Not really that hard to believe. If he was already excelling in his
studies in secondary school, it would in all probability be easy
for him to excel likewise at the poly.
A person may dislike studying, but that doesn't infer he/she
won't perform well academically. Heck, I hate studying, but I
managed to squeeze through grad school. 
sometimes maybe one would start to think better as they grow up
ba
anyway he says aft NS wants to go to NTU to study engineering
and later on doing research work
anyway from e article, seems to be a mechanical
engineering graduate