As an A-level student, one of my favourite subjects was Economics, which introduced me to the business world. This eventually ignited my interest in Accounting and Finance, and I decided to pursue my newfound passion.

I began with a Kaplan Diploma in Accountancy which I am grateful for its excellent quality. In view of my academic efforts, I was awarded a scholarship by Kaplan which enabled me to progress to a Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Accountancy and Financial Management (Top-up) Degree programme with the University of Portsmouth (UOP).

I chose UOP as it was awarded the Gold rating within the Teaching Excellence Framework. I also felt that the units were relevant and enabled students to prepare well for careers in accounting and finance.

The University provides plenty of online resources, including extra practice materials. Students can conduct further research by visiting the University online library, which is highly accessible. The pace of learning allows students to focus and absorb as much knowledge as possible.

My experiences with the lecturers have been very positive. They are caring and dedicated and they take the effort to ensure I understand the subject matter while making lessons well-structured yet fun and engaging. I am grateful to Kaplan for hiring such outstanding lecturers. Through furthering my studies, I aspire to grow as an individual and learn valuable life lessons.

My burning passion for accounting inspired me to strive to become either a company accountant or an auditor. I intend to persevere and complete my Degree first, before pursuing professional Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Singapore Accountants (SA) qualifications. Therefore, I chose Murdoch University primarily as they are accredited by the ACCA and provide exemptions from foundation papers as well as direct entry into CPA programmes.

Having a strong interest in numbers, studying Accounting and Finance seemed like a natural choice, and Murdoch University allows me to study both Majors at once. This is a notable plus point as it allows greater specialisation and gives me a versatile education, and Murdoch University offers numerous other advantages to support my learning.

For example, its flexible study schedule allows me to plan out my studies. As a part-time student, the ability to organise my learning means that my work and study won’t conflict and I can optimise my timetable to study efficiently. I am even able to revise online through blended learning.

Throughout my studies, I have acquired work-related skills, such as QuickBooks, to provide additional value in my job. Studying is never a chore thanks to our friendly and engaging lecturers who are always available.

Murdoch University is renowned with accreditations from several well-known organisations, and I believe its affliations make it an advantageous choice for students. In addition, I advise others to study a Double Major Degree as it provides you a strong competitive advantage over those without one by empowering students to be more innovative.

Having worked in the Finance sector for 3 years, I decided to advance my education to a degree level in order to remain relevant. My drive to progress into a management role within this dynamic field influenced my choice of Majors. Therefore, I chose to study a Double Major Degree in Banking and Management with Murdoch University.

I felt that studying two Majors would provide me greater competitive advantage, and favoured Murdoch University due to its flexible study schedule. The lecturers were another plus point, encouraging out-of the-box thinking while guiding us every step of the way.

Overall, I have experienced better job performance. My improved critical thinking skills in particular, have allowed me to liase with several overseas clients effectively.

Upon completion of my studies, I was promoted from Executive Officer to Assistant Manager, and have been assigned greater responsibilities which I can easily manage as my Murdoch education has also imparted time management skills to me.

Studying with Murdoch University has made me appreciate its teaching methodology. Its Double Major programme progresses along at a manageable pace which encourages students to put in their best efforts, and offers twice the exposure and recognition of a regular programme.

Three important people in my life inspired me to take up this Master’s Degree. Firstly, it was my father Joseph, who was an exemplary educator himself; my wife Shirley, who encouraged me to go for my academic pursuit and lastly, my astute mentor Stephen, a fellow UCD alumnus who was always there to guide me through my career challenges. He was also the one who advised me to sign up for this programme.

The Master of Science programme at UCD was delivered by highly competent lecturers, who had augmented my knowledge in the field of Finance. I believe that the programme has equipped me with the abilities to better adapt to changes and resolve problems. It takes one from being efficient to being effective. The critical thinking developed at this level is not only valuable to my career but also to my family, social network and personal development.

I was working with a Risk Management Consultancy firm before I embarked on my Master’s education. I chose UCD’s Master of Science in Finance as it encompassed both Finance and Business elements that were relevant to my line of work. Furthermore, UCD is a well-recognised University with a leading business school in the world. After completing the programme, I joined a Global Financial Institution with a significant increment.

The lecturers from UCD were a passionate bunch who went that extra mile to help me. I fondly remember them going for lunches with me to guide me through the materials, and I am proud to become a protégé of some professors who are CEOs and consultants to various private and government agencies. This experience was a catalyst to my career transformation journey from a technical role towards a management role. I am now a Director of Technology and Operations at SSON Analytics, and I attribute this achievement to the UCD programme.

As I am interested in financial markets and portfolio analysis, I enrolled for both the 18-month Finance Honours Degree programme with University College Dublin (UCD) at Kaplan, and the Chartered Financial Analyst (CFA) programme with the CFA Institute. The knowledge acquired from my lessons with UCD complemented my preparations for the CFA examination, which I have passed, and can now progress on to the Level II examination.

The flexible timetable for my Degree studies was very helpful to my career, granting me the wonderful opportunity to also complete my Certified First Aid Instructor and Advanced Certificate in Training and Assessment (ACTA) certification courses.

Full-time ACCA student An Nguyen came to know about Kaplan through a friend, who was previously a Kaplan student. “After carefully comparing the different ACCA Approved Learning Partners, Kaplan was my preferred choice in terms of the location, school facilities and lecturers.”

She sees herself taking on a senior accounting role in an established organisation in future. To get there, she attempts questions after each lecture and approaches lecturers for more detailed answers when unsure.

“I look for resources in the library to understand Singapore Tax better. In the exam, I write down my explanations for the examiner, on top of calculation workings.”

She adds, “the Kaplan exam kit is very useful for exam preparation, do not be afraid to ask lecturers your questions as they are the best resource available.”

Zack Lua, a full-time CPA Australia student with Kaplan, scored a Distinction on his first attempt for the Ethics and Governance exam.

He shares that it is crucial to pay attention during class and absorb as much knowledge as possible, which helps to reduce the revision time needed during the exam period.

Zack also made use of travelling time to flip through the study guide. This worked well for him, especially for theory modules like Ethics & Governance.

Most importantly, he suggests trying out the revision exams given. “It is crucial to read through and be as familiar with the study guide as possible.”