Hafsa is from Pakistan, and this is her second and final Senior school year at SSIS. This itinerant student has attended schools in several places—Pakistan, Hong Kong SAR, Singapore, Shanghai and Dubai—so she knows first-hand what it’s like to be an international student who has to be resilient.
Adjust Your Work Ethic
Her work ethic is one such example of her fortitude. Hafsa believes that she adapted well to the unprecedented circumstances of 2020 and adjusted her study style and routines accordingly to work efficiently. “During distance learning, I attended all classes and made sure I handed in high-quality assignments on time. I believe that the IB curriculum has helped me grow and improve as an individual, which may have played a role in renewing my scholarship. My interest in my subjects and co-curricular activities allowed me to put in the most effort in anything I do. I also ensured that I worked in an organised manner to complete major assignments at least a week before the actual deadline,” she tells us.
Important to Collaborate with Others
During her short time in SSIS, what has been unforgettable is the synergy between students and invaluable support she received from teachers. At SSIS, she has many opportunities to work with people with different talents, which she admits made her a better team member in general. “To some students, individual achievements may be more appealing, while group-work may seem like a burden. However, the cooperation that can be experienced here in different activities shows that relationships with other students and teachers are important to succeed collectively. Moreover, the teachers guided and helped me with any problems I would encounter and would give feedback on any work I produced,”she shares with us.
Get Active on Campus
She extends her love of collaboration by getting involved in many school activities. She helped create the ASP Curie Club, which allowed other students to develop their interest in Science. She’s a Student Ambassador and has helped the Counselling Department to organise and run Career Day. She was a member of the robotics team, has helped create a Math tutoring club, and has helped the PSG raise money from Santa’s Workshop for Shining Star. Her most recent event was collaborating with her G12 cohort to organise and run the IBDP Camp for the G11s. All these experiences helped to further her passions, contribute to the community, and demonstrate her leadership and collaborative skills, she acknowledges.
Cultivate Your Curiosity
Hafsa was naturally interested in solving puzzles or problems since young and learning new things through reading. “Being exposed to various cultures allowed me to gain new perspectives and approach problems in different ways. Even now, I always want to have something to do or learn,” she says about her lifelong learning habit. “I was fortunate to have teachers who encouraged me to think ‘outside of the box’ and ask questions. I had the opportunity to discuss interesting scientific concepts with my friends, which allowed me to sincerely enjoy whatever I was learning.”
Enrich Learning Through Reading
She usually likes to read a range of genre fiction mystery or detective novels. Still, recently she finds herself gravitating towards books related to science (such as hypothetical or theoretical science), as she enjoys connecting its information to what she’s learning in school. “Recently, I read What If? by Randall Munroe, The Elegant Universe by Brian Greene and Why Chemical Reactions Happen by Dr James Keeler and Dr Peter Wothers. Although some of the concepts in these books are more advanced than what I’m learning at school, it is still interesting nonetheless. The authors also use interesting analogies to present complex concepts, which helps me understand them better,” she says.
Mr SIDDIQUI
Father of Hafsa Zubair SIDDIQUI
Hafsa has developed a matured thinking and maintains a calculated approach towards studies. She is becoming more thoughtful about what she wants to do and achieve in life. As a result, she puts the right actions behind her plans, which shows her seriousness and sincerity. She has also shown interest and understanding of our philosophical discussions, and she has developed a good grasp of the concepts.
Alberto OSORIO
IGCSE and IBDP Physics Teacher
Hafsa is a friendly student who gets along very well with her classmates. She learns fast and her knowledge in Physics goes beyond definitions of key-terms or manipulation of equations. Hafsa asks deep questions which shows a natural curiosity for Science. She also knows how to communicate scientific ideas effectively and clearly; her lab reports are excellent in formatting and content. She focuses on searching high-quality information to enhance her academic writing. It is definitely a pleasure to have a student like her in my IBDP Physics class as she sets an excellent example for her classmates and the school community.
We congratulate Hafsa SIDDIQUI on receiving the SSIS IBDP Merit Scholarship Award!
Hafsa is planning to enrol at either the University of Michigan-Shanghai Jiao Tong University Joint Institute or the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology. She is also considering NUS and NTU in Singapore. She plans to opt for either Engineering or Material Sciences as her undergraduate major.
We wish her all the best on her learning journey!
SSIS believes in the holistic development of a resourceful, confident and independent learner by providing a disciplined and rigorous learning environment. With the expansion of our learning facilities and introduction of up-to-date programmes and recruiting of teaching talents in the new year, SSIS is poised to be a top-notch learning environment.
