Kirsten joined Warwick in September 2021 as our fifth Singapore Trust scholar. Follow her blog below to find out how she's getting on.

Autumn 2022:

After the chaos of teaching in South Africa, it was oddly bittersweet to be a student again. Initially, I struggled with – for lack of better words – object permanence and feeling completely removed from the world I was immersed in just a couple weeks before. It still isn’t easy amidst the busyness of university. But I like to think that by sparking conversations about my experience, I’ve been able to find a sense of resolution and continuity.

On the sweeter side, the start of a new academic year also meant reconnecting with friends who had returned home for summer.

Meeting up with my first-year flatmates at the Dirty Duck – it was so much fun to hear about everyone’s eventful summer break. Andra (bottom left) even brought us all gifts from Thailand!

Particularly exciting was moving into an off-campus accommodation with friends! Maybe it sounds a little strange to the everyday university student, but moving in with friends is pretty uncommon in Singapore, and as much fun as it was to live on campus last year, I was ready to have a bit more peace and quiet. I felt like a whole adult, discussing bills, shared household items, and drawing up a rota for chores. We even discussed having fortnightly house dinners (spoiler alert, we might have been a little too optimistic) and so began the year on a very positive note.

Meet Shu, Isabel, Ploy and Ryan – my housemates – as we eat hotpot in the increasing cold weather (omnomnom)!

I later found out that many friends lived nearby! It was the best of both worlds, and, of course, in the most ‘jakun’ (an informal Malay word to describe a fascination with seemingly ordinary things) – as my mum would describe – fashion, I hopped around for various house tours.

Our house also managed to take a mini weekend trip to Lake District with Shu’s parents (thank you auntie and uncle for driving!). We visited Windermere, Ambleside, and Grasmere, all of which are so quaint. It was a nice change of scenery, but also a welcome bonding moment for our household. Associated with only happy memories, I now always think of Lake District as a peaceful place.

Kayaking on Lake Windermere! It was really chilly and began to rain, but we saw the most beautiful double rainbow (unfortunately, only one is captured here) which made up for it all.  

I was warned that the jump from first to second year was pretty large.

So, I tried to take the first term a little easy and focus on enjoying my modules. I decided to pursue the Biological Sciences pathway of my degree (as opposed to Ecology), taking modules like Molecular Cell Biology and Immunology. For Global Sustainable Development (GSD), I decided to take ‘Security, Sovereignty and Sustainability in the Global Food System’, ‘Surviving the Apocalypse’, and ‘Good Governance and Sustainable Development’. I felt that the food module would be a good continuation of my interests in first year and my research internship with Professor Moya Kneafsey at Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology, Water, and Resilience.

Interestingly, Ploy had brought back bamboo caterpillars from Thailand for us to try, which gave me a new flavour to considerations of insects as an alternative protein source.

Delicious! A pretty low-quality photo, but fried bamboo caterpillars are surprisingly yummy if you can get past what they look like!

And soon enough, I also resumed the same responsibilities as the year before: a student fundraiser, a scholar ambassador, and a representative on the student-staff liaison committee for GSD. Though the roles were the same, each continued to bring new experiences and unique conversations into my life. For one, I hosted a campus tour for Asad Jumabhoy, and very much enjoyed hearing his insight about choosing careers and pursuing one’s passions.

Additionally, I became a GSD mentor! While not academic in nature, the peer mentorship system acts as a support network for first-year students. Though I didn’t have a mentor myself, I recalled how overwhelmed I felt during my transition to university and thought it might be comforting to share my experience. I was allocated two first-year students, with one being a Life Sciences and GSD student too – I’m happy to report that I’ve gotten on really well with them, and have thoroughly enjoyed being a mentor 😊

Academics and work aside, I found time to capitalise on the activities and workshops held at Warwick. For example, I got free tickets to see Maxim Vengerov on tour with the Brasov Philharmonic at the Warwick Arts Centre. Now, I don’t know much about strings nor orchestra, but I can confirm that my friends who play the violin were very jealous, and I genuinely found myself appreciating the music. More up my alley, however, was the print making workshop where we got to carve our own patterns onto lino – all I remember was giggling about my inability to carve a continuous line, but I like to think that my print still turned out wonderful!

 

The prints made by my friends and me, now proudly displayed on our respective fridges. Guess which one I made!

As the term drew to a close, so came the time to take a little break. This time, I visited Italy – Verona and Florence – and Southern Spain – Seville, Granada, Cordoba, Malaga. Both countries were absolutely incredible, but I’m tempted to say that I preferred the warmth of Southern Spain to the cold of Northeastern Italy after months of cold in the UK. The Alhambra in Granada and Mosque-Cathedral (Mezquita de Cordoba) also took my breath away, being so spectacular yet unlike anything I’ve seen before.

The view of Verona from Piazzale Castel San Pietro – I must admit that I chose this photo mainly because this was our only sunny day that we got while in Italy!

The Mosque-Cathedral, truly a unique sight. It’s a little dark, but that’s because we visited it for free about an hour before it opened (a top tip, if I might say so myself).

Term break also gave us an opportunity to catch up with everyone once again, and we managed to organise a Warwick in Africa Reunion with the rest of the Limpopo team. With us being in different year groups (and some even having graduated), it was interesting to reflect on how much everything has changed since volunteering in South Africa. Max, one of the graduates, had been inspired to joint Teach First, and I loved hearing about how Warwick in Africa had impacted his career goals.

The WiA Limpopo team reunites in Leamington Spa for Christmas Break! Alex (far left) made us all aprons using cloth from Limpopo as Christmas presents 🥹🥹

In all, I guess that Autumn was a pretty peaceful and wholesome term, yet perhaps one I welcomed in being a bit of a breather from the chaos of summer. Till next time then!

Summer Break: Warwick in Africa!

Admittedly, it has taken me some time to start this entry – I find it hard to capture the entirely of my growth and emotions in writing. I now try to do it justice, penning down not just my experience, but also my reflections and how it continues to stay with me day-to-day.

To begin, perhaps I should explain that Warwick in Africa (WiA) is a programme which aims to improve the quality of education in sub-Saharan Africa through engagement with school teachers and Warwick students. From day one, its model intrigued me: it emphasises an ongoing partnership with its schools rather than a one-off volunteering programme and actively seeks feedback and improvement to enable sustainability. (Perhaps this link might give you a better idea: https://warwick.ac.uk/giving/projects/wia/)

I then attended a WiA seminar hosted by Claire Bennett on Learning Service which dissected some of the issues and mindsets associated with volunteer tourism, to which WiA’s programme director, Marianne Davis, raised a question about how WiA could improve in its engagement with local communities. The commitment to valuable service cemented my interest in the programme and, combined with my will for sustainable development, I found myself applying for it with a mixture of nervousness, excitement, and hopefulness.

Soon enough, I was presented with the surreal opportunity to volunteer as an English teacher in Mpumalanga, South Africa. So began my journey as a WiA volunteer, and along with it, many daunting firsts, from fundraising to preparing to teach to actually teaching and managing classes in South Africa.

Fundraising and Preparing to Teach

Though a student fundraiser, raising £1000 towards the development of WiA without contacts was a daunting task. This meant trying different avenues to raise awareness about WiA – bake sales, family and friends, bucket collections, even cold emailing charities and educational companies. Not everything worked well, but I learnt that personal networks often had the most success.

I also acknowledge that these successes mine alone, but a manifestation of everyone’s compassion. I now remember with fondness the rush of setting up various bake sales at the Catholic Churches around the university. The respond was often much better than anticipated: at the Church of The Precious Blood and All Souls, we had run out of baked goods by the morning and found ourselves frantically using the church’s small kitchen to bake fresh batches of quiche. I also enjoyed the camaraderie of my fellow volunteers as we stood in Coventry City Centre to collect donations or attempted to sell polaroid pictures during graduation. I even chanced upon an excited alumnus of Warwick at TutorHouse, who positively responded to my ask to support WiA!

Featuring some of the sweet treats that I baked and the posters I designed alongside a volunteer from the Limpopo team to raise awareness around Warwick in Africa. I’m immensely grateful and warmed by the incredible support we received from our student and church communities around Coventry :”)

Next came the task of learning to teach, where we practised classroom management and teaching techniques over a week of intensive training sessions. At times, we were split into our subject areas (Maths or English) and put into a classroom setting: I felt like a high school student once again, attempting a range of language-related activities from spelling to slow writing. The only difference was that we now analysed the impact of each activity on learning and reflected how to share our own experiences of learning.

I also leave you with a question that I still struggle with, that being the differentiation within a class: with so many levels of proficiency within one classroom, how can you reach everyone?

Acorn to Oaks High School, Mpumalanga, South Africa

Two flights later and an eight-hour car ride later, it was finally time to assume the role of a volunteer teacher. As I walked to school that first day, a million thoughts ran through my head: How would the teachers and learners react to us being there? Would they respect each? What if I wasn’t sufficiently prepared for this?

Yet, my nerves were very soon eased by the incredible love that the learners and teachers at Acorn to Oaks High School showed us. Elsie, our lead English teacher, had prepared a welcome for us with her classes. 10LG drew for us and wrote ‘I love you’ in all 11 national languages of South Africa. 10NK wrote a speech. 10E welcomed us with a traditional song. 10N crafted us a poem. Overwhelmed with emotion, I knew then that Warwick in Africa would have an immense impact on me, and that I wanted to give my all to the programme, regardless of how difficult it might be.

Alongside Elsie and a fellow volunteer, I taught four Grade 10 classes of approximately 50 learners every day. In this, I truly saw the co-teaching model take shape: we would plan a week’s worth of lessons every Wednesday afternoon, each giving suggestions for content and style of delivery. We collaborated to ensure continuity between lessons, linking old concepts to new ideas and contexts, and often filled in the gaps for one another. For instance, when teaching new vocabulary, we would use synonyms to capture meaning. If the connotation couldn’t fully be captured by such synonyms, Elsie would then briefly explain it in Tsonga.

Lucy, our Maths lead teacher, even showed us lesson plans made by previous volunteers and expressed how much their ideas had helped the learners – though teaching in such an unfamiliar context could be extremely draining, moments like these truly made it worthwhile.

Though my phone is now flooded with pictures of and with learners from Acorn to Oaks, these pictures were the very first! Looking back on these initial experiences, I am filled with a feeling that I can only describe as a warm embrace.

Teaching aside, I loved how culture- and student-focused the school was and admired each teacher’s strong dedication to making learning enjoyable. While we were there, they held a school-wide ‘Vintage Day’ – the learners came dressed in vintage clothing, and the afternoon was set aside for them to sing and dance to their traditional songs. I recall being pulled right into the centre of their dance circle, struck with amazement at visible sense of community between learners and teachers alike. My heart pounded, not understanding a single word, yet a feeling of warmth enveloped me. It is a moment I will never forget, and always wish I could explain ever so slightly better.

Our teachers were so excited to share their places, cultures and food with us – they accompanied us to Bourke Luck’s potholes, where they cooked us braai (a South African barbeque). Elsie also taught us to cook pab (a type of corn meal), and, Lucy let us meet her newborn baby! Mpumalanga is also home to one of the gates to Kruger National Park, so, let’s just say that we lucked out from Mpumalanga’s people to its places, and let the pictures do the talking:

Scenes from the Panorama route, including the spectacular Blyde River Canyon.

Some of my favourite pictures from Kruger National Park, including the rare black rhino (there are only about 300 in the entire park!).

Four weeks in, however, due to some complications, I moved to Ratshikwekwete Secondary School in Limpopo – the only volunteer English teacher there had to fly back, hence the move made sense. Though it was sad to say goodbye sooner than planned, the learners bade me farewell even more warmly than I was welcomed. I leave this section with a stanza from the poem 10 N wrote for me:

“We could ask you again, don’t leave because you have a

Whole home in our hearts and a place to sleep.

You can stay, you will be happy.”

Many thanks to everyone who took such good care of me in Mpumalanga, from Conservation South Africa to the teachers, learners, and principal at Acorn to Oaks. Unfortunately, I’ve lost the photo with Mr Rama (our principal), but I do want the emphasise the amazing hospitality that he showed us J

Ratshikwekwete Secondary School, Limpopo, South Africa

Starting over at Ratshikwekwete Secondary School is what I can only explain as pure, unfiltered chaos. Each grade had two classes – A and B – yet, on my first day, both classes had to be combined into one classroom to make space for the Grade 12 mock exams. I laughed in shock as the learners from 8A came running into 8B amidst my introduction, not quite processing the sudden increase in class sizes. The collaborative spirit at Acorn to Oaks High School was largely absent – many teachers seemingly saw us a replacements, and it was evident that the learners did not respect us once the novelty had worn off. Coupled with the wide differentiation in language ability, poor ventilation, and wet heat of Limpopo, classroom management became significantly more challenging.

Pictures from Ratshikwekwete High School!

Soon enough, I was teaching Grades 8, 9 and 11.

I decided to set up weekly team challenges to keep the learners engaged and tried to work on learning mindsets. During free periods, I’d teach them simple mandarin characters, or have conversations with them about Singapore and the UK. In turn, they taught me Tshivenda. Now, I reminisce how my most successful bid for attention was uttering ‘makwanda’, or ‘chicken feet’ in Tshivenda, and fall in love all over again as I read through the notes they gave me when I asked them to write a fun fact about themselves. This way, I learnt to manage uncertainty – not through special techniques, but sincerity and laughter.

I also realised that the learners thought that respect came with age. By asking the teachers to support us with classroom management, they started to observe our lessons and became interested in the way we taught. Chatting in the staff room with the Grade 8 teacher, Ma’am Mulaudzi, I gained a new perspective. Her life was shaped by the Apartheid; she had to give up on her dream of becoming a nurse and instead trained to become a teacher as it was cheaper. Despite not being her dream job, she now enjoys teaching – she began looking forward to lesson planning with me, and often asked for copies of the notes that I had made for the learners. It was a start, at least!

The Limpopo team lived at the University of Venda, which became an experience in itself. Intrigued by our presence, university students often knocked on our doors to spark conversations. Each day would not be complete without Bianca, who lovingly called me her “shorty”, and lent us her traditional Zulu skirts to wear to school.

 

Miscellaneous activities in Limpopo, including wandering around Limpopo with Bianca and giving motivational speeches to other schools in Limpopo.

We also managed to do a couple of bucket list activities together, including The Big Swing at Graskop Gorge and a 7km colour run in Limpopo.

It is easy to talk about how much volunteering has enriched my life. But, having the unique position of being in two different schools and locations, I find it even harder to measure my impact as a volunteer. At the very least, I say with confidence that our presence opened the eyes of learners to a world much bigger than just South Africa, and I am hopeful that we have planted seeds in our partner schools which will grow alongside Warwick in Africa. It is difficult to not feel disconnected now, but I will continue to share my experiences and keep them close to me always.

Spring Term 2022 Update:

To put it simply, this spring term was the epitome of ‘every cloud has its silver lining’. A fever dream of unfathomable events, but also full of precious moments which have reinforced how loved I am, despite being miles away from home.

For starters, I was hit by a car on 30^th January 2022. Exactly two weeks later, my friend was hit by a car too. So, I’m sure you can understand why this term was a little confusing for me. But all things considered, we were extremely fortunate as we did not sustain any serious injuries. We also received overwhelming support from kind strangers, our respective academic departments, and the university.

I met the loveliest paramedics who calmed my nerves – it was like a mini biology lesson for me, and they even allowed me to take a picture in the ambulance! Hope this is everyone’s reminder to take road safety seriously.

While I made light of the situation to reassure my friends and family (and in hindsight, myself as well), it was – without a doubt – one of the most terrifying experiences of my life. A million thoughts still run through my head, with the most prominent being “what if the car were going faster?”. Being so far from the comfort of home didn’t help either, but somehow, I got lucky with the friends like family. I have no words to express the gratitude I feel towards them for their never-ending love and support: from missing lectures to accompany me to the hospital, to cooking my meals for a week, I know I am blessed beyond measure to have a home away from home ❤️.

Accidents aside, the spring term coincided with Chinese New Year. While it was sad to be away from home during a festival so heavily associated with family, I was able to celebrate it with my flatmates and friends instead. This presented the unique opportunity to experience my culture in new ways – for instance, it was my first time making dumplings from scratch (with the help of Warwick Present’s free dumpling kit 🥟). They weren’t very pretty, but it was fun nonetheless. We also shared the Singaporean and Malaysian tradition of tossing ‘yusheng’¹ with our international friends; a dish accompanied with joyful exclamations of well wishes for prosperity and good luck in the year ahead.

Three hotpot dinners, two yushengs, and one dumpling making session later – it was truly a unique Chinese New Year. We even made our own yusheng to represent the year of the tiger, though it was incomparable to the ones from home.

You will also be glad to know that the rest of the term ran smoothly. We had finally returned to in-person lectures – which I admit, I was embarrassingly excited about – and I welcomed the normalcy of school life after such an eventful start to the term. My modules brought engaging but challenging material, with relevant assessments that enriched my understanding of how the world works. For instance, Environmental Principles of GSD challenged us to integrate scientific knowledge with social and economic perspectives, while considering its accessibility to policymakers through a policy briefing. As a Life Sciences and GSD student, this assessment was a good representation of what I hope to achieve with this unconventional degree. I also presented my very first poster in the atrium of the Interdisciplinary Biomedical Research Building (IBRB). I never thought I’d say this, but seeing the whole cohort’s posters printed in A0 really had my heart pumping with excitement – maybe it was the exchange of knowledge taking place there, or seeing the product of our passion and hard work? My group’s poster (titled Bugs as Drugs: Microbial Therapies) was even selected as one of the top ten posters!

Some of my favourite memories of the term: A secondary school friend visiting Coventry, spending my 21^st birthday with close friends, a day trip to Nottingham, MNight and ‘The Legend of the Nasi Lemak’ – I could go on, but then this post would never end!

Along with a couple friends from GSD, I also submitted an entry for the OxFID Global Youth Challenge. This year’s prompt was “How can human rights education be implemented and enhanced by, for, and with youth and young people?”. As a team of Asians (from Indonesia, China, and Singapore), we first considered our own contexts and experiences, and eventually developed ‘The Pluriversal Human Rights Education Design’: a framework for decolonisation, active learning, and community involvement to better represent the nuances of one’s human rights experience, especially in Asia Pacific. Our team was shortlisted as one of the top ten teams (from over 400 submissions!), and we got to present our framework during a live presentation round. While the final results have not yet been announced, it was empowering and inspiring to partake in the passion and visions of the youth of today.

The product of all our hard work, from the draft stage to final presentation slides! What an honour it was to work together with a team of students who were so committed to the competition, often taking time out of their busy schedules to develop ideas and further our understanding through research.

The term ended on a high as I was selected for Warwick in Africa, a 6-week volunteering programme over summer in South Africa, Ghana or Tanzania. But that experience needs its own blog post, so more on that later!

After a wholesome hot cocoa night with my flatmates, Easter Break began and came with its own kind of craziness: lots of studying, a week of COVID-19, and the most amazing trip to Austria and Netherlands. This round, a close friend from Singapore came up to the UK, and from there we visited Austria and Netherlands together. And I must say, I think I left my heart in Austria. Its natural beauty soothed my soul, inviting much needed feelings of peace and serenity: the mountains enveloping Lake Hallstatt, shrouded by mist, and the reminder that the world is so much bigger than me.

How special it was to share these moments with a friend of nine years, reminiscing about our past while reflecting on how much we have grown together. I do recommend that everyone visits Austria one day – it is truly breathtaking!

Carrying this peace in my heart, I am more than ready to take on the stress of exam season in the summer term. I can only hope that the next term will be kind to me. But being immersed in such a supportive environment here at Warwick, I’m sure that it’ll be nothing short of amazing yet again ☺️. (Plus, surely good luck will come my way after the bad luck of this term?)

Summer Term 2022:

Contrary to the enthusiasm and anticipation that came with the start of the Autumn and Spring term, Summer term brought a wave of worry and stress. Examinations loomed over our heads, and for me, the submissions felt relentless. So, as boring as it sounds, I spent the majority of my time writing essays, reading academic papers, and studying for my examinations.

Amidst this, I continued work as a student fundraiser. While I'd always describe it as exciting due to the interesting conversations that I share with our alumni, this campaign was especially exciting as it began with Giving Day – a 36-hour fundraising challenge that brings together the entire Warwick community to support the university’s charitable initiatives. Lauren, my supervisor, also offered me the chance to share my story via a multi-channel campaign, and I do hope that my voice gave more colour to the campaign! I once again take this opportunity to echo my thanks to everyone who has supported me on my journey thus far: thank you for recognising potential in me that I had not seen in myself, and for giving me the confidence to dream again.

Through Giving Day and the subsequent telephone campaign, we were able to reconnect with many of our alumni. So many were motivated by the generosity of others, and we managed to raise a total of £172,621!

The final product of my giving day interviews! It was pretty strange to see my face on the big screen in the piazza, but it truly was so special to be part of something so much bigger than myself ☺️.

On the other hand, the post-exam period was bittersweet. The end of exams meant the freedom to try new things and enjoy our youth again, with celebratory events such as Inflatable Day and an end-of-year barbecue at Westwood, complete with sumo suits and various other games. At the same time, the end of the academic year also meant that we’d all be separating for summer and leaving campus-let accommodation for good. My flatmates are some of my closest friends at Warwick, and though I’m positive that this friendship will remain close to our hearts for years to come, it was pretty sad to leave the space in which we had shared such precious memories together.

A friend from Singapore also took a holiday to the UK, and we visited Oxford together (A new city, unlocked!). I even attempted to make butterfly fritters, a popular sesame seed fried bun in Singapore. I’d say it was a pass, but they looked more like chromosomes than butterflies. Whoops!

Due to my volunteering with Warwick in Africa from 31^st July to 11^th September (once again, more on that in another blog post!), I made the difficult decision to stay in the UK for summer. This was in part so that I could fulfill my fundraising commitments to the volunteering programme.

Admittedly, I had expected to feel homesick and a little lonely, but July was surprisingly eventful!

For one, I attended a networking reception for global partner scholars, organised to welcome the international scholars studying at Warwick. Though I was nervous for my first networking event, I met such inspiring people whom I now call my friends 😌. The diversity of backgrounds and experiences in the room made for interesting conversations, and it was truly fascinating to learn about everyone’s dreams for the future. For instance, one scholar shared her ambitions to become a crisis counsellor in India, motivated by the ignorance of young girls’ plights there. Odoso – a GREAT scholar from Ghana – even invited us to her 26^th birthday party the next day! Her love for song and dance stood out to me, giving me insight into a culture so unlike that of Singapore and the UK.

Though most of these friends have now graduated from Warwick, they have assured me that they will always be my older sisters here in the UK ❤️

Warwick in Africa commitments aside, the rest of my July was spent furthering my interests in food systems-related research. The past year has been a journey of independent learning about the global food system, prompted by a lecture on food during term one’s ‘Social Principles of GSD’. It is such a multifaceted issue: food is not only a basic human need (and right!), but also a cultural symbol, and an aspect of human identity. Yet, our global food system remains largely unsustainable – for instance, it produces about a third of the world’s greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, the sad reality is that more than enough food is produced to feed the world’s population, but 811 million are still undernourished ☹️. Thus, I decided to take my interest one step further and reached out to Professor Moya Kneafsey, an academic at Coventry University’s Centre for Agroecology, Water, and Resilience. Despite my short-term requirements due to Warwick in Africa, Professor Moya supported my endeavours fully! I was able to work briefly on the COACH project, a 3-year EU funded project focusing on fostering collaboration among stakeholders, with an emphasis on small-holders and territorial food systems. I mainly worked on putting together an annotated bibliography on the themes of food procurement from small-scale farmers, dynamic procurement systems, and territorial food systems. Through this, I gained a better understanding of the breadth of existing research and current limitations, as well as alternative food paradigms. It was fascinating to explore the food system from a different lens, and extremely helpful to have the guidance of academics in the field – perhaps I’ll continue this internship alongside school next year?

The Centre for Agroecology, Water, and Resilience is located at Ryton Gardens, a beautiful place surrounded by nature. Though I worked mostly remotely, I was so excited to pop into the garden whenever I worked on-site. I even got a free mint plant during the garden’s open day! I named it Teagan (because mintea-gan heh) 🌿

I think my biggest takeaway for my first month of summer would definitely be the power of conversations and not being afraid to reach out. I’ve made some incredible friends, and to be honest, I’m still amazed at the opportunity that I had to work with Professor Moya on her research. Truly, it felt so empowering to be able to undertake research as a first-year undergraduate (as it is quite uncommon in Singapore, at least in my experience), so I’d definitely encourage others to reach out and speak to professors who share your research interests.

And now, off I go to my next big adventure: South Africa!

Autumn term 2021:

A whole term has already gone by since I first arrived here at Warwick, starry-eyed but nervous for what’s to come. It’s been hectic and overwhelming for sure, but at the same time I have so much to share that I don’t really know where to start! So, I guess you could say that this is my reflection of the past four months, and I’m really excited to share my journey with everyone.

Before coming here, I took a gap year and immersed myself in the working world. And I must say, it’s such a breath of fresh air to be back in school, and to have the opportunity to experience university internationally (with the support of our trustees!) is truly incredible.

Warwick has been such a change from city life in Singapore. I adore being surrounded by so much nature around campus! Watching the sunrise from my room window has been a real treat – it’s the best way to start my mornings.

My first term has been a critical period of learning to live independently and adjusting to the new environment. It was pretty overwhelming at first – getting into the habit of cooking for myself, meeting new people, adapting to the hybrid style of teaching, and studying after an almost two-year break – but being at the University of Warwick has been an environment for both personal and professional growth.

One of my favourite things about being here is the diversity of people; Warwick is a melting pot of cultures and it’s amazing to be able to share and exchange our experiences. During Welcome Week, I had lunch with a course-mate from Spain and an exchange student from Japan – it was so insightful to compare similar experiences from our respective countries. I’ve also been blessed with friendly and supportive flatmates, which has made settling down here a lot easier. One of my flatmates even invited me to play mahjong with a group of her friends! Mahjong has since become a weekly affair, and it’s precious to have a part of Singapore here at Warwick. My favourite part has to be sharing the game with friends from all over the world, though!

Warwick did a fantastic job with accommodation allocations – my flatmates and I click so well despite our different backgrounds. Living with them has been an absolute joy, and I’m really starting to see my flat as a place to unwind after a long day of lectures!

On a more academic note, I’ve been really enjoying my course so far! It was a little difficult to balance between two different subject areas at first, but I love the transdisciplinary focus of Global Sustainable Development (GSD) and finding its links to Life Sciences. It pushes me to build my confidence and step out of my comfort zone through seminar discussions and alternative assessments like group presentations, which is such a dynamic and relevant style of learning. I particularly enjoyed the module on social principles of GSD; it put many global issues in context, and we critically considered the impact of social patterning on development. The feedback on my assignments has been so useful, and I’m confident that I can apply these skills to the professional world in the future. I’ve also joined the student-staff liaison committee (SSLC) for GSD! I’m still pretty new to the school and course but I do hope my representation in this committee helps to make a positive change 😊.

There’s honestly so much to do here – I’ve joined Warwick’s Climbing Club, which has been a fantastic way to meet new people with common interests and de-stress after a long day. I also wanted to do something to give back to society, so I signed up as a student fundraiser for Warwick! The role requires me to call alumni to keep up the relationship between them and Warwick, and to ask if they’d be interested in supporting our charitable causes. I admit that the role was daunting at first, and I recall my heart pounding with nervousness before every call. Nevertheless, it was such a positive work environment, and I thoroughly enjoyed the meaningful conversations I had with our alumni; it made me so excited for my own journey here at Warwick. Now, I find myself looking forward to the upcoming Spring Campaign!

Travel has been a little uncertain because of the COVID-19 situation, so I haven’t had the opportunity to see Europe, but I have been fortunate enough to see bits and pieces of the UK over the past term.

Over the holidays, I had the opportunity to travel around a little – I visited some friends and even took a trip to Scotland! Everyone warned me about the cold weather, but I honestly felt a little disappointed that it wasn’t as cold as I had expected. The architecture and amount of open space in the UK is so strikingly different from Singapore, and I am constantly reminded that I am so blessed to be here. I also spent time with my flatmates and friends, making full use of the exciting activities at university like a true Singaporean (Warwick Art Centre gave us free tickets to watch Spiderman: No Way Home!).

Christmas is very much a family holiday to me (and to many others as well!), so it was a little sad to be spending it away from home. But I had a lovely time celebrating Christmas (multiple times, in fact) with my flatmates and friends – we even had a secret santa gift exchange.

As I settle back down for the Spring Term, I am excited to have the full university experience of face-to-face learning. In fact, I had my first face-to-face lecture for Life Sciences today! I’m interested to see how this term will shape up – I hope to get more involved in societies and volunteering and look forward to more meaningful conversations and cross-cultural exchange with my peers and alumni through the Spring Campaign. I also recently got involved in a solar-mapping project together with my flatmates and chose to audit a module on Environmental Biology. I expect that it’s going to be a busy term, but I’m confident that it will be meaningful and fulfilling at the same time😌!