Age is just a number
It is never too late to hit the books: Mr Boieng Cheah is pursuing a business management degree 28 years after his A levels
Valerie Kor
Feb 24, 2018
MR BOIENG Cheah, 46, is currently pursuing a part-time Bachelor of Arts (Honours) in Business Management at Kaplan and will graduate this year in April.
His biggest back-to-school challenges were hitting the books again as he had not studied since his A levels in 1989, and juggling the demands of work, family and studies.
“Studying part-time needs a lot of self-discipline and time management. I’m thankful for the support and encouragement of my boss and family,” says Mr Cheah.
Last year, he spent quality time studying together in the library with his daughter who was taking her Primary School Leaving Examination.
Says Mr Cheah with a laugh: “Most of my classmates are millennials. They address me as Uncle Boieng.
“When I told them that I was at Kaplan to acquire knowledge, make new friends and understand
how millennials like them think, they accepted me. To my surprise, they even look up to me.”
Finding the right course
Finding the right course Mr Cheah, the director of defence business at ST Electronics, decided to study at Kaplan because the course was relevant to his work and primarily assignment- based.
“Exams are not my cup of tea. Assignment-based programmes suit me best as I can use weekday nights or weekends for research, analysis and writing.”
The credentials of the school also appealed to him.
Kaplan offers the degree in partnership with Northumbria University, Newcastle Business School, the only institution in the United Kingdom that has earned double Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business (AACSB) accreditations for both its Business and Accounting programmes.
One particularly useful module Mr Cheah took is Personnel and Organisational Development.
Students research on Singapore’s graduate employment market and are taught practical skills such as how to craft a good resumé.
“My takeaway from this module is that we have to continue to change, upgrade and adapt to the dynamic environment and create our own value.”
He plans to walk the talk by continuing his education after he gets his degree.
“I will be pursuing a diploma in digital marketing, as I believe that it is a skill in high demand, especially in the sales and marketing line,” he says.
The diploma incorporates modules that are relevant to the changing landscape.
Apart from classes, students can also access an online learning portal to access resources and lectures.
He commends Kaplan staff, from the back-end administrators to the lecturers, for their professionalism and commitment during his learning journey.
He recommends Kaplan to prospective students as the courses are academically rigorous and well recognised.
This article was first published in The Straits Times on July 28, 2018.
