"I have definitely learnt a lot from taking H2 Art in JC. Beyond art related technical skills, coursework has also taught me valuable lessons on how to set my own goals, manage my time, make decisions independently, handle feedback, learn from failure etc. I think that these skills will be extremely useful no matter what career I choose to pursue in the future. Additionally, as we were given a lot of freedom to experiment and explore in the art making process, for me working on coursework was often a welcome change of pace from the more structured work I had to do for other subjects. Furthermore, learning SoVA has also equipped me with the ability to better appreciate and engage with artworks that I encounter, which encourages me to continue participating in art beyond school.
Through spending many hours working in the art room together with my batchmates, I have also made many great friends who share similar interests with me. The art room is really somewhere I will miss a lot, and I will certainly cherish the friendships and memories I’ve made there. Lastly, I am also very grateful to have had highly dedicated teachers who always find the time to listen to us and provide us with guidance and advice no matter how hectic things are. Overall, I feel really lucky to have had the opportunity to study art as a subject!"
- Kate Lu (Art Student, Class of 2020)
"Art has made me reflect and learn more about me as a person, as well as my attitude I should have towards the people and world around me. The studio culture taught me to respect and care for others around us and tools we use; SoVA made me appreciate art and the world around me a lot more; and of course, the art-making process taught me many things such as the importance of seeking opinions and feedbacks, never assume and always experiment, the ability to be self-critical, stress and time management, how to deal with negativity, the list goes on...
The one biggest thing that I learnt is to be always committed to the things I do. Art taught me that to commit equates to being honest with and the things I am doing, to have no regret when I look back at it knowing I have tried my best. A lot of times, when "maybe" comes into mind, art taught me to be resilient and see my ideas through to fruition. I learnt to always look back and think about where I started from, and realise the path I have committed to, and the people that have helped me along the way, to journey on not just myself but for others too."
- Zhang Yi Ning (Art Student, Class of 2020)
"Offering art as a subject has taught me how to systematically observe, analyse and critique artworks - showing me that the study of art & art appreciation isn’t as daunting or esoteric as I used to think it was. In the process of learning about the various artists, my world view also expanded as I gained new ways of seeing the world through the eyes of these artists. Learning about artists from different times and different countries gave me a glimpse into their cultures, religions and influences. This is one thing I really value about the art curriculum: we didn’t only learn about art as an isolated subject - instead, the ideas contained within each work branched out into countless different realms from technology to spirituality.
Beyond that, the A-level coursework journey helped to shape me - not only as a student and an artist, but as a person. It taught me to be resilient and open to feedback, to consider every possible option, and to be reflective in every stage of the art-making process. These are skills that I find to be applicable not only in art, but in every aspect of life."
- Tan Yanning (Art Student, Class of 2020)