At first, we started off as a Youtube channel called BORNCHILDREN back when I was serving my National Service. I was bored and didn’t want to waste my time away. Back then, the photography and filmography scene in Singapore was growing. Hence, my friends and I started BORNCHILDREN as a platform for us to showcase creatively edited footage. We shot random videos of us enjoying ourselves together and edited them. People started to notice the quality of the videos and high level of energy and clients started to approach us for paid gigs. The first company that came to us was Sofitel. They told us they liked our style and wanted us to do a brand video for them. This project gave us hope that we could monetise our video editing skills. After this, more companies started to contact us.
The first year was really hard to adapt to. Time management was very difficult as I was still working on a lot of video production projects. My brain was dead from army and getting used to studying again was a struggle as well. My inability to find a balance between my work and my studies took a toll on my results. Moreover, our projects needed the whole team to be present and it was difficult to arrange meetings as all of us were so busy. I seldom meet with them, which made it hard to maintain my content production.
BORNCHILDREN took a one year break from video production totally. After my first semester, I re-evaluated my priorities and sought to find a balance between social life and studying. The first thing I cut down on was my commitment to Kent Ridge hall. At this point, I was in dance, video production and event planning for the hall.
I turned my focus towards studying and revamped my study strategy. For example, I stopped going for some of the lectures. Instead, I used the time to do my own self-study with the lecture notes and online resources like podcasts, Youtube and websites like Investopedia, especially for my finance modules. I also gave importance to fully understanding concepts as opposed to memorising mindlessly.
This trial and error has proven effective as well. My grades steadily increased from Year 1 Semester 1 and I managed to get into the Dean’s List in Year 2 Semester 2. After I got a better grasp of my studies, I joined my two partners, Ming and Chris, at Parallax Collective and went full-time into video production in Year 2.
Knowing the fundamental concepts in accounting and finance is really important, especially if you want to start your own business. At NUS Business, we learn about capital budgeting, which was useful when we got our office for Parallax Collective. We could asses if the office was a sound investment for our business. It also helped with allocating the right amount of funds to finance the office. Moreover, business law has helped me understand the clauses in our invoice quotations, Non-Disclosure Agreements, etc. Usually, people learn this the hard way by making monumental mistakes and the fact that the school teaches this is quite good.
“The fun comes when you learn stuff in school and apply it to your daily life.”
To be very honest, I didn’t know what else to do, which is basically why most people choose business. Choosing my university degree was a process of elimination for me. I just knew I didn’t have an interest in engineering or anything else. I first started off in NUS Accounting and then moved to Business because I had no interest of becoming an accountant or auditor. In the beginning, I didn’t know what I signed up for. I was quite lost and began questioning why I was studying everything. When we got deeper into the study of business, it started to make more sense and my interest in business grew.
I want to start off by saying that NTU was not one of my options as it was just too far from everything. From what I heard from friends before I applied, NUS Business is very content-driven whereas SMU is geared towards inculcating soft skills. NUS seemed more appealing to me because I was more interested in fine-tuning my knowledge in business subjects rather than working on my soft skills. Another big reason why I wanted NUS was because I wanted to experience the hall life. I stayed at Kent Ridge hall for the first 2 years, which I share more about in the video below.
A little bit about the video: The video is a kick-starter for my personal Youtube channel Daniel Tamago. BornChildren was something I shared with my friends and since we don’t get to meet often now, I thought I should start something by myself as a hobby.
In Year 1, you will do the core modules for the various specialisations. This is to expose students to the different areas of study so that they can make a better choice when choosing their specialisation. In Year 2, you will have to start clearing the required modules for the specialisation you want to do. You will pick your specialisation at the end of Year 2.
For myself, I took a module in programming for business analytics and it was something I loved. I didn’t realise that I liked Python until I took the module and I am considering a second specialisation in Business Analytics. At NUS Business, you will be exposed to various kinds of subjects so that you can make a decision on what you want to do in the future.
“Go in with an open mind and don’t be afraid to explore all the options.”
A business degree is definitely not useless. Maybe the modules done in Year 1 might seem general since you’re doing the fundamentals for each specialisation. However, a business degree really goes in depth into the various financial instruments and business structures after you specialise, which makes it really useful and interesting.
“With that said, you might find the classes to be a bit unproductive at times because of the mandatory class participation, where everyone shares for the sake of sharing.”
Communication is definitely important. One thing I’ve realised is that no matter how well you grasp the concepts, if you’re unable to express yourself effectively, it will be harder for you to thrive in the business environment.
Furthermore, business subjects such as accounting and finance can be very demanding and having a good grasp of mathematics would go a long way in helping you cope with school work. Sadly, some people drop out because they can’t handle the workload. Business is also pretty competitive and it isn’t for the faint of heart.
Projects Parallax Collective has worked on
We will definitely try to scale Parallax Collective into a bigger business. For now, we are going to maintain the status quo until we graduate. Parallax Collective won’t be the only thing I’ll work on as well. I’ve been considering acting and will focus on my personal Youtube channel while I finish my business degree.
Personally, I don’t think I’ll be going into the corporate world because the corporate culture isn’t for me. I learnt this after I completed a marketing internship at a start-up.
One thing I regret is not trying for scholarships. Now that I’m in Year 2, the student loans are starting to get to me. Hence, I’m searching for scholarships now. Back then, I was too lazy to apply and didn’t try at all. If you have decent grades, just try and go for the interviews. At the end of the day, money is still money and every little bit will help smoothen your journey in university.
If you want to pursue your passion while in school, the most important aspects you need to focus on would be time management and adapting to school. It is going to be tough to get used to the workload again in the first year. Plan your time out wisely and do not over commit to too many things. Also, try to find the most suitable study style for you. This can only be done through trial and error.
The views and opinions expressed here are solely those of the interviewees and do not reflect the official policy or position of any institution. They are also not intended to malign any religion, ethnic group, class, individual or organisation.
The information contained in this website is intended to provide general guidance only. It should not be relied upon as professional advice and does not 100% guarantee admission into any course.
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