploma, as it is much more challenging. At UoB, students are expected to complete their degree studies in just two years, which is no easy feat. Our faculties fly from the UK to teach us in Singapore, and we even register in UoB's student system. However, as we are not physically present on the UK campus, we do not have access to all of the facilities provided there. Only international business major students have the opportunity to study on the UK campus for one semester. Nevertheless, UoB provides us with as many resources as possible, such as career consultancy, student guild, and other online resources.

The course design consists of three-hour lectures each day, with 20 lectures per module. The classes cover topics such as public speaking and application. The first two hours of each lecture are spent on theory, while the last hour is dedicated to group case discussion and presentation. The classes run from mid-July until next March, followed by an internship if required. Students can expect to have at least three assessments, such as quizzes, individual essays, or exams, every month. In February 2023, I was working on one presentation, two reports, and two exams while simultaneously seeking placement opportunities for March. It is important to be mentally prepared to deal with the academic stress and emotional toll that comes with studying at UoB.

我在完成文凭后直接报名参加了伯明翰大学的第二年课程。攻读学位与文凭大不相同，因为它要困难得多。在伯明翰大学，学生需要在两年内完成学位学习，这并不容易。我们的教师从英国飞来，在新加坡授课，我们在UoB的学生系统中注册学籍。然而，由于我们不在英国校园，因此我们没有机会使用那里提供的所有设施。只有国际商业专业的学生才有机会在英国校园学习一个学期。尽管如此，UoB仍然为我们提供了尽可能多的资源，例如职业咨询、学生公会和其他在线资源。

课程设计包括每天三小时的讲座，每门课程有20个讲座。课程涵盖公共演讲和应用等主题。每个讲座的前两个小时用于理论学习，最后一个小时专门用于小组案例讨论和演示。课程从7月中旬持续到明年3月，紧接着的是三个月的实习期（如果课程有要求的话）。学生每月至少有三个测验，例如小测、个人论文（essay）或考试。在2023年2月，我同时要准备进一个演示（presentation）、两份报告和两场考试，同时寻找3月的实习机会。我建议学弟学妹要有心理准备来处理学术压力和精神负担，这是在UoB学习时不可避免的问题。