My name is Megan, and I’m a Year 6 student. I’m currently studying Film but I spent the first four years of my SOTA life in Literary Arts.

A lot of people think SOTA is just an arts school where we don’t do anything else. While we do have a lot of arts opportunities and it is a graded subject, I think it is also important to realise that it is only one part of our curriculum. We do all of the other academic subjects and I know plenty of people who want to pursue studies or careers in diverse fields.

One thing I really enjoy about lessons in SOTA is that there is always room for discussion. Whether it is throwing ideas around, clarifying questions, or delving deeper into certain concepts, there are always opportunities to discuss what has been taught in class with fellow classmates or teachers. Even when the discussions are not held in the classroom, the teachers’ emails are always open to questions from students. Being an introverted person, this helped me build up the courage to ask questions, in and out of class, and clarify my understanding of the class material.

I am very fond of the community and support system within each artform. In both Literary Arts and Film, my classmates and teachers have been like a second family to me. There is always this atmosphere of growing and learning together, and supporting one another. The small class sizes and group projects give us many opportunities to share ideas with different people, and get to know our classmates. The teachers are very open to talking about your creative process and giving constructive criticism.

I feel a lot closer to people in the local art scene too. We’ve had many art-based outings and workshops, from the Literary Arts faculty’s annual visit to the Singapore Writers’ Festival, to the masterclasses with local filmmakers. These opportunities encourage us to engage with local narratives, and support Singaporean writers and filmmakers.


Megan (fifth from left, front) at the launch of ZUBIR: A SOTA Literary Arts Anthology of Writing (2018)

I’ve had a lot of really unforgettable experiences in SOTA but I especially remember my time in Literary Arts Arts Plus - a programme I was part of for two years. Arts Plus really encouraged me to step out of my comfort zone as a writer and explore new genres. The small class of seven meant we got more personalised feedback on our pieces, and got to know each other better. Writing pieces outside of a graded class and with other people, helped change my perspective of the creative process. I started to write for myself and get a better idea of the stories that I wanted to tell. It also helped to diffuse some of the competitiveness amongst classmates, and reinforced that sense of community.

Another memorable experience was being involved in organising the 2020 Frameworks film festival as a Creativity, Activity, Service (CAS) project. Frameworks is an annual film festival for youths, organised by SOTA year five students. Working in the programming and logistics team, I got to work with some people - in SOTA and in the film industry - who genuinely believed in the good that this festival could do. This experience really opened my eyes to the impact art can have and the number of local stories that still have yet to be told.


Megan speaking at the Blink 2020: Year 5 Film showcase (2020)

What makes the student culture at SOTA special is the experimentation that is always ongoing. It is always interesting to hear about friends from other artforms and what projects they are working on. Even in the holidays, it’s not uncommon to hear of peers taking the initiative to shoot short films or do their own writing projects. To see other people pushing themselves to work on personal projects outside of class can be very inspiring, especially when there is this mutual support between peers with each other's projects. I’ve proofread friends’ manuscripts for events like National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo). In 2019, when I wrote a mini science-fiction podcast ‘Seeking Sal’, it couldn’t have been possible without the help of my Music and Theatre friends (shout-out to Lee Su Min, Jana Choa, Sean Lee and Sung Yushin!) and a lot of proofreading from my Literary Arts friends. I think that having that atmosphere of experimentation and trying new things is really something unique and valuable in SOTA’s student culture, and extends outside of the classroom.

Of course, there are challenges being a SOTA student too. One of the more challenging parts of life in SOTA is balancing the multi-disciplinary curriculum. Toggling between several projects and subjects can be trying at times but I think it really boils down to time management. On top of that, the teachers are usually open to consultation and they can be understanding when it comes to overlapping deadlines or tests. As your subject selection becomes more customised in the upper years, the learning process becomes more enjoyable as you focus on subjects you enjoy.

When I graduate, I hope to continue studying film in university and eventually contribute to the film or literary arts scene in Singapore. I’ve met so many mentors whose dedication to the arts has left an impression on me, and they’ve shown me how the arts can be a vehicle for positive social change. I’ve seen the way a film can change a life and the way a story can cause a change of heart. I hope that one day my work and the work of my classmates can inspire tangible change in our society and inspire more youths to join the arts.

To those considering SOTA:
Just apply, and enjoy the process. When I applied to SOTA, I didn’t know how to format a screenplay or how to write a good poem, and I certainly was not considering a career in the arts. I didn’t know that in five years, I would be studying film, self-publishing a book or considering studying film in university.

However, what I did know for certain was that writing was a creative outlet for me and I wanted to be better at it.

What SOTA has helped me realise is that your education is in your hands. You will run into obstacles and you might not always be clear on where you want to be in the next six years. But I found that it always works in your favour to follow your gut and take opportunities wherever you can.

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The Film programme is for Year 5 and 6 students. Students specialising in Film will explore the history, theory and creative process of filmmaking, and delve into how meaning is constructed through film. Students will learn how film is influenced by – and is in part a product of - history, tradition, economy, and society. They will acquire the technical skills, structure, discipline, and social skills required in filmmaking.

Find out more about SOTA at our e-Open House, held online from 10 April to 18 May 2021 HERE.

READ OTHER STUDENTS' EXPERIENCES.❖ Photos provided by Megan Teo