The Academic Board, Senior Management and Academic Staff wish the Academy’s donors, supporters and students a happy, safe and prosperous Lunar New Year.
The Year of the Snake
The Snake is the sixth animal in the 12-year Chinese Zodiac cycle and is associated with wisdom, intuition, and mystery.
People born in the Year of the Snake are believed to embody the traits of elegance, charm, and resourcefulness. They are also often deep thinkers who are calm and deliberate in their actions.
2025 is a Wood Snake year that emphasises growth, flexibility, and creativity. Wood is generally associated with nurturing energy, making it a good year for building relationships and pursuing long-term goals like commencing that degree you have been considering for the past few months.

The Lunar New Year of the Snake and academic study
The Snake’s symbolic traits, such as wisdom, intelligence and strategic thinking, make it an auspicious year for studying. Here is an outline of the qualities that the Year of the Snake highlight when starting or completing your qualification.
1. Deep thinking and Analytical Skills
The Snake is associated with depth and introspection, which makes this an ideal year for studying subjects that require critical thinking and analysis.
Students can feel confident that they will be successful in their academic studies with careful planning, good study habits, and the support of lecturers and staff at TMC Academy.
2. Strategic and Methodical Learning
The Snake is known for its patience and calculated approach. Learning from the Snake’s approach, academic success in 2025 comes from setting clear goals and breaking larger tasks into manageable steps.
Success comes from prioritising quality over quantity when studying. One way to ensure quality is prioritised is using the Pomodoro Technique developed by Francesco Cirillo. This technique involves breaking study down into manageable intervals separated by short breaks.
For example,
Choose a specific task or goal to work on.
Set a timer; this may be 15 or 20 minutes.
Work without distraction for the entire length of time. In other words, avoid checking your phone, emails or other distractions, as mentioned above.
Once you have completed the time, take a 5-minute break to stretch, drink, relax or check your phone.
Complete four cycles and then take a longer break for 15 or 30 minutes.
3. Focus and Persistence
Snakes are persistent and calm unless backed into a corner or threatened. These traits are beneficial, particularly for staying focused on long-term academic goals. Being persistent and not allowing ourselves to be distracted will help, particularly when we may become discouraged or disheartened with our progress. Remaining calm during the lead-up to the end of the semester, when there are assignments to complete and exams to study for, enables us to prioritise what we need to complete, and it also assists us in retaining the information we are learning.
4. Renewal and Growth
Because snakes shed their skin, they are a symbol of transformation. When we complete academic study, we undergo a process of transformation. We come to understand topics in a new light and develop new critical skills that assist us in analysing situations and problems differently. We grow personally as we interact with lecturers and other students and come to understand subjects from their perspectives. We develop new habits that assist us in balancing academic study and work and maintaining our personal and mental well-being.
Given these symbolic traits, which we can use to achieve academic success in 2025, it is a great year to begin studying with TMC Academy.
Why TMC Academy
There are several reasons why students must consider studying through TMC Academy.
TMC Academy’s Record of Achievement.
Over the past forty-four years, TMC’s Management Team and Academic Board have worked hard to develop strong industry and academic networks and links that benefit students at the Academy.
For example, in 2010, TMC Academy was one of the first Private Education Institutions (PEIs) to achieve the sought-after four-year EduTrust Certification awarded by the Committee for Private Education. This certification demonstrates that TMC has met the stringent standards and indicators required by the Committee for Excellence in Education.
The Academy was awarded the Singapore Health Awards Excellence Award 2017, which celebrates outstanding achievements in workplace health and is the gold standard for workplace health promotion.
In 2019, the Academy won the Higher Education Categories—Psychology and Counselling at the JobsCentral Learning Training and Development Awards. This was the third time TMC had won the award in the psychology category.
In October 2024, TMC Academy was named one of the Top 10 Business Schools in Singapore for 2024 (Asia Education Review Magazine), and the Academy maintains a 4-year EduTrust by SkillsFuture Singapore (SSG), a mark of distinction among private institutions. These honours reflect TMC Academy’s commitment to maintaining high education standards and fostering success among its diverse student body.
Industry Partnerships
As TMC Academy has grown, it has also developed strong industry partnerships to provide students with industry experience in their academic learning.
Students who study Business Courses through the Academy benefit from its collaboration with the Institute of Public Relations Singapore (IPRS) and partnerships with companies such as Sofitel, Sentosa, and HMS Assurance.
Students enrolled in the Academy’s hospitality and tourism programs benefit from internship tie-ups with companies such as the Intercontinental Hotel Group, Marina Bay Sands, Shangri-La Hotel, and the Mandarin Oriental Hotel group.
TMC Emphasis on Students
The Academy hosts international students from over twenty-five countries. Having so many students from different cultural backgrounds creates a vibrant, diverse learning environment where the mix of other ideas and perspectives enables students and academic staff to develop personally and academically.
Student Support – Every step with you
TMC Academy recognises many students' challenges, juggling everyday life and study demands. These challenges are accentuated for international students adjusting to life in Singapore.
This is one of the reasons why TMC has the tagline “Every step with you”. It highlights the Academy’s commitment to supporting and assisting its students. It does this in several ways.
Student Focus Programs
The student support program is designed to assist domestic and international students settle into TMC and explore the campus and Singapore.
Class sizes and the learning environment are also intentionally structured to ensure students are supported to achieve their best possible outcomes.
As part of their ongoing commitment to students, TMC also offers pastoral counselling. Counsellors act as guides, listening to the personal, academic, and emotional challenges students are experiencing and supporting them however they can. The types of issues pastoral counsellors provide support with include dealing with loneliness and a sense of isolation, particularly for international students living away from home for the first time; anxiety and worry around study and exams issues; and relationship difficulties that may impact studies.
There are many other support options available to students. Just as there are different courses and programs to provide students with the freedom of choice, there are various support options for students. One of the strengths of TMC is that it recognises students' individuality and provides, as far as possible, options that will best support this individuality.
Pathways to the future
The vision of TMC Academy is to develop the leaders for tomorrow.
As mentioned, TMC does this by developing strong partnerships and networks with industry and recognised Associations. These partnerships and networks assist students in several ways.
Alignment with industry trends and practices
The partnerships TMC has developed with industries mean students can be assured that the curriculum they are studying is aligned with industry trends and current practices. Students are not simply learning academic theory but gaining knowledge and skills directly applicable to their field.
Practical Experience
Through these partnerships, students also have the opportunity to do internships, industry projects, and experiential learning opportunities. These experiences provide opportunities for students to apply theoretical knowledge in real-world settings.
Developing professional networks
Students can expand their professional networks by participating in industry events, conferences, practicums, and other networking sessions. A professional network can be critical when establishing yourself in a business or industry.
The network can be an essential source of advice, support, and peer encouragement, crucial to a successful career.
Hence, pathways to leadership are present in the Academy and the broader community.
These are some of the reasons why it is crucial to consider how TMC can assist you in harnessing wisdom, focus and transformative energy to achieve your academic goals in the Year of the Snake.
To contact TMC Academy for further information, click here.
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