CENTRE FOR PRE-UNIVERSITY

FIS here at IMU, in my opinion, was definitely the right choice; I'm currently 6 months in and loving every bit of it. There is a wide variety of modules in FIS that provide the opportunity for one to hone their leadership and critical thinking skills. On that note, the lecturers are always responsive and helpful in students times of need. The faculty of FIS also hosts many programmes like: “Get to know” and '’Look, See and Feel’ activities to provide students with the extra knowledge to better prepare themselves in choosing their preferred undergraduate course.   Although, at times all this does come off as rather overwhelming; I've learnt that it is incredibly vital to be disciplined and prioritize time management above all else. I always plan my week in advance, to give myself a better scope on my daily tasks, important activities, and meetings, to ensure that I don't miss out on anything!

Foundation in Science (FIS) is indeed a well-designed program as it covers the necessary knowledge for students to progress into their undergraduates’ years. Crucial and heavy topics such as human’s biology, chemistry, mathematics and etc. are well distributed throughout the year of FIS, ensuring the student’s competency as a future healthcare student while at the same time, study-life balance is assured. The faculty of FIS also liaises with various Schools offering undergraduate programmes at IMU to organize ‘Look, See and Feel’ activities. These activities are extremely helpful in depicting the real-life pictures for each undergraduate programme for students to explore and know their interests. For example, when I was a FIS student, I had the opportunity to visit IMU Oral Health Centre while accompanied by lecturers from School of Dentistry. This had helped me to understand what Dentistry is about in a real-life perspective. In short, FIS is simply the best!

FIS has provided me with the strong fundamental knowledge of science, communication skills and opportunities to improve myself through various activities. For example, in the Cross Boundary Studies module, it is a group-based work which encourages students to work in a team. Through this module, I was able to strengthen my critical thinking skills and leadership skills which makes me well-prepared for undergraduate study. Also, I like the fact that FIS in IMU is designed to prepare students into the healthcare field with various healthcare related modules like English for Healthcare Professionals, Psychology in Healthcare, Bioscience, etc. Besides, there is also a PBL session in FIS where we discuss a case study and share our thoughts and findings after we did some research on the internet. It really helped me a lot as I gained my confidence and ability to socialise. I am truly glad that I have pursued this programme.

Studying FIS in IMU was a good choice I had made as I get to learn many things which are related to my undergraduate studies. Hence, I am less stressed when I am in my undergraduate year. During my FIS year, the lecturers are always making our lectures so interesting. The best part of FIS is that I get to know many friends who share the same interest as me and share our ups and downs together. Being a scholar is also an amazing opportunity for me as I get to be involved in many volunteer activities and also be a part of IMU events.

My experience as a student and class representative in the Foundation in Science programme is one that I will forever treasure. As an international student from Singapore coming straight from IGCSE, I was incredibly young and nervous when I entered this course, but I was well supported, especially by the mentor-mentee programme. The lecturers are so wonderful and willing to help and guide you throughout the journey transitioning into a degree! Academically, FIS laid a strong foundation and matured me as a student, preparing me well overall for entering undergraduate studies. Though there were definitely moments where I felt out of my comfort zone, I now appreciate those tough times wholly, as they helped me adjust to studying in a university setting and ease the transition to degree. After having the opportunity of being a class representative in FIS, I am now also the class representative of my current batch! Aside from academics, hosting the orientation for my juniors was incredible! The friendships I made in FIS are some of the strongest I have, even after graduation. FIS taught me so much, both academically and personally, and I'm extremely grateful to have been able to experience it.