I am Zhiyi, a 23 year old Honors Year Undergraduate studying Applied Mathematics with concentrations in Financial Mathematics and Operations Research in the National University of Singapore. Having a strong interest in Finance led me to join various clubs like the NUS Interactive Investments Hedge Fund and Finance Club and pursue an Honors Thesis in Japanese banking inefficiency.

I indulge in various sports like swimming, running, scuba-diving, playing squash and wake-boarding. In particular, I swim, run and play squash with my friends and brothers on a weekly basis. I am proficient in English and Mandarin and have basic knowledge of Japanese, having taken it as a third language in secondary school.

Prior to entering NUS, I formulated manpower deployment decisions to high-ranking commanders during high-pressure military exercises as a Human Resource Executive in the Ministry of Defense Naval Personnel Department. Besides that, I was also a Platoon Leader in the Republic of Singapore Navy Diving Unit. I was trained to lead the platoon in typical reconnaissance scenarios, plan for contingencies and deal with unexpected problems. These experiences have molded my character and made me who I am today.




Throughout the course of the research project, I got to know more about my group members as co-workers and also as friends. This includes their strengths and weaknesses in certain areas of the research. For example, Desmond was better at doing graphs and formatting the report as he has done numerous Chemistry practical reports previously. Zongneng was better at analyzing the findings and interpretations due to his training in analysis. Susanto excelled in providing alternative viewpoints to various situations. Our strengths and weaknesses actually aided us to assign project tasks to the people who were stronger in that aspect. This was beneficial to the group as we were able to combine our efforts and meet most deadlines. We also found this the most efficient way to complete the tasks. The group also worked cohesively to conduct the interviews and discuss each other’s works. However, when some of our ideas clashed during these discussions, we would analyze them again and then take a stand on the matter.

Communication was vital during these discussions. If one of us did not express his ideas clearly, the others might misinterpret his views and come to an erroneous conclusion. Fortunately, we did not face such problems. In the earlier weeks, I had a final year presentation to prepare for. I expressed this to my group mates. They were very understanding and took on extra work to ease my load. In the later weeks, I did extra work in order to repay their kindness.

Our interpersonal relationships grew stronger during this period. Overall, I got to know my project group members better and I had a positive learning experience.