Charmain:

ISGLOVES is a hybrid glove-mitten that can be used to access touchscreens in extremely cold temperatures. I first came up with the idea while on the NOC programme in Stockholm. I couldn’t use my iPhone while wearing thick gloves − instead, I had to use my nose to activate the phone’s touchscreen.

I recruited my secondary school friend Zhi Yun to help design the gloves; Fitzkhoon and Yan Liang also came on board to develop the product. The project has evolved into a full-fledged start-up named FIETT (Fun in Ecological Tech Textile).

Zhi Yun:

We all complement each other by bringing different expertise to the team. As we come from different faculties at NUS, we get to learn from each other’s experiences.

Yan Liang:

We are constantly exploring and developing new versions of the gloves. Based on user feedback from the first production, we enhanced certain features (e.g., the layer properties and ergonomics of the gloves) and launched our second generation of ISGLOVES last year.

We are also targeting different markets with these new versions – ISGLOVES Sports is for outdoor wear, ISGLOVES Style is for streetwear, and a third variant ISGLOVES Simple is for use in places that don’t get so cold.

ISGLOVES’s inner glove is knitted with conductive yarn intertwined with organic bamboo yarn, making it compatible with use of touchscreens and eco-friendly at the same time. The outer mitten layers are made of recycled polyester and recycled Thinsulate, hence reducing the carbon footprint further.

Charmain:

I wanted to be an entrepreneur since I was 14, but that got pushed to the side as I was focusing on math and science during JC. After I came to NUS, I started to go to entrepreneurship workshops and got more certain that was the path I wanted to follow.

I heard a lot about NOC from my Sheares hallmates and so from Year 1 I was interested in NOC. I wanted to go overseas but didn’t want to just travel around − I wanted to immerse in the culture and experience the working life, and NOC provides that opportunity. When you work overseas for long enough, you really get to understand how people function and what the culture is.

Yan Liang:

I’m from a course with a larger student cohort – mechanical engineering – and I was thinking about how I could distinguish myself from all my other coursemates, so I applied for the NOC programme. I was offered a place in NOC Shanghai and I spent a year working and studying in the world’s manufacturing hub. In my internship, I helped overseas companies source for manufacturers and got to travel around China visiting different factories. There’s a different style of doing things in China than in Singapore and we can learn a lot from each other.

Shanghai is a real melting pot and the NOC programme allowed me to interact with people from different backgrounds. I interacted with one group of people in school, and got to know another group of people at work. In my opinion, doing both is the best way to get a full understanding of the entire climate.

Fitzkhoon:

The engineering science programme has more of a design-based and team-solution approach, and that helped me in my job at Stockholm working for a solar product company.

With my engineering course, I was trying to decide if it was worth staying for a 5th year to go on NOC. After coming back, I would definitely say yes – especially as with engineering it is unlikely you will have the chance to go overseas with your first job.

Zhi Yun:

I stayed at Sheares Hall during my first two years and I miss having late-night chats with my hall neighbours. I also enjoyed being the captain of the girls’ badminton team.

Charmain:

In addition to the NOC programme, I participated in Winter Business trip to Japan and Taiwan under NUS BINGO (Business Incubation of Global Opportunities), during which we got to interact with local people on their business outlook.

I really love activities outside of the classroom and mixing with different communities -- NOC, international groups and hall. All of these experiences gathered together have helped me grow as a person.

Yan Liang:

With the NOC programme I was able to do something different and take on technopreneurship. NOC gave me a lot of opportunity to explore and step out of my comfort zone. Working in a start-up environment enhanced my skillsets; I got to do real work as an intern and learn from experts in the industry.

Fitzkhoon:

I was on the life-saving team, and at NUS sports is like a big family, with seniors coming back to help. On team trips to Taiwan, Australia and Malaysia, I got to learn different life-saving skills. Having the opportunity to learn something else other than my course is part of what made my experience at NUS memorable.

Charmain:

Don’t just come to NUS for classes, as there are a lot of other opportunities. Diversify your experiences – be it through sports, hall or NOC. Try to mix with people from different faculties and walks of life, as you never know what kind of partnerships you might have with them later on.

Yan Liang:

Don’t be discouraged if you can’t grasp a concept right away – that’s not the important thing; University education teaches you the right skills so you can understand any concept the next time. It’s a different playing field from JC – you have the best of the world competing with you. But when you play with better people, you will get better also.

Fitzkhoon:

Get out of the classroom and explore. When you compare with other universities, NUS has a lot more opportunities.