Though the challenges were many, the close-knit rapport between faculty members and students went a long way in ensuring that Ivah Sugiarti secured her string of distinctions at the private educational organisation of her choice.
By Prasana Chandran
It may seem like an odd decision to many but halfway through her polytechnic education in 2005, Ivah Sugiarti decided to transfer to TMC, a private educational organisation, to pursue a course of study that lead to a Mass Communication degree. Upon further consideration however, one will realise that the Technology Management and Communication (TMC) Educational Group is partners with a host of top universities both in Australia and the United Kingdom.
TMC’s Australian partners include Monash University, Deakin University and Monash College while its UK partners include University of London, Liverpool John Moores University and University of Greenwich.
One main factor of Ivah’s decision to transfer to TMC was her keenness to embark on a “Monash” education. “It’s (Monash) among the most reputable universities in Australia. Both my friends and family recommended it,” says Ivah, who took up a course of study in TMC which would eventually allow the 22-year-old to graduate with a Mass Communication degree from Monash University.
Ivah did not have to leave Singapore to obtain this degree as the entire course, which spanned over three-and-a-half years, was conducted at TMC. She first spent six months pursuing a full-time diploma followed by a year studying for a higher diploma. She then studied for two more years to complete her Mass Communication degree under TMC’s partnership with Monash University.
Quality Education
TMC prides itself on being one of the few private educational organisations to have its own programmes (diploma and higher diploma) externally quality assessed by the University of Cambridge International Examination.
Such quality assurances convinced Ivah that she had chosen a credible institution to pursue her dreams of higher education. “I am sure that my degree will take me places,” says Ivah. Her confidence is bolstered by the fact that the degree she pursued offered a broad spectrum of subjects for students. Ivah found herself immersed in a myriad of subjects from sociology to scriptwriting.
“Scriptwriting was most interesting and we were able to bring stories to life with sound effects, interesting camera angles, and creative scripts. A good script is one where audiences can relate to a story that is unfolding and feel an emotional connection to the characters in the story,” explains Ivah about her favourite subject.
Teacher-student rapport
It is thus of no surprise that Ivah scored a distinction in Scriptwriting. However, Ivah credits the helpful and supportive teaching faculty at TMC as a reason for her good grades. “The lecturers here are dedicated and friendly and there’s excellent student- teacher rapport,” she says.
“I feel very comfortable approaching my lecturers for help. I was always able to arrange to meet with them for clarifications after class. And this proved extremely helpful for me as the competitiveness among students here can be quite high,” she explains.
Ivah also refutes the common fallacy that students in private education institutions are not as competitive as in other tertiary institutions. “Singaporean students are highly competitive,” reveals Ivah, “and it can be quite stressful!”
In fact, Ivah says that students holing up at the library during exam times are a common sight. “I used to ‘live’ in National Library not just for exams but also to do assignments and such,” Ivah recalls.
But she feels that such competition is good as it keeps the standard of education at TMC high. “Yes, student can choose not to strive for distinctions. But I have a competitive streak in me, just like the Singaporeans,” laughs the Indonesian-born Ivah, who has been living in Singapore since she was in Primary 5.
Ivah’s family is back in Indonesia but despite the distance, the family remains close-knit. Sheeven returns home to visit three to four times a year. Furthermore, Ivah also credits her mother’s expectation of her to succeed as her motivation to excel. “It was good that there was someone pushing me. If not, I may not have done so well,” she muses.
Back to school
Following graduation, Ivah was offered a position at TMC’s very own Sales and Marketing department. Three months into the job, she is out to prove that private educational institutions such as her alma mater offer a quality education.
Most importantly, Ivah feels that the biggest selling point of TMC is its supportive staff and excellent student services, as they makes the school very “homey”. “I have and would continue to recommend my friends here!”