tf learn report - shaffira diraprana gayatri
TRANSCRIPT
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TEMASEK FOUNDATION – NATIONAL UNIVERSITY OF SINGAPORE
LEADERSHIP ENRICHMENT AND REGIONAL NETWORKING PROGRAMME
(TF-NUS LEaRN)
OVERSEAS STUDENT REPORT
Information from this report may be used for marketing of the programme, which will
include but not restricted to the following avenues: IRO website, brochures, flyers and
information sessions to students. This report will also be sent to Temasek Foundation.
Name : Shaffira Diraprana Gayatri
Exchange Period : 1 (one) semester
Home University : Universitas Indonesia
Purpose of this report
This report is for you to reflect on the semester and share your reflections on
your experiences in the different aspects of the programme, how you have been
enriched in your personal and leadership development, as well as the extent
you have built up networks for future interactions.
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Settling In in the “Fine City”
As traveling has always been one of my main interests, I mainly enjoy adapting to
a new environment and hardly found any difficulties at all. Especially since this is my
third time being in Singapore; thus, I fancied myself to be adequately familiar with this
country. However, the whole process of settling in with the intention to live for a longer
period of stay brought many new experiences for me as an exchange student, and
surprisingly enough, challenged me as well. These challenges came in forms of
registration matters, academic and non-academic systems in NUS, homesickness,
networking and making friends, as well as English as a first language!
First of all, there was the whole issue of arriving in Singapore along and perfectly
clueless about the location of NUS and settling down the housing matters. Fortunately
for me, as I was allocated in Cinnamon College, a USP student was assigned to be
my buddy and help me to go through the first days. Thus Gwen, short for Gwyneth,
and her father willingly picked me up in Changi Airport on the day of my arrival. Not
only that they patiently waited for me for more than an hour, they also drove me to
Cinnamon, and upon seeing that my room was unfit to stay – due to the incomplete
construction – they helped me to sort things out with the management and in the end,
they succeeded to get me a temporary room until my own room is ready. Furthermore,
they then escorted me to the nearest supermarket so that I could buy all my daily
needs. Gwen’s father even bought me an ice kachang and brought most of my
shopping bags for me! Their kindness and graciousness really touched my heart and
made me really appreciate the goodwill of local Singaporeans.
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Figure 1: Gwen and I picking up Indah, another friend, from Changi. I took the picture :)
The next issue was about handling the immigration matters at ICA and academic
system and registration at NUS. Even though the whole process of bureaucracy has
always been problematic, luckily for me, I did not find too many problems in NUS, due
to its efficient service and helpful staffs. The latter is what particularly impressed me.
Most of the staffs, either in International Relations Office (IRO), Registrar’s Office,
Office of Student Affairs, Cinnamon Residential College, and Faculty of Arts and
Social Sciences (which is the faculty I belong to), were very professional and seemed
to be determined to provide us excellent service to ensure us a pleasant experience in
NUS. Our problems and concerns were listened to with rapt attention and they would
always try to come up with solutions or improvements. In addition, we were never
short of activities and events that exposed us to one another and gave us a great
opportunity for networking. This is something that I rarely find back home; thus, it
really did help me to settle in and enjoy my new semester in NUS.
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Figure 2. With Annick, our TF-LEaRN coordinator
Homesickness is a word that hardly exists in my dictionary – however, I must
admit that I did suffer from slight symptoms of this “disease”. As I came in August,
which signaled the beginning of the Holy Month of Ramadan for the Muslims, I had to
experience fasting during my first month in a totally new country. This is something
totally new for me, and it turned out to be a greatly fruitful experience! For the whole
month, around 20-25 Muslims that live in Cinnamon and Tembusu Residential College
had early breakfast together (or as we call it, sahoor). Thus, it bonded us together,
despite the fact that we come from various countries with different nationalities
(Singapore, Indonesia, Malaysia, Pakistan, Bahrain, etc). Not just that, I attended a lot
of mass iftar (break fasting) events held by various communities: the Indonesian
community, the Muslim Singaporeans community, and the NUS Muslim society. These
made the challenge of fasting in a country where Muslims are not a majority quite
bearable. However, the worst is yet to come. The end of Ramadan came and for the
first time, I had to celebrate Hari Raya or Eid far away from my family. As Indonesian
Muslims adopt the custom to gather with both the nuclear and extended family during
this special event, being away from them was really hard for all of us, the Indonesian
exchange students. Nevertheless, we are very lucky to have such great friends in
Singapore. The local non-Muslims remembered to wish us a happy Hari Raya, while
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the local Muslims graciously invited us to their house, gave us tins and tins of kuih and
Hari Raya food, and held a small Hari Raya celebration for the Muslims living in
Singapore. They all made me feel that I am a part of a new family here, and for that I
feel really blessed.
Figure 3. Hari Raya with my Muslim friends in UTown
Figure 4. Hari Raya Bazaar at Geylang with my Malay friend
English has always been a second language for me. As I learnt English in a very
young age, I became used to read and write in it, even though I did not speak English
actively. Thus, I never thought that language will be a barrier for me in a country
where English is spoken by a majority, if not all, of the population. I was proven wrong.
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Even though I am very familiar with the language and currently taking a major in
English as well, the usage of English in Singapore raised several challenges for me.
First of all, mostly Singaporeans use their local accent, famously known as Singlish,
and for one who is not used to it, this variation may seem as a different language
altogether. Second, Singaporeans tend to speak in a very fast pace and use a lot of
difficult terms. As I am more used to the American way of speaking, which is slower
and simpler, the high-speed speeches and the fancy words gave me quite a tough
time.
This led me to another problem, which is the loss of confidence in my fluency in
English. I began to stammer and hesitate whenever I spoke in English because I was
highly self-conscious of myself. I regarded that everyone were judging me as slow
and stupid because I spoke in a slower speed. I was assured that when people say
that my English is good, it is just out of the kindness of their hearts. Gradually, though,
everything began to solve its way out. I began to become more and more familiar with
the Singlish accent and slangs. I got used to the fast paced speech of the
Singaporeans, and I resolved to check my mobile dictionary for every vocabulary I did
not understand. Regaining my self-confidence is something I am still working on; yet, I
believe that realizing what I am lacking is useful for me, as it will always keep me
learning and improving myself.
The Pursuit of Education
In my home university, I am used to take a workload of 22 credits every semester.
It did make me constantly occupied, yet I always manage to find the time to get
involved in various organizations, committees, and seminars. Thus, taking 5 modules
worth of 16 credits (as one module is ungraded), seems to me to be a manageable
task. I was proved wrong. Even though Universitas Indonesia (UI) is the best
university in Indonesia and demands a lot from its students, I soon found out that NUS
demands more and provides a tougher workload for us. Some of the new things I
discovered here was the different type of classes. In NUS, we have to attend lectures,
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tutorials, seminars, and in some cases, practicals – whereas in UI we just have one
type of class which consists of both lectures and tutorials. Thus in NUS, we are
exposed to our modules more often as both the lectures and tutorials demand
preparations, readings, and assignments. This required me to constantly study and
adhere to the strict deadlines, which made me physically exhausted yet shaped me
into a more disciplined student.
Another “culture shock” I experienced here is how mostly Singaporean students
are very studious and hardworking. They always come to class with their handouts
printed from the IVLE and constantly make notes, they are often seen working on their
laptops or poring over thick textbooks everywhere, and they study into late at night –
even until morning. This culture is probably because of the high standard in NUS and
the competitiveness that is resulted from the bell curve system that is adopted here.
However, it surprised me that in classes they mostly keep quiet unless they are
required to deliver their opinions, and hardly anyone would ask questions. This is very
new to me as I enjoy a lively and active atmosphere in classrooms and I am used to
the privilege of asking questions to the lecturers when I do not understand.
Unexpectedly, because I voiced out my questions in class and did not hold back from
answering the professor’s question, some of my classmates praised me and thanked
me for that. They admitted that they also had questions in mind but were afraid to
sound silly if they asked. This situation made me realize that we both can learn from
each other – which is the most important thing in the whole learning process.
Figure 5. My local classmates and I, after watching a TheatreWorks play
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As a so-called nerd, I must admit that one of the things I was looking forward to
when I first came to NUS is the prospect of learning new things from the variety of
courses I took: literature, theatre studies, communication and new media, and
philosophy. Needless to say, even though I did have to adapt to the high standard in
NUS, I really enjoy all my modules! The materials in Nineteenth Century Literature
class were very intense compared to the literature classes in my home university, and
we had in depth discussions in our tutorials that gave me brand new perspectives
about life itself. My Philosophy of Language class was greatly interesting and kept me
in constant ponderings about language and meaning, something we tend to take for
granted. The Introduction to Theatre & Drama was definitely one of my favorites! We
had a mixture of theories and practices, and both were very enjoyable. The semantic
theories we learnt are applicable in our daily lives and make us more analytical, while
the practical classes gave us room to innovate, explore new things, and make us
more aware of our surroundings. One thing that all the classes had in common was
the capability and great competence the professors and tutors possess. Not only that
they are obviously very smart and can teach well, they also trigger out the best in us
and try to keep us active and participate in class. All these made my learning process
in such a reputable institution as NUS to be such a fruitful experience.
Figure 6. My professors in action!
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How the Exchange Changed Me
The one semester I spent in Singapore provided me with tremendous chances to
learn from my interactions with the locals as well as foreigners who are currently
residing in Singapore through community service activities, workshops, host family
programs, and networking with fellow students. The community service activities I
joined both in NUS and SG Cares gave me a lot of insights about the volunteering
system in Singapore. For the NUS student clubs, I joined Fernvale MINDS Garden
through NVAC (Network Volunteering Activity Club), and Grant A Wish, a program by
NUS SCS (Students Community Service Club). These two programs focused on
children and youth, in which the former emphasized on intellectually disabled youths,
and the latter aimed for the welfare of less privileged children. Both are them are quite
new for me, since the intellectually disabled are not a main target of my community
service club in Indonesia, and our approach for the less privileged children mainly
focuses on improving their access to school and education. Thus, this experience
opened my eyes of children’s needs of recreational pleasure, and made me more
aware of the intellectually disabled people. From the outside they may seem different
from us, yet after a while we would discover that there is not much difference after all.
What is more, we will learn to have more patience because it requires a lot of patience
to approach them and make them trust us. Most of them are friendly and always have
a sunny disposition, and their happy faces touched my heart and made me appreciate
more of the blessings in my life.
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Figure 7. After the Grant A Wish Party with Liyana, a fellow volunteer
Not only did I participate in NUS-based community services, I also joined many
community service programs from SG Cares. These programs include Coastal
Cleaning, Home Painting for the Elderly, and Balik Kampung by Ground-Up Initiative.
All of these programs were greatly exciting and fruitful! The volunteers I met here
came from various backgrounds and they ranged from children to seniors, but most of
them were youths, with their enthusiasm and brilliant fresh ideas. This made me
reflect that youths, with the right influences and leaders, could play a great role in
changing the society for the better.
Figure 8. After the International Coastal Cleaning at Lim Chu Kang with my team
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Figure 9a. Volunteering for “Balik Kampung”
Figure 9b. Composting at “Balik Kampung”
Figure 9c. Balik Kampung: With other volunteers after recycling
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Figure 10a. Painting for the Elderly
Figure 10b. Painting for the Elderly: With Madam Salima, our beneficiary
One of my fellow TF-LEaRN scholars said, “It’s hard not to say that the TOUCH
Leadership Workshop did not improve me and my perspectives about volunteering.”
And I must say that I totally agree with her. The two days of the workshop were very
valuable for me – in terms of networking and bonding, improvement of knowledge
about volunteering, and my development as a person in whole. Living and interacting
with my TF-LEaRN scholars for two whole days made me closer to them and bonded
us as one big family. The sessions we had were overall very insightful as we learnt
about the elements required to work as an effective team, the principals of learning,
the essence of service learning, and the qualities of a leader. All of the sessions
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helped to shape and improve me as a better student, team mate, leader, and – most
importantly – person.
Figure 11a. TOUCH Workshop: Grabbing a water botol!
Figure 11b. With my teammates in the TOUCH workshop
Networks and Plans for Future Interactions
Throughout this exchange experience, I have learnt and proven that it is very
essential to create as many networks as we can: local, regional, and corporate. In
terms of local networks, despite my short period of stay, I have made a lot of
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Singaporean friends that have promised to visit me in Indonesia and keep in touch
through social networking sites. My host buddies were also very helpful and friendly
and made great acquaintances! My TF buddy, Huiwen, has always been very helpful
despite her busy schedule in school. My USP buddy, Gwen, also helped me a lot,
especially during my first days in NUS. It was from her as well that I joined interfaith
dialogues held by the NUS Interfaith Club; creating further networks.
For regional networks, I had the chance to be acquaintance to a lot of people from
around the world through the host family programs, as there were a lot of networking
sessions and my host parents introduced me to their ex-host students and
acquaintances. Living in a residential college in campus is also a great way to meet
new people and to make friends; as a result, I got acquainted with many new people
over dinner in the Dining Hall. My TF-LEaRN fellows are also an important part of my
regional network – as we are the hopes for the future of ASEAN and Asia, and even
though we will go back to our own countries, but our friendship will be carried on
through the Internet, in which we will continue on supporting and inspiring each other
to contribute better for our country.
Figure 12. At a Pakistani wedding with my Pakistani friends
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Figure 103. Dinner with host family
Figure 14. Celebrating Mooncake Festival with friends from China and Taiwan
Figure 115. Celebrating Diwali at Little India with friends from India and USA
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Figure 16. Lunch with host parents and their ex-host students
Figure 17. Gathering with my TF-LEaRN fellows!
As for corporate networks, I also participated as a volunteer in Singapore Writer’s
Festival, where I had the chance to meet a lot of famous Singaporean and foreign
writers and other people from the creative industry. I also get acquainted with the
members of IPA (Indonesian Professionals Association), an association for
Indonesian professionals in Singapore, which will be very useful to enhance my future
networking, as I plan to keep on participating in their online events. In this era of
technology, it is easier for me to stay connected with the networks I’ve built through
social networking sites and e-mail. Therefore, we can still maintain a good relationship,
even when I am back in Indonesia.
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Figure 18. At IPA Solve Award, an event organised by IPA
Project Ideas for a Better Indonesia
After observing and learning from the community service which I have
participated in, I have two project ideas that I will like to implement in my country. First,
I will try to collaborate with the Students Union in Universitas Indonesia and internal
students clubs to advocate the compulsory procedure of double-sided printings for
every faculty in campus. This project is drove by my concern that in my university, we
still widely use a single-sided setting when printing or copying – imagine what a waste
of paper is that! Seeing with my own eyes the success of NUSSU in advocating for the
usage of double-sided paper makes me optimistic that it could be implemented in my
university as well. This project will be done in a span of 6 months; in which the timeline
is as following:
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No. Month Activity Target
1. I Building collaboration and coordination Student Union,
student clubs
2. II – IV Advocate the movement and the purpose Rector of UI, faculties
3. IV – V Briefing and publication of the issue Fotocopy and printing
centers, computer
rentals
4, V – VI Publication of the issue Students
The second project will be focused on less privileged children living in the area of
my university. As I am already involved in Rumah Belajar, a free school for less
privileged children and youths, as a member and committee, I would like to return to
that program and implement some new ideas for the improvement for the program. I
would like to raise the children’s awareness of intellectually disabled children; thus,
my idea is to hold an outing for the children. In this outing, these children will visit
Yayasan Pantara, a center for children with autism and Down syndrome, and they will
participate together in educational activities and fun games, ended by having lunch or
dinner together. Of course, before the event, they will be briefed first about the
condition of the children they are visiting. This simple yet meaningful activity will open
the eyes of the children and they will go home with fresh perspectives and renewing
awareness about children who are underprivileged in a different way. It will make them
think better than to judge wrongly or to hold prejudices, which is something every
children must learn in their tender ages.