By Lexi, Euan, Siti
Nowadays, you might find Liang Yusen preparing for UK university admission tests, putting together local university applications, or even planning out his travel plans. A year ago, you’d have seen him in ACJC, studying hard for the A Levels. Well, all that studying paid off – Liang Yusen is the ACJC Top Science Student for 2021. With a strong passion for science since secondary school, his passion has pushed him to go above and beyond the curriculum, reading science books and taking part in science-related events to deepen his understanding, even taking up 2 H3 subjects on top of his already tough combination of 4 H2s. However, Yusen’s interests do not just lie in science. He is also very fond of community work, enthusiastically helping the less fortunate in society. His resilience and wisdom were definitely exemplified during his time in ACJC and we have had the pleasure of interviewing him to find out more about how the College has shaped him.
Hi Yusen! It’s a pleasure to meet you, even if it is over Zoom!
It’s a pleasure too. I’m sorry I’m late, I had some trouble setting up my connection.
What’s it like in China right now? I hear they’re tightening the restrictions. That must be hard.
It’s rather boring, to be honest. I actually don’t have much to do right now.
Q: What are you doing with this long break, after getting the results?
Because I’ve applied for the UK universities, which give conditional offers, you need to pass tests, interviews, exams. I’m studying for those. I’m considering applying for NTU and NUS. I’m doing research right now. Maybe I’ll travel overseas, depending on the international situation in a year’s time. But I’m spending time with my family now. After being separated from them for over two years, our reunion was especially bitter sweet.
Q: It certainly sounds like a productive year for you! So, you’re the Top Science student of ACJC for the graduated batch of 2022. Do you have any advice for those who struggled with the science subjects?
Oh, thanks for the question. I took double mathematics, and I only took physics, not chemistry or bio. I believe that for sciences, the most important thing is to practice, practice, practice. The teacher will give you tutorials, and there are plenty of practice questions, you can try to do practices pertaining to specific topics you struggle in. Don’t simply do the questions; you reveal and see where you have made mistakes. If there are any questions, and you don’t get them, please ask your tutors for consultation. That’s very important. If you misinterpret a specific concept, it will snowball and affect your studies for later concepts, as they’re often linked. So please, clear up misconceptions and ask your tutor for help as much as possible.
Q: What gave you a passion for science? Like Maths or Physics?
I nurtured my passion in secondary school, back then I was pretty interested in science. I read some books about all the sciences, and found it quite interesting. What really interested me was how the scientific concepts actually expand on how our world is run, and how our world works. For example, why does a ball fall when it’s dropped from a height? It helps us to understand our world scientifically. Another reason is because I think science is very practical. It can be used in various fields, and the skills you learn in science can be carried on and used later on in life, to solve problems you may encounter later.
Q: What are your passions outside of your studies?
Volunteer work! I volunteered for the Cancer Foundation in Secondary Three. In Secondary Four I volunteered at Greydot Singapore, and I joined a student initiated group in Secondary Three. In J1 i was elected as one of the key team leaders…we did fundraising for the group. I find it very fulfilling because it actually helps the people in need, the vulnerable in our society. What you do can actually make an impact on others in our society. You feel really proud of yourself, and that’s the one thing I’m interested in outside of studies. There’s something so special about it, it gives you a feeling you really can’t get anywhere else.
Q: Would there be anyone you would like to credit from your time in ACJC? Someone you owe your academic or extracurricular success to?
Ah yes, definitely. I met a lot of great people in ACJC, but to specify, I’d like to credit my physics teacher. Mrs Soong, the teacher-in-charge of the Science and Math Council. She gave great advice, she’s my trainer for the physics olympiad when I was in J1. She also encouraged me to take part in some research programmes. I was able to work with an American professor with another classmate. I’m really thankful for that, it’s been a really unique opportunity. I’m so grateful to her for giving me such an opportunity. I took 2 H3 subjects, which was quite frankly the result of advice given to me by Mrs Soong. After the HBL period, there was a midyear examination, and since I spent a lot of time on H3 research, I was quite weak in my humanities. Mrs Soong was very patient with me and helped me plan my skills, revise the topics I was weak in, and taught me how to improve. She really helped me a lot. I’m really thankful for my form teachers as well. They’re very caring and considerate. As an international scholar, we live by ourselves, so we can feel a bit lonely because we’re separated from our family. My teachers really helped me by giving me gifts and visited me…I’m eternally grateful for that as well.
Q: That’s such a beautiful story, Yusen. Are there any times you felt like giving up?
At the end of J1, I would say. After the prelim examinations, there would be a PW preparation period. For PW, I did not do very well for my oral presentation. I thought a question wouldn’t come out, but actually it came out! I was like, oh dear, help me! I was very nervous and tried to say something logical, but it didn’t turn out very well. I didn’t feel good after that, but immediately after the PW oral, there was the Physics Olympiad second round. I went in for the oral in the morning, and the Olympiad round was in the afternoon. It was very intense and I felt very stressed out. But I think we just have to think about what we want to achieve, our goal, our target, with the end in mind…we’ll be able to push past the challenges, overcome difficulties and really learn a lot of things from our struggles.
Q: Is there any advice you’d like to give to your juniors?
I think the thing that I regret is that I didn’t start my revision early. I did some revision in June, but that’s mainly for the midyear exams. The actual revision for the A-Levels only started in term 3, which is quite close to the prelim exams, and it’s very close to the prelim practical round. Especially during that time, you’ll feel very stressed. One way to get around this is to start revision early. My advice is to spend your June holidays meaningfully…definitely relax, of course, but do allocate time for your revision and don’t fall behind. When you start your revision, remember to look out for the small details in your notes. It will likely come out in the A levels, even if you think it won’t!
Q: Wiser words have never been spoken. What do you intend to do in the future?
Actually, when it comes to my future career, I really haven’t put much thought into it. When I was in ACJC, my main goal was getting into my desired university. But now, I have a general idea of where my passions lie – I would like to work in an industry related to technology. Of course, my experience in university will play a key role in my career choices, and they’ll likely develop and change along the way.
Q: If you don’t mind me asking, what do you hope to study in university? Which courses?
I’ve applied for Cambridge, specifically mathematics with physics. And I’ve also applied for Imperial College London, for maths with physics and computing. And I got conditional offers for the three courses.
Q: Wow, congratulations! Lastly, is there anything else you would like to tell our readers?
My time in ACJC has been enjoyable, and I hope yours will be as well. I know studying can be very tedious, but your life is not simply about studies. Do make friends, do explore your interests, please do something meaningful for the school and the community. You have another year of AC life, and for the J1s, two years! People say it will pass by quickly, but I think the key is enjoying your time as much as possible. It’s a marathon, not a sprint; you should keep up, but don’t burn out in the first few months!
Thank you so much for helping us with the interview Yusen! We wish you the best of luck in your endeavours!
Thank you so much for interviewing me! I’m really honoured.
We hope our readers of AC Press have enjoyed this interview with Liang Yusen. More than just an exemplary student in science, Yusen has used his journey in ACJC to mould his character and give back to our society. Ultimately, that’s what it’s all about. That represents our entire ACExperience – building close camaraderie with our friends, excelling in everything we do and never giving up, even when we’re on the verge of defeat.
Credits: Liang Yusen