Advice from alumni: Rena Yap
Rena Yap graduated from EF Academy Torbay back in 2013. Currently, she is studying Business at Cass Business School at the City University of London. Read more about our featured alumnus below:
Why did you choose to attend EF Academy?
I was in my high school class in Malaysia when one of my friends mentioned EF Academy. Since I wanted to get familiar with the UK before going to university there, I went online to search for the school. I thought it was a great option so I decided to go. Looking back, it was good way to prepare for studying at university in the UK.
What university did you go to afterwards? What did you study and why?
I am studying Business at Cass Business School at the City University of London. Since I am not sure what I want to do in the future, I wanted to study something more general and I felt a business degree would provide the flexibility that I needed.
Cass Business School was a great option for me because I knew I wanted to stay in London and Cass Business School is one of the best business schools in the city.
What do you want to do next?
I have realized that I am definitely not into the finance industry. Instead, I find the hospitality industry and management to be interesting areas. This summer, I will try to get some work experience in the hospitality industry to figure out whether it is something I’d like to pursue. For me, trying out different jobs is the best way of figuring out exactly what I want to do.
Tips for current students that want to study what you study?
Know yourself and know what you like: When you know yourself and your preferences, then you can start researching which city, country and industry would fit you best. The more you explore, the better you know what you want to do.
Don’t be afraid to meet new people.
Do you keep in touch with your EF Academy classmates?
Yes, we talk regularly over Facebook and Whatsapp. Everyone is quite busy with their university life but we do try to keep in touch.
What is your favorite EF Academy memory?
I think one of my best memories was when we went to an activities weekend in Ashcomb for CAS – I remember one of the activities was to do a muddy obstacle course; I have to say, the group exercises were hard! We spent the weekend there together with our class and it was a great time because we got the chance to just talk. It was a great atmosphere and in the evening, Chris Nicholls brought out his guitar and we could just hang out together around the bonfire.
Graduation was also a special day – it was a small ceremony but it was bittersweet! That was the moment I realized that I was done with IB and exams. We had a small presentation of what we had done over our time at EF Academy, which was very nice.
What do you miss the most?
I really miss having everyone together, mainly the feeling of togetherness and seeing each other every day. We would spend so much time together, both at school and after school. For example, my roommate, Luz, and I would spend so much time together. This family feeling with friends and teachers is something I miss a lot. We really learned and grew together.
How has your experience at EF Academy helped you in university?
Time management: I really learned how to manage my own time – I know when to do my work and when to have fun. You can have the best of both worlds and there are so much that you can accomplish when you manage your time properly.
Be open-minded: At university, you will meet people with different backgrounds. At EF Academy, you work in groups and you learn how to work with people. It is about figuring out how you make it work and finding the middle ground. I also learned how to communicate with people who aren’t pulling their weight.
What final tips would you give to current students?
I always said to myself, “I want to meet new people and that is why I am here.” In the end, that is what I did. That is what EF is about – meeting people from other countries and being part of global community. I would recommend just getting out of your comfort zone and talking to people. You never know where you will be traveling next and it is nice to have a local friend. For example, Luz came to visit me in Hong Kong and I could show her around.
Who are the most successful alumni that you know of?
Anders Wika Hansen: He is super smart and now in the Norwegian military.
Simen Cesar Kinserdal: He has amazing people skills.
What advice do you have for fellow alumni at university or who are starting their careers?
Start early: Start researching what you want to do early on. The more you see, the more you see what you actually want to do!
Get a part-time job: It enables you to learn more about how to manage your time. I have been working as a Sales Associate at Abercrombie and it has been a valuable experience where I’ve learned how to work with different colleagues and managers. I got better at managing my time, especially during my third year at university when I had so much schoolwork.
Short questions:
Name: Rena Yap
Age: 21
Nationality: Born in Canada but then moved to Hong Kong and later Malaysia, where I finished my IB Middle Years program.
How many languages do you speak? English, Cantonese and Mandarin
EF Academy campus: Torbay
Graduation years: 2013
Program: IB (Business management, film, environmental systems, language literature, mathematics, French initio)
Residence or host family: Host family
Favorite subject:
Business management – I really enjoyed my class because it was a lot of fun and the teacher was really good.
Film: I was the editor of my group, which was both fun and very challenging
Favorite teacher:
Love all of the teachers, even the teachers that I never had: I knew them all – it was kind of a family
Wyn Morgan: Really fun teacher
Chris Nicholls: TOK teacher and responsible for CAS so we spent a lot of time together. Chris is very nice and funny.
Debbie Chatterton: Amazing teacher and very supportive. I can honestly say that I wouldn’t have been able to finish IB without her. She was so encouraging and never let me put myself down. She cared and always talked to me if she knew if something was wrong.
Favorite club / society: Basketball class
Which is the next country you want to visit?
U.S.
Shouts outs to:
Pippin, Luz, Simen, Anders
Whole IB community
Housemates
All the teachers, especially Debbie and Wyn