Orientation 2021: SIT First Year Experience
SIT welcomed over 2,800 freshmen to the SIT First Year Experience with a series of physical and virtual activities – SIT Helix, Day Zero, Club Fair and Virtual Platform
Despite this being the second year where a large part of the SIT orienation had to be held online, SIT's Student Life division and the student organisers spent months planning to ensure that the freshmen’s first year experience was not compromised.
SIT Helix – Connecting with SIT-DNA and Culture
An evolution of the conventional SIT First Year Experience camp into an induction programme, Helix is a platform for freshmen to connect with the SIT community, DNA and culture, meet fellow freshmen from other degree programmes, and learn more about interdisciplinary learning, while retaining the fun elements of an orientation camp.
Close to 1,000 freshmen and 73 student organisers and facilitators participated in this two-day virtual event over three sessions. Prof John Thong, Deputy President (Academic) and Provost-designate, gave a warm welcome to the freshmen, while Assoc Prof Foo Yong Lim, Assistant Provost (Applied Learning), shared about interdisciplinary learning and the university's framework for transferable skills learning.
Day Zero – Interacting with the SIT Community
A traditional element of the SIT First Year Experience, Day Zero is the perfect platform for freshmen to interact with academic staff, seniors and course mates prior to the start of the programme.
Conducted over five days (from 30 August to 3 September 2021) across six campuses, the freshmen took the opportunity to understand the expectations for their degree programmes, and gained useful studying and time management tips from their seniors. Day Zero was attended by 2,667 freshmen, 617 student organisers and facilitators, as well as 16 academic staff.
The highlight of the event was the sharing by industry partners such as Keppel Offshore & Marine Ltd, Ministry of Trade and Industry, Sembcorp Marine Ltd, and Singapore Society of Radiographers.
Club Fair & Virtual Platform – Promoting an Active University Life
Club Fair 2021 was a virtual event to allow freshmen to meet their peers and seniors in an interactive environment. There were also daily livestream sessions on YouTube to give freshmen a glimpse into the various student activities and development programmes.
Motivated to provide freshmen with an ‘out of this world’ experience, the virtual platform undertook an ‘Adventure into Space and Beyond’ theme, featuring useful resources from 20 participating divisions including the SIT Advancement & Alumni Division, live chats with 88 clubs, and virtual campus tours featuring all six SIT campuses. The Club Fair and Virtual Platform garnered 4,000 visits and 53,000 views.
For the full story, please go to SIT’s Digital Newsroom: https://www.singaporetech.edu.sg/digitalnewsroom/orientation-2021-sit-first-year-experience/