Student Stories

Joann Miriam Paul

Class of 2021
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Joann is an international student from India and has always liked biology ever since she was a child. She has always wanted to help people too. Her twin passions led her on a search for her ideal university to further her studies after she completed her education in an international school in Singapore.

It was not an easy search for her at first. She found the fees for most other universities in Singapore to be quite expensive for international students. Moreover, not many local universities offer degree programmes in biology. Then, she heard about PSB Academy and visited the campus. When she saw how well-equipped the laboratories are and how affordable the fees are, she decided to study Biomedical Sciences there.

During her time in PSB Academy, Joann discovered that the student life was very different from that in her previous school. Firstly, there was no one constantly telling students to study, so she learnt to develop the discipline to stay on track with the classes. She also learnt to improve her concentration to revise what she studied in class. “I think I have definitely matured since I started my degree,” she said. “I have become more independent and more responsible with my time in doing my work.”

Secondly, she found that there was a lot more important information to learn about biology, such as the sheer amount of detail that goes into each research paper that people write. “As a kid, I was only amazed by the science of how things work,” she recalled. “But now, I am amazed by the amount of hard work that goes into making medicines and curing diseases.” She also appreciated the fact that her lecturers are very skilled and knowledgeable in their fields and they could answer all her questions and help her understand things better. “They are friendly and so I feel more at ease asking them questions,” she added.

Thirdly, she found herself in a new environment where she didn’t know anyone from her previous school. She pushed herself to know new people in PSB Academy, which fortunately comes naturally for her as she likes meeting new people from all walks of life and learning about the world from them. “Once I started getting to know people, it was fun,” she said. “I met so many different kinds of people and it was very nice getting to know them.”

In addition to her studies, Joann had the opportunity to pursue her hobbies in PSB Academy. She joined a social club called SASA, where people from South Asian countries like India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh and so on gathered together regularly. She is also a member of the photography club, where she enjoys learning more about what controls a camera has and gaining more experience taking photos. “While my degree is challenging, I think taking some time away from studies helps me regain energy to keep studying,” she reflected.

Looking ahead into the future, Joann wants to impact lives with the knowledge she gains from studying Biomedical Sciences. “In a growing world population, more and more people are needed to take care of the sick and develop new ways of treating diseases,” she explained. “I want to be one of those people.”

She added, “When I graduate, I hope to be able to aid people who are going through sicknesses. Professionally, I believe I am quite familiar with labs now. If ever I wanted to work in a lab or do an internship there, I think I would be fully equipped.”

Joann is from India and she is a Future Maker – and you can be one too.