Life Sciences Society

The 51st Life Sciences Society (LSS) comprises 110 members spanning 7 departments, namely Academic Affairs, Welfare, LSCamp, pDNA, EVBig, Outreach, and Core, all in service of the NUS Life Sciences community. Via the 4 branches of Academics (Academic Affairs), FOP (LSCamp), Vibrancy (Welfare, pDNA, Outreach) and Community (EVBig), LSS strives to 1. improve the quality of student life of NUS undergraduates, 2. promote Life Sciences (LS) within and beyond the Life Sciences cohort, and 3. foster a united community amongst prospective LS students, LS undergraduates, LS graduates, Faculty of Science, and the NUS community.

 

Over AY22/23 Semester 1, a total of 14 events were conducted, starting off with Ask Us Anything 2022. Organised by both the outgoing and incoming CORE team of LSS, it aims to share with the LS student body the goals of LSS and to recruit potential members. Next, LSS took part in the NUSSU-organised Student Life Fair to continue publicising efforts for LSS51 recruitment. As a result of these 2 events, LSS had an overwhelming response in the number of applicants to join us this year which enabled us to form a team of talented individuals to lead LSS to greater heights. 

 

The Academic Affairs (Acads) department has put up an impressive array of LS-centric resources and workshops within a short span of 4-5 months, including Freshmen, UROPS and FYP Resource Packages and a LS Module AY22/23 Semester 1 Review Repository. Workshops featured the invitation of AP Professor Chew FT, LS Professors, the CFG team and Student Speakers to share topics such as LS career statistics and job search strategies, UROPS, FYP, LS as a 2nd Major/Minor, and more. In the next semester, one can look forward to more talks and workshops, such as SEP, UPIP, FYI and PhD Sharing sessions, as well as more resource packages. There will also be a large-scale career/networking fair collaboratively spearheaded by the BES committee and LSS EVBig at the start of January.

 

Halloween Fundraisers were a major event for LSS in this semester, with Welfare, and LSCamp putting up night museum- and orphanage-themed escape rooms and photobooth, pDNA with their thrilling haunted maze experience. In addition, the Core, Outreach and Welfare departments collaborated with Science Club to sell tarot card reading services, in-house designed lanyards and tote bags, and Halloween plushies at the LSS “Spooky Town” Booth during the 3-day long Frankenscience Carnival. 

 

To celebrate the return of students to a new semester, LSS will be putting up a series of fundraisers, namely, a large-scale Harry Potter-themed Back2Sch carnival at FoS, and shirt sales by both Outreach and Welfare for both the LS and NUS student body. Lastly, Valentine's Fundraisers will be the 3rd and last major event for LSS51, where there may be a return of tarot reading services that were in high demand during Halloween, and the 2nd collaboration with Science Club. 

 

Funds raised are to go into promoting the welfare of the LS student body next year as per below.

 

For this year, Outreach initiated the creation of a LSS website and LSS Youtube Channel as part of LS publicity efforts. Their first few videos feature content such as NUS Food Recommendations, Back2School, Study Tip Videos and many other topics (SEP mini travelogues!) in the upcoming semester. pDNA will be working with many new beneficiary groups, such as ACRES (Wildlife) and  ASPN (Individuals with Special Needs), as per their objective of expanding their beneficiary outreach. EVBig will also be organising a diving licence certification opportunity, amongst other community activities such as tree planting. Welfare will be in the midst of preparing the handing out of student welfare packs, and the organisation of stress-relieving workshops and other initiatives to bond the LS cohort and LSS. Prospective LS students in the new year can also look forward to LSCamp’23, which has been meticulously prepared for by the LSCamp’23 committee through the holding of 3 Game Trials and a Preparation Camp since December 2022. Lastly, there may be a possibility of a Graduation Night for the graduating LS body, organised by the Core department.