Are School’s Internships The Best? 🧐

Hi Zesties!

As you all know, I am no longer studying hence I will be deciphering if lecturers actually put you at the best/better companies. Here are my three internship experiences from ITE Nitec, ITE Higher Nitec and Polytechnic.

———

1. Nitec in Visual Effects @ Happy-TV (an YouTube company)

> I was assigned to Happy-TV for my internship placement with one of my classmates as a video editor which I expressed huge interest in.

> The company culture was one of the best amongst the three as they are really inclusive with literally everything including the meetings which felt hard to breathe for me due to the cold silence.

> My video editing mentor was really helpful, kind and patient with me throughout my internship period, he provides on the dot feedback for me to improve before uploading the videos onto YouTube.

> One of the internships that I really enjoyed the process and missed the colleagues.

——

2. Higher Nitec in Broadcast Media & Technology - Ochre Pictures (Production Company)

> I was assigned to the production side of my course with two of my classmates at Ochre Pictures and instead of broadcasting companies, I expressed my huge interests with wanting to learn more at a production company.

> Ochre Pictures is a production company that provides Mediacorp with the contents. We helped to film and edit before transferring over to Mediacorp to broadcast onto the TV/meWatch.

> As this is a more Chinese based company (most of the colleagues are Malaysians), I was in-charge of the wardrobes for the artistes due to easy communication and I was the only Chinese amongst my other two classmates.

> I was lowkey afraid of communicating with the producer on set and the makeup artist as they were really fierce, one mistake they be glaring at you till you feel uncomfortable.

> Handling the wardrobe was not easy because you would require to take continuity pictures of each of the sets they have for different scenes and scene numbers. I am required to edit the pictures with the dd/mm/yy, taken at which time, scene number which I had to resend like a whole bunch to the WhatsApp chat since I made a mistake of putting the wrong year and the one originally in-charge of the wardrobe was like ‘wah, not even 20xx. so fast fly till there already’ which I feel they could phrase it nicer since I was still at the stage of learning but is ok, because interns come and go right, no worries about that attitude…

> The whole company culture was really really bad, do I need to even explain anymore?

> Had the chance to meet local artistes like Ferlyn G, James Seah, Brandon Wong, Tay Ying, Johnny Ng, Tang Shao Wei, Glenn Yong, Leon Lee, Benzo, Jayley Woo, Chen Tian Xiang for Justice Boo’s Chinese Production and Salif Hardie, Iskandar Shah and Fadhlur Rahman for S.P.Y’s Malay Production.

> Some of the casts are really down to earth and really fun to interact with while some of the casts brought a huge shocking factor as to why are they even a public figure (yes it was that serious, because they are so self-entitled...)

> As this is a production company, the pace’s here is really fast and the schedule is a mess as well. You could be returning home at 12AM or even later because the shoot from yesterday overran and you could be reporting at 3/4AM the next day to continue the shoot as we are production assistants, we must be on standby whenever the producers or camera team needs us, as we would be the one that bringing things that are required and requested.

> Despite the many cons, it gave me a new insight of how production line works. I’ve always thought that it is easy to become a production crew, after experiencing it I am firm that it is not what I wanted.

——

3. Diploma in Design in Communications & Experience - Visual Arts Centre

> Like my Higher Nitec course, I did not went to any designing companies but rather a art company because I have always loved how things could be pieced up as arts and that I had a small interest in both digital and traditional arts hence the application to Visual Arts Centre.

> I entered as a Service Intern meaning that I covered most of the backend operations from WhatsApp enquiries, website, and social media with one of my supervisors plus art studio assistant (usually there’s someone outside the studio if the class gets messy and many students, thats when we step in to help the teacher/s)

> Only a handful of art teachers are nice, the rest of them are a little bit too difficult to really talk to if that makes sense…

> As any interns go through, you do quite abit of sai kangs

> There are shifts work in this art/service industry as well since this company is both art studio and service company, with the shifts of 10am-7pm and 1pm-10pm.

> Every month, we would be very busy with art jamming activities services to different clients which a handful of the colleagues will head over and some will stay behind to look after the studio as classes are as per normal.

> As this company have an exhibition gallery, many potential clients or clients come by to book or recce the venue hence we would have to coordinate properly on our side as well before releasing a slot to them.

> Got to experience how art exhibition are being planned backend and how it actually come to life behind the scenes from day 1 to d-day which make me want to understand and try out this line of industry.

> The responsibility is on us to renew the art packages with the parents or the students themselves. As you know the more you buy, the more you trust a certain product or service which what this company aims for, as many renewable or new students if possible.

> I extended my 6 months internship contract after I ended in February 2025 to end of March 2025, maybe due to sweetener words by my boss saying how I am able to work on another art exhibition which ended up I only helped with the backend and slight pressure because there is a colleague who I loved working with and we are very close but as she heard I was leaving she was having a really difficult time, partially extended because I wanted to really enjoy and have fun with the time we have left before I leave again.

> However, after extending I really tire myself out to the point that made me had zero feeling to even go to work. I was called out for my behaviour by one of my supervisor and colleague after observing my behaviour. They told me that why am I behaving like that after I extended my contract, as if something (aka the colleague I’m closed to) changed you as I was not like that during my internship period. Are there anything I would like to learn or do I require any help for my EAE applications to Universities. Which I was already done with the applications at that point of time, even if i voice out on the things I want to learn they will ask me to just fake it till you make it so you absorb some knowledge while teaching even if you do not know.

> And.. worse part of all? I was still being micromanaged even as a part timer after working for 6 months, seeking approvals and what not to publish social media videos… As for websites you ask me to seek your approval, yes I will but I do have my own format because I was taught in my course about the hierarchy of website design which was not really inputted at all while seeking approval for social media videos could take up way more time which I could have already uploaded videos worth a week.

> On a brighter side, as someone with social anxiety, this company gave me many life lessons to bring back such as never bring your emotions from yesterday to work today and separate your personal and work feelings.

What are your experiences with your school’s internships? Do share with me below! I would love to read all of them!

#MyPOV #internships #lemon8fyp #schoolinternships #RealTalk

2025/9/24 Edited to

... Read moreBased on my time in the Nitec, Higher Nitec, and Diploma courses, I want to add a few practical tips for anyone about to start or currently doing school internships: 1. Be proactive about what you want to learn. In my internships, especially at Ochre Pictures, I realized that sometimes you have to clearly express your interests or ask for specific tasks, because sometimes the company culture or pace doesn’t naturally encourage detailed guidance. 2. Keep a positive mindset, even if the environment is challenging. For instance, at Visual Arts Centre, dealing with strict supervisors and micromanagement was exhausting, but I learned to separate personal feelings from work to maintain professionalism. 3. Use mistakes as learning opportunities. I made several errors when managing wardrobes and continuity photos, but feedback helped me improve attention to detail - something crucial in production roles. 4. Build good relationships with helpful mentors or coworkers. My mentor at Happy-TV was amazing in guiding me with patience, which made that internship enjoyable and rewarding. 5. Manage your workload and mental health. Internship shifts and workloads can be demanding. It’s okay to communicate if you feel overwhelmed or need support. 6. Internship experiences differ greatly by company culture and industry – do research beforehand and manage expectations accordingly. If you’re interested in visual effects or media production, gaining firsthand experience will reveal realities behind the scenes that you won’t get from textbooks alone. It’s also valuable for building skills, networking, and clarifying your career goals. Remember, every internship is a stepping stone and a chance to grow not just technically, but personally.

Search ·
how to overcome social anxiety

Related posts

the best tech internships you can do in sg
Well first off the tech industry is really bad right now, this is more of a lookback at my past experiences to reflect and share about the different paths I took and what I thought about them. I decided to take different paths during my different years so I can get a good understanding of the di
Gabriel Sze

Gabriel Sze

135 likes

the hard truth abt poly
Many people in secondary school used to say polytechnics is more manageable than JC, but do not let this statement get to you; it is entirely false! 😢It is true that you get the freedom to plan your time and build your portfolio, but the cumulative grade system, endless worry about your portfolio a
joan

joan

130 likes

working 2 internships at the same time?
is this a good idea? tbh i have worked multiple internships at the same time together... and there are times i manage them on top of my school work and my small business haha 👀 sounds scary but tbh its pretty manageable~ my tips and advice: • decon your schedule: 📆 make sure the two roles yo
maybelleer

maybelleer

99 likes

top 5 intern tele groups u NEED as a student 💼✨
hey zesties 🍋 IM TRULY EXHAUSTED OF INTERNSHIP HUNTING AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA! but, its a true right of passage for every uni/poly student 🪔. to help u with ur applications, here are singapore's best internship telegram groups (imo!). @/sginternships 🍎 SMEs @/sginternshiplobang 🍎
subo ✨🦋🌷

subo ✨🦋🌷

908 likes

uni: what my snrs said 🙌 what i think!
thinking back, at around this time last year, i was about to embark on my uni journey! though i was disappointed over the end of the most fantastic 8 month holiday i had in my life, i also felt excited to start this new phase in life! back then i attended many ori camps and asked snrs for uni ad
lafaeyette

lafaeyette

113 likes

Balancing academics & extra curriculars ⚖️
A little background of what I did in Poly: - I was an exco in 3 CCAs - Active volunteer thru CCAs & external orgs - Got Minor in Psychology thru PLP (smt that NP offers, not sure abt other polys) - Won in a recognised business competition - Graduated with Diploma with Merit from a busines
Laineee

Laineee

257 likes

INCOMING UNI FRESHMEN, read this!!! 🎓
since you've clicked into this post, i'd assume you're waiting for uni to start!!! congrats on surviving Poly / JC! 🎉 having gone through Y1 of uni, i thought i'd share my thoughts on some points stated in the cover~ 😄 i'm from NUS Business Administration but i'm sure it'
milla 🌻

milla 🌻

142 likes

spilling the tea on UNIVERSITY LIFE? 💭🍵
context: i’m a year 2 psychology-business👩🏻‍💼  student in NUS, staying on campus 🏡  in my short 1.5 years of uni life, i’ve experienced many things & here are my thoughts 💭 on some aspects of uni that i LIKE 👍🏼 & DISLIKE 👎🏼 1️⃣ timetable & schedules i LOVE having the flexibility
leqian ۰₊˚✧.*

leqian ۰₊˚✧.*

204 likes

maximising local uni exp 🥴 > overseas
since young i wanted to do my undergrad overseas!!! but as i grew older, reality hits and i realised that its too expensive 😭😢🥺😣 but recently im sending my friends off to doing their uni overseas… and part of me wonder —- what would life be like if i were to study overseas too!! so i talked to a
lafaeyette

lafaeyette

88 likes

Which to choose? GPA, internships or projects???
Quick answer? GPA. Just kidding haha. The quick answer should be whichever that helps you to learn and grow in a healthy and holistic manner. ☑️ side note: i didnt put things like family/friends because those imo are pretty essential and you shouldnt be choosing too much there. Besides, this
Gabriel Sze

Gabriel Sze

96 likes

two internships by y2 💼
hello guys 🫶 school and intern has just started (😨 busy first few weeks) and i’m trying to settle into a routine but while i attempt to sort that out, i wanted to share a little bit more about my experience with getting an internship DESPITE a pretty unideal GPA! 💌 my resume & portfolio in
belly

belly

181 likes

was this worth 😵‍💫
i know some of yall just got back ur alvl results, so I just wanted to share some of my reflections!! it was a mix of emotions when the results were released, the atmosphere was tense, i was scared of saying the wrong words to my classmates, some were crying (bc of extreme sadness or happiness)
av 🦋

av 🦋

380 likes

Internship Application (Poly Student's POV)
I remember being that dumb year 1 student who knew nothing about internship applications and had no seniors to guide me 😵‍💫😵‍💫 So as a current year 2 student, let me guide you 🫵🏻🫵🏻 In a nutshell, every year 3 poly student has to go through internship/ FYP (or both!) as part of the graduation criter
alissa

alissa

345 likes

The Truth Behind Financial Internships 🥸
The truth about prudential's summer internship programme 🤓 Alot of people may have seen similar job postings/ job ads during the holiday when you are job hunting. Similarly, for most of us we came across this summer internship that was said to provide us with financial knowledge. We went in
thefinions5

thefinions5

85 likes

how to score A for internship!
📑For context: I’m nearing the end of my intern in a travel company in Shanghai - yes my school provided us this opportunity😛 (but v costly -$$$ will be making another post abt this) 🍀Lucky enough to have made it in but to be frank, there wasn’t competition ! LOL if you wanna experience this amaz
💳

💳

70 likes

opportunities I wish i had b4 pursuing psychology
HEYSIES, its coming to an end of the year and I thought it would be good for to reflect what I wished I had / done before pursuing psychology. ☝️Read up as much as possible about what exactly does psychology offer and the different types of psychology. Truth be told, I only read up briefly
sherise🍨

sherise🍨

192 likes

my mid intern highlights + reflections ~
i’m interning as a regional marketing + ecomm intern for l’oreal now for about 3+ months~ and there’s about less than 2 months more to this internship and i wanted to share some of my highlights & things i’ve learnt from my possibly last internship!! 🤍 key highlights 1. wellness wednesday
le xuan

le xuan

42 likes

Rating EVERY JOB 💼 I’ve had from 16 to 25
To everyone hustling and trying to find a part-time job out there, here’s a summary of every job I had since Secondary School. Hopefully this helps you find the best side hustle to get you through your schooling days :D. #jobs #Parttime #studentlife #student #WhyILemon8 #work #hustl
Kerby

Kerby

93 likes

THE BEST OVERSEAS INTERNSHIP EVER???🦇🙌🏻🤩
HEY ZESTIES! 🍋 OK THIS IS THE POST I’VE BEEN SO EXCITED TO SHARE ABOUT😆😆 BUT honestly have no time because uni is making me so busy rn! anyways bare with me this post is gonna be super long 😖 for context, during my summer break this year, i went for a one month trip to Makassar , Indonesia to
clarisse ❀シ

clarisse ❀シ

138 likes

ranking my side hustles during university 💰🤑
hello zesties 🍋 when i post about exchange and travel, everyone always asks me how i fund it… well… i just worked a ton of random part time jobs 😭 (some concurrently…) so here’s some inspo for yall broke uni kids 🤣 1: student research assistant 👩🏻‍🎓 - i did 2 during uni, 1 sem each! - pay i
Sarah

Sarah

126 likes

The jump from local to private
Hi guys ! These have been my takeaway for the past 10 months studying in a private uni ( not SIM, I’ll leave yall to guess for security reasons) Firstly lets talk about the student life ~ Honestly, this had quite a big impact on me during my first few months of studying there. Back in my dip
Jasleen

Jasleen

88 likes

guide to hunting for INTERNSHIPS 🔍
hi!!! as promised, here’s the third edition of my how to earn $$ series… and this time the focus will be on ✨ internships ✨ in this post, i’ll be covering where to FIND internships & in the next one i’ll be giving u tips on how to LAND the internship of your dreams so stay tuned for that~
jean ✧・゚: * ✧

jean ✧・゚: * ✧

504 likes

Why I chose NTU > NUS / SMU
Hi! I’m Jomo, I graduated from poly with 3.8+ GPA and was accepted to all local universities (NUS, NTU, SMU). For NUS I still had to go through a round of interview before receiving the offer, but SMU and NTU - they gave me direct offer with no interview. Despite all of that - I still chose… NT
Jomo

Jomo

227 likes

applying to 70+ internships???
pt2 of my internship hunt! now looking for internships can feel overwhelming… still in awe at how a classmate ended up applying to 70+ internships but here’s a fun fact: i actually love looking for jobs before you call me crazy i love shopping, so searching for jobs kind of feels the same (p
tiara˚ ༘♡

tiara˚ ༘♡

132 likes

How to survive uni | SUSS Edition
I'm finally in my last semester of my uni life... was a heckin long 4 years in the University of Self Study aka SUSS. SUSS is the 6th automous university in SG, its rather new & i was the 2nd full-time batch. They were previously known as UNISIM before they became a govt school. Here ar
𝓘𝓼𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵

𝓘𝓼𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵

188 likes

earning money as a FT uni student 💼 tips & rates!
before university (2021), i filled my time post A-levels by trying out different part-time jobs to earn some money on the side. when my semester finally begun, i wanted to save up for different things (braces, exchange e.g.), and so i decided to keep working throughout uni! but being a full-time st
viv

viv

467 likes

STRUGGLES of juggling school & work 💀
I look dead in the cover pic but maybe because I am….. 😮‍💨 For context, I’m in my final semester of uni & i’m currently doing a pt internship @ Tiktok! Below are some of the realities of part-time internships and some things to consider!! 🫥 ✧ School timetable If you are considering tak
Kai Ting

Kai Ting

101 likes

Ways you can earn extra cash in university 💰
As a broke student, some money would go a long way… whether its going into your savings fund or more pocket money for you to spend! however… it can be hard to hustle in university despite the seemingly more flexible schedules 😮‍💨 but its possible! as long as you try to make it work. well, he
jean ✧・゚: * ✧

jean ✧・゚: * ✧

486 likes

i had the coolest intern ever!
2 years ago i had the opportunity to intern at sea aquarium singapore as part of my school curriculum. it was not the easiest journey, so here’s my story of how i kept myself sane during my time there 🪼 how i got in⋆.ೃ࿔*:・ •course of study: marine science & aquaculture (now known as marine
aj

aj

98 likes

still missing them dearly 🫶🏻😭 | in our society 🌎👫
never regretted embarking on this internship back in 2021 after jc 🤍 i was quite curious about autism & special needs so i signed up w a fren ☺️☺️ aND I BECAME A YFA (Youth For Autism) / teacher aide for 5 monthss ✨ as a teacher aide 👩🏻‍🏫: • i was attached to a base class of Primary 2A stu
denise •ᴗ•

denise •ᴗ•

153 likes

INTERNSHIP DO'S & DON'TS 👩🏻‍💻🚨 i had depression fr...
i realised that i haven't done a reflective-ish post in awhile & i felt like yapping so on today's topic, let's talk about... 🥁🥁🥁🥁🥁 𝗜𝗡𝗧𝗘𝗥𝗡𝗦𝗛𝗜𝗣𝗦!💥 just to preface, i'm still a rather lost uni kid w little corporate work experience but my first internship experience was so traumat
milla 🌻

milla 🌻

277 likes

Earn >$2k/ month while in Uni!
hello everyone! i previously shared that I took on multiple jobs in uni to fund my own expenses as well as to save to pay off my school fees. if you’re looking for extra ways to earn your own pocket money or to pay for school, here’s a few options you can consider 😉 1. Retail 🛍️ out of the man
charmaine

charmaine

145 likes

I studied at both NTU and NUS, WHICH IS BETTER?
First up, I didn’t go through uni twice haha. I actually did the SUSEP (Singapore University Student Exchange Programme) which allows you to do a local exchange at a local partner university. I think we could choose from NUS, SMU or SUTD but I decided to go ahead with NUS! Another disclaimer
Gabriel Sze

Gabriel Sze

572 likes

internship applications: what i wish i knew 💼 
internship applications don’t have to be daunting and stressful! read below to find out what i wish i knew when i first started applying for internships 👩🏻‍💻 💭 ⋆˙✧˖° 🐾  Don’t neglect career support and resources from school The way I only started tapping on these in my last year of study 😭
yun ⋆˙⟡♡

yun ⋆˙⟡♡

228 likes

$4.2k starting salary with a Second Lower GPA
Hello studying zestieeesss!! Are you graduating soooon or still studying and worrying about your grades? I can totally relate cause I have been thereeee 🥹 **Disclaimer: I graduated during Covid period, where companies were either practicing cautious hiring / not hiring, so I did get ghosted b
jojo

jojo

492 likes

2 years into uni & here are my regrets👎🏻😭
⚠️warning: lengthy post ahead; proceed with caution!!!⚠️ hey lemons!🍋 recently, as i was planning for my exchange program and what to do for the upcoming semesters left in uni, i was struck by a sudden wave of regret for things i wish i knew before entering uni and should have done during uni.
clarisse ❀シ

clarisse ❀シ

224 likes

How I manage FT intern & school😴
I've been working ever since I ended Os so I've gotten very used to the busy lifestyle. But of course juggling Uni & a FT internship is a lot different from managing between PT jobs. I've taken on 2 FT internships since October 2021 & here are some tips I can give ✨ 1. Schedu
𝓘𝓼𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵

𝓘𝓼𝓪𝓫𝓮𝓵

79 likes

MOE teaching internship programme, YES ✔️OR NO? ❌
hey zesties! so if my memory hasn’t failed me, it SHOULD be around the time that the TIP emails get sent out to the jc kids! i went through it, so i wanted to just help out those who are conflicted on whether or not to sign up for this internship 📝 do feel free to comment/dm if u have any further q
˗ˏˋ liz ´ˎ˗

˗ˏˋ liz ´ˎ˗

254 likes

I interned at a top law firm at 17 🎓
in november 2022, I interned at Rajah & Tann LLP under a partner of the white collar crime practice group. it was a 3 week-long internship and I learnt lots from it. I've been passionate about law forever so my goal stepping into the internship was to truly immerse myself in the life of a l
ananya 💗

ananya 💗

247 likes

things nobody tells you about SMU
heard applications are closing in a few days so if you’re still considering maybe this is the post you need fun fact: i chose SMU over the other unis (context: i was from tp before this so i feel the culture is similar!) i can’t speak for other universities, but i can share what my experi
tiara˚ ༘♡

tiara˚ ༘♡

52 likes

Tips on Juggling an Internship While Studying📚🙇🏻‍♀️
Hi Lemon8 babes! In the spirit to #CelebrateWomen , I wanted to share some tips on surviving school and internships as a full time student! I have been interning while studying and even though it has been hectic it has been a super rewarding experience that I won’t have traded for anything else
🤍🍋

🤍🍋

47 likes

>$30/h; High Paying Part-time job💰
[Update: Didn’t expect so many of you to comment or DM me. Please give me some time and I will reply everyone! Do also drop me a follow 😊 if you didn’t receive a reply, please dm me again.] 💰 How I Paid Off My Uni Tuition & Earned $40K While Studying - leave a comment and I will dm you the a
Jo Recommends

Jo Recommends

418 likes

honest opinion about my school and course!
disclaimer🧍🏻‍♀️: i went to jc and had no experience at all with regards to computing/coding or data science so my opinions will be based on my lack of experience and skills why i chose the course🤨: i’m going to be really honest here, i wasn’t thinking through my decision at all. i was so
falalalala

falalalala

41 likes

it’s so hard to find internships
i was talking to my friend today and she said that she had applied for 20 internships so far but none have gotten back to her and she also briefly told me some of the ques asked by the employers, e.g. can you share what you know about machine learning algorithms? and i’m just like …. wow if this is
falalalala

falalalala

44 likes

@ Business freshies: these career paths are NOT it
This is just my opinion but also words I wished someone told me when I just entered university. It’s quite scary to be expected to know what the heck you want out of your career at 19 and you’re supposed to choose a specialisation in your 2nd year? Meanwhile, the boys in your year seem to already k
Jasmine 🧿

Jasmine 🧿

122 likes

Don’t make these mistakes during your internship 😬
I’ve been an intern and have supervised interns before. There have been lots of takeaways from my own internship journey, and the interns that come and go in my workplace! If you’re about to start your internship soon, or are currently in one, here’s a few tips on what to do and what not to do!
Chloe 🦋

Chloe 🦋

142 likes

See more