NUS Residential Life

Missed out on Taylor Swift’s Eras Tour tickets in March? Residents at Prince George’s Park (PGP) got to enjoy a night of fusion cultural performances that were just as exciting – if we may say so ourselves! Hosted by Pioneer House, performers from various interest groups of the three respective houses (Pioneer House, LightHouse and Helix House) came together on a Tuesday night to jam and dance the night away. Let’s hear from three performers about the preparation of the PGP Cultural Showcase and what the interest group experience at the houses is like!

Pioneer House 

For Rachel Ou (Year 4, Life Sciences), the Cultural Showcase was a huge learning experience. “I’m really happy with the performance we put up! It was also nice to see the process of our item coming together over the few months of preparing for the showcase! After all, it is a learning journey and a new experience for most of us,” she shared. As the dance captain of Pioneer House Dance, Rachel was also one of the choreographers and performers at the Cultural Showcase.  

Preparation for the Cultural Showcase did not come easy as Rachel had to come up with a storyline for her choreography. Despite the challenges, she found the preparation process amusing. “I think it was quite a funny process for me and my fellow choreographer. I really wanted to choreograph “Don’t Blame Me” by Taylor Swift, so we started from there. We then sat down to choose another song, and we ended up with “Ex-calling” by 6LACK because we liked the song,” she laughed. Combining both songs, they wrote a storyline of the dancers being desperate exes. The desperation was strikingly conveyed through their dance performance! 

Other than a storyline and choreography, Rachel also had to decide on the outfit theme with her team. “We were searching for flowy oversized shirts and ultimately decided on maroon and brown because we thought these colours could match each other and they seemed to tie in with our storyline as well. My fellow choreographer decided to name our item “red flags” from there,” she shared.  

Rachel (bottom row, first from left) performing “Ex Calling” by 6LACK and “Don’t Blame Me” by Taylor Swift with fellow Pioneer Dance performers. 

Pioneer Dance holds dance sessions once weekly, where short choreographies are taught. Instead of having open classes every week as usual, the interest group spent most of their sessions this semester preparing for the Cultural Showcase. Last semester, Pioneer Dance also spent much of their time preparing for their Halloween performance. The amount of effort, time and dedication poured by every performer into their performances is admirable! As part of Pioneer Dance, Rachel reflected, “I think the fun parts are getting to bond with the other members during our sessions and the show day itself!” 

LightHouse 

For Teh Chern (Year 1, Mathematics), the Cultural Showcase was a successful event. “The audio, the lighting, the decorations, everyone put in the effort to make it a success. We had so much fun performing on stage too,” he fondly recalled. In LightHouse, residents can join the band-jamming interest group Soundhouse to meet liked-minded peers and form their own bands within the interest group, and that was exactly what Chern did. Together with his band “Fortnite Skin Collection”, they played the last songs of the showcase, “Give Me Novacaine” and “She’s a Rebel” by Green Day.

When asked about the preparation for the event, Chern shared “We had more performers as ours was a collective performance where we switched performers for different songs. It wasn’t easy for everyone to get together to practise, but we managed to pull everything off during the actual showcase.” Soundhouse’s performance at the Cultural Showcase consisted of nine performers in total. 

Held two days before the actual event, the rehearsal had to coordinate nine bands and dance teams. With audio adjustments and sound checking coming into the picture, the rehearsal took almost half a day to complete. Despite the long hours, Chern noticed the tough job the event team had to take up. “Props to the event team who had to move and prepare all the heavy equipment during the rehearsal and the actual day itself,” Chern acknowledged. The famous Chinese proverb that says “Ten years of practice for one minute on stage” has never been truer! 

At Soundhouse, the band usually meets up once a week for around two hours to jam to songs that they are in the mood to play for the session. 

Chern (second row, second from left) with fellow Soundhouse performers Namit, Zhanhong, Kishan, Erwin, Roma, Alyssa, Letizia and Nicholas (in clockwise order).  

Helix House 

For Rachel Tan (Year 3, Electrical Engineering), the Cultural Showcase was an exceptional experience. “The experiences and bonds formed were priceless. The performance turned out great as well, with the audience hyping us up. It felt like our efforts paid off due to the great turnout rate and crowd response. It was also the first time performing for some of the Helix dancers, and they enjoyed this performance opportunity,” she shared.  

As Helix Dance Society’s Interest Group Leader, Rachel also choreographed part of the dance item and coordinated the dance practices and performance for the showcase. At the Cultural Showcase, the respective dance interest groups of Helix House and LightHouse came together to deliver a joint performance. 

Just like every other performer, Helix Dance Society practised for hours throughout the semester, even late into the night at times.  

Helix Dance Society mainly holds two sessions a week. On Tuesdays, they hold joint practice sessions with Lighthouse’s dance interest group. During these open class joint sessions, the regular members will teach various choreographies to the attendees. Apart from regular members, dance professionals occasionally teach choreographies during the open classes. With such variety of practice sessions, members can then explore more genres and eventually find their preferred dance styles.   

Rachel (front row, third from left) with her fellow Helix Dance Society Performers. 

What a night for the PGP residents! We hope that through this article, you managed to gain some insight into what the interest groups at the houses are like! Like the CCAs offered in Halls, the interest groups at PGP are just as active and diverse. With interest groups ranging from sports to crafts and ground-up initiatives, residents are spoilt for choice! Apart from the existing interest groups, residents can also start their own. In fact, all three houses have seen new interest groups formed just over the last year!  

Choosing a major in university may be one of the most significant decisions a student can make as they navigate their way through their academic journey. Shortlisting a handful of majors and ultimately deciding on one or two may seem like a big step in shaping your future career. Behind every faculty, major, and degree, there are bound to be unique trials and triumphs to be faced. Let’s hear from some of our fresh undergraduate students, who are also residents of the various hostels in NUS! 

Architecture (College of Design and Engineering) 

For new Architecture student Xing Huiying (Year 1), striking a work-life balance has proven to be difficult for her. From design projects to technical drawings and model-making, the Architecture programme is highly intensive. “Managing this amount of workload can be quite challenging for me, especially when balancing it with other commitments. I’m always struggling to manage my time effectively to meet deadlines and juggle multiple projects simultaneously,” she confessed. Considering the amount of work students from the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) must grapple with, it is no wonder that the stereotype of CDE students not getting sleep exists. 

While there may be inevitable struggles Huiying has to go through, there are also as many moments of joy as an Architecture student. “One such moment is when I see my hard work come to life. For architecture, we always have a final presentation for our projects. After countless hours of hard work, we present our design to our peers, tutors and professors. I feel a sense of pride and accomplishment after the presentation as all my hard work and dedication are finally paid off,” Huiying shared. All the blood, sweat and tears poured into Huiying’s numerous projects eventually culminated in joyful feelings! 

As a Helix House resident, Huiying has met a few fellow Architecture students to study in the lounge with, which in turn motivates her to study. The power of study buddies! Apart from having neighbours as her study buddies, staying on campus has made Huiying’s commute more convenient. “It helps to save a lot of time as I don’t have to travel all the way back to my house, which takes about an hour, so I’m able to spend more time on my project,” she shared. When necessary, Huiying also stays over the weekend to work on her projects.  

Huiying (second row, second from right) at her final project review  

A word of advice from Huiying to fellow Architecture students, and students considering majoring in Architecture: 

Pursue Architecture only if you have a genuine passion for it as it is a demanding and competitive field that requires dedication, perseverance, passion for design, as well as a strong mentality to deal with pressure. I do have friends and studio mates who are not interested in Architecture, but they chose it because they had “no choice”. Ultimately, they end up struggling a lot and plenty of them are considering changing majors. 

Political Science and Second Major in Philosophy (College of Humanities and Sciences/Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences) 

From struggling to keep up with weekly readings to entangling in disagreements, to receiving unexpected grades, Alisya Binte Mohamed (Year 1) has had her fair share of hurdles to cross. She elaborated, “It can seem like an exaggerated stereotype that students in the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASS) have to read 10,000 readings before the next week, but it can be true to some extent. Being a Political Science and Philosophy major means that I am bound to meet people from all walks of life, people with different ethos, values and ideologies. This can oftentimes mean major disagreements. I thought the Humanities were subjective, but sometimes I get a shock when I get a grade I least expected.” 

While having too many disagreements can pose a struggle to Alisya at times, she enjoys engaging in such discussions where various enlightening views are brought up. In order to propel the discussion further, Alisya jokingly mentioned that she enjoys playing devil’s advocate. On top of such discussions, Alisya enjoys seeing her learning bear fruit. “I’m happy when I get to apply a political or philosophical theory to real-life contexts. I know people can get tired of Political Science majors talking about politics, but when you realise that almost everything in life can be seen through a political lens, it’s so enlightening. This also means that I finally understand a concept,” she reflected.  

As a resident of Ridge View Residential College (RVRC), Alisya finds her hostel to be in a prime location. “Everything is a stone’s throw away, including my examination venues.” Despite being the only Political Science major in her friend group in RVRC, Alisya has no trouble studying with them. “Everyone is so willing to be my support system even when I have to write back-to-back 3000-word essays while they have to do their 3000-word report. It is also really convenient to chat about exam matters before an examination in my room,” she shared. 

Alisya (bottom row, first from left) with her RVRC friend group, celebrating one of their birthdays in RVRC. 

A word of advice from Alisya to fellow FASS majors: 

No opinion is wrong (unless you haven’t read the required readings before class), so speak up! That’s how you get to learn.  

Data Science and Analytics (College of Humanities and Sciences/Faculty of Science) 

As a fresh Data Science and Analytics major, Chaemin Lee (Year 1) has never learned coding before. This intensified her academic difficulty in the beginning. “Taking both R and Python courses in semester one was quite a task for me,” she shared. Indeed, coding is never easy, especially for a beginner! 

While Chaemin had to overcome her struggle with coding, which makes up a huge bulk of her major, she fondly remembers a success story, “I once came up with a solution for a CS1010S assignment after spending 8 hours on it.” What a feat – considering the amount of pain, perseverance and patience Chaemin must have had in order to successfully complete her assignment, despite the difficulties she faced throughout those 8 hours!.   

To Chaemin, staying on campus makes going to classes extremely convenient for her. “Lecture theatres and tutorial rooms are very close so I can spend more time studying,” she noted. Chaemin is a resident of UTown Residence, which is located in the heart of UTown. 

Medicine (Yong Loo Lin School of Medicine) 

Widely known as a highly demanding course, Adele Lim’s (Year 2) experience is testament to this sentiment. Apart from the academic stress that comes with being a medical student, having to balance life outside of school can be difficult for Adele at times. “Given the pretty high workload of my course and the huge amount of content to cover, there is quite a bit of academic stress especially nearing the examination period. With the relatively heavy schedule of lectures daily, there is also the challenge of being able to balance my time between school and other aspects of my life, such as playing sports or hanging out with my friends,” she shared. 

Despite the inevitable academic demands, Adele finds joy in putting her learning to use. “There are allocated sessions where we are attached to hospitals to practice our physical examination skills. To be able to successfully complete an examination on patients, who are extremely patient with us, and interact with them brings me small moments of joy. I also think that being able to witness how our learning from lectures translates to real-life conditions patients face puts things into perspective and reinforces the relevance of what we’re learning now.”  

Although it is well known that staying in Hall requires one to be actively involved in its activities, and that most medical students choose not to stay in Hall, Adele has stayed at King Edward VII (KEVII) Hall as a Year 1 student. As KEVII Hall is located near the Medicine+Science Library and the Medicine buildings, Adele has managed to get essential extra sleep since it only takes around 10 minutes to travel to class. She has also managed to study in the library with her friends till late since their hostel is within walking distance. Adele highlighted, “More importantly, staying on campus with friends also has its perks. We can hang out in the wee hours and take study breaks together. Having a good support system has been essential in making sure that I don’t get burnt out during the school term. The occasional welfare provided by Hall was also nice. It acted as a morale booster to me.” 

Adele (bottom row, first from left) making a meal with her friends at KEVII Hall. 

A word of advice from Adele to fellow medical students: 

There will be some compromises that will have to be made along the way, but it is a process of learning how to prioritise different things at different points in time. I think it’s always important to have balance! To have a life beyond school with interests that keeps you going and connections that bring joy. School might be tough, but we are tougher!   

Living-learning ecosystems are found in many universities across the world, and are increasingly adopted by more and more universities. What sets them apart from traditional university housing is that the student communities at these hostels take part in academic and/or extracurricular pursuits, formed around a specific theme, outside of their core disciplinary studies. They are credited with providing a more holistic university experience that combines technical knowledge with real-life experiences and skills. The Residential College (RC) programme in NUS, too, was implemented with this objective in mind. Offering four residential housing options, the NUS RC programme infuses the best practices from overseas living-and-learning programmes with a Singaporean flavour. Read on as we explore the different RCs in NUS and what they have to offer! 

College of Alice & Peter Tan  

The College of Alice & Peter Tan was previously known as the Angsana College, named after the Singaporean heritage tree of the same name. The Angsana tree still features on the RC’s crest, symbolic of the RC’s commitment to nurturing many talents and qualities, much like the Angsana tree’s role in sheltering and nurturing various life forms.  

College of Alice & Peter Tan, or CAPT for short, is located within the University Town complex. With its characteristic maroon and golden crest, this residential college is designed around the themes of active citizenship and community engagement. There are various approaches to reaching out to communities. You could choose to go the charity route, which focuses on one-way giving back to the less-privileged groups or the service-learning model, where you provide a service to a community and analyse their needs through the experience. “At CAPT, however, we place a strong emphasis on a community engagement model. You are engaging with the community deeply to learn what their assets and strengths are,” explained Dr. Kankana Mukhopadhyay, Senior Lecturer and Resident Fellow at CAPT. “The vocabulary is very consciously incorporated in all aspects of classroom and out of classroom learning. We are not here to serve, help or raise funds. Students are encouraged to build a critical consciousness of what active citizenship means by engaging with marginalised communities. Where are my privileges and what are my responsibilities: these are the kind of questions we want students to ask themselves.” 

Dr. Kankana, who joined the college in 2014, describes the student community as being hardworking and creative. “I have no hesitation in saying that the culture of CAPT is strongly shaped by our students,” the proud CAPTain shared. For her, CAPT is a place for students to be bold and outgoing with their ideas, even if they fail and have to try again. “It’s been as much of a learning experience for me as it has been for the students.”  

Undergraduate life is definitely a very precious time in a student’s life as they transition into adulthood. There is a lot of unlearning and re-learning involved in the process. “Tertiary education goes beyond just being trained in your discipline. This education is about being able to critically question and process complexities,” Dr. Kankana said. She encourages all students to consider what they would like to get out of their time as an undergraduate in NUS and make a choice that aligns with their values! 

Dr. Kankana catching up with CAPT alumni. 

(Credits: CAPT Alumni) 

CAPTains on a study trip to Nepal.
(Credits: CAPT STEER Nepal 2023 Photography and Videography Team) 

RC4 

An ORCA is the mascot of RC4, the youngest residential college in UTown. The name stems from “One RC4”. ORCA stands for Open, Respectful, Caring, and Appreciative, reflecting the values of RC4. 

Small systems, big hearts: so goes the tagline of RC4. Located within UTown, RC4 has two focal themes: systems thinking and more recently, entrepreneurship. From its beginnings at MIT in the 1950s, systems thinking is about zooming out of looking at a problem as a lone-standing issue and considering the processes that influence and inform the problem at hand. While traditionally taught in Engineering departments, RC4 takes the systems thinking approach to every problem and discipline we face. “My studies aren’t going so well. So you think the solution is to stay up late and catch up on work. But what happens as an after-effect? You are more tired and stressed out leading to weaker grades,” Dr. Lynette Tan, Director of Studies at RC4, explained through a very simplified example. “The idea is that a single action can have long lasting repercussions and must not be seen in isolation. At the basic level, it is a concept that can be applied to every field,” she added on.  

A newer area of interest for the RC4 community, following its focus on systems thinking, has been on Technology, Innovation and Enterprise. The residential college is headed towards encouraging entrepreneurial efforts by students guided by a systems thinking approach in the coming years. Recently, RC4 launched two new courses emphasizing community engagement through systems thinking, facilitating social cohesion among Singapore’s aging population by involving RC4 undergraduates, seniors from Active Ageing centers, and secondary school youth in an intergenerational and tri-generational co-creation. 

“The students at RC4 are warm, welcoming and keen to learn new things,” Dr. Lynette, who has been involved with the college since its beginnings, reflected. “When you come into RC4, you have the opportunity to be and to grow into the person you want to be. Whatever the cohort is, that’s the direction that RC4 takes,” she shared on the student culture at RC4.  

The most important quality to become an RC4 resident is a growth mindset. You must be willing to learn, fail, and try again. “We want to see that you can fall and then pick yourself back up,” Dr. Lynette said. It goes without saying that every residential college experience also has a focus on community building. “Character builds community. We hope to see students have a good heart, take an interest in the world and are willing to contribute at RC4.”  

Dr. Lynette Tan and students from RC4 during Inter-College Games (2019) when Dr. Lynette ran alongside the residents! 

Sweet moments from a baking session led by Dr. Lynette where she teaches students how to bake brownies, pizza, and pineapple tarts.  

Ridge View Residential College  

RVRC is otherwise known as the “College in Nature”, being surrounded by lush greenery with an emphasis on sustainability stewardship.  

Ridge View Residential College, often shortened to RVRC, is the only residential college located outside of UTown. With its focus on sustainability and workplace readiness, RVRC has nurtured many cohorts of conscious students. At RVRC, sustainability is seen as a holistic connector with not just environmental but also economic, social and cultural significance. Dr. Corinne Ong, Director of Studies and Senior Lecturer at the college shared, “While the formal curriculum under the college is important, we are always thinking about the informal curriculum too. How do we connect the students who live in RVRC to learning beyond the classroom and beyond coursework?.” She continued, “This is where activities that fall outside conventional class timings come into play: whether it is a walk that has a charitable or environmental cause or other outdoor learning opportunities like interacting with our industry partners in Let’s Talk dialogues or industry visits themed on sustainability or workplace readiness, organised by College Fellows.” 

Dr. Corinne noted that students at RVRC are driven and passionate towards the cause of the college, “Even with a lot on their plates, students step up to take up service positions, committee roles or engage in interest groups. These are all very vital to forming a strong community at the college.” Living in a community means that incoming students play a role in nurturing one another and contributing to the development and growth of their fellow  RC residents. By taking on leadership roles and proactively taking part in RVRC initiatives, the students co-create a vibrant student-led community.  

If you are considering applying to an RC, Dr. Corinne advised that students ask themselves whether they are willing to live with, contribute, to, and develop themselves through a community that is passionate towards sustainability and workplace readiness causes. With its focus on experiential and outdoor learning, this residential college welcomes all with passion, drive, and grit.  

Word is that RVRC student leader trainings take place against the backdrop of Marina Bay! 

RVRC’s Intertidal Walk and Clean initiative at Pulau Semakau 

Tembusu College 

Tembusu College was the pioneering Residential College in NUS which started off with a pilot project of just 51 students. 

It all started with Tembusu College. Back in 2010, a pilot programme consisting of just 51 students housed in Prince George’s Park Residences marked the humble yet promising beginnings of the Residential College programme at NUS. Almost 14 years later, Tembusu College is now a thriving residential college located in UTown. “We did not theme our RC definitively. Instead, our programmes and the courses we offer take a strong interdisciplinary approach across a broad spectrum of interests,” shared Dr. Kuan Yee Han, Senior Lecturer at Tembusu College. Dubbed ‘The Home of Possibilities’, Tembusu values the development of each student according to his or her own path through life. From offering courses that explore the intersections between science and technology to out of classroom learning  programmes such as the Urban Farmers, Tembusu College strives to ensure that all residents are afforded an interdisciplinary experience.  

Central to the Tembusu experience has been the student community and their involvement with the college. “The student life experience has really evolved through every batch that has come into our college,” shared Dr. Yee Han. The rule of thumb, as Dr. Yee Han put it, is “don’t do nothing”. Tembusu offers various platforms for students to engage themselves in from pursuing their passions while also supporting them at it. The possibilities are endless in this home of possibilities if you are willing to step out of your comfort zone just a little. Although no longer residing in Tembusu College, Dr. Yee Han occasionally still visits the dining hall for a meal, “The best part about Tembusu for me is really the small informal interactions I have with the students outside the classroom. It’s always good to hear about what the students are learning and experiencing.” 

“I would encourage incoming students to come with an open mind and curiosity to learn. You will encounter new ideas and alternate ways of thinking. RCs are a great avenue to make lifelong friends and interact closely with professors in small-classroom settings,” Dr. Yee Han, who has been with Tembusu College since his graduate student days, added on. The curated and holistic educational experience offered by Tembusu is truly what makes it stand out. 

 A snap from Tembusu’s formal dinner 

 Tembusu Art Week features performances in the lobby by resident artists at the college! 

Kurt Hahn, devoted German educationalist, believed that “there exists in everyone a grand passion, an outlandish thirst for adventure, a desire to live boldly and vividly in the journey through life” and that “this passion must be embraced in wholesome ways”. In a way, this is what the Residential Colleges of NUS set out to do for every student who walks in through their doors. If you are a student looking to explore big, bold ideas and truly understand communal living, Residential Colleges are truly for you. We hope to catch you there soon 😉! 

Psst! Wondering why NUS College isn’t here? NUSC is an honours college with residential components, with students having access to more than 50 majors, minors, specialisations and other programmes, as well as facilities and opportunities across the University. While also having the word ‘college’ in its name, its nature is closer to a faculty. More on NUSC here.