Do, or Do Not: Reflections on Graduation Day @ SP

Looking around the auditorium, I see many familiar faces. Some of the prize winners came as no surprise, as I had known them since my year 1 SPOT days, and have seen them consistently putting their best work forward. I, too, put in my fair share of hard work, and am proud to stand among my peers to collect my diploma with merit and Hoffman Agency Book Prize.

SP auditorium filled with proud parents and students

Receiving my diploma from SP Principal and CEO Mr Soh Wai Wah

It felt bittersweet as I stood in line waiting for my turn to go on stage to collect my diploma. As I waited, the 3 years I spent at SP flashed before my eyes. Just a few months ago, I started my 6^th and final semester. It was my toughest semester to date as I juggled 3 modules on top of my final year project (FYP). Since it was my last semester, I decided to push myself further by also being the project lead for 2 of these modules (Media Law & iLab). 

Fast forward a few months and here’s my report card: 

1. Honours Roll (straight As for Media Law, iLab, LinkedIn, and FYP)

2. *FYP project showcased at SP graduation event & won DMC award  

3. Diploma with Merit (Academic + CCA excellence)

4. Hoffman Agency Book Prize

5. SP Sustainability Excellence Award

*Group work. 

These achievements above took determination and effort, with each giving me a mini-life lesson. 

Honours Roll 

One recurrent theme I learnt in the past 3 years was that it's okay to fall down, as long as you quickly get back up. In the 3rd semester, I faltered and my GPA dropped to 3.44. That abruptly ended my goal of consecutive Honours Roll. It would also be an uphill battle to pull my GPA back up but I knew it could be done. So, I picked myself up and continued to work hard at my modules, taking things one step at a time. Being consistent, my grades gradually improved. In the end, I managed to pull up my GPA to 3.87, largely thanks to 5^th and 6^th semester results. 

Knowing that I would be stretched quite thin for iLab and FYP, I pushed my project team to complete the Media Law module quickly. In fact, our team completed the module and submitted our final deliverable with 2 weeks to spare. This seemingly simple strategy freed up so much time for my team and myself, which allowed us extra time to focus on our remaining modules. It was the only way I could make it work and I was surprised no other team did the same. 

FYP

I like the concept of a FYP, where all the skills and knowledge gained from the past 3 years are brought together to overcome a “large wall”. All the modules and projects along the way are like side quests. Through each side quest, we gained new skills and levelled up and became stronger. This conditioning would prepare us well, leading to us eventually slaying the proverbial big dragon at the end of the journey. I guess my time in MAD has made me a bit more creative with my analogies! On a serious note, FYP journey taught me that even seemingly insurmountable challenges can be overcome, so long as we never give up on improving ourselves.

Diploma with Merit

SP takes pride in developing students who balance academic excellence with active participation in CCAs and community service. That was exactly what I set out to achieve when I joined SP three years ago. Along the way, I joined organisations like YouthCorps and NEA to give back to the community. Balancing these commitments with a heavy academic workload was challenging, but I'm grateful that SP awarded me a Diploma with Merit. At university, I plan to build on this foundation and deepen my community involvement further.

Hoffman Agency Book Prize

Among my peers who received Diploma with Merit, a select few also won a book prize, e.g. Mediacorp prize, Digipen prize, etc. I too received a book prize, specifically “The Hoffman Agency” prize. It's basically a donor-sponsored award given for top academic performance in a specific module, subject, or cohort, with the prize presented as a cash award. I take great pride in getting this award and am grateful for all the guidance from my many mentors in SP.

Proud to be one of the award winners.

SP Excellence Award

About 2 months ago, on the last day of school, I was notified that I was awarded the SP Excellence (Sustainability) Award. I was ecstatic with this news as the Excellence Awards is one of the highest accolades of SP! My interest in sustainability has given me many meaningful experiences. To be able to get a sustainability award at a poly that prides itself in sustainability, I cannot think of a better way to end my SP journey. Looking forward to receiving this award on 26 May 2026! But that is still some weeks to go, so it will be another story for another time. Now back to SP graduation day… 04 May 2026. 

After the ceremony was over, everyone left the auditorium in an orderly manner. As I navigated through the sea of excited people, I would stop for group photo as every few steps. Many are friends I've worked with before. We happily congratulate each other and pose for pictures.

My sister, mother, and father came to support me, which I expected as they have always been my pillars. But to see friends and teachers who came all the way down to deliver their well wishes… I was surprised and touched. 

My pillars of support since Day 1

SP lecturers, CCA + YouthCorps friends

SP did a good job of spacing out different locations for photo taking, so even though it rained briefly, everyone was still able to move around the sheltered spaces and continue with photo-taking. As I took countless photos with family and friends, I felt a sense of déjà vu… Why?

Same Input, Different Output?

I reflected on the many new friends I made during my time at SP. Although we all had the same classes and similar opportunities, our responses to those opportunities were completely different. I had classmates who saw every project as a chance to learn something new, and others whose only response was to complain each time a challenge appeared.

A senior once told me: two students attended the exact same workshop. One left feeling tired and said it was a waste of time. The other left totally energised and motivated. Same workshop. Same speaker. Same slides. Different mindsets. Glass half full, or half empty? It all comes down to perspective. I liken that to my time in SP where all the MAD students were given equal opportunities and also faced similar hardships along the way. Peers whom I know worked through it and made things happen… I drew inspiration from them and sought to do the same. Fast forward 3 years, and this habit has served me well.

Final thoughts

It's a nice coincidence (or maybe not?) that all polytechnics' graduation day was on 4th of May. Stealing a quote from Star Wars… “do or do not, there is no try.” So, to my fellow SP graduates, the future may be VUCA but you'll never know until you try. May the force be with you! 

Howie CHIA

4 May 2026

TLDR

Fell down in semester 3 (GPA 3.44), climbed back up quickly and eventually graduated with a Diploma with Merit (GPA 3.87). Along the way won the DMC prize for FYP, Hoffman Agency book prize and SP Excellence (sustainability) awards. Lesson learnt: persistence and perspective matter more than perfection.