Umme Salama Tyeb Papar

Why did you choose to come to SMU?

After IB ended, I did quite a bit of work researching various courses available in Singapore that catered to my wide range of interests. It was hard to find a course that was all-encompassing and most of them seemed to general and that’s what made me interested in the College Of Integrative Studies.

How has SMU’s city location enriched your university experience?

SMU’s city location has made everything so accessible. SMU is located right in the centre of the town scene and getting to places from school has never been a problem. The one thing that I love the most is being near places like Fort Canning and Marina Bay Sands. After a long day of studying or being in school, I often find myself taking a leisurely stroll around Fort Canning Park nearer to the evenings or even going for a run after school in the city area.

Please share some key highlights of your student life in SMU.

The first key highlight would be the new experiences I have had. As a Year 1 student, I have been blessed with the opportunity to be the Vice-President of the SMU Malay Language & Cultural Club. Apart from organising events for the community here in SMU, I am also a part of Rentak , which is SMU MLCC’s percussion wing. Prior to this, I had no experience in anything percussion related. I joined the group, wanting to learn how to play the traditional instruments but over the last year, I have been so grateful to have been part of a supportive group of friends. The trainers have been especially encouraging to all of us, which makes every training enjoyable and fun. I do think that my school experience would have been different if I were not in Rentak and SMU MLCC, and I am thankful for that every day!

The second key highlight would be the people that I have met along the way. Every class in SMU are filled with individuals who are of different backgrounds, races and countries. With this, I have made friends with students who are on exchange and also been able to learn about their culture and our differences. The various interactions have made the school scene more lively and exciting to come back to every week.