Edison (Sem 1, 2023)

My Exchange at The National University of Singapore

I felt the program was very helpful to me both academically and in terms of my perspective on certain things. The past semester has truly been amazing, possibly the best few months I’ve had in my life. I first arrived in Singapore during the first week of January 2023, and my initial impression was that it is a much more modern and impactful city compared to Auckland. It is also very clean, and people seem to follow the rules quite strictly, perhaps even a bit too much.

I stayed at Tembusu College, which was one of the shortlisted Residential Colleges for me. My room was in a suite with six rooms, a shared bathroom, and a living room. The entire environment of the residential college is lively and has a strong sense of community, which I really liked and enjoyed. The only unfortunate thing was not having AC in the room, which was quite tough considering the hot climate of Singapore, especially the humidity.

There were various events hosted by the university to introduce us to the school and help us get acquainted with other exchange students. NUS definitely has a more competitive learning environment compared to UoA, as it has a high academic reputation. It was quite challenging for me to adjust initially, especially with the grading curve. You don’t have a clear idea of the grades you might receive until the official grades are released a few weeks after the exams.

In my opinion, Singapore is a great blend of Western and Asian culture, offering the best of both worlds. There are plenty of opportunities and choices, allowing people to be open in their decision-making. The accommodation cost around 2800 SGD for the four-month period and included a meal plan provided by the Residential College. Normal daily meals at a canteen or hawker center would cost roughly 5-10 SGD, which is much cheaper than Auckland prices.

During the exchange, I traveled extensively with my friends, visiting approximately seven destinations. It’s much more affordable to travel to other Southeast Asian countries from Singapore due to its convenient location and the availability of flights. Campus life is great, especially in the UTown area where I lived. There are numerous events, and everything is easily accessible.

The food in Singapore has been consistently great, with a wide range of choices and unbeatable prices. You can also find fancier restaurants if you prefer. The highlight of my experience was making friends whom I traveled with and essentially lived with for the past four months. I didn’t expect to form such strong bonds, but I made some lifelong friends whom I plan to visit next year.

The main challenge was balancing academic performance while trying to travel as much as possible. If you’re considering whether to go on an exchange or not, I highly recommend it! It’s a rare opportunity to explore a whole new environment with little worries. Singapore and NUS are definitely among the best options available!

Q&A

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

Scoring a much higher mark in the mid term test and final grade than I would ever expect.

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

The Muay Thai club in NUS!

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

1. Get your bank account sorted as soon as possible

2. Be sure to know how your course grades are made up, so you can plan out your travel plans wisely without affecting your grade

3. Try your best to get rooms with AC

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 received $9000 NZD from all the scholarships for the exchange, but also spent roughly $20000 on top of that including all my expenses and travelling costs.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

Talk to people, and you’ll probably make friends of a lifetime that will help you realise and learn a lot more about what you know.

Do you want to share anything about travels you did outside your host city/country?

Please try and travel to as many countries as you can! All of the countries in SEA have their own beauty and personally, Vietnam was my favourite!