Jin (Sem 2, 2022)

My Exchange at The National University of Singapore

This report describes my exchange study at NUS from July 2022 to December 2022. Overall, my experience in Singapore was pleasant. Before starting my undergraduate programme at UoA, I had always planned to go on exchange, so I learnt 360 International via the university’s official website. I decided to go to NUS for exchange mainly because of its reputation worldwide. The following paragraphs will cover some essential aspects of the exchange study at NUS.

University and Courses
As a top 20 university in the world, NUS enjoys an excellent reputation in teaching. All undergraduate students must attend five courses each semester, and the number of courses non-graduating/exchange students need to attend is up to the home university. However, all students are required to attend a minimum of 3 courses to obtain a student visa. I attend three courses, namely, Design and Analysis of Algorithms(CS3230), Introduction to Computational Biology(CS2220), and Japanese 1(LAJ1201). Although I only need to attend three courses, the workload is quite high, especially CS3230. Every week there were only three problems to solve, but it took me about a day to get everything right. As for CS2220, although there was no prerequisite, I felt it might be best to have some preliminary understanding of biology (DNA, RNA, protein, etc.) and machine learning. The lecturers for LAJ 1201 were interactive. The only problem is that most students were reticent during tutorials, so there were barely any interactions among students in CS3230 tutorials. One of the reasons could be that the course was not easy. The course selection procedure is quite different from that in UoA. After securing a place at lectures, students must bid for places at tutorials/labs at the beginning of the semester. Courses at the School of Computing are very popular, and most have some prerequisites. Since the offer will only be issued after securing three courses, and accommodation can only be applied once an offer is issued, I would strongly advise future exchangers to select as many courses as possible(only if they satisfy your degree requirements).

Accommodation
The rental cost is quite high in Singapore, the weekly rent in the nearby area is about S$300, and it is even higher for short-term stays. Fortunately, I stayed in Tembusu College, one of the four residential colleges at University Town (UTown). It is close to a wide variety of UTown facilities, such as the gym, infinite pool, and canteens. The weekly rent ranges from S$136 to S$165 (the academic year 2022 – 2023), depending on whether the room is in a suite and/or whether it is air-conditioned. The meal plan at the college is compulsory, but it is reasonably cheap, and there are several options to choose from. Moreover, there are many interest groups that all residents can participate in, and I participated in TBakes and TSplash(swimming). All residents are pretty friendly and helpful, and the whole college is like a big family.

Life
Other than the rental cost, living in Singapore is quite affordable. For example, a decent meal costs as low as S$4, and there is also a wide array of options; public transportation is well-planned and reasonably cheap. As the transportation hub in Asia, Singapore is a perfect location to stay if you want to travel in Asia. Flights to countries such as Malaysia, Thailand, Indonesia, Vietnam, Philippines are pretty cheap. For example, my flight from Kuala Lumpur to Singapore is only S$20 one-way. If you intend to travel a few times during the exchange, I recommend choosing courses early in the week so that you will have 3 – 4 days every week without any courses.

Q&A

What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?

The lecturers are generally very professional and well-prepared, and most students invest in their academic study.

Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?

I would recommend students staying at university accommodations attend the interest groups or CCAs. It is a good way to relax, and also provides an opportunity to make friends.

What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?

1. Go to the exchange as early as possible. 2. Select as many courses as possible so that you can secure an offer as early as possible. 3. Select courses early in the week so that you have more time to explore Asia.

How much did you budget for your exchange? Was this enough? Were there any lessons learned that would help future students budget for their own exchange?

The weekly rent is about S$ 150 for staying on-campus, and about S$ 300 off-campus. For all other activities, S$150 to S$ 200 should be sufficient.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

Mingle with the local students as much as possible and travel around Asia as much as possible.