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Ever since the beginning of time, fear is known for doing many things. Lurking deep in our hearts, fear constricts, hinders, and may even break the spirits and minds of people.  It eats at us from the inside, assaulting us with past failures and doubt, paralyzing us against our true potential. With standardized tests, students could face overbearing-stress when they do not perform up to par. Singapore�s emphasis on grades can potentially strike fear in those who aren�t academically inclined, by pressurizing them to meet expectations. �I had this big fear of failing. I was in constant stress and it got so bad that my parents had to bring me for counselling. That helped me to be more positive.  It�s extremely important to talk to the right people, because handling struggles alone is very dangerous,� said Stephanie Melinda, a Year 1 Common Engineering Student. Stephanie Melinda After completing my first year in Nanyang Polytechnic, I was really demoralized when I received a GPA s...

On Saturday afternoon 20 June 2015, Nanyang Polytechnic hosted Singapore�s largest Zumba dance as part of the �SG50 Harmony Swing� at the NYP Stadium.  Despite the hot weather, a record breaking number 3,578 participants showed up! We definitely beat Singapore�s previous record of 1,162 participants! The event was organised in conjunction with Thye Hwa Kuan Moral Society and aims to promote a healthy and active lifestyle. In addition, we also celebrated Singapore�s diverse culture and the nation�s 50th birthday. Registration booths at the Atrium By 3.30pm the registration booths at the atrium were swarming with students and the public. All participants received a free white T-shirt and coloured wristband. There was also candyfloss, game stands and magic tricks performed to entertain the participants. Student volunteers clad in green T-shirts were also busy ushering the participants to the stadium and handing out bottled water and packaged bread to anyone who was feeling thirsty or ...

 Ever wondered what's in the bag of a future graphics designer, a visual effects artist or an animator? Look no further! Quench your curiosity as I inspect Valery Seng�s bag. She is a Year 1 Motion Graphics & Broadcast Design student. Of course, you would expect a laptop! What is poly life without a laptop right? Valery here owns the Macbook Pro 15-inch. The extra 2 inches is definitely useful as she needs to create and edit pieces on software like Photoshop and After Effects. This particular model weighs a hefty 2kg! Valery will definitely train her muscles carrying this. Here�s an unconventional pencil case! In it is a notebook that is vital for a course without worksheets. But look closely, the black and white stick is actually a KNIFE! Being in a design course means there is a lot of crafting and cutting. So this X-ACTO knife is definitely handy in class. She also has a pen to take notes with, and a kneadable eraser for her Fundamentals of Drawing class! On days when Valery...

My name is Germaine, Germaine Leow. Currently two months into my first year at Nanyang Polytechnic, I would be classified as a �freshie�. Here�s the catch though, while the other freshmen can remove the �freshie� label after a year, I will be spending two years in NYP as a freshman. Why? I am a Year 0 student and no, you did not read that wrong. Indeed, Year 0 students are not common and rarely heard of in campus. In fact, majority of the student body is probably not aware of us. Let me briefly introduce you to what Year 0 students really are � PFP students. PFP stands for Polytechnic Foundation Program. In other words, Year 0 is a foundation year in polytechnic. Upon passing all foundation modules, Year 0 students will move on to Year 1 the following year. PFP is a scheme implemented for Normal Academic N(A)  students to bypass Secondary 5, and move on to tertiary education right after their GCE N Levels. I am amongst a small group of N (A) students who qualified for PFP . There...

 Are you someone who dreads spending the 14th of February alone? Nobody likes to be alone, especially on a day when couples spend their time getting lovey dovey with each other. However, in this epoch, Valentine�s Day is not the only day when single people feel pressured into getting into a relationship. Every day, many teenagers and young adults in campus feel compelled to seek out what they do not have, for the wrong reasons. At the sight of happy fellow student couples, they feel left out and believe that they too, need a relationship. �Sometimes, I�ll feel lonely and wonder why no one picks me. I may even worry that I�ll be left out in the future. But after the thoughts disappear, I�ll think back on my life and realise that I have more time to spend with my family and friends. They�re people who make me happy too,� said Dana Chan, a Year 2 Sports & Wellness Management student. I must admit, being in a relationship has its perks too. Spending time studying together, eating i...

Meet Ethel. She�s a current 2nd-year Diploma in Digital Game Art & Design student. Her elder brother has a Diploma in Game Development & Technology. Her mother has an Advanced Diploma in Nursing. Her father, Daniel Chan, just graduated in May with an Advanced Diploma in Paramedicine. And they all graduated from Nanyang Polytechnic! The Chan Family (Ethel is in blue)  Ethel initially did not choose Nanyang Poly as she could not qualify for the Diploma in Digital Game Art & Design. It was thanks to some guidance from her father, Daniel, who convinced her to include Nanyang Poly as one of her 12 choices after her "O" levels results were out, that Ethel's gamble paid off - her ELR2B2 actually qualified her for the course. Commenting on how the family has influenced Ethel�s decision, Daniel said, �My wife and I believed that God created each and every one of us uniquely and equipped each of us with different talents. As parents, we cannot simply influence our child...

DMMM students Kan Jia Xin (right) as well as myself (left) with Jackie Chan  7 May 2015 � In our three years at NYP, this was the very first time we saw such a large crowd gathered at the atrium. It was insane, and people filled up every level, every staircase, and all the bridges facing the atrium.  They chattered excitedly, craning their heads, poised and eager for the emergence of a certain individual. Who could it be? Well, it was none other than the renowned celebrity known to everyone regardless of their age or nationality, the juggernaut of Hollywood action blockbusters, and action hero, Jackie Chan! Jackie Chan waving to throngs of NYP students passionately receiving him Unassuming, yet dapper, in a classic red checkered shirt and a pair of glasses, he strode out with confidence, flashing a smile at every ardent supporter whipping out a cell phone to snap at him, while his entourage struggled to keep him within their sight amidst the crowd. Jackie Chan whipping the cro...

DIRECT POLYTECHNIC ADMISSION (DPA) GIVES STUDENTS THE ADVANTAGE TO START THEIR POLYTECHNIC EDUCATION EARLIER. WE SPOKE TO GLENICE TAN YU XIN, DIPLOMA IN INFORMATION SECURITY STUDENT, ON HER DPA EXPERIENCE AT NYP. While most students are deciding on which course to enrol for during the Joint Admission Exercise (JAE), Glenice has already started her polytechnic education. �I chose DPA because I was sure of the course I wanted,� says Glenice. �I decided to make good use of the three-month break and start poly life earlier.� Through the DPA exercise, Glenice was able to secure a spot in NYP before she even took her �O� levels � but instead of skiving off, she felt more motivated to study for her �O� levels. As part of DPA, students undergo an eight-week Polytechnic Preparatory Programme (PPP) where they would attend classes to help build a strong foundation in their polytechnic studies; and a two-day camp which focuses on leadership and team-building skills. Students may also be exempted f...

On 16 February 2015, Dr Subadhra Devi Rai received news that she won the 2015 International Achievement Award by the International Council of Nurses� (ICN) Florence Nightingale International Foundation (FNIF). She is the first Singaporean to receive this prestigious award. Since 1999, this award has been given every two years to a nurse practitioner who has at least 10 years of experience in Direct Care, Education, Management or Research. For Dr Subadhra, her career has focused on reintegrating refugees at the Thai Myanmar border, gender-based violence  and sexual health. Come 21st June 2015, she will be receiving her award at a special FNIF Luncheon held at the ICN Conference in Seoul, Korea, and join in the ranks of other past winners  including Sweden�s Anneli Erikkson, who worked with endangered communities which suffered from catastrophes and  USA�s Carol Etherington, who worked on community based programmes for people living in the aftermath of war and natural disas...

For the third year students from the School of Engineering (SEG), the time to shine has come. SEG�s annual Open Project Exhibition was held on the 27th May 2015, at Block S Level 1, and our seniors were given the chance to proudly show off 12 weeks of their hard work on their final year projects, not only to their juniors, but to the public as well. Mr Albert Sng, the lecturer-in-charge of the event, was more than happy to share some details with us. This event occurs twice every semester for third years. All projects displayed during the exhibition are selected by course supervisors of each SEG course, and selected students are to present their projects to at least 6 of the 18 judges at the exhibition. Each presentation had to include a brief description of the project, inclusive of a 2-minute Q&A. The judges would then decide which projects deserve to be in the top three. There is also a way for visitors and the students themselves to take part -they can vote for the projects the...

Cindy pictured above If you talked with Cindy Goh, a first year student from the Diploma in Social Sciences (Social Work), you would never have guessed that she is a cancer survivor. The effervescent and petite 17 year old has a toughness that belies her small frame, and not a hint of self-pity. Cindy was diagnosed with bone cancer at the tender age of 10, when, during a study trip to Australia, her teacher noticed her limping and expressed her concern. Initially, both Cindy and her mother attributed her limp to flat feet, and hence were not overly worried. It was not until Cindy�s father discovered a hard lump in her knee that made her parents decide to rush Cindy to the hospital. She underwent surgery to remove the tumour in her knee, along with 90% of the muscle surrounding her kneecap. A metal kneecap was also implanted in her left knee. After the surgery, Cindy went through a year of chemotherapy to combat her cancer. Sometimes she was admitted back to hospital after her chemother...

  British politician Sir Winston Churchill once said: �Success is not final, failure is not fatal: it is the courage to continue that counts.�  You may think Jerome Yap�s route to success was smooth; he graduated from NYP this year with 3 awards - the inaugural Lee Hsien Loong Award, Infinite Frameworks Gold Medallist Award and Infinite Frameworks Outstanding Project Work Award. Contrary to expectations, he comes from a humble beginning, with little motivation to excel in studies in his childhood. He was only interested in drawing during classes, and thus only scored 98 for his Primary School Leaving Examinations.  On top of that, he mixed with the wrong crowd in Secondary School, which led to him performing poorly during his GCE N Levels. Jerome�s only option was to enrol in the Institute of Technical Education (ITE) for his Nitec and Higher Nitec studies respectively. But it was in ITE that Jerome found like-minded friends that shared his passion for design. Through the...