My Exchange at The National University of Singapore
I was always interested in participating in an exchange semester as I thought it would be a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to broaden my horizons, travel, and experience a new culture. It ended up being everything that I expected it to be and more, and I had the absolute time of my life.
As someone who knew a lot about Singapore beforehand, and did my research, Singapore is roughly what I expected it to be. A country with a fascinating mix of different cultures, delicious food, and great public transport. However, some of the smaller things I learned were interesting, like how the train stations are connected directly to the malls or all the slang Singaporeans use. Additionally, I learned a lot about NUS and its campus. It’s absolutely massive (it’d take around an hour to walk a loop around), and it has so many canteens with so much good cheap food. The chicken rice at PGP is my personal favourite.
Orientation week gives you a good base for your exchange, giving you the time to meet people, orient yourself, and do the administrative work you need. There are also some cool events during the week, such as RAG and Flag Day, where different departments do dance performances. After O-Week, it was easy to adjust to classes and have a group of friends to travel with.
While NUS has a stereotype of having extremely difficult classes, I found it quite fair and manageable despite doing second and third-year mathematics and statistics courses. There are definitely times, such as the days before tests, when it can get stressful, but with good time management and studying practices, it is very doable. However, it does mean that occasionally you have to reject plans in order to do work, and managing the balance between experiencing new things and studying is incredibly important, and a skill I developed during the semester. I found the teaching style not hugely different from that of the University of Auckland, but none of my classes were recorded which was frustrating. Courses are also often more focused on tests and exams, with assignments being given less priority.
Of course, one of the things that everyone wants to do on their exchange is travel, and I certainly made the most of the opportunity. It’s incredibly easy to go to Malaysia since you can easily take a bus, so that is a trip many people make early on in the semester. Other popular places include Vietnam, Thailand, and Japan. One I think that was a little overlooked was Taiwan. I had a fantastic time there, with lots of great food, and it wasn’t quite as touristy as other places. Shifen and Jiufen were highlights in Taiwan as well. I encourage trying to sort out plans early for your peace of mind. Also, be open to any invitations you might receive, as it is a great way to develop friendships and experience things you may not have otherwise.
If there’s anyone who’s considering an exchange but isn’t sure, go for it. It’s truly a once-in-a-lifetime experience that will change you as a person. I also recommend trying to talk to as many local people as possible, to learn about Singaporean society and culture, and to broaden your horizons.
Also, go try Shake Shack 😉
Q&A
What were some of the highlights of the academic experience at your host university?
A lot of the academic highlights of my exchange programme involve group studying. Studying late into the night as a group in the university Starbucks (which is 24 hours), was a good bonding activity and also surprisingly effective when it comes to study output.
My favourite course I took at NUS was MA3264 Mathematical Modelling. It covers a lot of interesting ways to model a whole variety of different things using differential equations, from population modelling to the orbits of planets. The course also had a good level of difficulty – interesting but not too hard- and I highly recommend it.
NUS also has a lot of study spaces, but these can get very packed, so it’s good to go early, and it can be nice to study off campus in a library or cafe.
Would you recommend any particular activity/activities unique to your host country or university?
Hawker Centres are awesome, and I highly recommend going to as many as you can. It’s a great way to try a lot of unique Singapore food on the cheap and also to immerse yourself in Singaporean culture and the way that everyday people live. Go explore local centres as well, not just the big and popular ones, and you might be surprised at what you find (I recommend Sambal Stingray).
NUS also does a lot of cool events on campus. Supernova was a highlight, which was the NUS talent show, and there were also student-run markets and club events.
What are your top 3 tips for future students attending your host university or going on exchange to your host country?
- There are always a lot of events happening, both on campus and in wider Singapore. Following Instagram and TikTok pages and your accommodation events pages can introduce you to a whole variety of cool events that are happening around Singapore.
- While it can be stressful knowing that everything is graded on a bell curve, this can actually be beneficial for you. This essentially means that as long as you put a decent effort in, you should be able to pass, which gives you a good opportunity to explore Singapore, travel, and participate in extracurriculars.
- Singapore is hot! It’s also quite humid and rains frequently. Be sure to pack a whole lot of clothes good for the heat, like shorts or linen, and bring an umbrella. If you’re acne-prone, it can also cause you to flare up, so be aware of that and pack any skincare you might need.
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?
I budgeted around $15000 NZD for this exchange. I did end up going over the amount due to an unplanned trip to Europe, but it was approximately the right amount if you don’t do that. This includes several overseas trips and a good amount of eating out. It is definitely possible to do this on a cheaper budget, though, if you are more conservative with what travelling you do.
What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?
One thing I took away from my exchange was the value of connection. People are very friendly on exchange, and are often open to travelling or going to events. I think this led me to be more extroverted and open to talking to new people. The memories with people I might only end up seeing once ended up being surprisingly important to me, which is something I discovered about myself during this experience.
I also learned a lot about Singaporean culture, which is something I find awesome and really interesting. Singapore, despite having English as its primary language, also has a lot of slang that is brought in from the cultures of its residents, which gives it a huge depth and history.
Is there any advice you could share about accommodation options at your host university and/or in the local area?
I stayed in on-campus housing at Yale-NUS College, which is one of the residential college options. I believe Yale-NUS is to be renamed from 2025 and onwards, however. Broadly, the on campus housing falls into three kinds of accommodation: Residential Colleges, Halls, and Student Residences. Halls and Student Residences have a more community-oriented atmosphere, with more events. There is also a meal plan with these, which is mandatory and not very good. Student residences are just places to stay, with only a few events, and no meal plans.
When you apply to NUS, they will ask you for what kind of accommodation you want, so be sure to do your research and decide beforehand. I highly recommend staying in one of the options that are in UTown, as that is where a lot of exchangers are and a lot of events happen.
Do you have any advice on what mobile phone apps and/or phone plans that were useful in your host country?
Most normal apps are useable, such as Google Maps for navigation. Some that could be useful are the NUS-related apps such as NUS Nextbus, UNivUS and NUS Dining, as these are commonplace on campus and very convenient. Another thing that may be important is getting an app such as PayNow, as these allow you to pay for food and other products using QR codes instead of cash or card, as some places only accept QR code payments. Lastly, Grab is an app used for food delivery and rideshare, as Uber is unavailable. Phone plans can be a bit tricky in Singapore. To get a permanent SIM, you must first get your full student pass details, which can take a few weeks. In the meantime, you must get a temporary tourist sim, which usually lasts around 30 days. You can apply for a permanent sim once you get your Student’s Pass details, either an ESIM or a physical sim. The most popular retailer is Singtel, which provides SIMs and ESIMs, but there are also some other providers.