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Debbie Yong
On a late summer's day two Thursdays ago, Mr Jonathan Chong was taking his seat at the London School of Economics' graduation ceremony when he was handed a card.
It said the 24-year- old had bagged the prestigious Head of Department Award for overall best performance within the LSE's Department of Government. The department had about 100 undergraduates.
'It came as a huge surprise. My parents, seated in the audience, found out quite literally as I walked on stage,' said Mr Chong, who now holds a first class honours degree in government and economics.
He is among the Singaporean scholars who came back with high awards from overseas universities.
In the case of the LSE, undergraduates take a total of 12 courses during their three years of study. To graduate with a first class degree, at least five of nine countable courses have to be graded first class.
'The overall award is based on academic performance over three years, so it is extremely hard to guess who'll top the department,' said Mr Chong, who will also receive £100 (S$236) for his feat.
The exams started a month after the school's Easter break in April. However, Mr Chong had decided to spend the holidays back in Singapore.
To catch up, he put in 'ridiculous hours at school and ate too many takeouts and cold sandwiches', said the alumnus of Catholic High and Victoria Junior College.
Come September, the Economic Development Board scholar will head for Stanford University in California to do a master's in management science and engineering.
This article was first published in The Straits Times.
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