i loved spending 6 yrs in sota: here's why!

Sota stands for school of the arts singapore and I studied there when when I was 13-18 and received my IB diploma from there! After graduation and entering uni, I constantly think back fondly to these 6 years of my life that it almost seems magical because I realise how much I actually loved my time there...anyone who came from sota would agree with me that there will never ever be a time like being a student in sota ever again

Why I loved my time there: 💫

1. Being surrounded by like minded individuals

Well it's an art school where your classmates are all been accepted through SOTA's p6 audition process, (150-160 kids accepted in a cohort) and so those who made it in are talented, passionate kids who love to create and do art. And when I think back on this now, I don't think I could ever have a community that matches up to this! My friends and I would constantly bond over what we want to create, what new thing we want to explore, what's new in fashion, what film looks so good etc. and without knowing, it's almost so healing to the soul to constantly have passionate conversations like this so often for 6 years. Together, you all grow and learn from each other and it's just amazing

2. Liberty

Honestly SOTA is alot more liberal than local schools because of the whole "encouraging you to be creative" thing so I just really enjoyed the little freedoms granted to us such as...being able to wear any coloured shoes and sweaters to school...some of us just let out hair down the whole day...alot of us actually cut our shirts to crop them and just wear them to school...I mean some of these aren't allowed technically but everyone practically does it haha. It just made SOTA feel more like a second home to me...

3. Community

like i said in the first point, I genuinely miss my cohort and classmates fondly although I may not be very close to alot. However, SOTA itself is a very tight community because it's 150 students in a cohort, and its 6 years of growing up together. Everyone knows each other honestly and there's familiarity in the community. And there's a certain warmth to it because the people here can get so goofy...it becomes fun even to stay back in school till 10pm just studying in the canteen. It's not only the students but also the teachers here. Without a doubt the teachers here are all really REAL and weird and fun and there's just such a cordial relationship between teachers and students because they just are so real and fun to talk to. Unlike my time in my primary school where teachers kind of have an antagonistic persona and distanced relationship with students, the sota teachers and students just talk like friends honestly

Overall I really made this post because I started missing my time there again for the 100th time. Have I moved on? NOT REALLY. But one thing I regret is taking my time there for granted while I was still schooling there. I would not have traded it for ANY other school ever ❌❌❌❌❌❌

#school #sota #artschool