Ryan Chan (Class of 2019)
Bachelor of Science in Psychology at the University of Bristol
Hi Ryan Chan! Can you share with us your experiences at university so far?
So far, university life has been great!
The University of Bristol has given me so many opportunities to get involved in, including sports that I loved playing at GIS (such as basketball); this has definitely helped me make friends with many similar interests to me. I’ve also joined the Malaysian and Singaporean society in the university so that I can feel a bit closer to home – having familiar sounds such as ‘lah’ around me really helps!
Transitioning from being a teenager to a young adult really hits hard when you go abroad and have to start living independently and taking care of yourself, but these opportunities have really helped me settle in quickly. I still miss home dearly, of course!
How did GIS prepare you for university life?
Academically, being able to take Psychology at A Level has proven a huge advantage as I already have a foundation in the subject and have fewer concepts and ideas that are completely foreign to me.
GIS also offered so many extra curricular activities in school – such as Dragons Sports and the International Award – which all helped me develop traits that are definitely valued in the university setting. An example of this would be working effectively in a team, and being able to cooperate and collaborate with people who can sometimes be difficult to work with.
GIS not only prepared me academically, but culturally as well. Being an international school with the British curriculum has helped me understand not only the culture of the UK, but many other cultures as well. The values instilled in me by GIS still feature in my everyday life, and have definitely helped me get through the first few weeks of university more easily!