Very valuable experience and glad I was able to explore an Asia extensively. Past Review

By Tara K (Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication., The University of Texas at Austin) - abroad from 01/15/2013 to 05/10/2013 with

Nanyang Technological University: Singapore - Direct Enrollment & Exchange

What did you gain/learn from your experience abroad? Was it worthwhile?

It was very worthwhile but I think the most important thing that I learned is that I do not wish to live and work in Asia. If I had not studied in Singapore, I might not know that and might have taken the opportunity blindly later on. I also gained a more international perspective, from both Asian citizens and European, South American, and African exchange students.

Personal Information

How much international exposure did you have prior to this program?	1 month - 6 months

Review Your Program

* Overall educational experience Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc.	Business classes pretty rigorous and difficult. Language courses were good but not quite as rigorous or intense as UT language classes.
* Host Country Program Administration On-site administration of your program	Estrellia and the entire International Office staff were very helpful and available when needed.
* Housing: How satisfied were you with your living arrangements?	Air conditioning may be an issue at first, but you will get used to living with mostly just a fan... even in Singapore. Overall VERY affordable and very good accommodation for circumstances. Most American students will get on-campus housing.
* Food:	Food in Singapore can be very expensive but in Jurong and especially NTU campus, food is extremely affordable. Breakfast is less than 2 SGD and lunch/dinner can be less than 3 or 4 SGD if you spend wisely. Many food options on campus.
* Social & Cultural Integration: How integrated did you feel with the local culture?	It never really felt like home, but I did grow very fond of Singapore culture. It's definitely different from US culture, but people are very friendly and it is a very safe and clean environment. That was always reassuring.
* Health Care: How well were health issues addressed during the program?	Hard to say because I didn't really have health issues.
* Safety:	SO safe. Safest ever.
If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program?	No

Finances

* 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)	I am not sure how much I spent per week, but living on NTU campus was extremely affordable for me. This is mostly because the rent was only about 800 USD or less, when I budget for more on normal semesters. That being said, I also did not buy very much alcohol which is a major expense for many international students.
Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week?	No idea. Sometimes less than 80 SGD, sometimes around 200 SGD depending on activities/sightseeing.
Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants?	Don't buy too much alcohol. Guys, there is not an easy way around this but girls can go out every Wednesday to pretty much any bar and receive free drink tickets. If you do want to buy alcohol, buy it in the airport duty free on arrival.

Language

* Did your program have a foreign language component?	No

Other Program Information

* Where did you live? Select all that apply	Dorm
* Who did you live with? Select all that apply	International Students
* Who did you take classes with? Select all that apply	Local Students Americans International Students
About how many local friends did you make that you will likely keep in touch with?

A Look Back

* What did you like most about the program?	Affordability Similar/involved campus environment Great international office
* What could be improved?	Course registration Air Conditioning Bus System (good but slow)
* What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program?	Course registration at NTU is veryyyy stressful, especially since you have just arrived when the process begins. If I had more information on this, I may have been able to choose classes easier and less stressfully. Also learned a lot of great travel tips for Asian airlines and learned to navigate Changi Airport like a pro. Very easy to learn when you get there, though. Also know that you are provided a backpack on arrival-- do not bring one and take up more space in your luggage!

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 Academic or Linguist You went abroad with specific academic goals in mind; the program credentials and rigor of your coursework abroad were very important to you. You had a great time abroad, but never lost sight of your studies and (if applicable) were diligent with your foreign language study. Good for you!

Individual Course Reviews

Course Name/Rating:	International Business Environment
Course Department:	Busniess
Instructor:	Udayasankar
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	Hard group projects and the prof grades pretty strictly, but very valuable and interesting class. No one that I know of received higher than a B, even the ones who had very intelligent and well-presented projects.
Credit Transfer Issues:	None so far

Course Name/Rating:	Principles of Economics: A Singapore Perspective
Course Department:	Business
Instructor:
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	If there had been multiple tests during the semester, the course would have been much more manageable. Instead, the cumulative final was worth 70% of my grade and made for a very stressful semester. Overall regret taking this course but if you are a natural at economics it may not be terrible.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Course name and number changed from previous semesters although content stayed the same, so took some time to get processed with UT economics department.

Course Name/Rating:	Chinese 1
Course Department:
Instructor:	Liow
Instruction Language:	English
Comments:	A bit unorganized but very valuable during my time in Singapore. Liow laoshi is a great teacher and will really do anything to help you as long as you ask.
Credit Transfer Issues:	No problems so far

Course Name/Rating:	German 1
Course Department:
Instructor:	Thauvin
Instruction Language:	English/German
Comments:	Overall very organized and valuable to me as a lover of languages. I had many German exchange friends and was able to practice and listen to them which made the class very relevant.
Credit Transfer Issues:	Still having problems. Emailed the German department personally and received confirmation on the course credit, but have not received official evaluation approval yet.