Aadhavan Anna

Please share a highlight of your student life at SMU.

My very first experience at SMU set the tone for everything that followed. At Metamorphosis 2024, I found myself thrown together with people from all sorts of backgrounds, and what surprised me most was how naturally we clicked. We were so different from one another, yet somehow fit together like jigsaw pieces. What I didn't realise at the time was that these same people would become the ones I'd be spending time with every week from that point on. It's a reminder that some of the most meaningful connections come from the most unexpected places.

What is your favourite spot on campus?

Campus Green. It's an open-air space where anything goes, studying, relaxing, or in my case, peak tomfoolery with my friends. A nice lunch, a breather after a tiring seminar, or just fooling around together. It's our spot.

What is your favourite food to get on campus?

Koufu, every single time. The options are overwhelming in the best way possible, and yet I find myself making a beeline for it at every opportunity, lunch, a short break between classes, a coffee run, or simply because my stomach refuses to last through a long day without it.

What advice would you give to prospective students (especially your juniors from high school) who are thinking of applying to SMU?  

Say yes first, hesitate later.

University is full of opportunities that are easy to talk yourself out of, and I've learned that the ones you almost didn't take tend to be the most rewarding. My advice is simple: treat every opportunity as worth a shot before passing on it. What I'd call "side questing" has made my university experience infinitely more fulfilling, and I haven't once regretted it. I've picked up new hobbies, met people I never would have crossed paths with otherwise, and found myself in rooms I didn't expect to be in.

University goes by faster than you think. Side quest while you still can.