Yan Pheng living it up at Sentosa Island with her NUS BIZ freshman orientation group
Hi! My name is Yan Pheng, and I’m a final year NUS BBA (Accountancy) student. Prior to this, I completed a diploma in accountancy at Singapore Polytechnic.
Q: What made you choose Accountancy and how would you explain what ‘Accountancy’ is to your juniors?
I chose Accountancy at first because I love dealing with numbers. As time passed, even though I discovered Accountancy was more than just numbers, it still felt right for me. The accountancy modules helped me build a strong foundation on how to record, classify and report on business transactions as required by companies. It also taught me how to value add in the areas of business operations and tax management.
Q: What drew you to NUS Business School?
After attending different university open houses in 2018, I felt particularly drawn to NUS BIZ, especially to the lively and friendly vibes the seniors and lecturers gave off. Their experiences resonated with me, and I knew that this was the University experience I wanted. True enough, my experience so far has been superb! NUS BIZ has also provided me with multiple opportunities to learn and sharpen both my soft skills and technical abilities. This prepares me well for the corporate world.
Yan Pheng (second row, extreme left) with her BLDP mates in Beijing, China.
Q: What were some interesting NUSBIZ experiences you had that helped you discover and develop yourself through the years?
I was honoured to be part of the Business Leadership Development Programme (BLDP) and have a chance to travel to China and India. The 2 weeks programme allowed me to meet many brilliant individuals from the two countries, from whom I learnt about researching and discovering opportunities to innovate in business through team-based projects and classroom lectures. Having teammates of different nationalities and cultures brought about a different dynamic in which our team operated, which widened my view on not just accounting, but also entrepreneurship and business.
Q: Share one thing you achieved during your time here you never thought you would.
I never thought I would ever win a competition. Credit goes to the teammates I met throughout my University life, and the nurturing professors who taught and guided me. Without them, I would not have been able to achieve this.
Yan Pheng (second from right) with her team mates, receiving the champion's prize at the 2020 EY NextGen Risk Challenge competition
Q: Share one challenge you experienced during your internship and how your learnings at NUS BIZ helped you overcome it.
Last year, I was fortunate to land myself a winter auditing internship with Deloitte. The technical knowledge gained from my studies such as the audit process and document sourcing became highly useful and applicable. The interpersonal skills I pick up through participating in class, presentations and modules such as MNO2706 also came in handy and were of great help when I had to interface with clients.
Q: If you had one word of advice to share with your freshman juniors about experiencing NUS BIZ, what would it be and why?
Be Agile, Be Earnest. “Develop a passion for learning. If you do, you will never cease to grow.” – Anthony J. D’Angelo
