NUS College Onboarding and Welcome - NOW!
NOW! (NUS College Onboarding and Welcome) promises a series of four exciting programmes – aiming to help all Year Ones ease into university life, connect with their peers, and most importantly, find their place in the kaleidoscope of NUSC’s vibrant community. Start NOW! offers online, pre-arrival bonding, while O’Week NOW! brings on-campus orientation fun. Dive into local culture and community service with Explore NOW! and Community NOW! Do follow us on our IG @nusc_onboarding for updates and keep an eye out for our emails.
Start NOW! – “Start Your Journey From Home”
As a month-long hybrid programme, Start NOW! is the best place to kickstart your NUSC journey. The first session will be held on Zoom, so you can meet your new friends from the comfort of your home.
Together, you will embark on an adventure-style, point-based online game. Participate in exciting mini-quests, earn enticing prizes, and enjoy fun conversations. A final, in-person wrap-up of Start NOW! awaits all teams in August!
O’WEEK NOW! – “4 Fun Days, 1 Epic Welcome”
Step into the world of ‘Quantum Nexus’ in O’Week NOW! Get ready for thrilling inter-House games – accompanied by an immersive storyline – and lighthearted classroom activities that will give you a taste of campus life. Enjoy unhurried bonding time with your new friends from your House, home faculty and neighbourhood!
Don’t miss out on the booths at our Student Life Fair (SLF) which organises taster sessions for a wide variety of NUSC student clubs and interest groups. It’s four days of energy, fun and memories – capped off with epic student performances during our Finale Night!
COMMUNITY NOW! – “Make Impact, Make Meaning”
Step up, give back and experience the NUSC spirit of service and impact through our hands-on volunteering projects!
Have a stake in workshops, fundraisers and on-site volunteering! Galvanise like-minded people in NUSC and the community beyond to support causes that speak to you – ranging from environmental sustainability to uplifting disaster-stricken communities. Social change is better together!
EXPLORE NOW! – “Step Out, Look Around”
Pack your bags! Let’s go beyond campus with cultural tours and eye-opening local adventures. In your small groups, explore Singapore’s iconic tourist landmarks. Witness our rich sites of culture and heritage. Have a leisurely roam through the heartlands of Redhill and Queenstown. Excite your senses with our food-tasting workshops and full-day cycling tour!
Most importantly, meet fellow NUSC students who hail from all across the world! Our mixers and interactive activities are meant to facilitate intercultural engagements, create opportunities for shared memories and truly take learning beyond the classroom.
Frequently asked questions
Start NOW!
Start NOW! includes two Zoom events on the 7th and 25th July. While in between, your group will enroll in an adventure-style online game by completing daily tasks to earn coins. (Shhhh, I heard somewhere that you’ll get to meet NUSC’s newest otter friend too!)
Fret not, these daily tasks only take up a few minutes at a time. Most tasks also do not require all participants to be present at the same time. Some tasks entail subtasks throughout the day, so subtasks can be easily delegated according to each member’s ability. Feel free to do individual tasks at your own convenience!
Start NOW! is a hybrid event with online and in-person components. Our main programme between 7th and 25th July is fully online and will take place through Zoom. Our storyline will unfold through our very own in-house Telegram chatbot! However, our final wrap-up is happening in-person during Week 1 in NUSC. We are so excited to meet all of you in person!
For our 7th and 25th July sessions, we are offering two Zoom timeslots per day so more people can make it for our events. However, do take note that you need to participate in the same session for both events (i.e. It is not possible to participate in Session 1 for the 7th July event and Session 2 for the 25th July event.)
Don’t worry! Should you face any technical difficulties, our crew of friendly facilitators will be there to assist you. All of our games come with clear and digestible instructions.
O’Week NOW!
Yes, there will be 3 meals provided daily (excluding check-in day on the 28th of July). Refreshments will also be provided throughout the camp!
The activities at O’Week NOW! are meant to give you a taste of life at NUSC. Prepare to explore everything NUSC has to offer – from academic talks and engaging games, to relaxing Interest Group (IG) taster sessions.
If you have signed up with accommodations for O’Week NOW!, you will be checking in on the 28th July. Detailed check-in instructions will be sent to your registered email address. Please keep an eye on your email for further updates. Nevertheless, feel free to reach out to us if you have any other concerns or questions!
From 29th July to 1 August, O’Week will run from 8.30am to 10.00pm. Throughout the day, there will be time for you to rest and recuperate. If you need a break, feel free to inform our friendly facilitators!
Even if you can’t be there for all four days of O’Week NOW!, we still encourage you to participate and what better time than NOW! to have fun with your friends before semester starts. Just inform us in advance through Telegram if you cannot come for any of the days. If you need to leave early, you should also pre-empt your facilitators.
Yes, parents are welcome to observe the camp activities. However, refreshments will only be provided for parents during the first three days. If you have any further questions, feel free to contact us.
Explore NOW!
While the tours are curated for NUSC Year One students, local and international students are welcome too!
Most tours will have a quota of approximately 20 participants.
Sign-ups will begin in mid-July and remain open until Day 2 of orientation. Slots are limited and allocated on a first-come-first-serve basis, so do sign up early! You may sign up for more than one tour, but priority will be given to those who have not joined any Explore NOW! tours yet!
The tours are fully subsidised and inclusive of transport and meals! Participants will also receive an lunch allowance.
Each group will be led by NUSC students from Y2, Y3 or Y4. They will guide you throughout the tour, share informative stories and ensure everything runs smoothly!
Our mixer events feature food tastings, talks between international students, and our highly sought after National Day Parade (NDP) celebration. Hence, our events are primarily aimed at international students. However, interested Singaporean students are also welcome to join us!
Community NOW!
Generally, Community NOW! programmes expect students to commit on a weekly basis (volunteering with elderly and children), although we also offer ad-hoc opportunities! Volunteer sessions will end around October before the end-of-semester exams.
Nope! Community NOW! seeks to provide opportunities for all NUSC students (including Y2 and above) who are keen to serve. All we ask for is your time and passion! Volunteers will be able to participate in programme planning and collaborate with their peers to serve the community!