At the age of 34, Bernard Tan Jin Chye, a graduate of the former Singapore Technical Institute, pursued a part-time Diploma in Electronics course in Temasek Polytechnic to upgrade himself. As he stepped into the classroom on that memorable first day in 1998, he was overwhelmed and embarrassed at being the oldest in the class. He was also surprised to learn that much of what he had learnt in electronics 14 years ago had become obsolete - such rapid advancement of technology!

With his strong zeal and determination to succeed, Bernard proudly graduated in August 2002, with two book prizes, the Abacus Travel Systems Prize and the SIA Engineering Company Prize, for attaining top position in his Electronics course and Software Engineering subject respectively. He was also awarded the Tay Eng Soon Gold Medal for being the most outstanding final year student who graduated from the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) prior to his pursuit of his studies at Temasek Polytechnic. What was the driving force that spurred him to complete his 4-year

part-time course with an impressive 20 distinctions and 3 “A”s? According to Bernard, the first three distinctions that he achieved in the first semester of his course had motivated him to press on. He added that he was fortunate to have a very supportive and understanding wife who constantly motivated and encouraged him throughout the course. He also attributes his success to the dedicated and professional lecturers who were always willing and ready to help him.

What advice does he have for ITE students who aspire to further their studies? “Be committed to the course and be willing to sacrifice your leisure time to read up on the recommended books”, he said.

Asked to comment on the part-time Diploma in Electronics course, Bernard said that it is a very useful course that provides students with both technical and communications skills. It has made him a more confident person at his work place. “I’m particularly impressed with the school for providing up-to-date training equipment”, he said.