Perks of Being a DMC Student

Diploma in Media and Communication (DMC) boasts a whole range of awesome perks that our students really fancy, benefits that are exclusively yours when you join DMC. DMC provides anything from excellent working environment to value-added education. Here are the 'Top 10 Perks' that you would love to get your hands on. Moreover, if you have been following @cassydmc (DMC's very own Twitter account) you would have been equipped with more than 10 perks. In any case, read on!

1. The Agency

Really trust DMC when it says that it will equip you work-ready! This space is exactly how a professional communication agency in the industry looks like, from the entrance all the way to the workspaces. Working here daily makes you feel like an industry professional. You can easily draw inspirations from materials such as our very own student-made advertisement. Still not impressed? Whenever you get too stressed up with work, there are games such as Boggle, Pictionary and Tetris, which help you relax. Catch this video to find out more about our Agency:

2. Fully-furnished Radio & TV Studios (SPace)

Go on air, host a show and get noticed! Produce, direct and record your very own TV show! DMC provides you these spaces fully equipped with up-to-date technology that is of industry standards. You will have everything you need - be it the latest camera equipment or the latest songs for your listeners – to create your quality show.

Our very own DJ booth.

Our recording studio.

3. Run your own events, be your own boss

Take charge and be your own boss! In DMC, we prepare you for the industry by letting you run your own real-life events. Much time and effort would be invested, but the experience makes it all worth it! The abundant opportunity ranges from executing events to conducting workshops. A notable example is the annual student-run conference by DMC Year 2 students on the Media and Communications industry, which attracts over thousands from all over Singapore.

 IMC+ 2013 (An Integrated Marketing Communications Event) - Planned and Prepared by our very own DMC Year 2 Students

 Have you spotted our advertisements yet?

 SPMCC 2012 (Singapore Polytechnic Media and Communications Conference) was also organised by our DMC Year 2s in 2012!

Wouldn't it be nice to see your work up on MRT Advertising spaces?

4. Tweeting during lessons and be graded for doing something you love

Tweeting! Blogging! Working on any topic of your interest! It is so amazing that DMC gives you space to do what you love and be graded for it, and it is #sopossiblewithSP.

Love fashion? Why not express your area of interest onto Social Media and be graded for it. Check out Deedee Durrani, a Year 2 student who blogs about her interest in fashion on her Tumblr webpage:

Dee Dee shows off her passion for fashion on this blog. It's also part of her assignment in school!

5. Working with real life clients

You won't be treated as a mere student here. You will officially be regarded as an 'Agency Executive' that allows you to work on real-time projects. Our students are given the responsibility to work with big names in the industry to create a marketing campaign for them and more. Yahoo!, Samsung, SMRT and Mentholatum are some of the companies that we have worked with. Such chances come by only in DMC.

2011 - Year 1 Marketing Project

6. Be Starstruck

Did we hear a scream for Jack Neo and Bobby Tonelli? Be prepared to be starstruck in DMC! Through frequent special visitations and field trips, you will get plenty of opportunities to learn and exchange ideas with famous industry experts and media personalities. Not forgetting, you get to rub shoulders and take pictures with them. Even one of lecturers was a famous radio DJ at HOT 98FM, Mario Lajarca, you will get to see him almost everyday!

Bobby Tonelli and Divian Nair in our very own SPace DJ Booth!

Mr Mario Lajarca

7. Field Trips & Overseas Study Trips

Ever been inside a MediaCorp recording studio? Yes, we have been and done that, to witness George Young (Yes, George Young!) in action hosting ''Million Dollar Money Drop''. How about the bustling capital city of Thailand, Bangkok? Our students will be visiting the Headquarter Office of Starcom Mediavest Group, DMC’s mentor partner to gain knowledge from media experts. Starcom Mediavest Group is one of the largest communications agency, and the trip will equip you with experience that is essential in understanding the processes of this industry.

Admission Tickets to Million Dollar Money Drop. (SCREAMS) Yes, George Young right before our very eyes.

And yes! We had free admission to the Hermés Exhibition back in October 2012.

8. First Hand Lecturer Knowledge & Experience

Don't ever doubt the powers and ability of our lecturers! With years of experience under their belt working with big corporations such as The New Paper, Straits Time and Mediacorp, they wield broad and deep understanding of the different aspects in the media industry. Not only that, every week, students welcome the top-notch industry experts to come in for lectures on Integrated Marketing Communications (IMC).

Some of you might know her from SP+U Open House! Our very friendly Lecturer cum Course Councillor, Ms Trudy used to work at The New Paper.

9. DMC - Family

It's not all about grades and projects in DMC. As course mates, we share, we care and we play as a family. How do we achieve such friendly environment? Through our CASS events, we invite everybody to unwind and take time off work. With events such as Movie Fright Night and Lepak Friday, we bond through eating food and watching movies. It doesn’t get any better than this.

The Agency ain't just for work, it's for fun too! :)

10. Showcasing your talents through many platforms

If you can talk the talk and walk the walk, DMC has all the platforms for you to strut your stuff! We even have our very own famous rapper, Shigga Shay! Every year we give our talents an opportunity to showcase through 'CASS Factor'. SPace, our very own student initiative platform, encourages sharing of videos, pictures, writing and even your own music. 

Our CASS Family's very own talent time. If you have what it takes, join us and be our Star!

We not only have one stage for you to perform. We present you, OUR VIRTUAL STAGE. Upload all your videos of your special talent here on SPace. (Yeap, we're not only a Radio Station, we have a Talent Portal too! Run by students, for students.)

We proudly present to you our top ten perks of being in DMC. Well, there are a lot more of perks and if you want to find out more follow our Twitter account - @cassydmc and our facebook page . For students that are already students of DMC tweet us about what you think are the perks of being in DMC.

As students of DMC, we're just telling you what we experience here in this course. So, to all of you making your last minute choices of Tertiary/JC studies, we wish you luck. Make wise choices! 

A Change of Heart, A Lesson Learnt

By Masayoe Nabilah

DMC 01

“CAMP? On the first day of holiday? No!” I exclaimed in distress as I heard Ms Trudy explain about CASS bootcamp. I shook my head several times, unwilling to believe what I had just heard. 9 December would be our first day of the term break. I had already lined up a few plans for myself in mind. I planned to watch movies, swim, cycle and shop. I had also allocated some time to complete my bountiful projects and assignments. A 3-day camp would most definitely spoil my plans to spend my first few days of the break renting some DVDs to watch together with my sister. I slumped my head on the table in disappointment and heaved a huge sigh of defeat.

“Towel, check. Sleeping bag, check.” I ticked off the items on the itinerary, letting out a huge yawn at the same time. It was already 11.15 at night, way past my bedtime. My bed looked inviting, but I could not go to sleep yet because I had not packed a bag for the bootcamp. Despite knowing that the camp was scheduled for the next day, I still put off packing my bag to the last minute. How could I gear myself to be excited for something that sounded so mundane?

Sweat trickled down my forehead and back as I trudged my way towards the bunkrooms together with the rest of DMC 01. My eyes roamed around the dim surrounding. Dragonflies flew around with no destination in mind. I shuddered at the thought of insects in the bunkrooms crawling all over me while I was asleep. A few minutes later, we finally reached our bunkrooms. DMC 01 girls were assigned one whole room to ourselves while the boys had to share among several classes. The girls had already started to explore the room excitedly while I hung back, reluctant to go in. Finally, I mustered enough courage to take a hesitant step forward into the room. I scrutinized the vacant room. There were two platforms on both sides of the room for us to sleep on and a path in the middle that looked like a runway.

“Hey, this is actually pretty nice and clean,” I remarked aloud. Everyone nodded their heads in agreement. A smile slowly bloomed on my face. I realized that that was the first time I had smiled ever since the start of the camp.

“Hi, I’m Nabilah.” I introduced myself to my group members. I smiled tentatively as everyone else waved at me, making me feel welcomed to the group. I was assigned to Group 1, which consisted of Syakir my classmate, and four girls whom I had not spoken to before. It took me awhile to remember all their names. However, during the bonding games facilitated by the trainers from The Absorbent Mind, I got a chance to know my teammates in greater depth. Despite our differing personalities, we got along quite well. The objectives of the games that we played were to break the ice through introductions and sharing of interesting information about ourselves. In addition to the games, each team had to think of a holiday-themed group name. After much deliberation, my team decided on The Moon as our group name. We wanted a group name that was out-of-the-box and extraordinary. The moon was a place that was out-of-reach but still possible to achieve. We hoped that through our group name, everyone else would realize that anything is possible if they just believe.

One of the group's mascot.

I laughed gaily as I viewed the end product of my team’s mascot. Shermaine, one of my teammates, had her waist wrapped around in white paper with yellow stars and crescent moons stuck on them. An astronaut headgear decorated with colorful bandanna sat on her head. Our task was to design a mascot or anything that symbolized our group name. Without further ado, my team collected the materials provided and started brainstorming for ideas. During the discussion, we thought that an astronaut would best represent our holiday destination. We chose Shermaine as our mascot and started designing.

10.30pm arrived way too fast. Before I knew it, bedtime had creeped up on us, marking the end of the first day of bootcamp. After a quick shower, I settled down in my sleeping bag to get ready for a good night’s sleep. I heard the strumming of guitar and the chattering of my friends outside my bunkroom. I was tempted to join them in their late-night chats and snacks, but my eyes had started to get droopy. I lay my head down on my small pillow, closed my eyes, and slept with a smile on my face.

The smell of fried noodles and Milo wafted into my nostrils.

“Hmm… fried noodles for breakfast,” I thought to myself. After a hearty breakfast, all DMC students had to gather and sit down in front of a big screen. Mr Tan, one of the DMC lecturers, started to talk to us about Bukit Brown, a cemetery that was planned to be demolished to make way for a new road and estate. Despite the talk being long and uninteresting, I listened carefully as I knew that there was sure to be an assignment given to us that was related to the subject of the talk. True enough, right after the talk by Mr Tan, another lecturer introduced the assignment and explained the instructions. Each group had to take either a modernist or conservationist stand and make an argument on why we should or should not demolish Bukit Brown, stating clearly the reasons and the ways of implementing our campaigns.

My heart fell when I heard about the assignment. It seemed difficult. I thought camp was all about fun and games. However, I tried to look at the positive side of the situation. At least, through the group discussion, I would get another chance to get to know my teammates better.

Guest speaker from Starcom Media Vest
 speaking to us about IMC

“That was a really good idea,” I remarked. “I would never have thought of building a memorial park in respect of those who were buried at Bukit Brown,” I added, nodding my head in approval at my teammates’ idea. My team was assigned to take the modernist stand, representing the URA and supporting the URA’s decision to build a new road across Bukit Brown. Three hours had passed and we were still discussing heatedly. Before that, we were broken up into three groups to attend three different workshops by outside speakers. Syakir and I chose to attend the Social Media in Integrated Communication Campaigns conducted by Ms Lee Kai Xin, the Director of Wild Interactive. The workshop was insightful, as Ms Lee shared with us her experience in the area of Digital Media and gave us some tips on how to use Social Media to market our campaigns for the Bukit Brown assignment. I learnt many useful things, such as how to research about the target audience before setting up a social media platform to reach out to them and that Social Media is not the answer to everything. These beneficial tips would definitely come in handy for the Bukit Brown assignment as well as in the future. Upon the start of the discussion with my team, I explained to them what I had learnt during the workshop. We took turns sharing what we had gained from our respective workshops.

Singapore Quarry! Finally!

After a long and tiring discussion, all the DMC students set out on a trek to Singapore Quarry. To spice up the trek, the facilitators from The Absorbent Mind turned it into a Treasure Hunt cum CSI. Each team had to look out for clues that were hidden along the trek trail. There were altogether 16 clues. Once each team reached the destination, the members would have to piece the puzzle together to find out who the murderer was, where the murder took place, what the murder weapon was, when the murder happened, and the motive of the murderer. My team and another team formed one big group and together, we went on this Treasure Hunt. Finding the clues was not as easy as expected. The clues, which were actually rolled up pieces of paper, were strategically hidden under leaves, or against branches, which made it difficult for us to spot them. Along the way, we stopped to play a bonding game that infused an element of teamwork and communication. The objective of the game was to hit a ball 50 times without the ball hitting the floor. In addition, each member could not hit the ball more than once consecutively. Through this game, I learnt that strategic planning and effective communication are crucial. Without competent communicators, my team would never have succeeded in getting the ball to avoid hitting the floor.

A soft breeze caressed my hair. The still waters calmed my senses. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting the serenity of the quarry overwhelm me.

One of the clues

“Come on, let’s solve this puzzle!” I heard my teammate shout. I snapped out of my reverie, opened my eyes and made my way to my group. Together, we unrolled the pieces of paper and tried to make sense of the full story. After a few minutes of debate, agreements and also disagreements, we finally came to the conclusion. We checked our answer with the facilitator and alas, we were right! All our answers were correct. We let out a delighted whoop and made our way back to the campsite, where we had our dinner.

After dinner, we continued with another round of discussion on Bukit Brown until the clock struck 10.30pm. Once again, we wrapped up our second day of bootcamp. This time, I joined my friends outside my bunkroom after a quick shower. Despite my exhaustion, I wanted to spend some time with them after nearly two days of being separated, as we were not in the same team. Half an hour passed and I started to nod off. I excused myself and settled down in my sleeping bad for another round of much needed rest.

Played some games in the morning

I kick started the third day of camp with eggs and noodles. I heaped up a generous amount on my plate because I knew that I needed more energy for that day. Although it was the last day of bootcamp, I had something very important to prepare for – the pitching of the Bukit Brown campaign. The night before, I had volunteered to be one of the presenters during the pitch. I knew that I was relatively good at presenting to others, but I had never spoken to such a large group before. I kept clenching my fists in anxiety as I imagined myself fumbling and stammering in front of everyone. It would be absolutely humiliating! I tried to calm down by taking deep breaths and singing in my head. Despite my apprehension, I understood that the opportunity for me to speak in front of a large audience was valuable. Through the experience, my confidence level would definitely be boosted.

I shifted my weight from one foot to another. I closed my eyes and let every thought in my mind slip away. I had to concentrate fully on the task without letting anything get in my way. I took in a deep breath, held it for a few moments then released.

“And now, presenting to you, team 1!” the host announced. It was time.

GROUP 1! THAT'S ME!

The presentation went on smoothly. I did not fumble or stammer as I had expected myself to do. I smiled in satisfaction, proud that I had exceeded my expectations. The presentations from the other teams were really good and impressive, considering that we only had about a day and a half to complete our discussion and preparation for the pitch. All the presenters spoke fluently and confidently. Some of the ideas that were suggested were excellent. After every presentation, I applauded enthusiastically to congratulate my course mates on their hard work and tremendous effort.

Mr Mario and a student performing

“And I set fire… to the rain… “. I swayed to the melodious voice of Nazurah, one of the DMC students. I could not believe my ears! I never knew my course mates could belt out a tune that well. The bootcamp talent show had revealed some amazing hidden talents. Some of them could sing, while some others could groove to a beat. How I wish I had volunteered to participate in the talent show. I believe that it would be a good platform for me to showcase my talent and improve my self-esteem. I might be quiet most of the times, but I can sing.

One of the top 3 winning groups

I bit my bottom lip, a sure sign of impatience. I bore my eyes into the host, hoping that he would announce my team name. Unfortunately, he did not. Team 2 won the competition of the best pitch. I stole a glance at my teammates, who seemed as equally disappointed as I was. My shoulders slumped heavily. I had wanted to win so badly. My team had put in a great amount of effort into the preparation of the pitch. However, I tried not to dwell too much on the loss. I decided that I would do better next time and contribute more ideas to my team. I had to look forward and not remain in the past. Being angry and disappointed due to the loss would not bring me ahead in the game. Determination and perseverance are the keys to victory.

I looked back at the campsite with a heavy heart. Bootcamp had come to an end. I had started the camp with a narrow mindset and a negative attitude. I left the camp brimming with positivity and a change in attitude. I never expected that something I dreaded would turn out to be quite fulfilling and enjoyable. Now I know that I should give everything a chance to unfold itself and present its goodies. 

Day 5 SP Media and Communication Conference 2011

And so ends the inaugural week long SP Media and Communication Conference: Leveraging the Future of Media.

Speakers from Starcom, STOMP and Omy provided shared and imparted their experiences in the media field. Our very own Year 2 Diploma in Media and Communication students also presented to their Mass Media Research findings on the topic,  "Youth privacy online and cyber bullying".

Secondary school students also participated enthusiastically in the 'live' Twitter Question & Answer session, with 2 lucky secondary school "Tweeters" winning themselves a 1 terabyte Harddrive sponsored by Seagate for their insightful questions!

Below are some picture highlights of the final day of the week long inaugural Singapore Polytechnic Media & Communication Conference 2011.

1 Terabyte Hard Disk by Seagate

The Secondary 4 Students!

Starcom Speaker Mr Arthur Sung speaking on the Future of Media

Stomp Editor Mr Chew V Ming Speaking on the appeal of S.T.O.M.P

Alvin Lim from OMY.sg Speaking about his experiences in the field

We hope all our participants have enjoyed the conference as much as we have organising it. This conference would not have been a success without everybody's help.

Once again, a big thank you to our School of Communication, Arts and Social Sciences lecturers, students from the Diploma in Media and Communication course and all industry partners and secondary school student participants. We hope to see you again next year at the SP Media and Commnication Conference 2012.

- The Heardatdmc Team