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Growing up in Malaysia during the late 1990s allowed me to see how an economy devastated by recession can not only survive it so well, but also register itself as a booming economy. Observing how fiscal stablisers and economic policies function as an economy's immune system to promote optimism, sparked my interest in Economics. Examining various theories such as the business cycle made me realise that economic downturns are inevitable, but effective strategies can narrow negative output gaps. The eagerness to learn more about the fundamentals of Economics has encouraged me to pursue it at higher level.
The uniqueness of Economics, for me, lies in its blend of perspectives from different fields of study. Coupling Economics and Psychology, I developed a keen interest in identifying patterns of how people act, react and interact, and use them to predict future trends. Adam Smith’s theory of the invisible hand shows the usefulness of sentiments such as self-interest and competition in markets. My interest in Behavioural and Experimental Economics was furthered using Charles Holt's 'Markets: Games and Strategic Behaviour.' and Michael Solomon's 'Consumer Behaviour'. Regularly reading the Wall Street Journal allows me to relate theoretical economics with current affairs. My knowledge of current issues is put to good use during my weekly college Model United Nations debates allowing me to appreciate others' opinions and broaden my view.
The endless satisfaction I gain from solving complex problems propelled me to study Further Maths at A Level. The elegance of its workings and the flexibility of its application lead me to excel in it. Its objective nature allowed me to learn a lot independently. An area that enthralls me is calculus. I would like to further understand its complex uses in Economics as described in Van Praag’s 'Happiness Quantified: A Satisfaction Calculus Approach.’ I appreciate statistics for its predictive value, and relish applying it to economic forecasting and decision-making. Concepts such as Fermat's Last theorem and Gauss' prime number theorem as described in G.H Hardy's 'An Intro to the Theory of Numbers,’ kindled my enthusiasm for number theory. With such a broad scope for innovation in this field, I hope to write my own proofs someday.
Interning at an import/export firm, it amazed me how the slightest pip in exchange rates could greatly affect trade. Reading 'An Intro to Forex' and Woolf's 'Wall Street Crash', I am intrigued by the cycle of trader's activities driving market positions, which in turn influence trader's choices.
Academically, I have been awarded certificates of commendable performance at high school. I enjoy participating in academic competitions; having obtained a distinction for the Euclid Math Contest hosted by Waterloo University and received merit for English and Maths for University of New South Wales Assessment. With a strong passion for learning languages, I have received several merit awards for English and French at school level. I am confident this skill will come in handy as we continue to globalise.
Besides academia, I have participated in my school choir and orchestra playing the violin, guitar and piano. This induced team-building, as we played in unison, and gave me the opportunity to observe division of labour in action. I gained confidence for public speaking by performing in several plays as a narrator within school and outside. As co-editor of the school Editorial Board, I realised how I constantly dealt with opportunity cost while deliberating over which content to publish. Volunteering for a major college charity event, Jog for Hope, taught me essential budgeting and negotiation skills. I am currently working towards the Bronze Duke of Edinburgh award. This programme has been very beneficial as it helped me overcome hydrophobia. I look forward to the challanges of an Economics degree and hope to positively contribute to the university community.
Universities Applied to:
- Cambridge (Econ) - Rejection
- LSE (E&M) - Rejection
- Warwick (Econ) - Offer (A*AAa + IELTS 7) - Firm
- UCL (Econ) - Withdrawn
- Durham (Econ) - Offer (A*AAb + IELTS 6.5) - Insurance
Grades Achieved:
- Economics (A2) - A (Predicted A)
- Math (A2) - A* (Predicted A*)
- Further Math (A2) - B (Predicted A*)
- Psychology (A2) - A* (Predicted A*)
- IELTS - 8.5
