Student Profile 
Chong Ziyun (Jean)
What is your current employment and your plans for the future?
I am currently a Management Trainee at IBM Singapore, progressing to the role of an Account Manager in the near future. Doing Honours has allowed me to uncover that research is my interest, and I plan to pursue my PhD with Deakin University in the near future.
Why did you decide to do Honours?
I had never thought that I could actually be considered for Honours, until my lecturer Darryl Coulthard encouraged me to do so. I had demonstrated strong research skills in assignments for my undergraduate program and achieved excellent results for them. So I thought, why not give it a shot. I basically decided to advance my research skills because Honours is a pure research program, and it will also be a good opportunity for me to put my research skills to work, and see what I can achieve.
What were the career advantages of doing Honours?
Undertaking Honours certainly has career advantages, particularly in Singapore whereby Honours graduates will be considered for Management Trainee positions. With a good class Honours, the odds of you getting employed will be much higher than your peers. Whatever stress I am having now at work is nothing compared to doing Honours. Therefore I am able to handle my stressful working life in a better manner.
What are the intellectual benefits of Honours?
After doing Honours, I see things in a different light. I start to question the way things work, why it works in a certain way, and how it got to the stage of working in that way. I started to have lots of questions in my head, and can understand things better, or even resolve issues at work in a better manner because of the questions I ask. I tend to appreciate the books, journals, papers, etc. that I read, and in the process, thought about how tough it is to produce the written article.
I value opinions and can take criticism better because I understand that there is no right or wrong answer to everything, it's just a matter of different opinions.
What was doing Honours like, what was the experience like?
You break down. You scream. You don't sleep. You survive on coffee. You are glued to your seat every single day. You have no life. You start to doubt yourself. You cry. You get back up, and you continue, knowing that you can DEFINITELY do it. You just have to believe in yourself and the guidance and help your supervisors can give you.
It is very much like an emotional roller-coaster ride. In the beginning, I doubted my capabilities, and began to wonder if doing Honours is actually a mistake. However, the satisfaction when I completed my thesis feels very much like giving birth to my own child. I discovered a lot about myself when I completed the journey. My supervisors were there every step of the way, and I feel indebted to them for believing me when I was at my lowest.
Why should students consider doing Honours?
Students should consider doing Honours because it makes you discover yourself. I learnt to become a better team player, knowing that my supervisors and other lecturers are there for me. I learnt how to handle immense amount of pressure and time management skills, particularly when the deadlines are drawing near. I learnt how to ask questions, questions that will make me shed light on issues, and understand people around me better (why they think the way they do, etc.)
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