Dennis Chew, 52, Is Now An Undergrad At SUSS; Reveals Why He Gave Up NUS Offer

Dennis Chew is now officially a university undergrad. But wait, wasn't he supposed to go to the National University of Singapore?

Yesterday (Jan 12), 52-year-old Love 972 DJ revealed on Instagram that he will commence his undergraduate studies at the Singapore University of Social Sciences (SUSS).

"A new start," said Dennis in his post, which showed a photo of him posing at the entrance of SUSS. 

Dennis, who graduated from Ngee Ann Poly with a diploma in Chinese Media & Communication last year, is reportedly enrolled in the Bachelor of Arts in Chinese Studies course under SUSS's School of Humanities and Behavioural Sciences as a part-time student.

His sudden announcement certainly came as a surprise to many, especially since it had long been known that Dennis was set to start school at NUS this August.

As of last July, Dennis delayed his matriculation until 2026 as he had projects lined up all the way until December 2025. He had taken on those gigs before he was accepted to NUS.

At that time, he told 8days.sg that he'd "really give up on [his full-time radio] job temporarily" and focus on school if he's going to university as he's someone who "can't multi-task". 

So how did he suddenly end up at SUSS?

Turns out, he just couldn’t say goodbye to radio, even if it was only for the time being.

Dennis explained that enrolling at NUS would require him to undergo four years of full-time study, which meant putting his broadcasting career on hold for the entire duration.

However, thinking back to his time in polytechnic — when he juggled both school and work — the jock realised it was impossible to give up radio, something he is deeply passionate about.

“In the end, SUSS contacted me and told me that they offer a part-time bachelor’s degree programme, with classes from 7pm. to 10pm every evening. That way, I could continue my radio work during the day and attend classes at night,” he revealed.

That came as great news for Dennis, who initially thought his university dreams had fallen through.

He eventually chose to enrol due to the flexibility of the programme and its curriculum: “NUS was also very accommodating and supportive of the choice I made.”

The radio host is also grateful for all the help he has received thus far.

“My boss has been very understanding as well. We’ve discussed that in my second year, when the academic workload becomes heavier, I might need to take short-term leave to focus on my studies. But for now, we’re still not sure how things will go.”

Dennis will continue hosting Love 972’s morning radio show The Breakfast Quartet and working on Mr Zhou’s Ghost Stories. He will, however, be taking a “temporary” hiatus from television, with upcoming Mediacorp competition Encore set to be his last TV project in the near future.

Speaking of The Breakfast Quartet, Dennis shared that he always discusses major life decisions, including this one, with his co-hosts Mark Lee, Marcus Chin, and Chen Biyu.

“They’ve all been very supportive. At first, they all asked me: ‘Are you going to stop [working]?’. I told them that this time, the university I chose offers the best of both worlds, I can work and study at the same time. They were all very happy for me.”

Similarly, Dennis’ mother, though concerned about whether he can juggle his studies and work, has given him her unwavering support and encouragement.

“I once skipped my O-Level exams which disappointed my parents. Now I can make my mum proud. If my dad were still around, he would definitely be very happy that I’m able to go to university.”

He added emotionally that his father would be especially happy that he is majoring in Chinese Studies: “He was an elderly man who loved Chinese culture very much.”

“I can proudly say to my dad: ‘Your son is a university student now!’ I believe that up in heaven, he is also giving me a push and showering me with love and encouragement,” he gushed.