Write a short essay of not more than 500 words about your interest in the DUO award.
Being able to go on an overseas exchange has always been a dream of mine. You may ask why? Some people may answer, saying it’s a change to experience another culture or it’s a chance to see how another university may be like. But for me, the reason for me to go for an overseas exchange is to be able to seek and expand my horizon beyond that of what NUS can provide without putting a heavy financial burden on my family. To put it simply, in today’s competitive business world, having a wider experience would be beneficial to us undergraduate and being awarded the DUO award would be a step to empower me to help my family in the future.
I knew from the day that I applied for the Student Exchange Program with NUS, that going for an exchange would put a heavy financial burden on my family. I come from a single parent family as my father passed away when I was 13. My mom, working as a cleaner to help support my family, told me not to worry and apply for exchange as even she knows that it would benefit me in the future. She even told me not to worry about the money as it is something that she could think of later. However, I know that if I just go for exchange without any source of financial aid, it would put my family in a very difficult position as my mother would have to use her hard earn savings just to fund my trip. Therefore, it is of utmost importance that I had to apply for a bursary or any form of financial aid possible to fund my exchange or I would just have to abandon any hope of going.
The DUO award is like my final saving grace to empower me to go for my exchange trip. It is through the DUO award that I would be able to go for my exchange with a peace of mind that I am leaving my family for half a year knowing that I did not placed such a heavy burden on them and when I come back, I would be back as a person who has fully utilised my time overseas learning and...
