Latest news with #TheTL;DR

Straits Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Straits Times
Beyond internships and CCAs: Students ‘stack' certs to stand out
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The TL;DR: For many tertiary students, internships and school activities don't feel like enough to secure a job. Online courses and certifications, from platforms like Coursera and LinkedIn Learning, are the new credentials they stack to climb ahead in the job race. Miss Kelly Kwok, 21, has completed more than 10 certifications on programming and business skills. After six months at his internship, polytechnic graduate Alden Chia, 20, earned $6,000. But of this income, he spent close to $4,500 getting certified in cybersecurity. Coming home from his internship as an associate system engineer, he would crack open his laptop, watch online modules and sharpen his hacking skills in the courses' programming labs. On weekends, he studied seven to eight hours a day. Over nine months from September 2024, he pursued the 'grind' of completing six professional certifications in hopes of a career in offensive security, or ethical hacking. For Mr Chia and many other students aspiring towards a career in tech, 'stacking' multiple online certifications is increasingly becoming a norm. On top of internships and co-curricular activities (CCAs), these courses are another way to stand out in a competitive job market, they said. Many students highlight the skills they pick up through CCAs, such as leadership and event planning, during the hiring process. In July, Singapore Management University's graduating class of 2025 became the first to receive transcripts listing the skills they honed in CCAs. Mr Alden Chia (back row, centre) with his final year project group mates. PHOTO: COURTESY OF ALDEN CHIA 'If it's a workout day, I work out and rest. If not, I'll go home, eat and turn on my laptop until I sleep,' said Mr Chia, who exercised at the gym or went rock climbing to get his mind off work. 'Climbing thrice a week was my only social life.' Mr Chia graduated from Singapore Polytechnic in April this year with a diploma in infocomm security management. After more than 600 hours of online courses, he is taking a break before starting a cybersecurity work-study programme as part of his national service. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Business Keppel to sell M1 unit's telco business to Simba for $1.43 billion Business Nvidia, AMD agree to pay 15% of China chip sale revenues to US: Sources Singapore Healthy lifestyle changes could save Singapore $650 million in healthcare costs by 2050: Study Singapore BTO income ceiling, age floor for singles being reviewed: Chee Hong Tat World Netanyahu says Israel's new Gaza offensive will start soon Opinion Anwar's government: Full house but plenty of empty offices Singapore Man's claim amid divorce that his mother is true owner of 3 properties cuts no ice with judge Business Singapore can deliver and thrive in a fragmented global economy: Morgan Stanley analysts These courses certify him in red teaming and penetration testing, which involve simulating cyberattacks to detect vulnerabilities in computer systems. 'I have six, but my peers probably have two digits,' he said, referring to the number of certifications. 'Compared to them, it's nothing.' Mr Alden Chia made a blog post to review all the certifications he has earned. ST PHOTO: ALEXA DENISE UY Tough times for tech grads The trend to 'stack certs' comes amid the lower proportion of fresh university graduates who landed full-time jobs in 2024 (less than 80 per cent) compared to previous years, based on the latest graduate employment survey from February 2025. Dr Kelvin Seah, associate professor in economics at the National University of Singapore (NUS), said employers are cautious about hiring fresh graduates due to economic uncertainty. 'Students and fresh graduates are understandably anxious and would like to beef up their credentials to make themselves more attractive to prospective employers,' he added. Applicants with internships and online courses under their belt may look more employable, as they come partially trained. 'However, at the end of the day, employers are ultimately looking for people who will be the most productive at their jobs and roles, so if a person can demonstrate aptitude and competence in his or her job applications and interviews, there is still a good chance of being hired,' said Dr Seah. Students often get online certifications on websites like Coursera, LinkedIn Learning and Udemy. PHOTO: PIXABAY Beyond tech: Other students stepping up to get certified Some students who are not in tech courses, like NUS business administration student Kelly Kwok, 21, are also collecting certificates through courses outside of school. Miss Kwok has amassed more than 10 online certifications in coding and business skills since she left junior college. These include courses in Excel, and programming languages Python and R. What started as a way to pass the time before entering university became a way to gain an edge over schoolmates ahead of classes, transition into new internship roles and pad her resume with proof of technical skills. 'Having the certification name (on your CV or LinkedIn profile) just feels better, because you have a physical manifestation of what you did in uni,' said Miss Kwok. 'It gives me confidence in a certain skill set.' Unlike Mr Chia, she accessed most of these courses for free, thanks to school or employer benefits during her internship. Many undergraduate students pursue certifications to get a glimpse into different careers before graduating. ST PHOTO: BRIAN TEO For Nanyang Technological University (NTU) communication studies major Mandy Wong, 20, getting online certifications in graphic design, UX design and project management has helped with figuring out her career options. She said: 'I've definitely been able to explore career possibilities that I wasn't sure if I wanted to dedicate an entire internship to.' Fellow NTU undergraduate Teresa Ng, 21, did certifications to make use of free resources. She picked up data analytics skills one semester through a Google certificate scholarship offered by her school. Although the electrical and electronic engineering student has a second major in data analytics and has learnt Python, she spent 12 hours a week learning to code in SQL and R. 'A lot of my course is very theory-based, but sometimes you don't really see how it's practically deployed,' said Miss Ng. 'Doing certifications makes you career-ready and shows you how these things are done (in the working world).' There is also the Fomo (fear of missing out) factor. Said Miss Ng: 'You scroll through LinkedIn and see a lot of people stacking certs, posting career updates. Then you think, 'If I don't do that, then I might be losing out.'' Many students upload their completed certifications on professional networking site LinkedIn. PHOTO: SPH MEDIA LIMITED Not all created equal However, more certifications are not always better as the quality of the certifications is what makes the difference, say experts. Ms Linda Teo, country manager at recruitment agency ManpowerGroup Singapore, said recruiters look out for 'strategically chosen' qualifications that are relevant to the role. 'For example, certifications in Excel or Python can be a strong advantage for data-centric roles,' she said. More jobseekers are also gaining certifications in emerging fields such as generative AI and data ethics, said Ms Teo. These signal that the candidate keeps pace with evolving technologies. However, she said that certifications are most impactful to hirers when they complement hands-on experience or formal education and are not a replacement for them. 'It's not just about listing a course, it's about demonstrating how the knowledge gained has been applied,' she said. 'Candidates who can showcase this through projects, internships, or portfolios tend to make a stronger impression.' Ultimately, she said that employers look at the full picture, not just technical qualifications. Other factors such as how candidates fare in interviews and whether they fit into the workplace culture matter too. Mr Chia, the aspiring cybersecurity professional, said students need to approach certificates with the right mindset. 'Anyone can learn how to code. But when it comes to coding, it's your skill that matters. 'You need to be genuinely interested, then it's worth it.'

Straits Times
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- Straits Times
With her friends as her eyes, this NDP dancer shines
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The TL;DR: Sherri Lim was born with a congenital eye condition that took most of her sight. With the help of her friends, this National Day, the 26-year-old Republic Polytechnic student will dance with her schoolmates at the parade. Miss Sherri Lim, 26, is a student performer from Republic Polytechnic. She is blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other. Under the glaring lights at the Padang, dancer Sherri Lim, 26, is trying to find her way to her next position as the performers make a new formation on stage. But the world around her is a blur, and she cannot make out the numbers on each marking on the floor which tell the dancers where to stand. Unlike the other performers, she is visually impaired. Another dancer takes her arm and guides her to the next position. Miss Lim is one of 400 Republic Polytechnic (RP) students who will showcase their dance and martial arts flair at 2025's National Day Parade (NDP). She is part of an 11-minute dance routine fusing hip-hop and traditional dance styles. The Year 3 information technology student was born blind in one eye and partially sighted in the other. She has a rare congenital eye condition called Peters anomaly, which causes clouding of the cornea and blurred vision. This means she cannot see anything clearly around her, even her laptop, except when she leans in close to the screen. She chooses to rely on her hearing at school instead of using visual aids, and can navigate mostly independently by memory. But performing is a different beast. Throughout the act, dancers must make 17 formations in complex shapes, without any obvious spaces between performers. Miss Lim said: 'Every (rehearsal) day is a new stage for me, especially when the lighting is on us. I cannot see anything at all.' Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore PM Wong calls on S'poreans to band together for nation to remain exceptional in National Day message Singapore Nation building is every Singaporean's responsibility, not the work of one party alone: Pritam Singapore Four foreign leaders to attend NDP 2025 at the Padang Singapore 'This is home', for retired shop owner putting up 11th flag display in Toa Payoh to mark SG60 Singapore Singapore leaders send congratulatory letters to South Korean counterparts to mark 50 years of ties Singapore Relaxed rules 'not a silver bullet', but a step in right direction, say nightlife businesses Business Singapore's digital banks trim deposit rates, mirroring moves by incumbent players Singapore Chief Justice allows founder of site that ran fake KKH story to be called to the Bar Still, she volunteered to perform at the NDP to make more memories with her CCA (co-curricular activity) friends. 'I never saw myself performing at the NDP,' she said. 'I don't know how many times I wanted to give up. But on show days every Saturday, when you step on the Padang stage, it feels very unreal.' 400 students from Republic Polytechnic will perform during Act One of the NDP. PHOTO: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC Dreams of performing Although this is her biggest performance so far, Miss Lim is no stranger to the stage. She has played the guzheng (a zither) in RP's Chinese Ensemble for three years, and played the liuqin (four-stringed lute) in primary school. She relies on her sense of touch and memory to play the right strings. And in 2024, she danced in public for the first time at the National Gallery as part of a visual and performing arts showcase by Project Dreamcatchers. The initiative, led by young people with chronic illnesses and the National University Hospital, was held to show people that lifelong medical conditions do not make them less able than others. 'I've liked dancing since I was young, but didn't have the opportunity to (until then),' said Miss Lim. Her favourite part, she added, was working with the choreographer to 'tell (her) life's story' through contemporary dance. So, when her school's performing arts groups were selected for NDP, Miss Lim leapt at the chance to express herself through dance again. The performance features a dance routine with hip-hop and traditional dance elements, as well as a martial arts segment. PHOTO: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC Guiding the way Miss Lim's wish to dance was met with support from her CCA peers and instructor. At rehearsals, the dancers clarified the steps with her, and held on to her when they changed formations. Her schoolmate Menfred Tan, 20, is one of the performers who guided her during the show. He said: 'For Sherri, we make sure she never goes alone. We ensure someone always tags along with her from the start to the end.' Mr Tan, who has played the erhu (two-string fiddle) in RP's Chinese Ensemble but has no background in dance, was eager to perform at NDP. 'From the start, there was a lot of pressure,' he said. 'It was unexplored territory for us.' Apart from showing up for rehearsal after his full-time work internship, he said the hardest part has been keeping up with the upbeat routine for all 11 minutes. 'Our energy has to be high most of the time. It is a test of our stamina, and we are drenched in sweat the whole time. 'It's not just glitter and fireworks. It's also a lot of sweat and tears.' RP student and fellow Chinese Ensemble musician Menfred Tan (centre) joined NDP despite having no experience in dance. PHOTO: REPUBLIC POLYTECHNIC Preparing for NDP was a hard feat even for dance captain Khairatul Syahirah Kahar, 19, who has been dancing since primary school. On top of learning the steps quickly from the choreographer, she was tasked to teach almost 150 participants at a time. She recalled seeing the other dance captains' 'confused faces' when they were picking up the steps, which helped her feel less alone. 'The people around you are what keeps you motivated.' In the end, Miss Khairatul was inspired by how anyone can pick up dance, no matter when they start. 'We're all doing the same thing, dancing the same steps, wearing the same costume,' she said. That includes Miss Lim, who said she has learnt to trust her friends to teach her the right steps and lead her to the correct spots. As she performs on stage this National Day, alongside her idols such as singer Benjamin Kheng, she hopes to encourage others to pursue their passions. 'I want to show people with disabilities also can chase their own dreams,' she said. 'I want to show people that if you dare, then you can.'

Straits Times
30-07-2025
- Health
- Straits Times
17-year-old student develops AI-powered medical transcription tool
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The TL;DR: As a kid, John Tow couldn't spend as much time as he wanted with his doctor parents due to their long working hours. This inspired him to develop SgScribe, an AI-powered medical transcription app, to help doctors cut down on admin work. John Tow, a second-year ACS (Independent) student, coded SGscribe, an AI-powered medical transcription device that converts recordings of doctor's consultations to SOAP notes. SINGAPORE – John Tow recalls being unable to spend as much time with his parents as he wanted when he was growing up . His orthopaedic surgeon father and anaesthesiologist mother worked long hours seeing patients and performing surgery, with administrative work on top of that keeping them away from home. This situation inspired John to come up with a product that would free doctors from such tasks and help them save time. Over the course of two months, the Year 6 student at Anglo-Chinese School (Independent) student developed SgScribe, a medical transcription tool that records medical consultations and uses Artificial Intelligence (AI) to transcribe them into SOAP (Subjective, Objective, Assessment, and Plan) notes, a method of documentation widely used by healthcare providers. Th e 17-year-old said: 'Doctors I spoke to say that note-taking is time-consuming and inconvenient. One of them even employed a scribe just to take notes during consultations. 'This tool will help reduce the time they spend doing administrative work in-clinic, while also improving the quality of medical note-taking.' John is among a growing crop of teens who are developing apps to solve issues. He started developing SgScribe in May and tested it by having it transcribe pre-prepared, simulated medical consultations, sometimes even playing three different recordings at once to conduct as many tests as possible. Currently, SgScribe can transcribe recordings in four different languages – English, Mandarin, Malay and Indonesian. Doctors log into the platform, where they can record live consultations or upload recorded consultations to generate SOAP notes. SgScribe ensures patient confidentiality. Recordings are saved with no patient identifiers, and SOAP notes generated merely describe what took place during the consultation without including the names or other personal details of the patients. The model produces SOAP notes with 90 per cent accuracy, said John, who added that inaccuracies occur when patients mumble or speak unclearly. SgScribe is currently in its beta phase where it is being tested by three specialists to whom John reached out via his parents' contacts and school's alumni network. It has processed over 200 consultations. An example of the landing page of SgScribe, an AI-powered medical transcription tool that converts recordings of doctor's consultations to SOAP notes. ST PHOTO: MARK CHEONG One of the doctors participating is orthopaedic surgeon Dr Lo Ngai Nung, who said SgScribe allowed him to focus and analyse patients rather than trying to multitask during consultations. He added: 'It's like having a medical scribe record your notes as you carry out the consult.' Dr Lo also said he found SgScribe's ability to transcribe in two languages simultaneously particularly useful. 'In our cultural context where patients and doctors often mix English-Chinese usage during the consultation, this is very critical.' Currently, John has spent $100 of his own money to run the transcription and note generation AI models for SgScribe. He credits free access to coding models offered by tech companies to students for keeping costs low. John plans to keep the web-based transcription tool free indefinitely. Instead, SgScribe will be monetised via additional paid features and advertisements on the website. To expand his project, John also plans to raise a round of seed funding for the tool and expand his team to include some of his ex-classmates after he completes his International Baccalaureate examinations at the end of the year. After that, he said, and after doing his National Service, he will probably have a gap year to work on the project full-time. He added that developing SgScribe has helped him decide what he wants to do in the future. He said: 'I always thought I would be a doctor. But since working on SgScribe, I realised that I can make the most impact through software.'

Straits Times
01-07-2025
- Straits Times
What interns can do about bosses behaving badly
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox The TL;DR: Student interns can seek help from their school and the authorities when they face unreasonable bosses who do not give them lunch breaks or dock their pay for mistakes. This is the first of a three-part series on surviving unpleasant internships. Many Singaporean young people pursue internships to gain relevant industry exposure, but not all have positive experiences. Polytechnic student Sarah (not her real name) is doing her final-year internship at a media company that had her cleaning the toilet and picking up trash. Things took a turn for the worse when she and her fellow interns were made to work about nine hours daily for a week-long event without any lunch or dinner breaks. The 21-year-old also said when one of the interns made mistakes that she felt were 'minor', such as forgetting to amend specific data in document submissions, that intern had up to $100 docked from the salary for each mistake made. 'I've had my fair share of internship experiences and by far, this has got to be the worst,' Sarah said. Many Singaporean young people pursue internships to gain relevant industry exposure and fulfil academic requirements, but not all have positive experiences. 'Any employer who crosses the company's employee policies and violates (the student's) internship contract can be deemed to have crossed the line,' said career counsellor Gerald Tan from Avodah People Solutions, which offers career guidance and job transitioning support to individuals and organisation employees. While some interns do encounter harsher superiors, he said bosses should not be allowed to hurl vulgarities at their interns. Top stories Swipe. Select. Stay informed. Singapore Seniors can claim $800 SG60 vouchers from July 1; adults to get $600 in vouchers from July 22 Singapore NSman, 30, dies in hospital after collapsing outside Maju Camp Asia Thai PM's suspension could spell end of Shinawatra clan's era of political dominance Singapore Judge rejects woman's claim that she owns 99% of Bukit Timah condo mostly paid for by ex-boyfriend Singapore 'He fought till the end': Man who survived acid attack as a baby dies of cancer at 26 Singapore Trial opens for 3 women who allegedly organised procession outside Istana Business Do not overcommit to a single solution in a multi-polar world, says ex-foreign minister George Yeo Singapore 1MDB saga: Standard Chartered Bank disputes $3.4 billion claim by liquidators in Singapore But he added that it is important to 'differentiate whether there is a valid reason for the reaction of the company representative'. Other experts The Straits Times spoke to said the wage deductions Sarah's fellow intern experienced are 'potentially illegal', but this depends on each situation. In response to queries from ST, a spokesperson for the Ministry of Manpower said students under school-arranged internships are typically not covered for employee protections under the Employment Act, and they should seek help from their schools if they face unfair treatment. In the case of those pursuing internships outside of their curriculum, an employer can legally make deductions from the intern's salary only if it can be shown that the loss of money to the employer is 'directly attributable' to the intern's 'neglect or default'. Deductions are limited to no more than 25 per cent of the intern's salary or the cost of damages, whichever is lower. When asked if she tried to speak to her bosses, Sarah said: 'Any attempts to have a mature conversation (with them) regarding any unfair treatments often led to vulgarities and raised voices.' Ms Clarice Chan, director of Aureus Consulting, a firm providing education, career and life coaching services, believes that interns should take action to protect themselves in such 'toxic' situations. 'Interns (in such circumstances) should keep a log of the dates and times of (pay) deductions, the reasons given and the amounts, as well as note the dates and times of verbal abuse and what was said,' she said. With this documentation, interns can seek resolution through external channels. 'Students (under school-coordinated internships) can talk to school supervisors who can advise on school policies, potentially intervene, or guide them on official complaints. Those pursuing their own internships can file a complaint with the Ministry of Manpower,' Ms Chan said. Mr Jeremiah Wong, lead career developer in career counselling and coaching at Avodah People Solutions, said schools have several 'fail-safe mechanisms' to help students deconflict such situations. 'In such situations, students can ask their school supervisors to come down to the job site itself to inspect the situation, or at least give a call to the company to hear the employer's perspective. In the worst case, (schools) can blacklist the company,' said Mr Wong. In May, Sarah approached her school internship advisers for help, and the school swiftly took action by blacklisting the company for future internship programmes. Currently, she intends to 'mentally push through' and continue her internship at the company until August, to fulfil her polytechnic graduation requirements. Mr Wong, who is also an associate lecturer at Republic Polytechnic and the Singapore University of Social Sciences, said that for most polytechnics, students who drop out of their final-year internships typically need to 'remodule' their internship, as it is a mandatory module for graduation. But this should not stop student interns from seeking help should they face troubles during their internship, he said. 'Internships are (supposed to be) a safe learning environment for students to learn before they work in their first job in the future. If they feel threatened in the workplace, they should seek help from their school supervisors immediately,' he said.

Straits Times
23-06-2025
- General
- Straits Times
Inside /r/SGExams: Meet the young volunteers behind 1 of S'pore's largest online forums for students
Inside /r/SGExams: Meet the young volunteers behind 1 of S'pore's largest online forums for students The TL;DR: What does it take to run one of Singapore's most popular online teenage spaces? Two volunteer moderators from /r/SGExams – the over 285,000-member strong Reddit forum that discusses student life in Singapore – tell TL;DR about their experiences managing the forum and what they are looking for in the next generation of moderators. SINGAPORE – It has more than 285,000 members and over a thousand posts and comments a day discussing everything about student life in Singapore – from O-level study tips and university admissions to suggestions on how best to ask your classroom crush out. Behind /r/SGExams, Singapore's largest Reddit forum focused on student life in Singapore, is a team of six young volunteers aged 20 to 26 who spend their free time managing and moderating the forum. Among them is Ms Emmeline Kao, who, like many other Singaporean students, first began using the forum in 2021 while she was in secondary school to discuss school work with peers. 'I first started using /r/SGExams during my O levels to discuss the answers to the papers on the (forum) megathreads,' said Ms Kao, 19. She continued to frequent the forum thereafter, as she found its content both helpful and entertaining. 'Not only were the study tips and revision advice helpful, I also enjoyed reading the 'slice-of-life content' that other students would post about their lives,' she said. She particularly enjoyed the lively posts about school choice, where students would passionately vouch for certain schools and argue over which one was best to enrol in. 'It's like a back-and-forth between students. It's always entertaining to read.' Becoming a moderator In 2022, Ms Kao applied to join the /r/SGExams moderation team as a volunteer, as she 'wanted to give back to the community that I had been frequenting'. 'I had always been curious about how the subreddit worked behind-the-scenes, and I also wanted to have a more meaningful say in how it was curated,' she said. After filling up a Google application form, she had to undergo an informal interview with Mr Raphael Peck, another current moderator who was the moderation team lead in 2022. Ms Kao recalled being asked questions about what she would do if she encountered controversial posts and what ideas she had for improving the subreddit. Moderating a subreddit is more than just filtering content –it also involves deciding on the direction of the forum. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Mr Peck, 23, said: 'There are no real correct answers in the interview. It's mainly to assess candidates' knowledge about the subreddit, and see if their line of thinking is similar (to the rest of the moderation team). 'It's a vibe check to make sure we can get along, basically.' Mr Peck said that traits for moderators that they were looking for in interviews included maturity, social awareness and a willingness to help the community. Behind the scenes Moderators typically spend up to an hour on weekdays and up to two hours on weekends going through comments and posts on the forum to remove content that violates the rules of the subreddit. These include spam posts or comments that contain slurs. Most of the moderation team's work is done on the fly on their phones and in pockets of spare time throughout the day, such as while waiting for the bus or the MRT. Ms Kao added: 'It's a big but flexible commitment that we do in our free time. It's really not about clocking a target number of hours, but more about being more active when needed, especially during periods with many megathreads or in the weekends when content is at its peak. 'We will also communicate this to the rest of the team that more manpower is needed during those times so that we are able to distribute responsibilities evenly without clashing with our school or external commitments.' Website-based tools help them in their work: Auto-moderation features on Reddit first remove posts and comments that violate Reddit's site-wide policies. The forum also self regulates – posts marked out by /r/SGExam's users are temporarily removed and flagged to moderators of the subreddit. These posts and comments appear in a 'mod queue', which the moderators pick up to determine if the flagged content should be removed or allowed. Most of the moderation team's work is done on the fly on their phones and in pockets of spare time throughout the day. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY Ms Kao said: 'All the moderators will be notified when a post or comment is flagged, so whoever has a free moment can instantly check it.' Mr Peck said that repeat offenders or users whose posts and comments are frequently reported may also be 'soft banned' without the user's knowledge – meaning that their posted content will not appear on the forum unless a moderator approves it. 'We had a user claiming to be a PhD holder with some warped views on university admissions, who often gave advice based on misinformation,' he recalled. 'We had another who would aggressively question the academic and career decisions of others whenever they disagreed with it.' Naturally, there are some who challenge their decisions. 'When that happens, I just reiterate the explanation for why the content was removed or the user was banned,' said Ms Kao. When asked about particularly challenging times as a moderator, Mr Peck pointed to the 2021 incident where a student at River Valley High School killed a schoolmate with an axe. He said: 'It was a particularly busy time for our team. We didn't want to shut down discussions, but we also didn't want baseless rumours and accusations (on the forum).' 'We spent quite a lot of time ensuring the discussion was healthy, and that there weren't comments from users claiming to be at (the scene of the crime) or twisting the timeline of events.' Shaping the forum Moderating a subreddit is more than just filtering content –it also involves deciding on the direction of the forum. Ms Kao cited the 2022 decision of the current moderation team to move more popular 'slice-of-life' content to weekends as the type of decision future moderators will have to make. She said: 'Slice-of-life content, especially romance and love confession stories, tend to be so popular that they drown out posts actually looking for advice. 'We decided to reserve this kind of (slice-of-life) content for the weekend so students who are seeking academic advice can find the help they need.' Ms Kao and Mr Peck said that as they get older, and also because of their responsibilities as moderators, they frequent the forum less themselves for content they can use. ST PHOTO: GIN TAY While this change has been received warmly by most community members, Ms Kao said that there has been a small but vocal minority of users who have been campaigning for non-academic posts to be allowed on public holidays as well. Passing the baton Ms Kao and Mr Peck said that as they get older, and also because of their responsibilities as moderators, they frequent the forum less themselves for content they can use. Mr Peck, a first-year air transport management student at the Singapore Institute of Technology, said: 'The target demographic of the subreddit are those in secondary school, polytechnic and junior college, so posts about A-level advice or university admissions are just less relevant to me now.' Mr Peck shared that moderators on the subreddit generally volunteer for two years. 'As someone who's been here for almost double that time, I want to move on with my life,' he said. Ms Kao, who is waiting to enter university, also said that she foresees herself using the forum less when she enters university. She said: 'It's important to bring in younger moderators who will be more in touch with the average user of the forum. We'll be looking for new moderators around the polytechnic- and junior college-age range.' The /r/SGExam moderation team said that they are looking for three to five moderators aged 16 to 25, and have begun formal recruitment for new moderators via a post on the subreddit. Selected potential moderators will join the team on a trial basis to assess their suitability for the role. New moderators will also receive mentorship from their more experienced counterparts. When asked what were the most important traits they will be looking for in the new moderators, Mr Peck said: 'The moderators we want should be representative of the student community we are trying to cultivate here in our local online spaces – people who want to uplift the community and ensure it remains safe for our younger users. 'This requires time and effort, especially when you have to look through a lot of content.' Join ST's WhatsApp Channel and get the latest news and must-reads.