In today’s competitive world, qualifications are of utmost importance. While that is indeed a factor that spurs me to take up higher education, the determining factor is my interest in the subjects. Admittedly, the only subject that I have had contact with is economics, but the fields of law and social policy intrigue me as well. Adam Smith once said, “No society can surely be flourishing and happy, of which the far greater part of the members are poor and miserable." I feel that this quote aptly shows how social policy and economics can be related and this is an area that I would like to explore. General Paper lessons have allowed me to think critically in many areas as controversial subjects like abortion and euthanasia are discussed in class. With the current financial crisis, studying economics may not be the smartest thing to do in the eyes of many people. Having taken economics in school, it has helped me to understand the basics of how the economy works at both the micro and macro level. However, this is insufficient for me to fully comprehend what is happening in the world currently and this fuels my desire to further my understanding of economics.
The deepest impression that law left upon me was during literature lessons in secondary 2, when our literature text was Harper Lee’s ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’. In a mere 286 pages of text, I was enthralled. I was inspired by how Atticus Finch, uninfluenced by prejudice, fought hard for what he believed was right even when his neighbours chastised him for making a case for a black man. To me, this spirit greatly exemplifies that of a lawyer and inspires me to want to take up such a profession to help uphold fairness in the world. As Aristotle said, “the rule of law is better than the rule of any individual". Although Atticus did not win his case at a time where prejudice was deeply entrenched in the hearts of people, I believe that the law today is fair and that the legal system is what determines whether a society can function well. The movie ‘Erin Brockovich’ also showed me how the law is unbiased and can help people by meting out justice, in this case the law helped small town residents in Hinkley, California get compensation against a big firm for endangering their health. Having taken German as a third language exposed me to the diversity of the culture in Europe. Studying in UK would allow me to explore the rest of Europe, which is something that I have always wanted to do. UK, other than having a top-rate education system which attracts many students from all over, is also ideal due to its English-speaking environment. This would remove any language barriers as I am accustomed to conversing in English, which is the main language of instruction in Singapore. It would also give me an opportunity to live independently and to experience the four seasons something that sunny Singapore does not offer, despite her merits. In my spare time, I am actively involved in community work as I strongly believe in contributing back to the society, clocking over 150 hours over the past 2 years. I am also deeply concerned about societal issues, such as the increasing trend of mental breakdown in youths, leading me to implement a service-learning project which aimed to raise mental wellness in secondary school students. I have also been a part of my school’s Chinese Orchestra for the past 9 years, taking part in many public performances and competitions, most notably attaining Gold (with Honours) award in 2005 and 2007 at the biannual Singapore Youth Festival and achieving a grade 7 in Erhu. Other than my foray in Chinese music, I also hold a grade 8 in piano. I have also held the position of class representative for the past year, showing my ability to undertake responsibilities well. My perseverance has been demonstrated by my quest to improve my skills in my instruments. I am also a good team player and enjoy doing teamwork, yet at the same time able to work well independently.