Why SIT is for me
- Howie Chia
- 3 days ago
- 6 min read
About a year ago, I applied for SIT's early admissions entry. I did all the requirements, from writing a 700-word essay to creating a multimedia showpiece and even attending their in-person orientation at the beautiful new SIT campus. However, I found out later that EAE was only for final year students, so I was ineligible. Nonetheless, I had a good experience talking to some of the SIT faculty and administrators, who encouraged me to continue developing my skills and reapply next year.
Fast forward 10 months, and SIT EAE has come about once again. While many things have changed, I still find myself keen to study at SIT's communication and media course. The question is, have I kept pace with changing times and levelled up myself sufficiently to be successful this time?
Since last December (2024), I have gathered new experiences, skills, insights and won some new awards. So, this blog post's intent is to reflect on my performance from the past 10 months and map it to the main student characteristics desired by SIT: Learning Agility, Initiative & Resilience, Collaborative Mindset, and Problem Solving.
Learning Agility
During my internship at the UAE Singapore Business Council (UAESBC), I was tasked with creating a corporate video. I had everything ready - the storyboard, the script, the equipment, and even Dr Brian Shegar, the Emeritus Chairman, confirmed on the shoot date. He had approved my script in advance, so I thought I was all set. But when the cameras rolled, he went completely off-script.
Instead of sticking to the lines, he delivered a freestyle, candid take that was full of insights and personality. It was gold, but it didn't match my original plan. However, this detour allowed me to test how GenAI can tackle real-world problems. So, I turned to ChatGPT Pro as my "AI editor." I gave it the transcripts from five different takes, my original storyboard, and set its persona to that of a seasoned video editor with 20 years of experience.
Within minutes, it analysed all the transcripts and pulled out the most coherent, articulate lines. It then mapped Dr Brian's spoken content back to the original storyboard, identified which scenes aligned best with his delivery (like member benefits and patron showcases), and recommended which footage to prioritise - even explaining why. Most importantly, it adjusted the script while keeping the core message intact, and crucially, it didn't hallucinate; it only used what was actually said.
With the heavy lifting done by GenAI, I stepped in to make the final tweaks. The result? A tighter, clearer video that actually surpassed my original vision. It taught me that tools like GenAI aren't here to replace us - they're here to amplify what we can do. In a way, AI tools now give media creators superpowers, enabling us to accomplish much more. And this is GenAI at its weakest state... given the exponential improvement of AI (just look at Nanobanna), who knows what else it can do in the near future?
Another example of my learning agility was when I had to enhance the LinkedIn profile of UAESBC as well as my big boss, Dr Brian Shegar. SP has a module that teaches graduating students how to enhance their LinkedIn profile, but I needed this knowledge much earlier, so I went ahead and learnt it myself first (thanks, YouTube!) and quickly applied it during my internship. Sometimes, you can't wait for the school to offer the module. You have to find your own way to learn the skill and solve the problem first.
“When knowledge isn’t handed to you, go out and grab it.”
Initiative & Resilience
Throughout my first and second years at SP, I've grown fond of the sustainability movement and worked on several sustainability projects. Two worth mentioning are LTA's "Car-lite Challenge" (Oct 2023), followed by NEA's YES Leaders Programme "Beyond the Flush!" (Jun 2025).
What's particularly meaningful about these projects is the persistence they required. Many other SP teams started alongside us, but only a few managed to see it through to the end. In fact, for Car-lite 2023, my team was the only one that made it to completion! For "Beyond the Flush!", my project received Minister Grace Fu's compliments for my team's resilience in seeing our toilet project through to the end. As the project lead for both teams, I'm proud that I could rally my teammates to persevere, especially when so many teams gave up along the way.
These experiences taught me that initiative isn't just about starting projects - it's about the resilience to push through when things get tough, when deadlines loom, and when the initial excitement wears off.
Collaborative Mindset
Some of my most meaningful experiences have come from working with others from diverse backgrounds. At the Youth Model ASEAN Conference 2025, I joined students from other countries in this simulated regional summit. We were tackling climate resilience - a massive, multi-layered issue, where no one person had all the answers.
What stood out was how much we leaned on each other. I worked closely with delegates from Malaysia, Indonesia, and the Philippines, blending our perspectives to draft a joint resolution. There were debates, compromises, and moments of breakthrough. We didn't just divide tasks - we co-created solutions. That experience showed me the power of multi-disciplinary collaboration: when diverse voices come together, the outcome is always stronger.
Back home, that same collaborative spirit drove our AR recycling project "Recycle GO!". I teamed up with developers, designers, and environmental advocates. I didn't have all the tech skills, but I brought the vision and communication strategy. They brought the coding and UX expertise. Together, we built something none of us could've done alone. That's the kind of teamwork I value - and exactly the kind SIT encourages through its industry-integrated learning. Another reason why I feel so drawn to SIT...
Problem Solving
Real problems don't come with textbooks, but knowing some theory certainly helps. For my project "Beyond the Flush!" I applied knowledge gleaned from Design Thinking, Research and Data Analytics, as well as SP's Tinkerlab module. Applying theoretical knowledge to solve real-world problems was as satisfying as seeing the measurable results (a 79% improvement in male toilet cleanliness) at the end.
At UAESBC, I got to apply my knowledge in UI/UX to redesign the organisation's official webpage. It was such a privilege to be given this opportunity, and I relished the challenge. Working with a vendor, I was pleasantly surprised that my design was chosen over theirs. This success stems from skills learned in SP's User Experience Design & Research (MD0003), which taught me how to use Figma's wireframes to create a high-fidelity prototype so that stakeholders could better visualise how the new website could look.
I'm grateful that SP regularly updates its curriculum to keep it relevant to industry needs. This arms students with the right skills, enabling us to move from theory to practice. I hope to continue my learning journey at another institution that does the same.
Conclusion
I am always seeking to find a better way to solve problems. My approach is straightforward: first, understand the problem at hand, evaluate all available resources, size up the scope of work involved, take note of deadlines and deliverables, then come up with various options for stakeholders to choose from. Throughout the process, stay calm and focused.
To recap, over these 10 months, I've stayed true to my continuous improvement journey. I've picked up new knowledge and skills, applied them in real-world environments with measurable impact and outcomes. I am now going into my third year and final semester (starting my FYP soon). I will graduate from SP in a few months and go serve national service. In this ever-changing landscape that is digital communication and media, I need to keep learning and adapting. Ideally, I hope to find another good institution where I can continue to hone my skills and knowledge. I'm not going to just sit around and wait... So, here I am applying for SIT again (second time's a charm?) and look forward to becoming a future SITizen.
Howie Chia
15 October 2025
TLDR
Used the past 10 months to strengthen my skills and portfolio to better match SIT’s key desired traits for successful students. Reapplying in Oct 2025, for SIT’s Communication and Digital Media course.
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