Competitions are IT and LIT!
School of Information Technology
Tan Hong Meng admits he did not like school in his early years. But a Math test in Secondary 2 changed all that. He’d decided to put in effort, to see what would happen – and he scored almost full marks. This changed his trajectory for good: Hong Meng went on to top both his ‘N’ Levels and his NITEC course. He graduated from ITE with a near perfect GPA.
Joining NYP’s Diploma in Infocomm & Security was his next step. He had researched the School, and knew that it was somewhere his interest in IT could be further nurtured. Throughout his three years in NYP, Hong Meng kept up an impressive 3.95 GPA while working part time too. Hong Meng has received offers from the National University of Singapore and Nanyang Technological University. He intends to read Computer Science.
- Tay Eng Soon Award for ITE Upgrader
- Cisco Systems (USA) Silver Medal
1. Describe yourself in three words.
Determined. Hardworking. Resilient.
2. What is your favourite memory of NYP?
Splash Awards 2018 (a national tech innovation competition) – my team took second place. Winning was awesome but it was the prep work that had the most impact on me. We spent a lot of time brainstorming, planning and executing. In fact, it was this competition that inspired me to join many more to keep my skills relevant.
3. What is the best thing about NYP?
The many opportunities we get outside of the classroom – like gaining real industry know-how through competitions and attachments. Because of what I’ve learned in NYP, I know I’m ready for the world of work. Personally, I’ve grown a lot from my three years here.
4. You had a part-time job. Sometimes you work in the wee hours. How did you cope?
I prioritise. Time management is key! Actually, without the support and understanding of my lecturers and friends, I think would have been pretty hard. Lucky me – I have awesome support here and at home, too. Looking at my parents working hard for the family is motivation for me to do well so that I can support them in future.
5. What advice would you give to your juniors?
Join NYP activities! There are plenty to choose from – competitions, programmes, CCAs. It’s how I became friends with students from other courses. We’ve already planned to ‘crash’ each other’s graduation sessions to take photos!
#BecauseWeCan