Under the NUSOne initiative, the freedom to spend Wednesday afternoons pursuing out-of-classroom activities has given NUS students more opportunities to develop a richer, more holistic student life. Students have spent the time learning about sustainability and serving the community, equipping them with skills ranging from entrepreneurship to cookery and crafts, while building bridges with other segments of society.
At NUS College (NUSC), this allocated time has been turned into a community-building opportunity for faculty, staff, and students, some of whom live off-campus, with the rest spread across two residential colleges.
Inspired by weekly family meals that help families remain close even as children grow up and start to lead independent lives, Associate Professor Eleanor Wong, NUSC Vice Dean (Residential Programmes & Enrichment), proposed making Wednesday afternoons and evenings the default timing for all NUSC events.
“We want to create a regular time when members of the NUSC community – students, staff and faculty, past and present – know that if they ‘come home’ to NUSC during this time, there will always be some other members of our family there, there will always be some activity going on, and there will always be the chance to catch up with each other,” said Prof El, as she is fondly known on campus.
Thus was born “Wednesdays at NUSC”, an initiative that consolidates both student- and staff-led events into a consistent schedule of opportunities for the community to gather. The first run took place in Semester 2 of AY2024/2025 and the initiative is set to continue in the new academic year.
The NUS College Club, a constituent club of the NUS Students’ Union that represents the NUSC student community, leads the planning together with NUSC staff advisors by creating a list of event themes at the start of the semester and sending out a call for proposals. The college’s Student Life Team further supports them by facilitating collaboration among the committees and assisting with logistics and funding to make the ideas happen.
Every Wednesday of the past semester (except for Reading Week and Exam Week), the students have gathered for activities like watching movies, engaging in arts and crafts, and enjoying performances by NUSC interest groups. Casual gatherings were interspersed with structured events such as town hall meetings, start- and end-of-semester dinners, and a Valentine’s Day carnival with nostalgic activities and treats such as a bouncy castle and old-school ice cream.
The results have been “very encouraging,” said Prof El, who observed that the events attract consistent attendance from students and even some alumni. There is no pressure to attend every event, but with a wide variety to choose from, the hope is that most members of the NUSC community will attend at least a few in each semester and Wednesdays at NUSC will become a tradition that draws them back “home” whenever they can spare the time.
Combined efforts yield bigger, better events
Students have reacted positively to the initiative, with some noting that the fixed schedule aligned with their common free time makes it more convenient to attend the events. Those involved in organising the events also appreciate the additional support to make their efforts more impactful, since the initiative provides some funding and encourages collaboration between student interest groups.
“Previously, there were a lot of smaller-scale events planned by specific groups and the reach of each one was smaller. But when two committees collaborate, we can publicise the event via two channels and have greater reach,” shared Larissa Yong, a second-year Data Science and Analytics student with a second major in Quantitative Finance who served as vice president of community life in the NUS College Club for AY2024/2025.
“A lot of us also try to make it every Wednesday, since we know beforehand that there will be something to attend.”
The NUS College Club is now brainstorming ideas for the next semester, with possible activities including a primary school-style sports day featuring three-legged races and hula hoop games, as well as an arts-themed night to showcase student performances.
Ymir Meddeb, a third-year Computer Engineering major and director of NUSC’s Student Affairs Committee, said the Wednesdays at NUSC initiative helped his committee make this year’s combined NUSC Cultural Night and Chinese New Year Celebrations the largest edition of their diversity-themed events so far. Students and alumni set up about 10 booths with activities and food showcasing different cultures, traditions and religions, and the event attracted a turnout of about 120 students.
“It was stressful and took quite a bit of coordination with other committees, but when people started flooding in at the event, I felt like ‘Wow, I did that!’” he said.
With more opportunities to interact across cohorts, bond over shared interests, and try out new experiences like performing in front of an audience, first-year students like Psychology major Syed Ariq Miiad can integrate more quickly into the college, fostering a stronger sense of community and well-being among the students.
Miiad participated in several events where the Livecore (music and band) interest group was involved, quickly made friends with students who shared his interest, and ended up joining the group’s organising committee within his first year.
Said Summer Fong, a Year 2 Mechanical Engineering major: “Having these regular events makes the dorm experience much livelier, which is really important to help people feel like NUSC is their home, rather than their bedroom.”
Having an event to look forward to every Wednesday is also good for mental health, Miiad noted. “It offers something to do in the mid-week when you need to relax and take a break from academic work, and this is a way that people can use the time to chill and engage in community bonding.”
He added: “I feel that these events are important for well-being. Most people will probably choose to attend them rather than being alone in their rooms.”
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First released on NUS News
