Working as a Temporary Estate Boarding Assistant at Hwa Chong Institution Boarding School (HCIBS), was a truly enriching experience. I had the chance to get involved in various aspects of the boarding school's operations and exciting projects, which allowed me to gain invaluable insights and develop a wide range of skills while helping streamline processes and ensure a safe and conducive learning environment for the boarders.

One of the first few projects assigned was conducting the Annual Logistics Check. It was my responsibility to ensure that the quality and quantity of logistics were up to par throughout the boarding school and the whereabout of each logistic is updated. After conducting the necessary physical audits and collecting the list of condemned items, I compiled the data in an Excel Sheet which will be used to create barcodes for each item in the near future, which will speed up the process of future checks by an impressive 50%. Currently, I am assessing to create an in-house logistics barcode scanning app, which will save the boarding school between $480 - $600 annually. I plan to do so throughout my work in the Boarding School while attaining the necessary skills to do so throughout my academic journey in Singapore Polytechnic and my university journey.

As part of my role, I also contributed to the development of the Defect and Cleaning Report System. I was responsible for designing the frontend web layout and creating the sitemap plan. Due to limited access to the software available, I had to use Microsoft Excel to draw a rough layout of the website instead of being able to use software such as Canva or Figma. Despite the limitation, I managed to craft both the Frontend layouts and Backend processes, which included QR Codes scanning and SMS/WhatsApp automation. This streamlined the process for the web developer to build and deploy the website saving a week worth of time on desiging the layout and processes.

Overseeing the completion of the estate projects and various quarterly maintencene checks was another experience that allowed me to develop my project management skills. It was my duty to check the progress and quality of the projects, ensuring the contractor met the requirements and standards set by the boarding school. The Estate projects were crucial for keeping up the boarding school's infrastructure, and making sure they were of high quality was important for giving students a comfortable place to live and learn. Through weekly checks and effective communication with contractors and other stakeholders, I learned how to manage projects and ensure they were completed on time which in turn, had a significant impact on the overall operations of the boarding school.

In addition to these major projects, I also played a vital role in ensuring that the boarding school's environment was safe and conducive to learning. My responsibilities included conducting daily inspections of the boarding school rooms and facilities to identify defects, maintenance issues, or safety hazards. These inspections helped me develop a keen eye for detail and a strong understanding of the importance of maintaining a clean and safe environment for the students while ensuring compliance with regulations and boarding school standards. I was also responsible for overseeing the completion of estate projects and ensuring that contractors met the requirements and standards set by the boarding school. All in all, I learned how to manage projects and ensure that they were completed on time.

Overall, my experience as a Temporary Boarding Assistant (Estate) at HCIBS was incredibly fulfilling. Although I was only working for 2 months, I have gained a lot of exposure to various fields such as facilities and project management as well as developed essential skills like communication and attention to detail. I had the privilege of being part of a team that helped maintain a safe and conducive learning environment for the students and I am very grateful for this opportunity. I can't wait to put the knowledge I've gained to good use in my future endeavors and develop my talents along the way.