School Update & Internship - October
School Life Update
Luckily only one of my three courses had exams. After returning from Korea for reading week, I had a take home exam for my data analytics course. Our professor gave us one week to complete the open-note individual exam with the option to retake the exam a week later. Even though data analytics is a freshman level course, it is my most challenging class because there is a steep learning curve and a lot of new concepts being introduced. As for my other classes, they were continuous assessment and had group projects, individual writing assignments, and presentations. Prior to reading week, my Indian Business course had a book report and chapter presentation due. My leadership seminar had a group presentation on effective leadership styles in the 21st century. Although the coursework is manageable, it is a little difficult to gauge how well I am doing compared to the other students since scores for some of my courses are withheld. Since we are not allowed to know grades or see our numeric evaluations, I try to meet with my professors during their office hours to receive more in-depth qualitative feedback or go over assignments.
Out West
My friend wanted to visit The Hive at Nanyang Technical University (NTU), so we headed out West for the day. Since NTU is pretty far west, it took us almost two hours to commute there via BMW (bus, metro, and walk). The NTU campus is a lot more “nature-y” than NUS; they have a lot more greenspace integrated into the campus landscape. The architecture of The Hive was very unique and had a lot of glass floor-to-ceiling window classrooms nestled in the alcoves of the building. There was also some foliage growing off the rounded balconies and vertical greenery. We also walked around the NTU Yunnan Garden and saw a lot of people picnicking in the pavilions and taking photos by the mini waterfall. NTU is also known to have a lot of wildlife like otters and monitor lizards roaming the campus, however, we did not encounter any. After visiting NTU we headed to the malls at Jurong East and did some shopping at IMM (outlet stores), Jem, Westgate, and JCube.
Deepavali
Intricate light displays adorned the streets of Little India for Deepavali. I learned that Deepavali was the Festival of Lights and celebrated the victory of good over evil. My friends and I went to the Indian Heritage Center to participate in the cultural activities and learn more about Deepavali. There was also a pop-up market in Little India that had a variety of vendors selling sweets, snacks, clothing, home goods, flowers, and accessories.
Agri-Food Tech Internship
After connecting with my high school’s alumni group in South East Asia, I gained an internship with GROW, a global agri-food tech accelerator. John, the Director of GROW and AgFunder, allowed me to intern with the company for Demo Week and the Inaugural Agri-Food Tech Expo Asia (AFTEA). During my internship I assisted with the AFTEA booth, AgFunder events, and the Grow Impact Accelerator (GIA) Cohort 3 demo day. Countries from all over the world showcased their innovative ideas at the Marina Bay Sands Convention Center. I spoke with other entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and investors about the mission and impact of GROW. Booths varied from vertical farming to diary-free ice cream grown from microflora. Throughout demo week, I met entrepreneurs from all over the world that created innovative businesses focused on sustainable systems and production. GIA Cohort 3 was an extremely diverse group with products ranging from mycelium-based goods such as animal-free leather and building materials from agricultural waste streams to yeast-based protein source made from industrial side streams that can be used as a functional ingredient to next-gen robotic solution for food packing. On the investment side, I helped with administrative duties for AgFunder and attend their first APAC Investment Report Launch.
Halloween
Some clubs or venues will host Halloween themed nights or show scary movies. However, local students shared that it is not as widely celebrated in Singapore and most people do not dress up. Halloween activities were hosted throughout the week prior and weekend leading up to Halloween. NUS halls may host Halloween events like a movie night or a Haunted House for residents to attend. Horror Nights at Universal is also popular amongst college students. My friend and I just bought light up bunny ears from Bugis and went to MBS for some Halloween festivities.
Singapore Explorations
· Bugis Street Shops
· National Gallery
· Central Business District (CBD)
· Kampong Glam
· Arab Street
· Duxton (restaurant area)
Notable Meals
· The Line @ Shangri La – Lunch Buffet
· Komala Vilas @ Serangoon Road – Rice Meal with Chappathi Poori, Plain Dosa, Vadai Set, Paneer Butter Masala, Masala Tea, and Mango Lassi
· Peranakan Inn & Lounge – Ikan Otak Otak, Assam Baby Squid, Pineapple Kerabu Salad, Kerpock, Ayam Buah Keluak, Sambal Sotong, Beef Rendang, Nonya Chap Chye, Beancurd Tempura, and Mango Pudding with Gula Melaka & Coconut Ice Cream
· Nine Fresh @ Frontier – Jellicious Cup
· The Coffee Roaster @ NUS AS8 – Acai Bowl
· Boost Juice – Strawberry Squeeze & Vita C Detox
· Grains & Co. – Salmon Quinoa Bowl with corn, radish sprouts, spinach, and boiled egg
· HeyTea @ Marina Bay Sands – Mango Coconut Shake
· Tim Ho Wan @ Marina Bay Sands – Shrimp Look Fun, Mushroom Look Fun, and Dan Tat
· Bacha Coffee @ Marina Bay Sands – Pistachio & Chocolate Coffee Croissant
· Adda @ Bugis – Irani Paneer Tikka, Naan, Mural's Biryani Dum Pot (Chiken), Mural's Butter Chicken Pot Pie, Tindle Sliders, Gulab Jamun Cheesecake, ADDA's Luv-A Cake, and Pineapple Breeze
· Nozomi @ Star Vista – Grilled Salmon Flakes with Ikura Claypot and Premium Sushi & Maki Platter
· Maxwell’s Food Centre – Tian Tian Hainanese Chicken Rice, Marina South Delicious Food, The Juice Stand Across of Tian Tian and Next to Marina South Delicious Food (yellow sign with Maxwell written on it), Xing Xing Ondeh Ondeh-Ondeh, Mr. Appam, and
· Nami Café @ NUS Innovation 4.0 – Nami Signature and Thai Iced Tea
