'I made a lot of textbook mistakes'

FINAL-YEAR Singapore Management University (SMU) student Ronald Sim, a business and finance major, laughs when he recalls his first investments, made using money his parents saved for his university education that he did not need to use.

"I made a lot of textbook mistakes," said the SMU Scholarship recipient, recalling how he dabbled in technical analysis and realised a four-digit loss, or how he sold Singtel stock in a panic when it fell below S$3 a share. Nevertheless, the experiences did not dampen his interest in investing.

Mr Sim, 25, also served as the president of his university's EYE Investment Club. Every year, the club gets about 300 sign-ups at the university's co-curricular activities open house, or a fifth of a cohort of around 1,500 students, though the number of actively involved members dwindles over time.