For a young foreign student who was all excited to
be given the chance to study at the National University of Singapore (NUS), it
was certainly a tragedy that undergraduate Ms Jung Haelin had to end up falling
to her death (Undergrad falls to death after being locked out; November 3,
2017, The Straits Times).
Working or studying or abroad comes with a wide
range of emotions. Happy, excited and thrilled for the opportunity to live in
another country and meet people of different races and cultures, but at the
same time feeling homesick and grappling with separation anxiety later when the
excitement wears down.
For foreigners, the most crucial part of adjusting
to life in a different country is during the first three months. Some students
will begin to show signs of homesickness after a while, and if NUS counsellors
or lecturers are trained to spot these troubling periods, then the affected
students can be given the emotional support they badly need.
It was reported that the undergraduate had the
habit of using an object to wedge the door open when she was out. Perhaps if
someone had been brought this to the attention of the counsellors, the tragedy
could have been avoided.
It would thus be timely to caution students during
their orientation as well as send reminders periodically to them that climbing
through windows where their safety will be comprised will not be tolerated.
While local students can easily reach out to their
families, it is more difficult for foreigners to do so as some could be
bottling pent-up emotions. Thus, it’s vital for counsellors to constantly keep
in touch with foreign students to give clear guidance and support, as well as
to provide a buddy system so that they do not feel all alone.
In addition, security should be enhanced at NUS.
For instance, surveillance cameras could closely monitor the areas where
students have been known to climb through windows whenever they get locked out
of their rooms. Sensors can be placed near the windows so that security
personnel will be alerted if anyone attempts to climb through the windows. Security personnel should also patrol the
hostels frequently – especially during the periods when lectures are over.
Raymond Anthony Fernando
This proposal also goes up on ALL SINGAPORE STUFF: https://www.allsingaporestuff.com/article/netizen-nus-should-remind-uni-students-climbing-buildings-hazardous
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