A (Very) Belated 2023 Year in Review

It's May 2024. I honestly first drafted this year in review at the end of Term 7 (i.e., in Dec 2023), but we're now almost halfway into 2024. With Commencement coming up tomorrow, when else would be better to post this article if not now?

0???1/6 of the year (Jan - Feb)

Before I commenced my 8 months overseas (see the next few sections for more details), I completed my internship at Bioinformatics Institute, A*STAR . I also wanted to take this chance to express my gratitude to my supervisor, Dr Bhanu Prakash KN , and the research team ( Arvind Srinivasa and Ling Yun Yeow) for your support and guidance throughout the 5 months of my internship from September 2022 to January 2023 once again. I truly learnt a lot and was greatly inspired by your attitudes towards research and improving health outcomes. The project I worked on aligned greatly with my research interests in using technological solutions in the mental health space, and allowed me to learn more about the research process and the process of drafting research papers. During the internship, I got to conduct a comparative analysis of the classification of patients with schizophrenia and healthy controls using machine learning on Asian and Caucasian cohorts, while assisting with other tasks that arose.

I also helped out with various outreach activities that SUTD did, such as pre-Open House engagement activities and the Open House itself. Always glad to be able to help out with such events and talk to prospective students and their parents!

Finally, I spent most of my free time in January and February preparing for SUTD’s Student Leaders Election and the consequent Investiture Ceremony. I’ve said everything I wanted to say in a previous article, so feel free to check it out for more on that topic!

1?? KAIST Exchange (Feb - Jun)

After investiture ended, off to Daejeon it was! It started with me struggling with my luggage and many bags when getting from Incheon to Daejeon via...(1) the airport train from Incheon Airport to Seoul station, (2) the KTX train from Seoul station to Daejeon station, and (3) finally using Daejeon's only subway line to get from Daejeon station to Wolpyeong station. There, I met 2 of my lovely SUTD friends who took a bus with me to KAIST's dorm. Many thanks to Brandon Ong and Christopher Lye for getting me dinner and helping me with my luggage!

I learnt so much and did so many things in that time — explored (some parts of) Korea, attended many different K-pop concerts and festivals (psst: we got to watch PSY live), joined a student volunteering club, made new friends, watched a baseball match live, designed and developed an application under a research lab, and took 5 very interesting courses!

2 of the courses I took were considered graduate-level courses (Neural Computation and Data Science Methodology). Yet this didn’t deter me from learning from my professors, teaching assistants, and classmates. The courses were extremely insightful, and one of the professors often shared about what graduate school was like. The other 3 courses I took taught me more about Human-Computer Interaction (HCI), Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Robotics, and the Korean language. The rigour of undergraduate courses in KAIST was truly no less than what others warned — intense. Projects done were also very different from SUTD since design thinking methodologies are not so heavily involved in the curriculum there. Nevertheless, I felt that my soft skills from my years in Singapore’s education system trained me well and allowed me to adapt well. Notably, in HCI, our team developed a Figma prototype focusing on improving mental health management for working adults, underscoring the importance of human-centric design through different iterations based on various user testing frameworks. In AI, our team developed a medical instrument distribution robot, highlighting the practical applications of technology in healthcare. Additionally, the Data Science course enhanced my analytical skills greatly. Check out my group’s video for HCI here and my group’s poster for AI here.

Special shoutout to all my fellow SUTD friends ( Brandon Ong , Christopher Lye , Si Hao Lee , Wei Guang Han ), and new friends who made this experience memorable for me. I enjoyed our trips within KAIST (to the canteen, library, or cafes around KAIST to get the cheapest Americanos possible), around Daejeon and even beyond Daejeon! All the good food we had and memories forged at photobooths are all things I’ll look back on fondly in future.

I also wrote 2 blog posts on WeAreSUTD to share some of the unique experiences I had: (1) Koncerts in Korea and (2) Klubs in Korea.

2???UCB Exchange (Jun - Aug)

After the school term ended in KAIST, I flew over to California for another exchange under SUTD’s Global Leadership Programme almost immediately. In UCB, I took 2 courses — Examining Sociocultural Issues through TikTok, and Neurodiversity in Literature.

Both courses were quite different from my course of study in SUTD, yet so similar in some ways. In the former course, I had the opportunity to analyse TikTok videos (which meant watching TikTok videos for “work/research” was a reality now), understand more about new media analysis, look at how algorithms on social media like this can affect our well-being and how complex they are, and even make TikTok videos as part of class activities every week! I also investigated the role of AI in social media and its impact on public awareness of Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder. In the latter course, I learnt more about the neurodiversity movement, how it started in the US, and the recent state of events across the world. This eventually culminated in a thesis that explored the portrayal of Autism Spectrum Disorder in technology and social media. In SUTD and in Singapore, I don't think I'd get to hear so many candid opinions and viewpoints that are influenced by the cultures that we are brought up in and live in. It was engaging to hear from my peers who were all studying different majors (e.g., business, IT, engineering, communications, etc) in different countries. Some of them had never even used TikTok in their life!

These experiences at UCB broadened my understanding of the intersection between technology, society, and mental health. I was also inspired to do an Instagram post on neurodiversity here.

Apart from academic activities, I was blessed to have spent the bulk of my time with my friends and housemates ( Ashley Koh Jia Jhin , Jacinta Quek , Jowell Nim , Tan Shin Herng ). I will forever treasure our road trips, cooking experiences, grocery shopping trips, trips to The North Face factory outlet just 10 minutes away from our house, watching fireworks on the Fourth of July, and more! I will also always remember getting a rash from poison oak, thinking it would just be regular insect bites, but having my consultation session cost USD$215, and the steroid cream costing USD$205.99.

During this time, I also concluded my work with Kura Kura after more than 2.5 years. It was a great experience trying out 3 different roles (Content Lead, R&D Lead, Software Developer) during my time, and I'm grateful for the learning and networking opportunities I've gained.

I also got to explore Los Angeles before returning to Singapore, and it turned out to be one of the most memorable things I've done. Hurricane Hilary was one of the most unexpected threats that we experienced during our time there, with the warnings seemingly getting worse everyday and it raining in Los Angeles during our time there (apparently it should have been a dry summer?). Fortunately, the hurricane warning level was eventually downgraded and we returned safely. Apart from the hurricane risk, the other thing that made this trip memorable was being able to attend KCON LA live (both the concert and the convention!). It was truly a dream come true, and I'm sure the younger me would have been really happy knowing that this would happen.

3???Term 7 (Sep - Dec)

Before Term 7 started, I was fortunate to be given the chance to do a 3-day attachment at Changi General Hospital under Dr Colin Yeo . In the cardiology department, I got to observe various intervention procedures, learn from medical professionals, and understand the intricacies of ward rounds in the mornings. Thank you for the experience and candid sharing sessions!

Term 7 was a fruitful term, as I finally got to take more healthcare-related courses again (my last healthcare-related course was Science and Technology for Healthcare back in 2021). Extremely grateful for the opportunity to work with real clinical partners for 3 out of 4 projects!

One of these collaborations was a collaboration with the National Kidney Foundation on PDopoly, a way to reduce the knowledge gap of peritoneal dialysis (PD) among tertiary students in Singapore and highlight it as an alternative treatment for kidney failure to foster wider acceptance of PD in the future. Our team ( Cassandra Dana Chin Kaiwen , Ernest Ng, Jiaying Shen and myself) conceptualised a new flow for NKF’s outreach sessions, which involved the design of a board game adapted from Monopoly to make the intricacies of PD accessible, as well as an interactive Figma prototype for a microsite that provided an enjoyable and immersive learning experience that could be done before, during, and after the session. We also worked on a poster and a video, which were presented as part of the deliverables for this module, Technologies for Sustainable Global Health. Appreciate the support and guidance from the teaching team (Dr Xiaojuan Khoo , Dr Julia Yajuan Zhu and Zhuoqun Jiang), as well as our NKF partner Daron Na .

Another collaboration involved KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital on a serious game called Glucose Conquest. As part of the Instructional Design of Serious Games for Healthcare module, I learnt more about how to design serious games, how to incorporate educational aspects into serious games, and how to apply these learning points to real-world healthcare contexts. Our team (Ernest Ng, Gunjan Agarwal, Jude Tan and myself) developed a virtual pet serious game designed to empower children dealing with Type 1 diabetes using Unity. With regular feedback from experienced clinicians, we conceptualised game mechanics to teach young children about managing their health, and learning vital skills such as taking glucometer readings and executing insulin injections. Similarly, our poster and video were presented as part of the course deliverables. Special shoutout to Ernest for designing all the graphics and wireframes from scratch while Jude and I coded out the various aspects of the game based on these graphics! Grateful for the guidance from the teaching team (Prof Chen Huei Leo , Prof Fernando Bello and Revathi Ravindran ), as well as our KKH partners, Dr Joyce Lim, Dr Daniel Chan and Dr Chin Xinyi.

Another project, which carried on to Term 8 in 2024, was done in collaboration with Alexandra Hospital, Singapore . This 2-term Capstone project ended about 1 month ago, and it was truly an eye-opening experience. Stay tuned for another post on this project!

The final project that I worked on last term was a project under the Health Communication and Behaviour Change module. In this project, our team ( Bryce Goh , Christopher Lye , Jie Wei Lek , Mah Yi Da and myself) shot and edited a trailer for an interactive video designed to enhance understanding and empathy towards the experiences of caregivers, with the ultimate goal of promoting more comprehensive support systems. Of course, apart from the project, the course content was extremely valuable and I benefitted greatly from the various discussions we had as a class. Glad I got to take my final HASS course in SUTD under Prof Andrew Yee !

While challenging to juggle at first, each project presented unique challenges and valuable learning experiences. I am grateful for the opportunity to work on these projects and apply the knowledge and skills I gained throughout the past terms in SUTD.

With 4 project-heavy courses this term, I decided to take things chill on the fifth row front, only re-joining House Guardians for this term. It was quite a different experience compared to 2021 and 2022, since COVID restrictions were lifted and we could do more physical events this time.

SUTD aside, I also took on 2 new roles as part of Project Re:ground. My first role was as a Peer Support Leader, where I joined the Ambassadors team. The team is in charge of spreading more awareness about Project Re:ground and peer supporting, as well as rallying other peer supporters to take ownership over Themed Nights (i.e., special themed sessions replacing regular nights where people can engage in different self-care activities such as crocheting, sound therapy etc). Check out our Instagram account here! My second role I took up was part of the re:CEIVE Initiative, where I stepped up during Dungeon duty as Dungeon Guardian to help improve the Project Re:ground experience for both peer supporters and participants. I also helped with the creation of infographics and posters introducing the Peer Support Leaders and the re:CEIVE Initiative.

?? Final Thoughts

Overall, 2023 was a year of change for me, and I'm sure it must have been for many of my peers too. Some graduated from university, some were embarking on their second terms/semesters in university, some were in their final year of university, and some were on exchange programmes all over the world. But it's definitely been one of growth too, and I'm grateful for all the opportunities that I was able to embark on.

This is really belated, but thank you to everyone who experienced life with me in 2023, as well as in the years before 2023 too ??

Cheers to 2024!