Nur Aisyah

DAY 1

Group Photo at Changi Airport. 

Tired, sleepy but excited as we gathered at 5.30am.

Touching down at Incheon Airport!

Video of the area at Wolmido. 

We learnt about the port's significance in the Korean war and had a delicious dinner.

DAY 2

Performance at the welcoming ceremony.

The performances were beautiful and a very heartwarming gesture. There was an instrumental performance of three musical pieces and a second vocal item of the song "You Raise Me Up". The students were very talented and the performances were very captivating.

 As a performer, I realise that art is something that transcends language and culture barriers and simply is an expression of the self as human without labels. Despite not being able to play the instruments or understand the complexity of the vocal arrangements, many of us still managed to appreciate the performance in their own way, whether for its purpose in welcoming us or just in how nice it sounded. When I dance, I tend to explore different genres to grow as a dancer with more experience. This performance made me realise how much left there is to explore: why stop at dance? Why stop in Singapore? Why stop in English? Cross-cultural understanding is so essential in education and relationships, but even more important in art and the easiest to accomplish, without even the need for language. In the future, I hope I get to exchange art with others from different backgrounds and cultures so that I may have a deeper understanding and more growth by doing so.

Self-driving car.

We built and programmed the robot with python with the help of the IASA students. The experience was challenging for me because I struggled with past experiences with coding and robotics and I entered with the mindset that I would not succeed. However, with the help of the IASA students whom I collaborated with and Simran, we managed to build and program the robot to finish the course in 31s. I was not good at writing code, so I helped in building the robot and giving suggestions on how to complete the course while one of the IASA students helped in programming it.

I used to feel frustrated when I could not understand CS and made generalisations that blanketed all future experiences. I realised that starting from basics slowly, asking for help when necessary and keeping a positive mindset is key to making progress in any area of interest. Collaboration is also essential as we have our own strengths and we should contribute what we are able to and ask for help from others who are more skilled in the areas we are not to produce a high-quality end product. In the future, I will try to expose myself to more computing as it is an essential 21st-century competency.

Picture of the moon through a telescope.

After a presentation by Mr Tan, the IASA students from their astronomy club shared with us about the various stars and aided us in building a spectrometer where we could see the different colours that made up white light. Then, we headed to the rooftop to observe the moon and stars. We then got to try looking for them ourselves with other telescopes. There was also a beautiful view from the rooftop of the buildings lit at night. It was my first experience with astronomy and it was very eye-opening.

I did not expect it to be entertaining as physics and communication science does not interest me. The lecture was not relevant but a good exposure to physics for me and helped me in versatility across different branches of science. Astronomy was new for me and I had no prior opinions of the subject. My impressions were that although it was more closely related to physics, it was still different and cannot be compared to other branches of science. I enjoyed the experience and hope that in the future I will get more opportunities to experience astronomy.

DAY 3

no image yet, will update when pictures are released.

Debate Group 3 and 4 in the Quarter Finals.

During the debate preparation, we collaborated with the students at IASA in researching and presenting. With Teck En, his buddy and mine, we prepared as the opposition house on the debate topic: "Should plastic bags be banned?". Over 2 hours, I collaborated mostly with Teck En's buddy as we were presenters. She took the role of first opposition speaker and I was the second. Together, we managed to win the debate and proceed to the semi-finals.

I had prior debate experience during student congress, so I was more at ease for the activity and expected it to move smoothly. However, my debate group and I previously had spent a lot of time researching and communicated heavily. For this debate, the students had helped us research and discussion was minimal due to the language barrier. It was a struggle as I took time to familiarise myself with the content and did most of my work individually without sharing ideas. Despite the language barrier, we had good synergy and were able to collaborate well even with little communication. Throughout my time in SST, I thought collaboration and communication were synonymous. Today I learnt that while it is ideal to have both, collaboration is more essential as it is the ability to work with one another while communication is simply the exchange of information. In the future, I will approach teamwork with the mindset that despite miscommunications in information, it is still possible to work together through mutual understanding of the end goal.

Picture at the Hyundai Motorstudio Goyang.

At the studio, we got to observe the process of making cars. This includes assembly, design and safety considerations. The experience was very hands-on and captivating as we got to touch materials, choose designs, play games and even ride an immersive simulator. The architecture and design of the studio were elegant and the aesthetic exhibitions really caught my attention. The tour guide was engaging and very informative. Through this, we gained a better insight into how much effort is put in to build each car and learnt more about Hyundai as a brand.

I have very little background knowledge about cars and did not expect to gain a new appreciation for them. However, I was drawn to the thought process behind building the cars and the different steps taken to ensure quality. I learnt about the importance of finding a unique method of creating to form cohesive thoughts that can help to complete work with more efficiency and quality. For example, the SST reflection cycle that helped with this reflection. In the future, when I struggle to focus or do a task, I will try and highlight the essential steps to reach my end goal.

Gong Cha at Songdomunhwa-ro

The dinner and shopping with our IASA friends were very exciting. They were very accommodating and helped us find a restaurant that met our dietary requirements. Afterwards, as many of us were feeling the craving for bubble tea, we headed to Gong Cha where this photo was taken. Afterwards, they brought us shopping to food, clothes and pharmacy/beauty product shops. Throughout the whole experience, our buddies made lots of effort to interact with us and diffuse the tension. We were all very happy and all left with purchases, both SST and IASA students.

I was initially unsure of dinner and expected to have a light dinner due to my dietary restrictions. However, I learnt that the Korean students had even made plans and organised the groups of students well to ensure all our needs were met. While being extremely grateful to the hospitality of Koreans which I did my best to reciprocate, what stood out to me was how much they enjoyed themselves as well. I had heard countless times how little they were allowed to go out and they seemed even more excited about the shopping trip than we did. I realised regardless of nationality and cultures, we were all just teenagers and students doing our best. Different circumstances led to the differences in the ways we interact with the world around us, but as different as we may seem we experience similar joys and struggles in our own unique way. It became easier to relate and interact with them after that realisation. In the future, I will find things in common with those I meet not for just conversation topics but to relate better to them.

DAY 4

Biomedical Engineering Lectures

We listened to 5 presentations by the students at IASA. These lectures were on their projects where they presented their research, findings and conclusions. They shared background information on their various projects that helped us better understand their project topic. These projects ranged from brain therapy to innovating better contact lens. The presentations were done fully in English, both the script and the slides. The projects were of high quality and very impressive. They gave us a brief experience on the subject and it was very meaningful.

I was looking forward to these lectures the most because I am interested in the Biomedical field, but I did not know what exactly was going to be covered. The first presentation on the different textures of fixtures to aid in healing broken bones (not the exact title) drew my attention because it was the first lecture I had been able to connect with. Subsequent lectures also had content that I could relate to my learning. For both biology and biotechnology, I had been suggested by my teachers to read beyond syllabus content to gain a better understanding of the topic overall. This experience where my own knowledge helped me understand better emphasized the importance of this advice. In the future, I will be taking part in the Biology Olympiad and Biomedical Quiz so that I can have the opportunity to learn more about this field of science before pursuing it in tertiary education.

Titration

We did three different practicals on direct titration and back titration. We learnt about the procedures for back titration, which is not in our secondary syllabus. We were also exposed to many different types of lab apparatus some slightly different than in Singapore and others we have never seen before, such as a pipette filler with a striking resemblance to the micropipette in our biotechnology labs, and a small magnet that aids in stirring the solution whereas we use glass rods. I learnt that they have lab lessons weekly doing similar experiments, whereas in SST, only certain topics and subjects would have experiments and it would not be as frequent or consistent. However, their lab lessons worked similarly to ours where they had a short briefing before proceeding to do the activity.

From the corporate video of the school, I saw lab equipment that I had never seen before, so I was curious and excited to do labwork. I also noticed that the Korean students were very efficient so I wanted to see how they worked in lab settings. I noticed that they were very precise, to the point that they controlled the size of drops falling from the burette when the reaction was nearing completion and pipetting all volumes up to 120ml with a 10ml pipette. It learnt many good work ethics such as cleaning and preparing whilst taking results. This experience allowed me to view various cultural differences in the way we work, but as scientists were able to work together with good collaboration. In the future, I will adopt these good habits so that I can be more thorough and accurate with my data collection, lab work and other practicals.

no image yet, will update later

Debate group 4 after Finals

On the last day, my teammate and I went through two rounds of debate. For both debates, we were the opposition speakers. We managed to advance from the semi-finals to the finals, and from there we won the finals. Our opponent speakers were all very skilled and made very good arguments supporting their statements. My teammate was very well-read in the content and managed to counter arguments and pose questions with this strength. As mentioned previously, we had very good synergy and barely had to discuss with one another during the debate as we were confident in the other's capabilities and were sure of what they were going to cover in their speech. 

I was confident in my debate skills, but I did not believe that we could win the finals. During the semi-finals, we were all afraid of advancing to the finals because of the pressure. However, when I look back, I would have denied myself and my teammate the opportunity to learn and hone our skills. Debating in a formal setting does not occur often for those who focus on science instead of languages, but it is essential for us to understand the ethics and consequences of our creations and decisions. Especially with the rise of controversial gene editing and the possibility of designer babies in the very near future, being able to reason with yourself and others where you stand on different issues is an important skill. I do not see myself pursuing debate or speech, but I do hope that I can carry the same confidence daily as I do when I debate :)

DAY 5

Gwacheon National Science Museum

We visited the Gwacheon National Science Museum in the morning. Although there was a slight delay due to the national exams, we managed to enter the indoor museum and view the permanent attractions. We viewed the technology and space exhibits as well as going outside to view the monuments there. Some challenges I faced was not being very well versed in physics, thus affecting my understanding as well as many of the exhibits being written in only Korean. However, the experience was immersive as there were many hands-on attractions that allowed us to understand the messages through the activities.

I was excited to visit the museum as I enjoy the exhibits and activities. I was disappointed that there were no biology-related exhibits, which thus brought about the challenge I faced: that I was poor at physics. I struggled to understand many concepts, but the museum was beginner friendly and explained many concepts clearly. It helped me grow overall as an SST student as I learnt more about physics and technology, my weaknesses. The issue that many exhibitions were presented in Korean was quickly resolved by a camera feature on google translate, but on certain occasions some texts were undecipherable. This hampered my learning experience and I felt empathy for the Korean students who experienced this in Singapore and daily when having to communicate and prepare for our visit. In the future, I will have more motivation to study knowing the effort that the Korean students put in just to grow themselves.

Changgyecheon Stream

We walked down the side of the bank as we learnt about the stream's history. The tour guide, Jason, briefly introduced us to the importance of Feng Shui to their ancestors, and how they set up their houses with mountains behind them to block the wind and a stream in front of them as a water source. This stream was used by their ancestors to wash their clothes and even drink water. As urbanisation increased, they still managed to preserve this stream and it is still visited often by locals on their lunch breaks for walks or to have meals. The stream was beautiful and despite being in an area densely populated by modern buildings.

Honestly, I did not catch many of Jason's sharings as I walked too slowly and lagged too far behind to hear him. Walking by the stream was very therapeutic and one of the first few times during the trip that we got to enjoy the scenery as we were at IASA for the past few days. Keeping the stream despite the rapidly moving society is a show of the strong sense of culture that the Koreans have. This loyalty to tradition at times may hinder progress, but this area where there was a stream with historical significance surrounded by office buildings and shops was evidence that both tradition and progress can come hand in hand. With Singapore demolishing the Merlion to make way for future builds, this culture preservation by the Koreans is something we should value. In the future, I will play my part by making sure my cultural traditions are passed down to my children and shared with my friends.

View below Namsan Tower

After we did some shopping, we visited the Namsan Tower. Although we did not go up the actual tower, we managed to view and take pictures of the scenery from the various platforms below it. It was a stunning view from all sides, especially at the Namsan love locks area, where many couples had placed locks with their names on them, signifying a long-lasting relationship. The atmosphere was amazing and I spent a long time gazing at the beautiful city. My regrets are that we were unable to revisit again for a short while to view the gorgeous view at night, which I had a small glimpse of.

With the aid of the scenery, I reflected on many aspects of my life while taking in the view. I did not learn much from the experience, but I gained a lot. These past few days in Korea had me rushing to keep up with the pace of the Koreans and the tightly packed schedule. Even as students we don't realise how often we get trapped in this cycle because we do it so often. It is important to rest and recuperate, to stop and gather your thoughts before moving forward again. I hope with the upcoming O levels, I will remember this lesson and find time to do so.

DAY 6

Video at the Samsung Innovation Museum

The museum had many educational and interactive exhibits that showed the history of not just Samsung but of technology as a whole.

Picture at Seoul International Airport.

We were upset that the trip was coming to a close so soon, but we enjoyed ourselves a lot.

Picture flying over Singapore.

After a 5 hour flight, I was relieved to see the stunning lights below us and excited to be back.

Final Reflection

Overall, this trip challenged me and because of that, I gained a lot. Academically, it was very hard to keep up with the advanced content outside of my field of interest. Culturally, I had to adapt to their fast-paced and intense lifestyles whilst also being in a foreign country speaking a foreign language. It was exhausting from the second day onwards as we rushed through the tightly packed schedules. 

However, it was rewarding as this push was what I needed to grow myself as a scholar and an individual. The challenging studies pushed me out of my comfort zone so in the future I won't be deterred from opportunities because I was afraid of learning difficult content. The cultural push taught me more about Korean culture with a truly immersive experience into their real everyday lives as a youth living in Korea. The intensive trip allowed us to cover what we needed to in such a short period of time. The journey was meaning and beneficial and I am extremely grateful for the opportunity.