Having fared badly during his polytechnic years, young Nicholas would never have thought he would attain a 4.0 Grade Point Average in his current degree programme. Even during his army days, Nicholas struggled to keep up with his peers.
But while many gave up teaching him, one senior believed in him.
The mentor left him a piece of advice that Nicholas values even today: “You don’t need be the best; you just need to do your best.”
With a renewed perspective, Nicholas stopped comparing himself with others. Instead, he focused on becoming a better version of himself each day. This helped him persevere, and eventually he caught up with his peers.
“After a whole life of being a kid, I wanted to accomplish something significant on my own as an adult,” Nicholas asserts. He decided to fund his university fees by committing to a five-year contract with the army.
“I want to get a degree to get a good job, so that I can take care of my family,” Nicholas elaborates. “My parents are no longer young and are counting on me to at the very least support myself in the future.”
“I also feel that university life would be something that I would really benefit from — the life lessons I would learn and the experiences I would encounter along the way.”
Better Late Than Never
In 2023, Nicholas completed his five-year service and enrolled in SIM-RMIT's Bachelor of Professional Communication.
Returning to school as a mature learner, he had expected to be looked down upon by his classmates. Instead, his accumulated life experiences proved to be an asset.
“The life lessons that I’ve learnt allowed me to pass on that same ‘wisdom’ to my younger peers, helping guide them through experiences that I’d gone through.”
“Serving in the army also taught me the value of hard work, effort, resilience and integrity, and that helped me excel academically,” the 4.0 GPA student says.
Nicholas also notes that he isn't always the oldest in the class, affirming that age is of no barrier to higher education. What matters is a person’s willingness to learn and adapt.
To supplement his university fees, Nicholas is also working as a part-time attraction operations crew in Gardens by the Bay. Juggling school and work is not easy, so he had to learn to be strict with his time management.
“In my course, projects contribute significantly to my grades,” Nicholas continues. “They are very time consuming, and the deadlines are sometimes very close together.”
“It took a lot of trial and error and being strict on myself to learn and enhance my time management skills to the level they are today,” Nicholas admits.
Accessible Education for All
The SIM Award was created for students like Nicholas.
Granted to students showcasing exemplary traits, the award supports high-achieving individuals who may face financial challenges, ensuring that talent and dedication, not financial constraints, determines a learner’s future opportunities.
The Award is part of the SIM Impact Fund through which S$6 million has been set aside annually for the next decade, in the form of scholarships, bursaries and grants.
For students like Nicholas, this Award is a powerful recognition of his hard work, resilience, and his desire to achieve.
“Throughout my life, I had not done well in school,” he shares. “I was always the guy who barely passed, and I had never won any academic awards.”
“When I entered university after ‘waking up’ in the army, I promised myself that I would push the boundaries, study hard and succeed in life.”
“So winning this Award felt like a great success. I felt that I had finally turned my life around—from being a back of the line student, to being successful and recognised—and that my efforts over the last three years had not been in vain.”
For late bloomers like himself, Nicholas offers this encouragement: “It’s never too late to make the decision to turn your circumstances around and succeed in life. I did and you can too!”
“Getting a degree isn’t just about the certificate,” he concludes. “I’ve learnt a lot about working in teams, understanding my strengths and weaknesses, my values and beliefs. It has taught me resilience, focus, and self-belief, additionally I’ve also managed to taste what success feels like and it has inspired me to become even more successful in future.”