this is so random

how do we accumulate and gather around a specific topic? one of the greatest and most constant challenges of a designer is representing research through objects, images, documents — in classifying and systematizing an archive as a means to expressing and developing the poetics of the individual’s viewpoint. the personal archive is a link between the individual design practice and the larger context of our visual and cultural legacy. this project includes the development of the initial idea through a personal collection or set of objects, documents, images, etc., which must conform the graphic designer’s statement.

for more information about this project, click here

HAO project 1 archive

We have all encountered stress before. Be it a major or minor one, we all have our own way to deal with it. As university level students in Singapore, the kind of stress faced is another phase as compared to another target audience. Recent newspaper articles have depicted unfortunate incidents. How does one resolve this social issue? Using a fun approach, create a public awareness about this social issue currently faced by university level students in Singapore and ultimately to make light of the whole situation. Avoid using organizations or hotlines to convey this social message, instead use your own initiatives and methods to create awareness and at the same time trying to relief the situation.

This public service announcement aims to relief the stressful situation faced by university students in Singapore. Thus, the final form can be of any medium and media.

Most importantly, have fun.

for more information about this project, click here

HAO project 2 DIY

Process / Survey:
Survey results have shown that majority of the students sleep and eat to cope with stress and the number one factor that leads to stress is studies. For a more in-dept look at the results and the process, please read previous posts.

Concept:
One piece poster campaign which serves as an announcement and at the same time incorporating a solution for these stressful times. The solution is to provide stress relief kits as takeaways that users can execute anytime anywhere.

Application:
These interactive posters will be displayed at various institutions and places which the target audience (university students) will frequent.

Execution:

HAO project 2 campaign, final

all is done, finally.
come and check it out.

HAO project 2 exhibition, poster

1. Are you a university student?
Yes 91.4%
No 8.6%

2. Do you have difficulty sleeping at night?
Yes 38.2%
No 61.8%

3. Have you been drinking, smoking, eating more than usual?
Yes 33.3%
No 66.7%

4. Are you more ‘touchy’ and argumentative than normal?
Yes 50.0%
No 50.0%

5. Do you have financial problems?
Yes 39.4%
No 60.6%

6. Do you feel jumpy, on edge, flying off the handle at little things?
Yes 47.1%
No 52.9%

7. Has there been an increase in the number of deadlines or hours you are studying?
Yes 85.3%
No 14.7%

8. Are you exposed to constant noise at home or at school?
Yes 41.2%
No 58.8%

9. What are some of the stress you faced currently? (You can choose more than 1 answer)
Relationship 22.9%
Study 88.6%
Financial 42.9%
Family 17.1%
Health 37.1%
Depression 14.3%
Work 42.9%
Others 8.6%

10. What are some of the ways to de-stress yourself? (You may choose more than 1 answer)
Sleep 77.1%
Eat 71.4%
Read 20.0%
Listen to music 51.4%
Exercise 37.1%
Drink alcohol 8.6%
Shopping 51.4%
Movies/Television 60.0%
Smoke 8.6%
Play computer games 45.7%
Take drugs 0.0%
Travel 28.6%
Others 20.0%

HAO project 2 survey

these are the books that i referenced.

HAO project 2 books, relief

HAO Uncategorized, project 2 poster

Take a deep breath. This is your first, most immediate defense against stress. If you can get in the habit of pausing and taking a nice, deep breath every time you feel stress beginning to take hold, you’ll have won half the battle just by preventing it from taking over. The other half is won by addressing the causes of your stress.

Communicate. Whether you talk to a friend or talk to your cat, getting it off your chest will help a lot. If you don’t feel like talking about it, write it down. Keep a journal and write down whatever it is that’s bothering you. Writing is a therapy of its own.

Laugh. Rediscover your sense of humor by making fun of your situation. View it from your future self’s perspective, telling this story to a bunch of your friends over pizza and soda. Crack some jokes. Do your goofiest impression. Tickle a child that you love. Laughter, whether it’s yours or someone else’s, is the best medicine–and it’s contagious!

Get fit. Perhaps your health and appearance are stressing you out, but even if they’re not an issue, being physically fit can directly help relieve stress, which exists on both a mental and a physical level. Sometimes there’s nothing like a long run, an intense yoga session, or a fresh swim after a stressful day to help you feel relaxed and stress-free again. Also, exercise releases endorphins; a feel good hormone. Chocolate releases endorphins as well (just only in moderation)!

Be organized. For the most part, stress arises from feeling overwhelmed. There’s just too much to do, and not enough time to do it. Being organized and getting your priorities straight can help you break responsibilities down into manageable pieces and focus on the things that really matter to you, rather than getting caught up in details and creating extra work for yourself–all of which leads to more stress.

Soothe the senses. Light a scented candle that has a calming fragrance like lavender. Listen to your favorite, most relaxing music or, better yet, go somewhere that you can listen to wind rustle through trees or waves crash on the beach. Enjoy the scenery, whether you’re outdoors or viewing an art exhibit. Drink some warm tea or taste–really taste–some dark chocolate. Treat yourself by getting a massage or, if you want to be alone, take a bath (bubbles are recommended).

Do nothing. That’s right, folks, do nothing at all. Close the door, open the window, have a seat, and take a little break from life. If your mind is racing, learn to meditate and just let that stress go.

HAO project 2 stress

07 March 2009

A man from the Nanyang Technological University (NTU) has been found dead in his apartment unit on the campus.

24-year-old Zhou Zheng, a Chinese national, was an Infocomm Project Officer at the university’s School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.

He was found hanging in the balcony in his apartment at Block 101C Nanyang Heights, where staff and graduate students reside.

Police said Saturday they received a call at around 10.30pm on Friday night and when they arrived, the body had already been brought down to the floor.

The man was pronounced dead at 10.55 pm.

In a statement released Saturday, NTU said professional counsellors and senior university officers were activated on site to offer support.

The man’s parents have since been notified.

NTU has found temporary accommodation for the Zhou’s flatmates.

When 938LIVE visited the area shortly after midnight, there were hardly any signs of disturbance.

Those who 938LIVE spoke to said the residents there kept mostly to themselves, and hardly interacted with one another.

NTU’s president Su Guaning said they are deeply saddened by the loss.

This is the university’s second alleged suicide case in less than a week.

Both men were from the university’s School of Electronic and Electrical Engineering.

On Monday, a 21-year-old Indonesian undergraduate is believed to have slit his wrists and jumped to his death after allegedly stabbing his professor on campus.

HAO project 2 article, newspaper, stress

March 2, 2009

A student of a state-run university on Monday stabbed his professor on the campus and then killed himself by jumping from a building, police said.

The Indonesian-Chinese final year engineering student was found dead outside a building of Nanyang Technological University when police arrived at nearly 11 a.m.

He had allegedly stabbed the professor before jumping from the seven- story building housing the faculty of electrical and electronic engineering. The professor survived the attack.

The university also confirmed the incident in a statement that said, “A final year student from the electrical and electronic engineering school stabbed a professor this morning. The student then jumped off a building.”

It said the professor received medical treatment for cuts sustained and is in a stable condition.

Local media reports said the stabbing took place on the sixth floor of the building. The Singaporean professor, in his 40s and identified by local media as Chan Kap Luk, was the student’s supervisor in a project and was in his office when the student allegedly attacked him.

Other media group:

David Hartanto Widjaja, an Indonesian student of the Nanyang University of Singapore stabbed on his own Professor and then committed suicide with cutting on his own wrist before then jump from the university building. One of this technique lecturers, now still undergoing some treatment in hospital after stabbed by this student, on Monday morning.
Victim is Professor Kap Luk Chan, aged 40 years. Police said, the lecturer was injured in the back and arm, but now his condition was reported stable.

David Hartanto Widjaja family, already fly to Singapore. Tuesday (3 / 3) morning They come to the hospital to identify the corpse of their son David. They have not decided whether David corpse will be taken to Jakarta or will be cremated in Singapore.

David the stabber itself had followed the International Mathematics Olympiad in Malaysia in 2005. David got bronze medals at that Olympic games. He was entered to the Nanyang Technology University (NTU) in 2004 through the ASEAN scholarship.

There are no bad notes about David Hartanto Widjaya during his study in the 1’s SMK Jakarta, and in Nanyang University. In fact, he is a student that have a lot of great achievement.

We are all heartbroken over this incident. Indonesia lossing a genius and talented student with the tragic way. We participate in sorrow with this.

HAO project 2 article, newspaper, stress

What makes us so stressed? 

17. We now live in an era of intense competition and rapid changes, all due to globalisation and advances in information technology.  These create much stress. Many of us complain of information overload. We also complain of the sense that we are losing control. These phenomena are increasingly common.

 

18. We often couch our complaints of stress in terms of pressures on time. The child has no time to cope with all the homework he gets at school. The adult has no time to relax or to pursue hobbies. The worker has no time to catch up on the latest management books or to upgrade his skills.

 

19. The overlay to all these complaints however, and in many cases the root cause of the perceived pressure of time, is the pressure of expectation. The pressure comes from parents, peers and society at large. Indeed, so pervasive is the pressure that most Singaporeans take it as a fact of life, a given, and make no attempt to break free.

 

20. The individual Singaporean who feels the pressure is sometimes able to articulate it, sometimes not. Generally, the better-educated and more articulate person is able to express the stress he feels in terms of a burden of expectation, but the less educated is not always able to. And because he feels a burden he is unable to articulate, it adds all the more to his stress.

 

21. The pressure of expectation is not merely the expectation to succeed, but to succeed within given moulds. Success is measured against clear academic, economic and material benchmarks.

 

22. Added to this narrow definition is the fact that many Singaporeans play multiple roles, as parents, workers and citizens. The competing demands of these often aggravate the stress levels. Most try to cope, while some simmer in silent resentment. Others vent their frustrations openly. Some speak with their feet, and migrate.

Stress in school

 

23. Students in Singapore face constant reminders to excel academically. These reminders come from parents, teachers, peers and society at large.

 

24. While this is, in itself, not a bad thing, what is insidious is that in recent years the pressure is extending further downward to ever lower education levels, to the extent that even kindergarten children are being subjected to the feeling of pressure. One five-year-old in a kindergarten was made to feel left out because she did not have tuition teachers!

 

25. In some kindergartens, parents are told that if their children are not enrolled in certain classes, they will lose out. Many parents pile their children with extra tuition and enrichment classes, creating strain not only on the child’s time, but also on their own pockets.

 

26. Extra-curricular activities, which ideally should be a way to de-stress, is viewed by some students as additional work. Parents add to the stress when they pressurise their children into taking up ECA not to their inclination.

 

Source: unknown

HAO project 2 article

More is less

THE modular system for local universities has led to us cramming for one semester’s modules only to forget everything before the next semester even begins.

Too much work is covered in way too little time, sapping our energy and making it impossible for us to truly appreciate what we are taught.

After an overseas exchange experience, I’ve found that modules taught by local universities tend to cover more content than American university courses.

Overstretched Singaporean students end up being more concerned with memorising the correct formula for exams, rather than appreciating how knowledge can be applied.

University administrators should recognise that less is more when it comes to teaching. Course material should be reduced, leaving undergraduates with time to ponder the larger implications of their classroom knowledge.

As it stands now, so much is taught but we learn so little.

Jonathan Kwok, 24, is an honours student in economics at National University of Singapore

Thriving on pressure

AT SCHOOL in Singapore, I earned the reputation of ‘kancheong (anxious) queen’ - I never let up competing with my classmates for top marks.

After I got into Medicine, I met others just like me.

But 200 Type A personalities all in one course is a recipe for disaster. Having our grades posted on the notice board only exacerbates our competitive nature. Stress mounts weeks before the exam, when even lunch chats turn into entire conversations of ‘how much don’t you know’.

Still, there is a healthy side to this intensely competitive environment. We remain motivated and positive, and it prevents us from going down the slippery slope of assuming we know everything.

Tabitha Mok, 22, is a fifth-year medical student at the University of Western Australia

The weakest link

MANY hands don’t always make light work. Dealing with a team under deadline pressure for a grade is stressful because the project becomes about pleasing your peers - beyond the scope of work.

A poor peer review can jeopardise your grades, never mind the work you’ve done.

The first and only time it happened to me, I found myself forgoing precious revision time a day before my exam to do the ridiculous - sending my professor past e-mail correspondences and evidence of my contributions to invalidate the negative claims from some teammates.

It is a relief when professors issue grades objectively, not just on one or two voices. But supervisors at work may not be as impartial. If nothing else, this one thing is true: it’s smarter to err on the side of caution when working with strangers.

Alicia Ng, 24, is a final-year accountancy student at Singapore Management University

Work for its own sake

THE life of the average student constitutes a deadline or two on a good week, but twice or thrice that figure in a hectic week.

As a graduating polytechnic student, the first two weeks of last month were nothing short of crazy - call it a deadline downpour, an onslaught of everything at once.

Meetings followed meetings, late nights, running from place to place - you name it, all the stops were pulled to finish the work.

We finally ended up scaling down our ambitious expectations for our grades, and just doing the work for its own sake.

The only benefit I can think of is how it prepares us for the working world.

Keith Neubronner, 19, is a third-year communications & media management student at Temasek Polytechnic

Theatre stress

STRESS spares no one. Although people often think Theatre students have it easier with fewer written papers, nothing is further from the truth.

A-Level Theatre Studies is extremely demanding physically, mentally and emotionally. There is no getting out of constant and consistent practice, because this isn’t a subject you can mug for and regurgitate.

In addition to time and energy, emotions must be invested too, in order to present characters with veracity. This aspect especially sets the study apart from others, and makes it possibly the most draining of all.

Months before the practicum component, we need an immense amount of discipline and will to rehearse, rehearse and rehearse. All this effort culminates in a group piece no longer than 30 minutes and an individual piece no longer than 10 minutes, presented to the Cambridge examiner.

You get only one shot.

After all that, one mistimed line could cost us our grade.

Sarah-Ann Lee, 18, completed her A levels at Anglo-Chinese Junior College

Always be thankful

WHEN you’re stressed out, the last thing you want to be is thankful - although it could save your life.

I once left a 5,000-word term paper to the last, with just two days to deadline, Then tragedy struck: My aunt had committed suicide, taking her two daughters with her.

I was in shock, unable to complete my paper on time.

Then came the downward spiral. Weak from sadness and sleep deprivation, and filled with a gut-wrenching guilt about busting my deadline, I began wondering if there was a point to finishing my paper, even my degree.

Suddenly, life seemed really pointless.

What saved me was the realisation that I still had people and things I loved. Now when I feel like I’m drowning in stress, I take a deep breath and try to be thankful for all I have. Because there’s always something to be thankful for.

Edward Choy, 29, is a banker with a degree in theatre

Source: http://styouthink.wordpress.com/2009/03/09/just-what-exactly-goes-into-student-stress/

HAO project 2 article