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Rebecca Lou graduated at the top of her cohort at NYP�s School of Interactive & Digital Media, winning the Lee Hsien Loong Award in 2017. She says that as a child, she often doodled little cartoon figures in her notebooks and textbooks. So when she did well for her N Levels, the first thing she did was to check out whether she could get into the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP). This is a one-year bridging programme � think about it as a prep year - to get students into the diploma course of their choice. Rebecca used the PFP and enrolled in the Diploma in Animation. During her time at NYP, she exhibited her works at the ArtScience Museum, and had a chance to intern with Walt Disney Company�s Southeast Asia arm. Her skills eventually clinched her a full-time job offer! We spoke to Rebecca about her PFP journey. Why did you choose the PFP route? When I first received my N level results, I did not expect to do so well. When I realised I was eligible for the PFP, I was thrilled ...

�What to do after �N� Levels?� This is a bugging question for those who are taking their �N� Levels at some point. A few months before his �N� Level exams in 2012, Wong Jao Kuean was introduced to the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP).  He was enticed to PFP because he would be able to secure a place in the course of his choice and the one-year programme would give him a solid foundation before he commenced on the actual three-year diploma course.  This would give him in an advantage over the majority who joined the polys via the �O� Level path. �I can tell you that it isn�t easy.  Even my teachers were not in favour of skipping �O� Levels because it seems the norm to have at least an �O� Level certificate when you are out in the working world, especially for English and Maths. However, I assured my parents that I will take �O� Level English during my polytechnic years to strengthen my portfolio,� said Jao Kuean. It can be exhausting sometimes to remain true to yours...

Skipping out on his GCE O-Levels through the Nanyang Polytechnic Foundation Programme (NYPFP), former Normal (Academic) student Ryan Christian Mission took an unconventional route to his dream course at Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP)! Armed with outstanding GCE N-Level results, former Commonwealth Secondary School student Ryan Christian Mission gained a spot in NYP without even having to sit for his O-Level examinations. This was all thanks to the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP), which enables high-scoring students in the Normal (Academic) stream to attend a year in PFP instead of secondary 5, where they would study relevant modules to their respective choice of course in poly year 1, as well as common modules as in secondary school � Language & Communication (English), Mathematics, Physical Education and more. Securing his position at the School of Interactive & Digital Media (SIDM) at NYP a whole year before his peers, Ryan explained, �[SIDM] is known as one of the best sch...

After I dropped to NA (Normal Academic) in Secondary 2, the PFP (Polytechnic Foundation Programme) was at the top of my wishlist. The PFP is a direct route into the poly after the N Levels. It meant that I could skip Secondary 5 and the O levels. Everyone in NA wanted to qualify for PFP and I was no different. Thankfully, my results were good enough, and I was admitted into NYP�s PFP course in 2015. Think of it as the bridge between secondary school and polytechnic. During the year-long course, we take a mixture of secondary 5 subjects and modules that prepare us specifically for our chosen diplomas. Before my PFP year started, I confess I had expected it to be a rather easy and carefree time where I could just sit back and relax. It was not the case! And I had definite highs and lows. For example, we had to take Language and Communications which was very much like English in secondary school. It was probably my favourite module! From the blogging to filming and roleplaying, I had tons...

As an avid gamer, Muhammad Azri Zulhilmi Bin Giman aspired to be a game designer. �NYP was the obvious choice for me, it is well-known for its Diploma in Digital Game Art & Design,� comments Azri. Thanks to the NYPFP , Azri was able to have a taste of polytechnic education ahead of his �N� Level peers who decided to continue with their �O� Level examinations. This gave him a head start when it came to acquiring skills and knowledge required for the course. �I was able to learn basic drawing techniques such as rendering and composition,� says Azri. �These foundation skills gave me an added advantage when I started Year 1 as I was able to perform better than most of my course mates.� Besides the technical skills acquired during his time in NYPFP , Azri has also learnt essential soft skills like teamwork and time management. �There are hardly any deadlines in secondary school, but it�s different in polytechnic,� says Azri. �You have to learn how to manage deadlines by being responsibl...

While most students proceed with tertiary education after obtaining an O-Level certificate or upon completing their studies in an ITE institution, Ryan Christian Misson (above)  and Amira Binte Ismail (below) are part of a fortunate minority in Singapore�s Normal (Academic) cohort � securing a spot in NYP a year earlier than their peers in secondary school. Having obtained outstanding GCE N-Level results, they qualified for the recently introduced Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP). Instead of sitting for the O-Levels as a Secondary 5 student, they skipped their O-Levels and spent a year in PFP. Now, they have graduated and are currently in Year 1.  In PFP, the curriculum structure consists of both common modules and domain specific modules  relevant to their respective courses in Year 1. The common modules are similar to what is taught in secondary school � Language & Communication (English), Mathematics, Life Skills / National Education (Civics and Moral Educati...

For �N� Level graduates who can�t wait to commence on your tertiary education, here�s how Nanyang Polytechnic (NYP) lets you get a head start. Gideon Patrick Manik The Nanyang Polytechnic Foundation Programme (NYPFP) allows Secondary 4 Normal (Academic) students to enter NYP a year ahead of their peers. Students under this programme will go through a year of preparation and will secure a spot for themselves in their diploma of choice when they have passed all the modules. Students, Gideon Patrick Manik and Koh Liang Jing, talk about why they chose the NYPFP. For Gideon Patrick Manik, learning more about business operations and setting up his own business has always been his goal. Getting into the Diploma in Engineering with Business allows him to study multi-disciplinary subjects, including the application of business skills to engineering processes. �I was encouraged to join the NYPFP as I would be able to secure a spot in NYP rather than have to compete with all the �O� Level graduat...