Engineering Exchange at NUS, Singapore Past Review
By Richard L (ECE, Rice University) for
National University of Singapore: Singapore - Direct Enrollment & Exchange
Singaporeans are just as smart as Americans, but will get paid half the salary. In indonesia, you can hire a servant for 200 per month. You get get a computer programmer, for 400 per month, and the best programmer for 2000. This means, 30 thousand in Indonesia is like 150,000 in America. In Cambodia, a policeman will be your tour guide. Everyone is always nice to you if you treat them with respect.
Personal Information
| How much international exposure did you have prior to this program? | 6 months+ |
Review Your Program
|
* Overall educational experience
Academic rigor, intensity, resources, etc. |
Professors don't give homework and you often don't see step by step solutions. Your first exam might be the final exam, which isn't helpful. There is a website, which I learned in the last month, that provides old exams, but they don't have solutions. |
|
* Host Country Program Administration
On-site administration of your program |
I'm not really sure what this question is asking. |
|
* Housing:
How satisfied were you with your living arrangements? |
Prince George's Park. <br /><br /> Get the A room, pay the extra 100. You still probably won't get it, so submit a work order and say you have asthma, because some guy I know did that. It's super hot. However, you get a Single. |
| * Food: |
Cheap and delicious asian food |
|
* Social & Cultural Integration:
How integrated did you feel with the local culture? |
Swim with whale sharks, go to the 5 dollar water park in chinese garden, eat sushi and dim sum buffets. |
|
* Health Care:
How well were health issues addressed during the program? |
|
| * Safety: |
On campus hospital staff are frinedly. |
| If you could do it all over again would you choose the same program? |
Yes
|
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) |
|
| Not including program expenses, about how much money did you spend on food and other expenses each week? | 2-3 per meal. don't buy books, I was silly and did that. the culture is different. A professor was shocked when I told her I bought the books, she said I didn't actually need them. |
| Do you have any general money-saving tips for future study abroad participants? | My card didn't work. Nothing excepts visa here except atms. |
Language
| * Did your program have a foreign language component? | Yes |
| How would you rate your language skills at the beginning of the program? | None |
| What was the highest level language course you had completed prior to departure? | N |
| Language acquisition improvement? |
Go to the country that is near by. |
Other Program Information
|
* Where did you live?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you live with?
Select all that apply |
|
|
* Who did you take classes with?
Select all that apply |
|
A Look Back
| * What do you know now that you wish you knew before going on this program? | Any student that likes Asian food, even if moderately. I know one guy from Germany who came knowing he didn't like rice. Now he does. |
Individual Course Reviews
| Course Name/Rating: |
Systems and Control |
| Course Department: | EE2010 |
| Instructor: | Loh Ai Poh |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | She's really approachable, but won't show you solutions, because homework is never turned in. Take advantage to meet with her in person. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I hope it transfers. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
TR3001 |
| Course Department: | New Product Development |
| Instructor: | Ng Kiang |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | Mainly just a couple of projects, it would be good if you aren't used to doing projects, but I am so I didn't get much out of it. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Our business school doesn't offer flat BUSI credit. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
New Venture Creation |
| Course Department: | TR3002 |
| Instructor: | Douglas Abrams |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | He owns a venture capitalist firm and invites you to a competition/workshop, which normally costs $200, but he lets you in for free. You need to miss a few days, but it was really worth it. I learned more in this than in his class. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Our business school doesn't offer flat BUSI credit. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
Bahasa Indonesian 1 |
| Course Department: | LAB1201 |
| Instructor: | A couple of them |
| Instruction Language: | Bahasa Indonesia/English |
| Comments: | I really enjoyed it. I wish I could take more. It is really fun, although the project forced me to skip classes for practices taught my teachers. All the teachers are really friendly. This is the reason I wanted to study abroad, to take this class, and it was well worth it. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | Our school won't transfer credit for a language they don't offer. |
| Course Name/Rating: |
EE2005 |
| Course Department: | Electronics |
| Instructor: | Heng |
| Instruction Language: | English |
| Comments: | He does show you step by step solutions, which were really helpful. We did turn in homework for this class. His final was really hard, but it was hard for everyone. |
| Credit Transfer Issues: | I hope it transfers. |
