Gap Semester 2.0 Scorecard
Minding the Gap
With the second edition of Gap Semester due to kick-off as this magazine goes to print , the first batch of participants believe that the stories of the programme this year should be recorded down more rigorously . Such sentiment comes from their feedback towards their own experience with the Gap Semester in 2012 . To paraphrase most of the students whom we interviewed , ‘ the stories of the very first group of Rafflesians who attended Gap Semester were worth being published in books .’
The generally excellent organisation of the Gap Semester was slightly marred by the inadequate thought given to the reflection process . The reflection corner on its online portal , for instance , felt more like a place to coordinate responses between students and teachers .
Also , the three-day Gap Semester Congress also could not fully capture the nine-week journey of any student . For some , the Congress was not totally a useful method to share their experience . They found that the oral presentation was unable to help them deliver the content they wish to share . ‘ It ’ s rather nerve-wrecking to present in front of an audience who is much older than you ,’ Gao Shan Sam ( 14S06F ) said , ‘ even though you ’ re familiar with your content !’ As a result , many interesting stories were lost on the audience .
It changed my outlook on the ex-offenders — it let me see them as individuals who loved , who hoped , and who had to live with their fears just as we do .
When asked how Gap Semester Committee could further improve the process of collecting feedback from students , Derick Chen ( 14S05A ) suggested setting up a website that ‘ allows seniors to pass down experiences to the juniors ’.
Joseph Hoon ( 14S05A ) shared , ‘ The most meaningful Gap Sem experience I had was the three-week stint that a friend and I initiated , which involved volunteering at the Singapore Corporation of Rehabilitative Enterprises ( SCORE ) office in Changi with the Yellow Ribbon Project . It changed my outlook on the ex-offenders — it let me see them as individuals who loved , who hoped , and who had to live with their fears just as we do … Witnessing how broken many of them were brought them beyond just another group of people that I knew needed help but who were always at the back of my mind .’
However , Joseph also agreed that his experiences were not ‘ thoroughly recorded ’.
Rafflesian Times
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