By Wei Yalin, Master of Professional Accounting (MPA), 2018 August Intake
As a student, studying hard and cramming for exams is a large part of my college experience (especially as an accounting student). However, there are so many more things to do in SMU other than studying!
Let me introduce what our typical Monday looks like:
8am – Rise and shine! Once we alight from the MRT or bus, we will take our time to enjoy the brief walk. The view from the walk is pretty incredible – it can make you smile even on the gloomiest of days.
The SMU greenery that makes your day!
8:15am – First things first, we will go for a cup of coffee or tea to freshen up and start the day before heading to class.
You can always find a good cup of “kopi” on campus!
8:30am – After a nice breakfast, we head straight to the classroom. MPA students have to attend the Management Accounting course on Monday. The course is interesting and interactive – the professor will be asking questions and students have to be well-prepared for the lessons. All my classmates will definitely be wide-awake throughout the lecture. Management Accounting does not involve much math/numbers - it’s more focused on the theory and as it delves into fraud, one has to have a very skeptical mind to tackle problems in this class. :)
12pm – Lunch! Time to grab a bite and catch up with friends. Sometimes we will opt for a simple lunch from Koufu; sometimes we may go to the School of Economics, the Food Republic or cafeterias situated in other schools to satisfy our cravings. There are Chinese cuisines, Western food, Korean food, Japanese food… Yummy!
1pm – End of our lecture! But that doesn’t mean we are done for the day.
I am grateful for the friendships that brighten up my MPA journey.
2pm – Attending a group meeting for the project. In SMU, we have to prepare and work on projects for the whole semester. It would involve drafting project proposals, consulting our professors during office hours, and put our best foot forward to draft a good report. Our submission deadline for the first draft of the report is in the last month of a semester. Doing group project is fun as we can analyse a good mix of real-world business cases, and learn how to work as a team. This is also how friendships are made.
5pm – We go to the gym (not every day!) Keeping fit is good for health and it’s nice to finish the day with a workout. Besides, the gym is very near our school!
6pm – School is over (yay!). As school load is heavy, we will have to follow up on our homework of the day. Studying in groups can be really helpful – we will help each other with the homework, which can be quite challenging. Playing hard is important too. On some days, we will hang out for some good times after school, recharging ourselves to prepare us for the next day.
My fun & lovely classmates after "Escape"!
A typical day as an accounting student varies, but it is definitely a fulfilling one for most. School can be hectic, but as long as we manage our time well, we will be able to make the most out of the MPA programme and experience a truly fruitful student life.
I hope this snippet has provided you with some helpful insight on what you can expect from SMU!
