MCI 2007 Contestant#21 Zhao Ying Ying's education?

[chatterbox]

I think you are allowed to take a leave of up to 10 years in university. Not too sure. Universities don't kick you out for missing too many classes. Your prof might ask you to withdraw if he/she believes you're severely falling behind. Otherwise, universities won't kick you out unless you go on academic probation (falling below a 2.0 Cumulative GPA) and then failing to bring it up the following semester. Though intensive community colleges (ex: BCIT) will kick you out if you miss too many classes (whether you have a legitimate excuse or not).

I think an education is important not because it'll help you win in a pageant, but that it provides you with security just in case your acting/modeling career falls through.

[apriltears]

All I know is that some universities in the states have a "Planned Educational Leave Program" aka PELP.. basically an planned academic absence/leave, which Tiffany Lam took after she won MHK 2002 from UC Davis. She returned after 2 years to continue with her education and received her degree. That means, that with PELP you can take a leave up to 2 years with no need of an excuse and will be admitted with no hassle. However, I think if you leave for anything longer than that, you'd have to reapply as a "re-admitted" student.

In regards to Chatterbox's comment above.. I think 10 year is a little extreme. I mean, so many things can change in 10 years... the degree requirements can change, advances in your field etc.. so in that case, you might have to re-take all your classes and start from scractch basically.

[charxyeung]

I know somebody who hardly paid attention to her courses during the pageant and got kicked off by UBC. I think you have to take absence or else UBC will pretty much kick you out.

lol i played cards on the computer that didn't have any internet when i was 6, when my dad got internet for work when i was 8 i played on neopets and chatted on msn (i didn't really know about msn until my aunt told me. haha there was hardly anybody on my list hahaha)

i've always watched beauty pageants, i wasn't a big fan. i thought it was cool how the winner waved around and the crowning and all that stuff.. to this day i still think some of the segments are boring lol..

js4: somehow i knew you weren't born in 1992, a lot of people here have fake b-dates (including me )

[yanange]

Hi everyone, I already met charxy, thru the live chat room. But I am from Sydney and I love it how Sarah Song took out the title. I had a friend who was in MCI from Sydney, at the time, she was only in high school and 18 but she still made it to Top 5. That being said, after she came back to Sydney, she got into Commerce/Law, which is one of the hardest courses to get into Sydney. She is also doing her law clerkship in an international law firm. So trust me, the comment about brains and beauty is quite true about MCI!!

[weesa]

lol i remember u ...u were yannige or sumthin like dat...wow so many ppl in sydney...is it nice there? do u know sarah by any chnace

[chatterbox]

charxyeung said:

I know somebody who hardly paid attention to her courses during the pageant and got kicked off by UBC. I think you have to take absence or else UBC will pretty much kick you out.

I know who you're talking about. She ended up failing and subsequently got kicked out. That means she was either already on academic probation prior to entering the pageant or she was put on AP after the event and failed to bring up her CGPA the following semester. However, I believe she did eventually get back into UBC as I have seen her there once when I was studying.

The only reason why i said that you can take a 10 year leave is because I read it in an interview with Bernice Liu. She indicated, "As far as university, they have left me a spot for 10 years. 4 years have gone buy and I am now 26 years old, I will think about it again only after 4 more years is up!"

I found this from the following link:
asianfanatics.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t40-150.html

The person who posted that got the interview from:
berniceliunewsroom.blogspot.com/

I'm assuming she must've spoken with an academic advisor and later received permission from the Chair of UBC for the extended period of absence. UBC has been very accomodating with the Vancouver pageant winners.

[pagfollower]

chatterbox said:

charxyeung said:

I know somebody who hardly paid attention to her courses during the pageant and got kicked off by UBC. I think you have to take absence or else UBC will pretty much kick you out.

I know who you're talking about. She ended up failing and subsequently got kicked out. That means she was either already on academic probation prior to entering the pageant or she was put on AP after the event and failed to bring up her CGPA the following semester. However, I believe she did eventually get back into UBC as I have seen her there once when I was studying.

The only reason why i said that you can take a 10 year leave is because I read it in an interview with Bernice Liu. She indicated, "As far as university, they have left me a spot for 10 years. 4 years have gone buy and I am now 26 years old, I will think about it again only after 4 more years is up!"

I found this from the following link:
asianfanatics.net/forum/lofiversion/index.php/t40-150.html

The person who posted that got the interview from:
berniceliunewsroom.blogspot.com/

I'm assuming she must've spoken with an academic advisor and later received permission from the Chair of UBC for the extended period of absence. UBC has been very accomodating with the Vancouver pageant winners.

i agree. ubc has been very accomodating with the vancouver pageant winners. i rem early last yr, when i was watching my cable tv on HK channel TVBJ... the prog is E-buzz something like that. that episode they happen to interview linda chung. and linda chung told the interviewer that ubc actually allows her to defer up to 25yrs. NO KIDDING. 25 yrs. the interviewer was so shocked upon hearing that. i was watching the prog.. and at 1st i thought linda was kidding. but she meant it. she also mentioned to the interviewer something like she cant believe it herself too.

so my guess is even though linda once mentioned she will only try in the hk entertainment industry for 3 yrs.. which this yr is the 3rd yr.. but i think.. she will still cont to stay in this industry with ubc being so accomodating to her.. and not forgetting that she just purchase an apartment in hk last yr..

[rain]

WOW. That's amazing. I havent heard of that happening in any Australian universities. But then again, Australian representatives rarely make it into the top 5. As far as I know, universities here allow up to 2 years. UBC sure is accomodating. But I would imagine what you've learnt so far would be redundant in about 10-25 years.

[neuromanticx]

jenny said:

???Not good, TVB weekly#499 states that Zhao is a middle school/high school graduate only, the lowest among all the girls. Her chances must be hurt by this factor alone!

Looks at this another way :-

While other girls have seen more books, Zhao has seen the world more.

There are many people with low education and have made millions of dollars, while those with university education have to slog long hours to earn decent money or are even jobless.

If you are an actor/actress, you don't need university education and can make millions each year, which is much better than those with university education, who find it hard to make millions.

[apriltears]

But keep in mind.. that not all actors/actresses make millions a year. They sacrifice A LOT to get where they are (the popular ones). I mean, look at Roger Kwok, Kevin Cheng etc.. it tooks close to 20 years to get where they are today to get the pay they do. TVB Artists and other actors and actresses don't get paid a lot normally. They barely have enough to get by... I'm not saying that an education is everything. But at least with a college/university degree.. you have options. You have a lot more opportunities for you if one thing doesn't work out.

[js4]

UBC is nuts though---if they're doing that, it's just for publicity if anything. It's ridiculous to let someone back in after 10 years. Giving them a second chance to start afresh, sure, there's tons of adult learners, but picking up where they left off? HA...the program might not even exist anymore w/ the vast amount of changes in 10 years.

It's also not fair to people who actually have to take a leave for honest and serious reasons like illness or death in family, etc. and most of all, to other students who work hard to earn their degree continuously.

A degree should only be given to thsoe who are committed enough to not quit. No one should judge their decision to leave school for the entertainment life, but it's kind of absurd that they can have their cake and eat it too.