Meet Jun Min, our avid coder and Secondary One student currently studying in his dream school, NUS High School of Math and Science, which he entered through Direct School Admission (DSA). As one of Coding Lab’s earlier students (he started when he was barely 7 years old), we catch up with him since his previous blog feature.

You may also recognise him when he won 2nd Place in our International Coding Showcase 2020 Ages 10-12 (Scratch) category and 3rd Place in our Young Coders’ Global Hackathon 2020 in the Junior Category (Ages 7-12). Let’s hear from Jun Min about his DSA experience and coding journey thus far!

Hi Jun Min, Congratulations on entering NUS High School of Math and Science through DSA! How do you feel about your achievement?

I feel very happy and fortunate to enter NUS High! I decided to put NUS High as my first choice because of my passion in STEM, along with its other merits. The DSA process was quite an important and humbling learning experience. Through the different stages, I persevered and thankfully succeeded in the end!

“Coding has influenced my life a lot. I realised that there is the possibility for me to pursue a career in app and game designing, which will become very important in the future because of the advancement of technology.“

I’m sure your coding journey has come a long way since our interview back in 2018! What were the difficulties you faced along the way and how did you overcome them?

Back in the days, I faced quite a few challenges when coding with Python because I was not used to the new programming language. I initially struggled to keep up, but I decided to practise more and finally completed the course!

To further strengthen my coding abilities, I definitely want to join more competitions in future. I hope these will strengthen my coding abilities by providing friendly competition, which will encourage me to practise and try out new things. 

Catch 11-year-old Jun Min’s Technology Clicker Scratch project that he submitted for the International Coding Showcase (SG-JP) 2020.

“Coding is a very important life skill to have, given that technology continues to be very crucial in our lives.  Learning to code is the start to helping children become digitally savvy and not get left behind.”

How has coding impacted your life?

Well, coding has influenced my life a lot. I realised that there is the possibility for me to pursue a career in app and game designing, which will become very important in the future because of the advancement of technology. It is also one of my favourite pastimes when I need to de-stress!

In your previous student feature, you shared with us your hobbies and a photo of you and your awesome birthday cake! What have you been up to since then? Do you have any updates?

Since the last interview, I have been learning all about new programming languages and new functions. Recently, I have been trying to create and code modifications to one of my favourite games, Kerbal Space Program. I still enjoy coding, creating and designing games, cycling, swimming and drawing – my hobbies haven’t really changed, but have advanced slightly such as going on very long cycling trips. I am also still passionate about Mathematics!

Nowadays, I would be happy with a plain cake! But if there were decorations, I would want it to have features of Kerbal Space Program or Minecraft (which my mom has made in previous years). 

What is your current favourite coding project?

My favourite project is still the ‘Fight Covid-19’ project for the YCGH! This is because it is quite fun and unique, and yet features realistic simulations of the pandemic, when the pandemic was still in its early phases. The project combined my two passions – coding and mathematics. It was a meaningful project as well!

Watch Jun Min’s favourite coding project Fight COVID-19 that he presented for the Young Coders’ Global Hackathon 2020.

Why do you think learning how to code is so important?

I feel that coding is a very important life skill to have, given that technology continues to be very crucial in our lives. Learning to code is the start to helping children become digitally savvy and not get left behind. Coding is also a way to contribute to society by coding useful or entertaining apps and games, which may shape the world we live in.

Finally, do you have any advice for young people like you who want to start or are learning to code?

Coding may seem difficult at first, but once you get the hang of the basics and if you are interested in it, it will be extremely fun and rewarding. 

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Thank you for sharing your programming journey with us, Jun Min! 😃 We are so proud to see you grow from the curious and determined young 7-year-old Scratch student – that we invited to our Gifted Coders class – to becoming a coding pro, and now getting into your dream school at NUS High School of Math and Science! We hope that Jun Min’s story inspires many other young coders to take the step to learn to code, explore the vast world of possibilities, and to harness the skill to contribute to society and shape our world! 🌏

Wang Jun Min has been attending classes at Coding Lab since 2016 – from Scratch 1 when he was Primary 1, joining our Gifted Coders class and advancing through our curriculum. Jun Min, who turns 13 this year, won 2nd Place in our International Coding Showcase 2020 Ages 10-12 (Scratch) category and 3rd Place in our Young Coders’ Global Hackathon 2020 in the Junior Category (Ages 7-12).

Our #CodingLabStudents series features our ambitious students and their ongoing coding journeys – be it the budding coder or advanced Python Pro, we appreciate each and every single one’s efforts as they progress to greater heights. 🌱

Coding Lab offers an award-winning curriculum specially for ages 5 to 18 – check out our courses to begin your own coding journey today!

Read Next: Coding Lab Student Feature: Jun Min, 8, Henry Park Primary School

Read Next: Young Coders Global Hackathon 2020 Summed Up: Junior Category

(Written by Cheryl Tang and Zulaikha)

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