New beginnings: How some polytechnic students transformed their lives and styles

SINGAPORE – For some students transitioning from secondary school to polytechnic, this new phase in their lives marks the beginning of a transformation journey.

Here are three students who have rebranded themselves by changing their style and shifting their outlook.

No more hair gel, moustache and hermit

When Mr Adam Erman entered Temasek Polytechnic in 2022, he never smiled and shunned the people in school.

“I wanted to look tough and avoid being picked on,” he said.

During his freshman year as a communications and media management student, Mr Adam did not care much about dressing up. He often recycled the same outfit – Uniqlo Airism tee, jeans, and Vans sneakers – with a motorcycle helmet in hand.

“You can imagine a guy with a thick moustache walking around with his helmet and gelled up hair – you wouldn’t really approach him,” said Mr Adam, now a 21-year-old Year 3 student.

Before polytechnic, he attended a private religious school, to which he wore a uniform and religious headgear for classes, and rarely had any interactions with the opposite sex.

“I always wanted to improve myself, but I never really had a proper catalyst to change,” he said.

That push finally came when he met someone special in school.

“She is very kind, always smiling and has many positive qualities, which is in stark contrast to my intimidating exterior... That was my push to change.”

Going into his second semester in Year 2, Mr Adam stopped applying pomade, revamped his wardrobe to include more Korean-inspired outfits, and shaved off his moustache, which was his most significant change.

“I used to tell my friends that I would never shave it off because it was my identity. In secondary school, I was even known as ‘Adam Moustache’ because there were multiple Adams in my school.”

His friends and family liked his new look, although many people failed to recognise him initially. Even the auntie at the drinks stall could not recognise him and took his orders in Mandarin.

The transformation went beyond appearance as his grades improved and his outlook changed.

“Throughout secondary school and the start of my first year (in poly), I had zero drive to go to school,” he said.

He kept to himself during freshman year as he tried to navigate the unfamiliar environment.

“Bursting out of my bubble of fear with the support of the people around me... (helped me) raise my grades and open up to more people.”

In his third year, he even joined an extracurricular group, Fusion Percussion.

“These changes have shaped who I am and helped me ‘rebrand’ myself for the better,” he said.

‘Glow up’, grow up

Ms Anna Huynh was carefree about her style until her friends began to comment about her clothes during secondary school.

They would ask if her outfits had been picked by her mother or why she was dressed like an “office lady”.

The remarks hurt her self-esteem, making her feel like she was the odd one out.

Then a Secondary 3 student, she wanted to transform herself, but did not have the money to do so.

It was only after her O-level exams that her “glow-up” plan was set in motion. With the money earned from part-time jobs, Ms Huynh bought clothing and make-up, drawing inspiration from Pinterest and TikTok.

“Initially, I wore whatever I thought was trendy, regardless of whether it looked good on me or not. I switched those out for clothes that compliment my body, like low-waist baggy jeans instead of high-waist mum jeans, or smaller baby tees instead of puffy big tops,” she said.

She also got a new hairstyle with bangs as it suited her face shape.

“Bangs became my best friend – nobody has seen my forehead ever since,” she quipped.

Now a Year 3 Nanyang Polytechnic nursing student, the 20-year-old said people treat her in a drastically different way now, though she worries that they may judge her “on the days I don’t look my best”.

Still, she is “super content” with the way she looks.

“I’m where I want to be in terms of my look, and I’m no longer insecure about it, so I can allocate more of my mental capacity to working on my relationships and goals”.

For example, since she entered poly, Ms Huynh has surrounded herself with a “really great circle of friends” who have been supporting her. She has also had time to think about her career options and has decided to set her sights on paediatric nursing in university.

And she has some advice for young people.

“Following trends is not necessarily bad if it motivates you or helps you experiment, but you don’t have to rush or be pressured into changing anything if you’re already content with who you currently are,” she said.

“(Some) changes will still naturally happen as you grow up.”

From misfit to model

For 19-year-old student Jessen Handoyo, entering a “liberating environment” like a polytechnic made him feel the need to “develop a healthy level of vanity”.

The Singaporean, who is of Javanese, Japanese and Chinese parentage, shopped for clothes that were better suited to his body type and experimented with his hairstyle.

“I tried a couple of colours and styles, grew out my hair and also cut it short, micro-bangs at one point,” he recalled.

Mr Handoyo took inspiration from Pinterest and Instagram, as well as influencers and K-pop idols with a “vibe and style” he liked.

“Social media wasn’t my benchmark for my transformation,” he said. “It was more like upgrading than adopting anything new.” 

Another reason for the self-improvement was his desire to make the mark as a part-time model.

Standing at about 1.87m tall, he had wanted to become a fashion model since he was 17 years old, but was rejected at his first open casting, and several more.

He lacked confidence and the distinctive look that modelling agencies were seeking, said Mr Handoyo, currently a Year 3 law and management student at Temasek Polytechnic.

“After each rejection, I tried to diversify my look – be it my style or hair – so as to appear more versatile and marketable to the agencies,” he added.

His efforts paid off in December 2023 when he signed on with NOW Model Management.

Mr Handoyo said he is still “a dorky kid with a peculiar personality at the end of a day and I can see right through my own image”.

“When I made these changes, I wanted to figure out what worked for me and me alone – not go along with trends or common styles. I also wanted to be confident in my look because I’ve been aware for a long time that I am not viewed as ‘conventionally attractive’.”

Confidence is the biggest takeaway from the makeover, said the self-confessed introvert.

“There have been new social opportunities... but they aren’t a result of my changes in look – they’re more a result of my new-found confidence and attitude,” he said.