Bon Voyage Past Review
By Glosso (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 08/13/2012 to 12/10/2012 with
Nanyang Technological University: Singapore - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
I've been to Singapore many times before going to the exchange program, which was also the reason why I decided to study there. Being a tourist and actually live there is two completely different experiences. I met many friends from all over the world in Singapore. I learned about the cultures and exposed myself to different things that I would not do before. Moreover, the time in Singapore helped me realize that my future is not limited to a certain city or country. There are a lot of opportunities in Singapore and I'd love to come and work there. Overall, I enjoyed every moment in Singapore. It certainly changed the way I view the world.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 1 month - 6 months |
Review Your Program
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* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
If you expect to earn all As while studying abroad, Singapore is not a good place to starts. I'm Asian and somewhat familiar with the Asian-style studying but the intensity in Singapore is just mind-blowing. Everyone is so serious about studying and they work really, really hard to be on the top. No matter how hard I tried, I failed miserably when competing to them. |
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* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
The staffs are excellent. They really reach out to help and host many events for us, the exchange students, to learn about Singaporean culture. |
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* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
The on-campus dorms are inexpensive and very good. However, you have to pay to use the air-con, which I find very inconvenient and somewhat ridiculous. |
| * Food: |
A melting-pot of different ethnicities and cultures. Singapore offers you a variety of ethnicity food. If you're a food lover or a fan of Bizarre Foods or No Reservation, Singapore is definitely a place for your next adventure. |
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* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
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* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
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| * Safety: |
It's one of the safest countries in the world. You can go anywhere without worrying about your security. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
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Finances
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* Money: How easily were you able to live on a student's budget?
(1 = not very easy/$200+ on food & personal expenses/week, 2.5 = $100/week, 5 = very easily/minimal cost) |
It's quite expensive to live in Singapore. |
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 150 |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | Since Singapore is a great place to travel to other Southeast Asian countries, you need to plan a head and save money for your traveling. Finding tickets from low-cost airlines such as Jetstar, Tigerairway, AirAsia, etc, will help you save a lot of money. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | No |
Other Program Information
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* Where did you live?
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* Who did you live with?
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* Who did you take classes with?
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| About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with? | 0 |
A Look Back
| * What did you like most about the program? |
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| * What could be improved? |
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| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | I wish I knew that NTU is so far away from downtown area. It took about an hour and half to get there. Also, the humidity is insane. |
Reasons For Studying Abroad
| To help future students find programs attended by like-minded individuals, please choose the profile that most closely represents you. |
The Nearly Native or Trail BlazerCraving the most authentic experience possible, perhaps you lived with a host family or really got in good with the locals. You may have felt confined by your program requirements and group excursions. Instead, you'd have preferred to plan your own trips, even skipping class to conduct your own 'field work.' |
