How I became TOP 3 in my cohort 🥉🤯

hello zesties! 🍋 it’s been a year since i graduated and here are some tips that really helped me during my time in poly

for some context, i was pretty introverted before entering poly and didn’t know anyone in the course i chose. i was also a pretty mediocre student in secondary school but i didn’t expect myself to have the biggest #GLOWUP! i ended up graduating as a bronze medalist with a diploma with merit and a GPA close to 4! so if you’re starting poly or looking to boost your GPA, keep reading! 👀

📌 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐬𝐞 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐡𝐭 𝐜𝐨𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐧𝐲

this is SUPER important because poly is very project-based and you’ll often need to work in groups. i would say i’m pretty lucky to meet a group of friends in Y1 and stuck through with them for 3 years. they’ve definitely made school much more bearable 🥹

📌 𝐃𝐨𝐧’𝐭 𝐛𝐞 𝐚𝐟𝐫𝐚𝐢𝐝 𝐭𝐨 𝐚𝐬𝐤 𝐪𝐮𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬

as daunting as this may be, don’t be scared to ask when in doubt. i used to be scared of asking questions because i feared judgement. for a long time, it was a huge fear of mine. since i was part of the Covid batch, everything was mostly online and i didn’t get to see my classmates’ faces for the first 6 months. this online setup actually made it easier for me to ask questions, since i could just type them into the chat or email the lecturers without feeling too self-conscious.

now that things are in-person, i want to reassure you that no questions is stupid. even if you worry that people might think your question is dumb, trust me when i say that most people won’t even remember it later 😵‍💫. i used to feel bad for asking lots of questions because i thought i looked “too enthu” but i kept reminding myself that asking questions is good as it helps clear my doubts.

if you’re one who feels really nervous about asking questions in-person 🗣️ , start by sending an email to your lecturer 📧 . over time, you’ll become more comfortable asking questions directly in class. don’t let the fear of judgement stop you from seeking help!!

📌 𝐓𝐢𝐦𝐞 𝐦𝐚𝐧𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐦𝐞𝐧𝐭

poly can be overwhelming with all the projects and deadlines. so using a planner, calendar or sticky notes will be useful in helping to keep track of everything! also, set deadlines for your assignments and spread your workload. DON’T do last min work 👎🏼

📌 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐤 𝐬𝐦𝐚𝐫𝐭

pay attention to the CU and prioritise accordingly. the higher the CU means the weightage is higher. this also means that higher CU modules will usually have a greater impact on your GPA 😬.

it’s all about being CONSISTENT in poly. GPA for every semester will determine your overall cGPA when you graduate. yes, every GPA for each sem matters. but a dip in GPA shouldn’t determine whether you should give up or not. always give your best for subsequent semesters and there’s a chance where your GPA will maintain or even improve!

📌 𝐀𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭 𝐭𝐮𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐥𝐬

for my course, exam questions were often similar to or alittle harder than the tutorial questions. so doing tutorials beforehand is really helpful! it also gives you a good idea of what to expect and helps you understand the content taught better 🥸

📌 𝐒𝐞𝐢𝐳𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐫𝐭𝐮𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐢𝐞𝐬

everything isn’t about academics!! participate in events or join a CCA/club of your liking! poly is truly the best time to explore your interests and discover new things you might enjoy. don’t be afraid to step out of your comfort zone and take on new challenges!🫡 for me, i joined Temasek LEAD ambassadors and i would say it’s the best decision i’ve made as i’ve made friends beyond my own faculty. my only regret was not joining more CCAs… (partly was covid fault bcos lots of things were restricted…)

that’s all from me! these are my main takeaways from poly. do take these tips with a pinch of salt because these were things that worked well for me. do find out what works best for you 🫶🏼

and here’s a ✨ 𝐅𝐑𝐄𝐄 ✨ excel template for any of you who wish to calculate your GPA scores! (link: https://shorturl.at/I1uV2)

𝐒𝐀𝐕𝐄 𝐓𝐇𝐈𝐒 𝐏𝐎𝐒𝐓 if you found this useful or if you ever need to refer to this again 😌 hope this have also motivated some of y’all to work hard towards your goals! feel free to leave some tips in the comments and all the best for school 💛

#studytips #studymotivation #polytechnictips #polystudent