James (Sem 2, 2023)

My Exchange at The National University of Singapore

I discovered the 360 International team through prospects of exchange opportunities whilst scrolling through social media. I initially did not think much about it and continued my week as usual, however as the days go by I begin to think more about it and contemplate the possibility of studying half way around the world. As I did more research and learned the tuition fees are paid to UoA ~$3500NZD regardless of which host university you chose, I was convinced of going as I would be paying up to 10x less than the domestic students in the host countries such as the USA – which is a steal! Regardless of this, I believe travelling and exploring early on gives great insight into the real world, and the experiences gained through this are second to none.

The 4 months I spent at the National University of Singapore was a blessing and I could not have been happier with the people I met who I am proud to call lifelong friends. The people, the weather, the culture all bring a sense of pride living in Singapore, the number of good times spent travelling Asia and playing group sports at night have made my time there unforgettable. To enjoy so many new experiences and share them with fellow exchangers from other countries such as Luxemburg, Netherlands, the Americas, and more is a rare feeling to have during a time of university.

The highlights of my exchange were definitely travelling the neighbouring countries with fellow exchangers. We would buy tickets to Seoul five days before the flight, and the spontaneity in planning is ridiculous, which makes it all the more memorable. During my time in Singapore, I visited Malaysia, Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, Taiwan and South Korea, which were all beautiful, warm countries to go to during weekends/breaks.

The exchange honestly made me forget this was a time to study and I hoped it would have lasted till the end of my degree!! However, as all good things do, they come to an end and I do not have an ounce of regret going. Whatever, country you choose and end up in, I can assure you that it cannot be more boring than the potential time spent in Auckland. Take that step and just see how much more there is to this world!! P.S. There are plans for my exchange friends from the UK, the U.S.A, and Europe to come to visit New Zealand! You don’t know just how popular we our yet!

Q&A

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

The National University of Singapore is 8th ranked in the world for a reason, the amount of pressure and work fellow students go through definitely pushes you to do your best. I have been taught many things and adapting to the change in pace compared to UoA has made me a more capable student.

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

Definitely go explore Sentosa Beach and try to visit as many hawker centres as you can; the food is cheap and amazing. In every hall/ residential college, there are many clubs/ interest groups to look into, and I particularly enjoyed my time playing ultimate frisbee.

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

Manage your time well and hand in the assignments before you go off on travels! It can be hard to put yourself in study mode with all the fun things going around, but trust me, it’s best to know you’re gonna pass the course than come back to NZ and retake them again!! Go sit with randoms on your first few days, honestly everyone is shy and thinking the same thing, just do it!

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 $6000 NZD for my 4 months in Singapore, this was not enough considering the extra travelling I did to many other surrounding countries. To have a really good time and not feel limited when other people are planning to travel is to have an extra $2000 ~ $3000. Also, take out a certain amount every week from your savings to a weekly spending account to help stay under budget. The student allowance was still available overseas so this helped a lot.

What are your most significant takeaways from your experience abroad?

Learning other people’s stories and how they ended up in Singapore. You can learn surprisingly a lot and it helps you reflect upon yourself. I believe the biggest takeaways for most exchangers are the people they’ve met, not particularly the places they have been to and the things done. It’s important to connect and be interested in others, in that way its an actual “exchange”!

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

The travelling involved in an exchange are the best bits to look forward to. From the beginning I knew wanted to complete as much of Asia as I could before I came back, such that the next time I travelled I could begin with Europe! Many of the countries around Singapore were cheap such as Thailand/Taiwan/ Indonesia/ Malaysia/ Vietnam so Singapore is an ideal host country to treat as your base of operations.

Final Comments

Plan your time wisely, since at the start you may fall into the trap that you have lots of time. Just have a rough plan as to which countries you want to see beforehand and schedule certain weeks out. Nothing worse than regretting not going to a country because you didn’t time it well! You can honestly survive in any country as long as you have your passport, dont lose it! Don’t overthink it too much just do!