" Hi I'm Samuel and I interned at Stuck Design in the summer after the end of year 1. As an E-Scholar, I was able to clear 8MCs worth of credits during my summer break by mapping my internship as an Aspirational Project.

Stuck Design is a local Industrial Design consultancy founded by a current NUS ID lecturer. Despite being an Industrial Design company, Stuck Design has a branch known as STUCKLABS, which not only helps the designers in manufacturing and prototyping, but also works on internal projects, with the aim to create tech experiences that users enjoy and play with. As an engineering intern, I had the chance to aid in the development of prototypes, and work on developing some interactive exhibitions and concepts. Throughout the 3 months I gained exposure to manufacturing, electronics, and embedded software development.

The benefit of the Aspirational Project is its flexibility, awarding credits to E-Scholars to pursue their interests through various means. I was able to learn highly relevant skills in product development while contributing to my graduation requirements, reducing my workload during other semesters. The lessons I've learnt and my experience helped greatly in developing my iDP project and was critical in securing me a hardware development role for NOC. "

" For my aspirational project, I took part in the SUTDxSIA Upcycling Challenge 2022, where my team was tasked with coming up with creative ways to upcycle parts of a retired Airbus A380.

The competition comprised two rounds: the Selection and Final round.

In the selection round, our team submitted two ideas. Both ideas (a convertible shelf and a music instrument exhibition) were selected to proceed to the final round. The final round required us to build and present our prototype to a panel of judges. We decided to prototype the culturally-inspired instruments and recorded a music video with them. For our efforts, we were awarded third place in the local tertiary category.

This project allowed me to combine my interests in Science, Music and Engineering while working with unusual components. On top of the usual soft skills associated with team-based projects, I gained experience with a range of hard skills and manufacturing techniques, such as laser cutting.

I applied to have this competition mapped as an aspirational project after the conclusion of the competition itself. My mentor was extremely understanding and supportive, giving me tips on how to improve my presentation and pitching skills as well as tips on improving our prototyping process.

If you would like to see the aforementioned music video, you may access the following youtube link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VqBW9aSKuSg&t=3s "

" The Aspirational Project is a module that encourages students to pursue a project of their interest and work towards an impactful goal. As part of my Aspirational Project, I engaged in many activities such as publishing a Policy Brief with Students for the Exploration and Development of Space (Singapore), planning an NUS Electronic Study Trip for Engagement and EnRichment (e-STEER), participating in various competitions such as the James Dyson Award and NUS IDEATE 2021, as well as undertaking a part-time internship with iHealthtech NUS in my third semester of school.

The Aspirational Project has allowed me to step out of my comfort zone and gain multiple learning experiences, all while simultaneously contributing to my modular credits. This is a great opportunity which promotes holistic development, and I highly encourage you to take up the Aspirational Project at least once in your school term and get creative with your projects as well! "