Helping from experienceMDIS in the News

Mr Tho Wai Keong uses his experience and advanced diploma in psychology as a stepping stone to doing good

Being sent to the school counsellor over scuffles with classmates when he was younger got Mr Tho Wai Keong thinking about human behaviour. In turn, it inspired him to use his experiences to help others.

Today, the 23-year-old is about to receive his Advanced Diploma in Psychology from Management Development Institute of Singapore (MDIS).

Mr Tho, who is graduating in about a month's time, believes that the diploma would help him understand why social issues like family conflicts occur, and how to suggest treatment plans that help the individual deal with his problems.

THE PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS

Mr Tho's graduation project, which he is currently working on, is based on the correlation between stress and happiness.

"While it is common to say that happiness leads to greater satisfaction in life, the opposite can be true in certain conditions," he said.

"A study found that the more a person values happiness, the less satisfied he may become, even in low-stress situations. One explanation is that the person's expectations may be very high, and disappointment may set in when he does not feel as happy as he had expected," explained Mr Tho.

Studying psychology has also helped see the world and its recent events in a different light. Citing Personality and Abnormal Psychology as his favourite module, Mr Tho finds it interesting to apply the theory that circumstances shape an individual's psyche to real-life ituations like terrorism.

Mr Tho had heard about MDIS from his friends after he completed National Service (NS). He had already wanted to pursue a path in social work and was drawn to MDIS' psychology programmes.

"They are considerably more affordable, and are popular too," he said.

Transitioning from NS to MDIS life was smooth, thanks to friendly course mates and lecturers who helped with his assignments and exam preparations.

GOING FURTHER

Mr Tho isn't resting on his laurels after getting his advance diploma, even though it would already help him enter areas such as social work, human resource, training or nursing.

Instead, he regards it as a steppng stone to a degree from Oklahoma City University in the United States. The 18-month degree programme consists of three weeks of campus residency, where Mr Tho looks forward to exchanging his thoughts and opinions with the students there.