The NOC experience - Dispelling Rumours, Discovering Facts

By Chrissy Phoong

Third year, Bioengineering major


PLAYING TOURIST: Chrissy (far right) with friends at Vaxholm


SOAKING IN THE SIGHTS: Ôstermalmstorg area (left) and Swedish symbols Back in August this year, news reporter for NUS student publication "The Ridge", Chrissy Phoong left for Sweden to embark on a one-year stint as part of the National University of Singapore Overseas Colleges (NOC) programme. In the midst of settling in, she wrote to share about her experiences leading up to the trip and about life in Sweden.

Here I am, in Sweden!

Making my way out of the large metallic revolving doors, I was greeted by a cool 20°C draft. I could barely believe I am really in Sweden!

Sweden is a nation of many facets. It is the land of the Vikings, Odin, Thor and Valkyrie. The land that gave birth to ABBA, IKEA, Ericsson, Alfred Nobel and the Ice Hotel.

And here I am, in the heart of the country - Stockholm, the first European Green Capital.

The welcome sign in Arlanda airport said, "Välkommen till Stockholm," and it marks the start of my one-year journey under the NOC programme.

A completely different culture

When I finally arrived in Stockholm in mid-August, my enthusiasm had grown to the extent that my batchmate, Huy, had to warn me not to get too excited. Paraphrasing anthropologist Michael Winkelman's four stages of cultural adaptation, he warned, "Chrissy, you'll only get more culture-shocked (later)." True to Winkelman's words, I am still learning to adapt to my new environment.

One way Sweden is different from Singapore is her keep-right traffic rules. Even on escalators, Swedes would keep to the right to allow those in a hurry to pass by on their left.

Another interesting fact about Stockholm is how liberal they are with their pets. Pets are allowed in shopping malls, restaurants, elevators and even on public transport.

It is such a pleasant sight to see well-trained and obedient Labradors and German Shepherds weaving noiselessly through the crowd in the busy Tunnelbana train stations.

The NOC Experience still the highlight of Stockholm

But with all the thrills I am getting from the serene lifestyle and beautiful architecture here, nothing beats the anticipation I felt when I met my employer - biofibers company Organoclick AB - for the first time there. To promote entrepreneurial involvement, the NOC programme places greater emphasis on internship performance and business case reports rather than theoretical modules. Hence, technically speaking, I am first and foremost a full-time intern with my employer - biofibers company Organoclick AB. In addition, I am also a part-time student at the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH).

Applying for the NOC programme

The NOC is a university level unit programme that caters to academically-inclined students with an interest in exploring entrepreneurship. Application begins with the filing of an online form, to be accompanied with two recommendation letters. Next, I had to go through two interviews conducted by the NOC office and at least one more by the hiring company. Once hired, I still need to get through my visa and residence applications, module mapping as well as the final Cumulative Average Point review.

Prior to my application, I heard how students found the application a hassle because of the citizenship criterion, rounds of tough interview sessions and the need for a strong co-curricular activities (CCA) record. But I discovered these to be largely untrue after sitting through my own interview with the NOC office held in February. I found that foreign students are not necessarily disadvantaged compared to Singaporeans.

Although good grades or an active CCA record do increase your chances, it is more important to demonstrate certain attributes during the interviews. Such attributes are: a passion for learning, dedication and most importantly, the commitment to continue to contribute to NOC even after returning to Singapore.

Collecting my thoughts

When you are in the NOC programme, you are among a fraternity of highly motivated people with similar goals of advancing themselves for future success.

One of my seniors, Edmund, had this to say about NOC, "Every day here is a learning experience. Be it about the Swedish culture, the environment or the people... heck, you'd even learn about yourself in the process!"

My exact sentiments too.