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Showing posts from November, 2014

Sweet Creation

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Hong Kar Yiu, Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) alumna, made a mark on the world with her creativity. These days, she dreams of benefitting others with her future inventions. Hong Kar Yiu Alumna, Diploma in Food Science & Nutrition School of Chemical & Life Sciences Indulging in our favourite food is something we take for granted. But Kar Yiu, who was diagnosed with Type 1 diabetes when she was nine, was determined to savour the sweet taste of ice-cream again. �I joined NYP�s Diploma in Food Science & Nutrition because I hoped to learn about and develop suitable food that diabetics can enjoy,� and she did. For Kar Yiu�s Final Year Project, she took the plunge with her partner, Sophia Ng Bao Xian, to develop sugar-free ice-cream despite being unfamiliar with the ice-cream making process. Luckily, their task was eased with the knowledge and lab techniques taught in their course and their lecturer�s continuous guidance. �In order to get the right sweetness, flavour, and fat content, w...

Star Internship

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Talented and driven, this Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) alumna stepped up during her internship and scored opportunity of a lifetime. Chong Shu Xin Alumna, Diploma in Accountancy & Finance School of Business Management How do you make the most of an internship? Ask Shu Xin, who landed a coveted job with Ernst & Young (E&Y), a Big Four audit firm. Step #1: outstanding work performance. Apart from administrative work, she was also given other more challenging duties in various areas that required more thinking and experience. The skills and experience she acquired from the Teaching Enterprise Project at NYP, like accounting management and customer service, sure came in handy. Step #2: take the path less trodden. Wanting to focus on gaining experience, Shu Xin decided to enter the working world, despite her good GPA score of 3.78 and being eligible for undergraduate studies. But before making this big decision, she turned to her trusted teachers for guidance. She revealed, �Althou...

A Letter to My 16 Year Old Self

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 Dear 16-years old Kris It is hard at the moment, isn�t it? Having to deal with all the pressure that you are facing now because of �O� levels, and also having to choose a future path that will be most beneficial for you. Of course I understand, that was what I went through. And, trust me, when I tell you that you will survive through them, just like me.  I am still here, writing this letter to you, two years from your future. Even though you will become more confident as time passes, having friends and family by your side and knowing what job you would like to have, you will still be insecure about life after school and what it holds, but I think it will turn out fine. Very soon, you will be admitted to Nanyang Polytechnic, yes I know, you�re not sure if it�s the right decision. However, you will learn to enjoy the experience in NYP while making  many new and trustworthy friends. NYP will be your home for the next 3 years and, fret not, it is not what you think. Yes, unf...

Bright Future Ahead

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Diyan Ashkin Binte Abd Razak Alumna, Diploma in Electronics, Computer & Communications Engineering School of Engineering Although Diyan is the only lady in her department, she is fully capable of holding her own. Looking back, she told us, NYP equipped her with many skills, including soft skills like communications and leadership; which are applicable to her field of work. This gave her a good head start. She also had a great lecturer who provided her with constant advice and even went the extra mile to clarify her questions and doubts. She shared that being an E&E-NYP Scholarship recipient opened doors for her too � during her internship at Electronics & Engineering Pte Ltd (E&E), the region�s Audio Visual (AV) integrator, she was involved in a big project at The Star Performing Arts Centre. Her responsibilities included doing video calibration and ensuring good quality sound and video transmission. She proudly recalls, �We managed to complete the entire project under ...

Fun Innovation

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Leonard Lam Yong Heng Alumnus, Diploma in Visual Communication School of Design Growing up in a dialect-speaking family, Leonard noticed a language barrier between youths and the dialect-speaking elderly. Hence, he was inspired to revive Chinese dialects in Singapore. However, he knew that traditional methods wouldn�t cut it. �I wanted to create something fun, so I decided to use trading card games, which people are more receptive to playing.� Thus, he invented Xin Xin Dialect, a card game that teaches players Hokkien idioms and phrases, which earned him the 2014 Singapore Good Design Mark (SG Mark). Ironically, Leonard had faced a language problem � being Hakka, he was unfamiliar with Hokkien. To research on the language, he read books and visited a temple to understand the Hokkien culture. He also contacted a teacher from Singapore Hokkien Huay Kuan (clan association) to teach him Hokkien. He said, �It�s amazing how this knowledge isn�t passed down to the younger generations.� Though...

Scaling Greater Heights

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Dickson (extreme left) with his fellow interns and colleagues Dickson Tan Boon Keong Alumnus, Diploma in Business Management School of Business Management Judging from his long list of achievements, you wouldn�t have guessed that Dickson is visually-impaired. Making the Director�s List at SBM for four consecutive semesters with a GPA score of 3.92, he has also received the Asia Pacific Breweries (APB) Foundation Scholarship for Persons with Disabilities. Dickson recalled the strong support his lecturers gave him through his challenging academic journey. Because he required a costly computer software called Screen Reader, which reads displayed content, to enable him to study and take exams, NYP installed the software in a computer on campus to facilitate his learning. His lecturers provided electronic copies of everything he needed. They were mindful of his condition and would always make an effort to describe drawings or visual elements on the whiteboard for his understanding. Not just...

Dear Diary, a Year in Review (at NYP) .......And what I love about it

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9 Jan 2014 Like many other school-leavers, Ru Yee and I thought that it would be fun to check out the Open House at all the polytechnics.  We were racing against time as we only had a day to view them all. With some quick last-minute planning, we settled on the routes. No doubt we had to move quickly. There were places to go and things to see! Common sense dictates that when in doubt, always follow the crowd. And that was how we got to the atrium of NYP. From Yio Chu Kang MRT, it took us barely five minutes to get there. Thank goodness! We wasted no time viewing each booth before promptly heading to the other polytechnics. But, with our poor sense of direction, we got lost again after taking multiple buses to nowhere� Needless to say, I love the convenience of going to NYP from the MRT station. 9 April 2014 So, my first day of Freshman Orientation (FMO) is finally over! I admit, I wasn�t sure if I would get along with others, especially my future classmates. After all, it felt like...

Improving Polytechnic Education, One Dialogue Session At A Time with ASPIRE

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 On the morning of Monday, 27 October 2014, I attended a dialogue session called ASPIRE (Applied Study in Polytechnics and ITE Review) with special guest, Miss Indranee Rajah, Senior Minister of State for Education and Law. Its main aim was to help us understand what ASPIRE was all about. I now understand that ASPIRE aims to improve polytechnic as well as ITE education to help students studying in these institutions prepare for both the world of work and further education.  Here are some highlights of the event and an interview with a student who has a lot of passion for ASPIRE. What is ASPIRE?   The idea for ASPIRE actually came from Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong as he addressed the need to improve Singapore�s polytechnic and Institute of Technical Education (ITE) educational routes. Despite the advancement of polytechnic and ITE education over the years, there�s still a perception, especially among the older ones, that the Poly and ITE routes aren�t really as enriching...

SHS Celebrates CIE Day!

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Fiona Yoong, from nursing class NR1320 On 4 November 2014, the School of Health Sciences (SHS) celebrated its annual CIE day. In CIE, �C� stands for creative, �I� stands of innovation, and �E� stands for enterprise. On this special day, we celebrate the unique talents of students in SHS. As each of our unique talents may not be recognised due to our school and career commitments, it is great to celebrate CIE day! Students are given an opportunity to showcase their Creativity, Innovativeness and Enterprise through their booths, or performances. The booths were set up at the atrium, and outdoors (around the atrium). All of the booths went through a rigorous selection process before they were selected for display. The items and services sold consisted of rainbow looms, nail polish, flower growing kits, and much more. The performers did not have it easy as well. They had to go through many rehearsals and auditions before finally being selected to perform on stage. As expected, the booths a...

Fan of Children�s Books Sees Her Dream Come True

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 Joey with her brand new book! To draw her illustrations about a little Indian boy who fell in love with Chinese opera, NYP graduate Joey Ng Kai Woon spent hours watching videos on Chinese opera.  The fruit of her labour --   Joey recently realised her dream of having her illustrations published in a children�s book. Book cover of �Little Wayang Kid� �Little Wayang Kid� tells the story of a small Indian boy, Raja, who is energetic and active.  His parents felt Raja should channel his energies into learning dance or doing a sport.  Raja, however, wanted to learn Chinese opera.  He found a Chinese opera teacher, trained hard and eventually did his parents proud by performing on stage. This book project was the result of a collaboration between NYP�s School of Interactive & Digital Media (SIDM) and Brainchild Pictures, a media production company.  The company had produced a DVD called �Wa is for Wayang�, and wanted a children�s book based on its story...