Curious to know more about poly life? Click below to find out!
 
 

Unsure of how you can settle into poly life when you join NYP? Worried about making the transition from being a secondary school student to a poly student? Fret not! Here are five tips to help you settle into NYP!
1. Make full use of the Orientation Programme

Fun and exciting activities, jam-packed into three days. There’s no quicker way to make friends and know the campus than by participating in Orientation!

Orientation, held just before the start of your first semester, is specially planned by your seniors to help you settle into poly life easily. Activities include ice-breaker games to build bonds with your classmates; tours to various parts of the campus including the lecture theatres, computer labs, the library, canteens and the sports complex; and preparations for performances for the grand finale on the last day of Orientation.

You’ll also get to meet your personal mentor – the lecturer whom you can turn to for guidance and advice on all matters of concern during your three years at NYP.
2. Make Friends

It is common for a freshman to think that everyone else has friends on campus already, and that he or she is the only person who does not know anyone. It may seem that way but it is not true. Take the initiative to make friends with other freshmen – some may be feeling just as lost. Others will look forward to making even more friends.

Being socially connected will help you in settling into poly life. You can also chat with your friends about assignments later, or set up study groups.
3. Keep Up with Your Studies
Be consistent in completing your readings and assignments right from the start of your course. Plan ahead if you can. This will help keep your study load manageable. Go for all lectures and tutorials – you’ll fall behind if you don’t. (Attendances are recorded.)

If you study better in a group, start a study group and meet regularly for revision or discussion. There’re many places conducive for study – study corners within the Schools, Cafe Hotshot at the Library, roof-top gardens, and even the gazebos by the koi ponds!
4. Have a Balanced Student Life
While your study is important, it is essential that you balance your poly life with CCAs. NYP has a wide range of clubs and societies that you can join to meet other students with similar interests.

Being actively involved in CCAs can help develop skills and expose you to experiences that will be useful to your future. You can learn how to work in a team, organise and manage events, communicate effectively with others, and be mentally tough in the face of competition. And of course, you get to further develop your interests and make more friends!
5. Be Positive and Give Yourself Time to Settle In
Be positive about yourself and be open to changes and new experiences. More importantly, give yourself time to settle into poly life. You’ll treat NYP as your second home in no time!
 
 

At NYP, students are encouraged to study foreign languages to enrich their cultural knowledge and enhance their competitive edge in a globalised world. They have a choice of French, German or Japanese languages.

Language modules are classified as complementary electives, which aim to expose students to subjects of study outside their chosen discipline. Foreign language classes are conducted by the Foreign Language Centre (FLC) and are offered to students of the Schools of Engineering, Information Technology, Design, Interactive & Digital Media, Business Management, and Chemical & Life Sciences.

The FLC is equipped with comprehensive multimedia facilities that make learning interactive. Facilities include an Audio-Visual Language Room, a Cultural Activities Room and a Language e-Learning Laboratory, which allows students to communicate with overseas institutions via the Internet.

Under the wing of FLC are three language clubs which organise a range of cultural activities, exchange programmes and field trips to help student members (who do not necessarily have to be language students) get in touch with the respective foreign cultures.

Cuisine appears to be a big favourite. The L’Hexagone French Club, the Der Treff German Club and the Sakuran Japanese Cultural Club all organise special cooking classes to introduce their students to the tastes of France , Germany and Japan .

Student members also get to interact with foreign students. Advanced French language students are paired up with their native French counterparts and attend classes together in the French School in Ang Mo Kio. Sakuran members also enjoy the opportunity to meet Japanese high school and university students from Shizuoka and Nagoya when they visit Singapore .

The three language clubs also hold music and dance performances regularly and often organise talks by officials from foreign universities on further studies overseas.

Learning a foreign language in NYP means more than a fun module or two; it is a student’s key to many more doors of opportunities post-graduation!
Written by Lim Hang Kwong, Diploma in Digital Media Design
Formerly from Victoria School

It’s quite a big transition from secondary school life to polytechnic life. No more school uniforms!! No more spoon-feeding!! No more singing of school anthems!! Ü

But there’s more to it – bigger campus, huge lecture theatres (LTs) and of course, my favourite: you can get to meet people (many good-looking ones here!) and make lots of friends in NYP!

Lessons will not be like those in secondary school. Now, expect to have lectures taught in groups as big as over 200 students in an LT. You will have tutorial classes too, where your tutor will go through the lessons in greater depth. It is also your chance to ask questions on what you do not understand from the lectures. One has to speak up and dare to voice out his or her opinion to learn. The more you question, the more knowledge you will gain. And the whole class benefits as well!

Timetables vary from class to class… but lessons will be spread out in a way that there are breaks in between so you will have time to recharge and chill out with friends. Familiarise yourself with your schedule and make full use of your time in campus to balance between work and play.

Personally the two biggest differences I find between life in NYP and secondary school would be time management and being open to communication.

Time management is extremely important. Let me stress that again – EXTREMELY IMPORTANT!!! How you manage your time plays a big part in whether you pass or fail your course. Assignments and project work are part and parcel of the whole learning process at NYP. Only through careful planning of your work schedule will you be able to complete your work on time. Remember – consistent work over a period of time is better than last-minute work!

I learnt my lesson the hard way – last-minute work and late nights just to complete my assignments. Trust me, you will not like that feeling… and imagine having to wake up early the next morning for lectures! You’ll find pimples popping out of your face very soon. Yikes!

Communication is also important because many assignments involve group work with other classmates. This requires you to open up to others and communicate with them. Work will get done effectively when you communicate well among yourselves. Project presentations are very common in class. Often we have to present our work in front of our classmates and teachers, and grades are given on how well we present. So take the initiative and learn how to communicate well to others!

Lastly, be open and welcome any changes in poly life. Just take learning of new things – whatever they may be – in your stride and enjoy each day in school.
Work hard and play hard! All the best!