As shared by Zoe Ow (Class of 2021), from the Diploma in Digital Game Art and Design (since merged into Diploma in Animation, Games & Visual Effects), School of Design & Media

Before enrolling into NYP, I debated between design and engineering. Eventually, my fascination for both art and games won me over and I decided to take Digital Game Art and Design – a course which combines my interests. I picked the Polytechnic Foundation Programme (PFP) route because I was very sure what I wanted to do. So instead of staying an extra year to do the O Levels in Sec 5, we do the PFP in the poly of our choice.

During my secondary school days, I’d visited NYP’s School of Design & Media (SDM) and immediately, something clicked: I knew this was my poly. I felt really comfortable.

My PFP year was a very happy one. I met many like-minded friends who shared the same love for art and design. We gave each other really honest feedback on our work. I also learnt about traditional arts – like painting and doing crafts – and this gave me a strong foundation before I moved on to digital game art.

For the next two years, my interest in my field grew. I adopted the attitude of being curious about everything I learnt. My lecturers inspired me daily – by challenging me while also sharing new knowledge and technical skills. For example, when I design and draw characters or objects, my lecturers would suggest defining shapes for their silhouettes to portray their function, personality and history. This helped me to make gradual improvements.

When I reached my final year, I was shortlisted for WorldSkills in 3D Digital Game Art. Together with two other girls – Jing Yi and Zoe Lim (yes, same first name as me!) – we trained for months. We became best friends. In October 2020, I received the gold medal, together with Jing Yi.

Being in WorldSkills taught me to be very disciplined. At first, I thought I would be easily /distracted by games or my phone. But I realised I could actually sit down for hours and concentrate. Sometimes, I was so engrossed that I would forget my meals.

I will be graduating with a GPA of 3.8. I feel that my PFP head start and SDM years have made a great impact on me. I love what I do and am passionate about my work.

In future, I plan to further my studies in a university like DigiPen. There's also a chance I may work to gain experience first, because, after all, my industry is portfolio-based.