Optimist, sunshine, nature, apples, clouds, animals, walking, being me, air-rifle, sketching, music, laughing with friends, reading, living each day to the fullest
'On ne voit bien qu'avec le cœur. L'essentiel est invisible pour les yeux.

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copied and pasted from confessions. :D

To the Year 1s who are despairing over their academic progress:

Don't lose hope. I was in in your shoes three years ago. As I had to do crazily difficult Econ modules (MFE, Stat151, Micro taught by Landi no less) and couldn't adapt to university life in Year 1, my GPA sank below 3 after Term 2. I was starting to doubt myself and thought whether I was doomed to mediocrity.

Fast forward to the present - I am graduating with a GPA that is comfortably in cum laude territory, and I've received an offer from a very well-known company. I'm also in the final round of interviews for a prestigious ministry - yes, OCS now bothers to send me emails for such 'elite' recruitment programs after I reached 3.4 last semester.

Here are some tips I'd like to offer:
1) DON'T EVER LOSE HOPE. At least you have 3 more years to catch up. So long you set your goal of achieving cum laude, persevere throughout the following semesters and start thinking like a winner, you can eventually make it. Your performance will not improve by leaps and bounds suddenly; the rise in GPA is usually gradual and there is more scope of improvement once you're done with all those pesky core modules.
2) PLAN WELL IN ADVANCE. If you can't beat the system, join it. The advantage of the SMU syllabus is its flexibility. Take a second major that you can do well or are interested in, that would give your grades a much-needed boost. Have electives? Choose wisely, don't just take one because your friends happen to do it, but take one that you are likely to excel in. The sure-fire method, however, is to transfer your liabilities outside SMU. Go on exchange (either local or overseas) and clear those pesky mods there (but check if you are allowed to clear them outside first.) If you can afford it, go for summer school as well and clear a couple more of modules too. If you can't avoid those killer mods in SMU, please tackle them one at a time (per semester), neutralize them by doing classes you can prevail, and choose the right prof if possible.
3) PLEASE MAKE GOOD FRIENDS IN UNI. Look, you do not need have half of your cohort on FB to be considered somebody. If you were not a social butterfly when you entered uni, trust me you'll never be one. However, it sucks to be a loner and feeling like a stranger in your own school; that was how I pretty much felt in Year 1 and it really dented my motivation. The classroom is not the best way to make friends; I only became real friends with a handful that way, the rest will simply be of 'hi-bye' level of interaction. Instead, go for OCIP, overseas internships, CCAs and the like. You won't become Mr/Ms Popular, but you definitely get to know more people in-depth and be good friends with at least some of them. With friends to hang out together and do really crazy stuff, you'll be much more at balance psychologically.

Aim high but aim realistically as well, those who are on the very top of the game already built up an unassailable lead in Year 1. The greatest marginal difference is between that of cum laude and High Merit, in terms of opening up opportunities. The additional magna/summa tag in front doesn't make a significant difference in most instances.

I'm happy to provide more advice on request. Anonymously, of course ;)

Yours,
Finally done with Econs
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