My year in Singapore was by far the best year of my life! It was such an amazing opportunity to visit a completely different part of the world, meet people from all over the place, and it gave me the chance to call a new place home. I went to Nanyang Technological University, http://www.ntu.edu.sg, which is located on the eastern side of the island. While locals will say it is out in the boonies, no worries; it takes all of 45 minutes to drive across the entire country.
Singapore itself is a beautiful country, and is unnaturally clean. Their subway system, called the MRT, is probably cleaner than my bedroom ever has been and the streets are completely litter free. English is the primary language in Singapore, but it is a very culturally diverse country with Malay, Mandarin, and Urdu being its other official languages. It is a very modern country, with shopping malls full of American and European stores at every corner. Any comfort food you could imagine missing from home is probably there, plus the favourite/demise of every exchange student…McDonald’s delivery. Nightlife in Singapore is amazing, with clubs and bars to suit any taste in music and style. During the day you can browse tons of outdoor markets, try out the “foodie” culture of the Singaporeans and taste hundreds of different foods (I have no idea how they stay so thin, but Singaporeans love to eat), or head out to Sentosa for a day at the beach. http://www.sentosa.com.sg
A huge advantage to living in Singapore is how easy it is to travel to other parts of South East Asia, and for incredibly cheap. Airlines like Tiger Airways, Air Asia, JetStar, and Lion Air can take you all over SEA for under $100, if you book in advance. During my exchange I visited 9 countries over the course of weekend trips, my two “reading weeks”, my month of Christmas break, and for a few weeks before heading back home. If you aren’t a fussy person, travelling through SEA can be very cheap and an incredibly unique and rewarding experience.
The best part of being on exchange is making great friends from all over the world. It might seem overwhelming when you arrive adjusting to your new home and making new friends, but you have to remember that everyone is in the same position as you are. All the other exchange students are experiencing the same anxiety and homesickness, and everyone is looking to make new friends. So put yourself out there, be friendly, and attend any social events the school sets for exchange students. It will make your experience that much more enjoyable, and set you up with some friends to travel with.
Things to know before going to Singapore…
- Don’t litter! You can pay fines up to $1000 SGD
- It is no longer ‘Yes I can’ or ‘No I can’t’, it is ‘can can’ or ‘cannot’
- Wednesday is Ladies’ night….girls, leave your wallets at home
- Sweet Talk bubble tea, and Bread Talk buns are a MUST
- Remember to buy gum when you go travelling or bring some from home…they don’t sell gum in Singapore in an effort to keep it clean
- Don’t try Durian…no matter what anyone says. The smell will probably be enough to deter you
Kayla Jaisaree
MIT IV
Nanyang Technological University - Singapore
kjaisare@uwo.ca
