My Exchange at The National University of Singapore
I discovered the 360 International Exchange Programme at the beginning of my second year. During the orientation, there was a club expo, and the 360 Exchange team had set up a stall at Kat Edgar. When I approached them, I definitely didn’t expect that I would end up going on exchange. However, after learning that I only had to pay domestic tuition fees and could cross-credit papers with a Pass/Fail grading system that wouldn’t affect my GPA, I realized I had to seize this opportunity.
This was my first time visiting Singapore. Straight off the plane, I was in awe of the biophilic design surrounding the airport. Having studied biophilic design as part of my degree, I instantly fell in love with it. I was equally impressed by Singapore’s public transportation system. The MRT trains are incredibly convenient and can take you almost anywhere in Singapore. Everything I had read online about Singapore turned out to be true: it’s a vibrant city that is extremely safe and clean. However, it’s also very hot and humid! The Singaporean accent was also something unique and fascinating to experience.
I lived at PGPR Lighthouse, and the total accommodation cost for the four months I stayed there was about 4,000 NZD. The room was comfortable and included air conditioning—a necessity in Singapore’s heat. I honestly don’t know how I would have managed without it!
The orientation at NUS (National University of Singapore) was a highlight. It featured performances by various student groups, something unique that UoA doesn’t offer. The exchange orientation for international students was also memorable, with lots of delicious food and fun giveaways. These little touches made the experience even more enjoyable.
NUS is ranked as one of the best universities in the world, and the courses I took were mostly well-taught. Interestingly, there were no online student forums like Ed Discussion or Piazza for asking questions. However, lecture recordings were available, just like at UoA. One surprising observation was that despite NUS’s prestige, student attendance was similar to that at UoA. For instance, one of my classes had a roster of 60 students, but once only five people up to the actual lecture! CE3165 Concrete Design was definitely a highlight of all the courses I studied. The professor took us to two site visits. With the NUS Civil Engineering Student Association, I visited the new Tuas Port that is currently under construction. It was really really fascinating to see how they built the mega caissons for reclaiming land.
During my time at NUS, I immersed myself in various extracurricular activities. As part of Lighthouse’s Community of Practice (CoP), I joined the tennis and baking CoPs. These groups were fantastic for meeting local students and building friendships. I also love being active and enjoy water-related sports. Singapore’s hot climate makes water activities especially enjoyable, as the water is never too cold, and you dry off quickly. NUS has two Olympic-sized swimming pools, which are often vacant, so I made the most of swimming. Additionally, NUS has several gyms spread across campus, and they’re rarely crowded, which is a plys. I also tried kayaking, freediving, and calisthenics for the first time in Singapore. Joining these activities was a highlight of my exchange, especially since NUS has an incredible calisthenics community with some truly impressive athletes.
Food was another major highlight of my time in Singapore. From $3 chicken rice to $4 banh mi, $6 Japanese donburi, prata, nasi lemak, Shake Shack, Jollibee, and Michelin-starred hawkers, the variety and quality of food were exceptional. One regret I have is not trying any buffets or high-end restaurants. I later learned that you can find coupon discounts for fancy dining experiences, so I would definitely recommend exploring those options.
“The journey matters more than what’s waiting at the end.” This sentiment perfectly sums up my exchange experience. The memories I made and the people I met were the true highlights. The Kiwis I bonded with, as seen in the photo I shared, accompanied me on trips to Johor Bahru, Malaysia, the Philippines, and countless dinner gatherings. Every moment we shared was special and wholesome.
Finally, my advice to anyone considering an exchange is to say “YES” to every opportunity that comes your way. Be spontaneous, and you’ll never know where life will lead you!
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
There is this lecturer at the Civil Engineering Department of NUS. He teaches a class size of 60+ students that I attend. He remembers all the names of students in his class and would greet everyone including all the exchangers. This I found impressive and just indirectly shows his I dedication to all the students. Went to two site visits a 3D concrete printing factory, and Tuas Port — incoming newest port of Singapore that is built entirely on land reclamation. Super cool and really inspired as a civil engineering student.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
NUS offers a range of recreational co-curricular activities for its students. In my times at NUS, I was highly involved in three Co-curriculars. Kayaking, freediving and calisthenics. They have been super fun and interacted with a lot of local students through these. These are super unique because University of Auckland does not offer these three co-curriculars.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
Tip 1: For the first two months on exchange, completely relied on Wise and cash for buying goods etc. I wish I knew sooner how easy it actually is to set up a local bank account DBS PayNow in Singapore as a foreigner. So I would recommend everyone going on exchange to Singapore get both Wise and PayNow. Use Wise to exchange currency from NZD to SGD then send the money to your PayNow bank account.
Tip 2: Singaporeans are all really friendly but kinda conservative. If you don’t make the first move and initiate conversation, they likely won’t talk to you. So I definitely recommend initiate all the conversations and you will find yourself making a lot of local friends 🙂
Tip #3: Finally, NUS grading is set by bell curve, really hard to score A or A+ but also relatively easy to pass compared to UoA. So don’t stress too much about coursework, go travel tons and have fun 🙂
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?
probably spent around $12k in total for this exchange. This includes approximately $3.5k for accommodation, $1.8k for return tickets, and the rest on food and travel. Honestly, Singapore is still an expensive country to live in, with a high cost of living comparable to Aotearoa. Food prices at supermarkets are very similar to what you would expect at New World or Woolworths. Restaurants in malls can be expensive, with items often costing $20 SGD or more—very similar to New Zealand. On more than a few occasions, I somehow spent over $50 SGD on meals (pain 🙁 ).
However, Singapore is unique in that it offers extremely affordable food at local hawker centers, and meals at university canteens are highly subsidized. You can get really delicious food for just $5–$8 at the university canteens.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
The four months away from home felt so short. The world is vast, and the exchange deepened my desire to travel and explore it further. It showed me how being spontaneous and saying “yes” can lead to so many great memories. Therefore, it is important to continue exploring the opportunities out there, to go for it, and to leave nothing behind.
Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?
I traveled a bit around Southeast Asia. The places I visited include the Philippines, Malaysia, China, and Hong Kong. Not as much as some of the other Kiwis I came to this exchange with which you will see if you read their reports. They went absolutely crazy.
Is there any advice you could share about accommodation options at your host university and/or in the local area?
I Lived on campus at PGP Lighthouse. I applied through the university. They will have an application open for this some time after you have been admitted to the university. Make sure to not miss the deadline ! If you don’t miss the deadline, it is pretty much guaranteed that you will get on-campus accommodation at NUS.
Do you have any advice on what mobile phone apps and/or phone plans that were useful in your host country?
For public transport: Google Maps
For payment: DBS PayNow and WISE
University apps: NUSbus ( for NUS exclusive bus )
Online Shopping: Shopee ( super convenient)
For communication: Telegram and Whatsapp !
Singapore Singtel phone plan is super cheap. $15 for almost unlimited minutes, texting and 100GB of data per month.